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A review by blurrypetals
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
5.0
This book was a lovely mix of a lot of my favorite contemporaries I've read this year so far, bringing in the secret admirer elements seen in Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum and Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West, the sweet summery atmosphere of Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson and If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and the romantic coming of age story like Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia and Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi. All six of those books are new all-time favorites and, perhaps after stewing about it, this book could very well join those books on my shelf.
However, I have one big issue with this book and it isn't even something that was in the content of the book. Rather, it was what ended up on the inside flap for this book as well as the Goodreads page that has me really disappointed, despite how much I did enjoy the book. That thing is the fact that the blurb spoils the crux of the secret admirer plot. I'm going to tag that spoiler because I feel like the principle of this really needs to have a light shone on it.
With that all said and my frustrations known, I still found this book to be endlessly charming, incredibly sweet, unexpectedly poignant, and so sweet and romantic I felt like I was going to burst into a flurry of heart-shaped confetti, darling movie references, and sugar cookie dough.
However, I have one big issue with this book and it isn't even something that was in the content of the book. Rather, it was what ended up on the inside flap for this book as well as the Goodreads page that has me really disappointed, despite how much I did enjoy the book. That thing is the fact that the blurb spoils the crux of the secret admirer plot. I'm going to tag that spoiler because I feel like the principle of this really needs to have a light shone on it.
Spoiler
Anyone could guess from the word "go" that Porter was Alex. It's a very simple, straightforward story and it wouldn't make sense if Porter wasn't Alex for some reason, but the fact that the big reveal is saved until the very end (as well as a multitude of other things and how they play out in the book) tells me the author definitely did not want it advertised in the blurb that Porter was the secret admirer and Bailey was his this whole time because it is treated like a huge reveal when this information becomes known to both characters, just like S.N.'s reveal in Tell Me Three Things.With that all said and my frustrations known, I still found this book to be endlessly charming, incredibly sweet, unexpectedly poignant, and so sweet and romantic I felt like I was going to burst into a flurry of heart-shaped confetti, darling movie references, and sugar cookie dough.