A review by anjreading
Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

2.0

2.5 stars. A meh love story trying to pass itself off as literary. The book averages 4.19 stars on Goodreads, and I had heard multiple book podcasters rave about it. I think this is a phenomenon that tends to occur when a man writes a love story. The writing was solid, for sure, and the story kept me entertained and wanting to know what was going to happen next, but there are too many convenient plot points as well as eye-rolling moments (especially in Huckelbridge’s writing of Sophie). Two strangers are the sole survivors of a small plane crash in French Polynesia. Sophie, a French architect, was on her honeymoon, and Barry, a New York finance guy, had quit his job to follow his dream of becoming a painter. Contrived and weirdly lacking in emotion despite the opportunities. Oh, and let’s make sure that this isn’t labeled a romance by (spoiler withheld). I liked it more while I was listening to it than I did once I finished and thought more about the book. YMMV, this may have been a case of it’s me not you.