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A review by margomccoy2
Aix Marks the Spot by S.E. Anderson
2.0
**2.5 stars**
I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley!
This book was alright for me. On one hand, I'm a sucker for a YA romance in a foreign country, especially during the summer. On the other hand, I found myself struggling to like Jamie at all. I was constantly irritated by her, as she continuously said things about her parents sending her away because they hated her. Despite not knowing what had really happened up until the end, I knew right off the bat that they did not, in the slightest, hate her; it felt extremely childish and overdramatic to me. Not to mention, I hated how she treated Valentin at times (and I even hated how he acted sometimes. I can't say I didn't understand her frustrations, but the way she reacted to things made me want to stop reading at some points.
HOWEVER(!!), I LOVED the setting. Does it get much better than the countryside of France? I could truly tell where the author's personal experiences living in France pulled through; at parts, it felt like I was there with Jamie because of the sheer detail that Anderson used. I thought the setting was extremely well done, and it was definitely my favorite part of the book. I felt like I was sightseeing with them!
While the letters didn't do much for me (I found it a bit absurd that they were able to find the letters after 17 years without much difficulty at all), I did like the idea of the treasure hunt allowing Jamie to see France from her mother's eyes. It felt really special that she got to recreate some of her parents' favorite adventures and see the reasons why they loved it there so much. I really started to get more invested in the story at the end, but the ending was so abrupt and quick. I wish there had been more of an explanation about what happened after the initial reunion, as the ending felt too rushed to successfully conclude 17 years of not speaking.
Overall, it was enjoyable, but there were some things that I personally wasn’t a fan of. However, if you are looking for a fun, summer YA contemporary featuring a foreign romance, I definitely suggest checking it out.
I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley!
This book was alright for me. On one hand, I'm a sucker for a YA romance in a foreign country, especially during the summer. On the other hand, I found myself struggling to like Jamie at all. I was constantly irritated by her, as she continuously said things about her parents sending her away because they hated her. Despite not knowing what had really happened up until the end, I knew right off the bat that they did not, in the slightest, hate her; it felt extremely childish and overdramatic to me. Not to mention, I hated how she treated Valentin at times (and I even hated how he acted sometimes. I can't say I didn't understand her frustrations, but the way she reacted to things made me want to stop reading at some points.
HOWEVER(!!), I LOVED the setting. Does it get much better than the countryside of France? I could truly tell where the author's personal experiences living in France pulled through; at parts, it felt like I was there with Jamie because of the sheer detail that Anderson used. I thought the setting was extremely well done, and it was definitely my favorite part of the book. I felt like I was sightseeing with them!
While the letters didn't do much for me (I found it a bit absurd that they were able to find the letters after 17 years without much difficulty at all), I did like the idea of the treasure hunt allowing Jamie to see France from her mother's eyes. It felt really special that she got to recreate some of her parents' favorite adventures and see the reasons why they loved it there so much. I really started to get more invested in the story at the end, but the ending was so abrupt and quick. I wish there had been more of an explanation about what happened after the initial reunion, as the ending felt too rushed to successfully conclude 17 years of not speaking.
Overall, it was enjoyable, but there were some things that I personally wasn’t a fan of. However, if you are looking for a fun, summer YA contemporary featuring a foreign romance, I definitely suggest checking it out.