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A review by chinesetofu
Finding Gene Kelly by Torie Jean
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wow! Firstly, I’d like to thank NetGalley and this book’s author for allowing me to read the arc of this comforting, and very cozy read!
Starting off, I initially went into this book after skimming over the synopsis, since I wanted to go in and just jump into a romance story without much detail about what would happen. I was both shocked and pleasantly surprised at how Finding Gene Kelly turned out, and honestly, the majority of the pacing of this book was extremely well done.
Right off the bat, we have Evelina and Liam’s long-awaited meet-up in Paris after not seeing each other in a few years. Let’s just say there were a few second-hand embarrassment-worthy scenes in this book, but all the same it made me laugh and was very enjoyable to read. What I particularly liked most about this book was the representation of endometriosis in the main character. I had never been too informed about this condition before, and getting a glimpse into how someone’s whole life and thinking process could be affected by this condition was something I really enjoyed, because I felt like I had a better understanding of the struggles of the condition.
It was fairly hard to read about Evelina’s struggles in a few instances, but my heart yearned for her, and the unique aura of her character’s strength and love for others was what made me root for her happily ever after. Moving on to the actual relationship development, I was met with a ‘I’ve-loved-her-since-childhood’ trope, which I wasn’t expecting, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. In fact, it brought almost a certain dream-like charm to this book, which really matched the focus of some sub-plots in this book regarding dreams and ambitions.
The pacing was a bit slow at the start, but as I am one for a slowburn romance, I thought this was executed rather well. The sense of tension and animosity was fairly well developed too, and I could get a hint of their chemistry even when they were both in their ‘enemies’ phase. Throughout the novel, their dialogue was also fairly easy to read and it had a homey flow to it, almost reminiscent of a couple already married for quite a while. The banter and general dialogue was great, but I do think I may have given this book a higher rating if there was perhaps more variety to what they discussed in the book, because at times it felt just slightly underwhelming, and the potential for their chemistry to shine through their dialogue was slightly hindered.
Lastly, I would just like to mention how much I love Liam’s understanding and gentle nature—his balanced mix of spicy/cocky attitude and the caring/sentimental demeanor when he cares for Evelina (which is pretty much throughout the entire book) was such a great character personality that I truly enjoyed reading. It was so clear that they were right for each other, and his soft moments with her were just so darling to read!!
Something else I would have liked with this book more though was of the pacing towards the end was perhaps modified slightly—it did feel really quick with how things were wrapped up, and it almost felt slightly unrealistic given the amount of life-changing realizations that the characters went through. So many things were wrapped up with quick changes in mindset or a short conversation, or just a brief look at someone’s actions. I would have much preferred having a more set-out and better-paced progression of how things were resolved in this story.
Overall though, it was definitely an enjoyable and comforting romance read that had a right mix of butterflies, heart-melting moments, and cringe-worthy laughter sprinkled in. It would definitely be interesting to see what other new romance novels this author comes up with! :)
Starting off, I initially went into this book after skimming over the synopsis, since I wanted to go in and just jump into a romance story without much detail about what would happen. I was both shocked and pleasantly surprised at how Finding Gene Kelly turned out, and honestly, the majority of the pacing of this book was extremely well done.
Right off the bat, we have Evelina and Liam’s long-awaited meet-up in Paris after not seeing each other in a few years. Let’s just say there were a few second-hand embarrassment-worthy scenes in this book, but all the same it made me laugh and was very enjoyable to read. What I particularly liked most about this book was the representation of endometriosis in the main character. I had never been too informed about this condition before, and getting a glimpse into how someone’s whole life and thinking process could be affected by this condition was something I really enjoyed, because I felt like I had a better understanding of the struggles of the condition.
It was fairly hard to read about Evelina’s struggles in a few instances, but my heart yearned for her, and the unique aura of her character’s strength and love for others was what made me root for her happily ever after. Moving on to the actual relationship development, I was met with a ‘I’ve-loved-her-since-childhood’ trope, which I wasn’t expecting, but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. In fact, it brought almost a certain dream-like charm to this book, which really matched the focus of some sub-plots in this book regarding dreams and ambitions.
The pacing was a bit slow at the start, but as I am one for a slowburn romance, I thought this was executed rather well. The sense of tension and animosity was fairly well developed too, and I could get a hint of their chemistry even when they were both in their ‘enemies’ phase. Throughout the novel, their dialogue was also fairly easy to read and it had a homey flow to it, almost reminiscent of a couple already married for quite a while. The banter and general dialogue was great, but I do think I may have given this book a higher rating if there was perhaps more variety to what they discussed in the book, because at times it felt just slightly underwhelming, and the potential for their chemistry to shine through their dialogue was slightly hindered.
Lastly, I would just like to mention how much I love Liam’s understanding and gentle nature—his balanced mix of spicy/cocky attitude and the caring/sentimental demeanor when he cares for Evelina (which is pretty much throughout the entire book) was such a great character personality that I truly enjoyed reading. It was so clear that they were right for each other, and his soft moments with her were just so darling to read!!
Something else I would have liked with this book more though was of the pacing towards the end was perhaps modified slightly—it did feel really quick with how things were wrapped up, and it almost felt slightly unrealistic given the amount of life-changing realizations that the characters went through. So many things were wrapped up with quick changes in mindset or a short conversation, or just a brief look at someone’s actions. I would have much preferred having a more set-out and better-paced progression of how things were resolved in this story.
Overall though, it was definitely an enjoyable and comforting romance read that had a right mix of butterflies, heart-melting moments, and cringe-worthy laughter sprinkled in. It would definitely be interesting to see what other new romance novels this author comes up with! :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Chronic illness