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A review by theloranhale
The Love Square by Laura Jane Williams
5.0
Laura Jane Williams' protagonists are always relatable and Penny Bridge is no different. Penny Bridge is another successful, admirable thirty years old woman who feels less wanted and unloved and more frustrated and confused to why. A failing long term relationship and a coward of an ex boyfriend and many dates that never become more than casual flings that she started to believe that there is something innately wrong standing in the way of finding her happiness. Soon enough, things change when, suddenly, it starts raining men. Penny finds herself stuck in a romantic dilemma with three eligible men. However, Her trouble is compounded by the fact she's a breast cancer survivor. She wants to have a child. She has infertility problems. She has already gone with the embryo freezing process. But how can she handle all of that on top of moving to the countryside for a year and taking care of her uncle’s pub business?
Along with the romantic entanglements, The Love Square protagonist finds herself struggling with familial obligations, messy situationships and her own desire to build a family and become a mother She embarks upon a wild journey that challenges her conception of love, intimacy and relationships.
To begin with, I’m a fan of Williams’ writings for her ability to centre womanhood in her writings. I keep coming back to her books not only for their relatability but also for their didactic nature. In The Love Square, Penny is a breast cancer survivor. She only got diagnosed at the age of 25 years old, which is commonly believed as surreal, that almost never happens to younger women. Right? We rarely see that in real life. In fact, according to statistics, only 5% of breast cancer cases happen to women under the age of 40. I really admired Williams’ empathy towards such a sensitive topic and her willingness to delve into its aftermath experience. Hormones therapy, surrogacy, embryo freezing and infertility; all of those issues are openly discussed by Penny in a way that allows an understanding of its pain and more space to think and talk about those matters. It, also, demonstrates an authentic, alternative reaction to the stereotypical perception of infertile individuals. Penny wasn’t wallowing in self-pity, or stuck in the victim role but rather she embraced her illness and found an alternative to guarantee that her family dream comes true.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about the books is the authors’ attempt at challenging the heteronormative norms of the dating scene. Penny herself gets into situationships with both Thomas and Priyech “no strings attached”. The former is a polygamous partner whom she has fun with and doesn’t feel the pressure of commitment with as for the latter is just a sex partner whom apparently is her best laid. We get to see another types of relationships that do not warrant any judgmental commentary or contempt.As for Penny herself, the freedom of exploring her sexuality and enjoying her time without sex-shaming herself is considered a win for women. It’s high time woman stopped feeling guilty or shameful for pursuing sexual pleasure or seeking casual relationships.
Furthermore, The family dynamics in the book tug at my heartstrings. Penny is really close to her uncle who took her and her sister in when they were orphaned. She sacrifices her life in London for a year to take care of his business leaving behind Francisco, her first love interest, and her café for her friend and co-worker to manage. (Even though she does it bitterly.). She, also, feels deeply for her sister Clemntine who happens to travel a lot yet keep in touch with. She stands by her and listens to her rants all the time. She even pursued her to be her surrogate. Clearly, she has a loving family and a solid support system.
Notably, I enjoyed the friends to lovers trope with Fransisco. Possibly, I will never get over him asking her to fall in friendship with him. Their relationship is endearing. It’s genuine, raw and intimate even though they haven’t known each other for that long, they seemed to be comfortable and at ease. He’s the only love interest whom she shared bits of her illness with. He embraces her as a future single mother without seeking to have an active role as a father figure (even though that changes in the epilogue). He calls her out on her confusion and blatantly verbal slaps her about her seemingly romantic attachments. He even asks her to seek therapy which she does to make sense of it all.
Penny Bridge is, definitely, a hella relatable messy character. I think all of us at some point got tugged into different directions trying to meet expectations and duties veering from what we really want, which is in her case is a baby. Realising that she’s being passive in her happiness and taking back control over her own life has made her redirect her focus from romantic relationships to motherhood. That did not mean that she didn’t get the guy. She did, but it wasn’t about Francisco after all. It was all about what a woman really wants.
It’s safe to say that Williams is an incredible author. I admire the way that she handles the female experience in her books, and how she tackles many facets of it in each and every one of them. The Love Square is just another testimony that the author is not only unapologetically shedding light on women’s voiceless struggles in the romance genre but also demonstrating it from an empathetic, understanding, eye-opening angle. I love her protagonists, I love her writing, I love the way she always has something to say. Definitely not a disappointing read.
Along with the romantic entanglements, The Love Square protagonist finds herself struggling with familial obligations, messy situationships and her own desire to build a family and become a mother She embarks upon a wild journey that challenges her conception of love, intimacy and relationships.
To begin with, I’m a fan of Williams’ writings for her ability to centre womanhood in her writings. I keep coming back to her books not only for their relatability but also for their didactic nature. In The Love Square, Penny is a breast cancer survivor. She only got diagnosed at the age of 25 years old, which is commonly believed as surreal, that almost never happens to younger women. Right? We rarely see that in real life. In fact, according to statistics, only 5% of breast cancer cases happen to women under the age of 40. I really admired Williams’ empathy towards such a sensitive topic and her willingness to delve into its aftermath experience. Hormones therapy, surrogacy, embryo freezing and infertility; all of those issues are openly discussed by Penny in a way that allows an understanding of its pain and more space to think and talk about those matters. It, also, demonstrates an authentic, alternative reaction to the stereotypical perception of infertile individuals. Penny wasn’t wallowing in self-pity, or stuck in the victim role but rather she embraced her illness and found an alternative to guarantee that her family dream comes true.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about the books is the authors’ attempt at challenging the heteronormative norms of the dating scene. Penny herself gets into situationships with both Thomas and Priyech “no strings attached”. The former is a polygamous partner whom she has fun with and doesn’t feel the pressure of commitment with as for the latter is just a sex partner whom apparently is her best laid. We get to see another types of relationships that do not warrant any judgmental commentary or contempt.As for Penny herself, the freedom of exploring her sexuality and enjoying her time without sex-shaming herself is considered a win for women. It’s high time woman stopped feeling guilty or shameful for pursuing sexual pleasure or seeking casual relationships.
Furthermore, The family dynamics in the book tug at my heartstrings. Penny is really close to her uncle who took her and her sister in when they were orphaned. She sacrifices her life in London for a year to take care of his business leaving behind Francisco, her first love interest, and her café for her friend and co-worker to manage. (Even though she does it bitterly.). She, also, feels deeply for her sister Clemntine who happens to travel a lot yet keep in touch with. She stands by her and listens to her rants all the time. She even pursued her to be her surrogate. Clearly, she has a loving family and a solid support system.
Notably, I enjoyed the friends to lovers trope with Fransisco. Possibly, I will never get over him asking her to fall in friendship with him. Their relationship is endearing. It’s genuine, raw and intimate even though they haven’t known each other for that long, they seemed to be comfortable and at ease. He’s the only love interest whom she shared bits of her illness with. He embraces her as a future single mother without seeking to have an active role as a father figure (even though that changes in the epilogue). He calls her out on her confusion and blatantly verbal slaps her about her seemingly romantic attachments. He even asks her to seek therapy which she does to make sense of it all.
Penny Bridge is, definitely, a hella relatable messy character. I think all of us at some point got tugged into different directions trying to meet expectations and duties veering from what we really want, which is in her case is a baby. Realising that she’s being passive in her happiness and taking back control over her own life has made her redirect her focus from romantic relationships to motherhood. That did not mean that she didn’t get the guy. She did, but it wasn’t about Francisco after all. It was all about what a woman really wants.
It’s safe to say that Williams is an incredible author. I admire the way that she handles the female experience in her books, and how she tackles many facets of it in each and every one of them. The Love Square is just another testimony that the author is not only unapologetically shedding light on women’s voiceless struggles in the romance genre but also demonstrating it from an empathetic, understanding, eye-opening angle. I love her protagonists, I love her writing, I love the way she always has something to say. Definitely not a disappointing read.