matt2thefuture 's review for:

And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens

4.75

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Some artists strike a chord with you. So pardon me while a gush a bit on Sophie Cousens and And Then There Was You. 

 

I know these are romance books in genre, but I have come to think of Cousens as writing Romance+. There’s always an extra layer of something—life, reflection, magic—that take her stories to that next level. Then There Was had several chances to settle into standard romance fare, but Cousens, as she does, always does something extra with it to make it so much better. So much thinkier. She’s event entertainment. 

 

The only thing I could say even remotely negative about this one would be that I didn’t always buy the motivations or the way the action unfolded as being completely on target (admittedly some of that was not getting the literary references the story used). She has, as much as I enjoyed this, written even better stories (which is baffling to contemplate). But the emotional context was there, and it was captivating from very early on. 

 

Then There Was yet again showed Cousens taking the framework of a very familiar story you think you may have read or seen before and doing something with it that surprises you and delights you. 

 

Here’s what it is. She writes exactly the kinds of books I want to read. And she does it without me even being able to define what that is most of the time. 

 

To use an analogy from this very book, if I ever met the author in person (and let’s hope I don’t because I’d most likely embarrass myself by stumbling with effusive praise), I would tell Cousens that she is the Rob of my endorphin-seeking mind. It’s like she knows exactly which levers to pull to keep this reader happy. 

 

Recommended for all romance readers, and seekers of high-concept, high-quality storytelling. She is one of the few authors I can not recommend highly enough. 

 

Thank you to Putnam Books for providing an uncorrected ARC via NetGalley.