A Forever Story by Cathleen Lynn Boyle 📚 BOOK REVIEW

I read a digital edition of A Forever Story that I received for free from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Publisher: BenSky Publishing, LLC

Originally published: April 4th, 2020

Pages: 400 (Kindle edition)

Synopsis by the publisher:

A Forever Story has been a story dying to be told. It is based on real events that were recorded in journals and memoirs. The actual names of the people involved have been changed to protect identities, and situations have been fictionalized.

Fifteen years ago on Easter Sunday, I learned from a stranger’s voice at a hospital emergency room on the west coast where my daughter was attending college, she was dead-on-arrival from GHB poisoning. The men, a local hip-hop rapper, and his band, who brought my daughter to the hospital, admitted in sworn statements to the police she had been at their music studio forty to fifty minutes when she fell to the floor convulsing before entering a coma. The men, despite attempting CPR, quit the effort, and failed to call 911. They waited nine hours before seeking medical attention. To date, my daughter’s case remains a San Francisco cold case of suspected homicide.

Cathleen Boyle lives in Colorado with her son, and can be found blogging on women’s issue at https://daterapeawareness.wordpress.com/about/

My thoughts:

A Forever Story starts with Sofia sharing her life, work, and love interests in San Fransisco. We get to know this young woman trying to make a name for herself in a big city while also trying to figure out what she wants in life. We dive into her life and get to know her before everything changes when Sofia and her friend Bella are drugged at a party, and Sofia never wakes up again.
The second part of the book tells the story of the people that Sofia left behind, mainly her mother and younger brother, as they search for truth and justice 15 years after it all happened.

It is an interesting and heartbreaking story and knowing that real events inspired it makes it even more impactful. And even though the party that Sofia was drugged at was set in 1999, it is still such a relevant subject to this day. It is a scary reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, how easily it can happen without one knowing, and how difficult it can be to seek justice.
A Forever Story gives an insight into the legal procedures of a case like this, and a lot of the story is set in the courtroom. For me, some of those parts felt a bit like I was reading a movie script because of all the back and forth dialogue in the courtroom. At times, this could feel slightly repetitive, although I do understand Boyle’s desire to stay true to how the procedure would go down in real life.

A Forever Story is quite dark and sad, but with some rays of hope and sunshine finding its way through. And although I enjoyed this story, I don’t think it’s a book for everyone. There are quite a few elements throughout that I can picture being triggering for some readers, so that’s something to be aware of.
Other than that, I found this book to be entertaining, interesting, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking. A disturbing but enjoyable read!

Click on the Reedsy Discovery logo below to get to know more, maybe get your own copy, and let me know what you think of it💛

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams 📚 BOOK REVIEW

Candice Carty-Williams

I read a hardback edition of Queenie.

Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance.

Publisher: Trapeze

Originally published: March 19th, 2019

Pages: 400 (hardback)

Audiobook length: 9 hrs and 45 mins.

Synopsis by the publisher:

Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth.

As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?”—all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her.

My thoughts:

When I shared pictures of me reading Queenie on Instagram, I got a couple of DM’s from people asking me if it was true that Queenie was a lot like Bridget Jones’s Diary. I wasn’t aware that the two were being compared before that, but when I finished reading it, I saw that mentioned more and more.
I have to say (even though I think Bridget Jones is good fun and all that) that to compare the two is incredibly unfair to Queenie and to Candice Carty-Williams. Why? Because the two characters are so different! And the two stories are so different! Just because both books are about single women in London, doesn’t make them the same kind of stories.

Queenie is such a complex character and what she’s going through in this book when it comes to mental health and racism goes far deeper than the struggles Bridget Jones was facing in the fear of becoming an old spinster. I’m not saying that loneliness isn’t a subject that can be complicated and emotional, but Bridget Jones is not a book about mental health, at least not in my opinion.
And the big difference between the two is also that in Queenie we have a story that goes to some quite dark places, and that was something that I really appreciated with this story.

Dating in this modern age, with people walking around with all their own kind of bagage and own sets of issues, it can be difficult, challenging, hearbreaking and just downright frustrating and (at times) impossible to wrap your head around.
I’ve been there, and I know a lot of people have, and that’s why I think so many fall in love with Queenie and relates to her character so much. Even though you haven’t gone through the exact same experiences as she has, it is still easy to fing emotions and frustrations to relate to.

Queenie and her friends will make you frustrated at times when you read about the choices that they make (like having lots of unprotected sex and choosing dating partners that clearly isn’t a good match), but that is also what makes these characters feel more real. They make mistakes, they are imperfect, and they are trying so hard to navigate through a complicated and weird time in this world and their lives.

Queenie is a book with lots of humor, cringe worthy moments, diversity, exploration of mental health, friendships, love, and relationships for good and for bad.
It explores darkness and brightness and is also extremely entertaining! You can’t help but root for Queenie!

I would highly recommend Queenie to those readers out there who likes more complex and complicated contemporary/romance fiction. But it is not for the faint of heart! It was quite sexually graphic, and as I mentioned, it does go some pretty dark places, so that’s something to be aware of when going into this story.

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Writers and Lovers by Lily King 📚 BOOK REVIEW

Lily King

I read a hardback edition of Writers and Lovers.

Genre: Contemporary fiction, romance.

Publisher: PICADOR

Originally published: March 3rd, 2020

Pages: 256 (hardback)

Audiobook length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Synopsis by the publisher:

Casey has ended up back in Massachusetts after a devastating love affair. Her mother has just died and she is knocked sideways by grief and loneliness, moving between the restaurant where she waitresses for the Harvard elite and the rented shed she calls home. Her one constant is the novel she has been writing for six years, but at thirty-one she is in debt and directionless, and feels too old to be that way – it’s strange, not be the youngest kind of adult anymore.

And then, one evening, she meets Silas. He is kind, handsome, interested. But only a few weeks later, Oscar walks into her restaurant, his two boys in tow. He is older, grieving the loss of his wife, and wrapped up in his own creativity. Suddenly Casey finds herself at the point of a love triangle, torn between two very different relationships that promise two very different futures.

Lily King’s Writers & Lovers follows Casey in the last days of a long youth, a time when everything – her family, her work, her relationships – comes to a crisis. Hugely moving and impossibly funny, it is a transfixing novel that explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another. It is a novel about love and creativity, and ultimately it captures the moment when a woman becomes an artist.

My thoughts:

When I first heard about this book, I immediately felt drawn to it. An aspiring writer struggling with finding her place in the world while coping with her demons. It sounded like a book that I could relate to a lot! And on that point, it definitely did not disappoint!

I fell in love with Casey as a character from the very beginning. Her attitude and the pride she has in her work as both a writer and as a waitress was something that I thought was so brilliantly portrayed. As someone who’s worked a lot in customer service myself, I thought it was a breath of fresh air to read about a character that actually took pride in her work even though it wasn’t the profession she dreamt of having in the long run. King also wrote about the struggle and frustration of working with customer service and questionable management, and I thought she was right on point there as well!

Casey also navigates her way through writing, single life, and trying to cope with the grief of having lost her mother. We get to follow her as she tries to make the best choices for her life and her future, and finding it hard to differentiate between what seems like the best choices are and what the right choices actually are. I think this is something that most creatives can relate to in the process of following a dream as well as building a future at the same time.

I loved how none of the characters were perfect. They felt real and problematic, just like real people.

The way that this story touches on family and grief as well was really interesting to read about and I was so invested in all the emotions that Casey went through in her ups and downs.

“Writers and Lovers” was a fresh of breath air in the contemporary fiction/romance genre, and one that made me (as an aspiring writer myself) want to sit down and work harder and write more.
I have a feeling that this book is one that will easily find its way into a very special place in the hearts of a lot of writers, but I also think that it’s a romance that can be loved and enjoyed by those who don’t have a passion for writing.

It was a wonderful story that felt very easy to read even though it touched on some heavier subjects. A story that has stayed with me and I find my mind drifting back to quite often.

Highly recommend!

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 📚 BOOK REVIEW

Stephanie Perkins

I read a Norwegian paperback edition of Anna and the French Kiss.

Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

Originally published: December, 2010

Pages: 380 (paperback)

Synopsis by the publisher:

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her attention. So she’s less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking of word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he’s taken—and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?

My thoughts:

YA/Teenage romance novels aren’t really the kind of books that I tend to gravitate towards. But once in a while, I crave some light and fluffy romance as my escapism from the world.
I’ve had Anna and the French Kiss on my shelf for years and while I was trying to pick my next read it just caught my eye. I have to admit that I was skeptical because I haven’t read a romance specifically targeted for teens in a really long time.

Right of the bat I just found the novel incredibly teen angsty which came as no surprise to be fair. Anna started as a very unlikeable character to me at first, but there was some character development there that made her less so after she came to Paris and had to grow up a little bit.
There were some things that I just found weird about the whole story. If Anna is such a movie nut (that wants to become the next big movie critic in the US) I just found it very unlikely that her knowledge of Paris and its love for movies and theatres were so extremely limited. It just seems unlikely that anyone who’s supposed to be a complete movie buff would’ve overlooked Paris as much as she had.
The teen romance in itself was cute enough. I don’t expect characters who are 17/18 to have the same insight and understanding of romance and emotions as those who I meet in adult romance novels. Even so, the back and forth between Anna and Étienne was a bit much for my taste.
I did appreciate the way that this story tried to put some focus on friendship as well, but I would’ve loved to see more of it. I think that YA novels tend to focus a bit too much on unrealistic love and relationships, and have way too much girl-hate in them.
But again, I’m not the targeted audience for this novel.

Anna and the French Kiss just wasn’t my cup of tea. I seem to have outgrown the angsty teen romance stories a bit, and especially when they’re filled with a lot of the tropes that generally dislike.
Would I have felt differently if I read this as a teenager? Probably. And I can see how a lot of younger readers could like this book, but for me, it was more of a reminder as to why I don’t find myself gravitating towards these kinds of stories anymore.

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t particularly like it either. It was okay, but just not for me.

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The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves 📚 BOOK REVIEW

I listened to an audiobook version of The Girl He Used to Know on Audible.

Tracey Garvis Graves

Genre: Contemporary fiction/Romance

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Originally published: April 2nd, 2019

Pages: 291 (hardcover)

Audiobook length: 8 Hours 10 Minutes

Blurb by the publisher:

Annika (rhymes with Monica) Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people’s behavior confusing, she’d rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game–and his heart–to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone. 

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She’s living the life she wanted as a librarian. He’s a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

My Thoughts:

I was looking for something light and slightly romantic when I was browsing through Audible for a new audiobook and found this one. Little did I know that what I thought was just a fluffy story of young love reconnected was to be so much more, and I would fall completely in love with it.

The Girl He Used to Know tells the story of Annika and Jonathan who meet when they’re both studying at the University of Illinois. We jump between the time that they met and got to know each other, and a decade later when they are reconnected once again in Chicago.

It’s easy to understand from the very beginning of the story that Annika’s mind works a little differently from most others. She is very anxious, and she talks about her experiences with therapy and how she struggles at times with everyday life.

I think this is what makes this story so unique and different. Told from the perspective of someone who obviously has some kind of mental disability (and the reader slowly, but surely gets a clearer picture of how much) but is also highly functional and tries to live as normal of a life as possible.

It was a very different kind of perspective in a love story that was new to me, and one that I really appreciated.

I want to see more stories like this. More characters with the kind of depth and difficulties that we see in Annika. And the fact that we also get a glimpse of how her challenges are perceived by Jonathan as well adds so much more to the story.

Tracy Garvis Grayes has written a beautiful and funny story. One that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It took me on a journey I had no idea that I was about to venture out on, and I loved every minute of it. Even the ones where I bawled my eyes out.

This book is so much more than a love story. I wish I could explain why, but that would spoil too much, and I wouldn’t want to ruin it for you.

Highly, highly recommend if you want a deeper and different kind of love story that touches on some subjects of mental health and disabilities that deserves way more attention than it is getting.

Click on the Bookdepository link below to get your own copy with free shipping, and let me know what you think of the book!

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One Day in December by Josie Silver 📚 BOOK REVIEW

I listen to an audiobook version of One Day in December on Audible. 

Josie Silver

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Random House Audio (audiobook)

Originally published: October 16th, 2018

Pages: 416 (paperback)

Audiobook length: 10 Hours 27 Minutes

Blurb by the publisher:

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist. After all, life isn’t a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy winter’s day, she sees a man she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away. 

Laurie thinks she’ll never see the boy from the bus again. But at a party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus.

Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. But what if fate has other plans?

Following Laurie, Sarah and Jack through ten years of love, heartbreak, and friendship, One Day in December is an uplifting, heart-warming and immensely moving love story that you’ll want to escape into forever, for fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Diamond, and Nicholas Sparks.

My Thoughts:

Right before Christmas 2018, I felt like I saw the cover of this book everywhere! I don’t know what it is about that, but sometimes it just completely puts me off wanting to read it. It was kind of like that with One Day in December as well. I didn’t feel drawn to it, I was so sure it was just some cheesy romance with a whole lot of too much Christmas crammed into it.

I judged the book by its cover (come on, all of us book lovers do from time to time), and I was wrong.

I found myself searching for my lacking Christmas spirit and decided that I was going to use my Audible credit on a Christmassy audiobook, but I didn’t want to go for one of the classics. Suddenly this book popped up again, and I took the time to read some of the non-spoiler reviews, and I was convinced to give it a go.

Where I thought I would we overwhelmed by an overly cheesy back and forth love story, I got so much more. This is a story about friendship, as much as it is about love. I loved hearing about Laurie and Sarah’s friendship, as I could relate to a lot of the struggle and the wonders of having such a strong friendship with someone.

The characters developed a lot through the story as well, and it was nice to see a set of characters that were actually quite relatable. They had the ups and downs of normal life.

And I got to say, Josie Silver sure added some funny and somewhat cringey scenes that had me giggling.

Yes, it is a romance novel! Yes, it has Christmas in it, but a lot less than I expected!

I was prepared to not like this book, and I did not go in with high expectations, but I ended up really enjoying this one! I was immersed in the story of Laurie and Jack, told by both perspectives. I found it to be an addictive read (or listen on my part) and one that I just flew through.

The only thing that took it down from a top-rated review for me was that everything kind of resolved whirlwind quick at the end.

But still, this is a story that has stuck with me more so than any other love story I’ve read in a while. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something light, fun and romantic!

Click on the Bookdepository link below to get your own copy, and let me know what you think of the book!

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The Course of Love by Alain de Botton 📚 BOOK REVIEW

Alain de Botton

I read a paperback version of The Course of Love.

Genre: Fiction, contemporary, romance.

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.

Originally published: April 28th, 2016

Pages: 240 (Paperback)

Audiobook length: 7 hrs, 5 mins (Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt)

 

Blurb by the Publisher:

Modern love is never easy. Society is obsessed with stories of romance, but what comes after happily ever after?

This is a love story with a difference. From dating to marriage, from having kids to having affairs, it follows the progress of a single ordinary relationship: tender, messy, hilarious, painful, and entirely un-Romantic. It is a love story for the modern world, chronicling the daily intimacies, the blazing rows, the endless tiny gestures that make up a life shared between two people. Moving and deeply insightful, The Course of Love offers us a window into essential truths about the nature of love.

📚

The course of love delivers exactly what it promises. 
It is the true story of what might (and often) happens when 
true love meets real life.

My Thoughts:

The Course of Love caught my attention at the airport in Amsterdam. There was something about the cover, and then there was the backside of the paperback that said: “What happens when true love meets real life?”

This is something that I feel is missing in a lot of literature these days. We have plenty of grandiose and dramatic love stories, but not as many of the ones that are more realistic.

In the course of love, we meet Rabih and Kirsten, from the start as they date, fall in love, explore each other, and then settle into a serious relationship. We get to follow along for the ups and the downs, and some of the real dramas that happen in a real-life relationship. How we fall in love, all the emotions, the doubts, and the hardships.

I loved the small passages between the chapters that had some general thoughts about love, relationship, and sex.

Rabih and Kirsten’s story is very relatable, and I think most people who’ve been in some long-term relationships will be able to relate to some or all of it.

The course of love delivers exactly what it promises. It is the true story of what might (and often) happens when true love meets real life. It’s a wonderfully fresh breath of literature that focuses on love.

Highly recommend!

Do you want to make up your own opinion about the book?

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The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan 📚 BOOK REVIEW

 

Jenny Colgan

I read a paperback version of The Little Shop of Happy Ever After.

Genre: Fiction, contemporary, romance.

Publisher: Sphere

Originally published: January 11th, 2016

Pages: 343 (Paperback)

Audiobook length: 9 hrs, 13 mins

 

Blurb by the publisher:

Nina is a librarian who spends her days happily matchmaking books and people – she always knows what someone should read next. But when her beloved library closes and she’s suddenly out of a job, Nina has no idea what to do next. Then an advert catches her eye: she could be the owner of a tiny little bookshop bus, driving around the Scottish highlands.

Using up all her courage, and her savings, Nina makes a new start in the beautiful Scottish highlands. But real life is a bit trickier than the stories she loves – especially when she keeps having to be rescued by the grumpy-but-gorgeous farmer next door..

📚

It's a book for book lovers and just the sweet little break that I 
needed!

My thoughts:

I don’t often read romance/contemporary novels. If you follow my book reviews, you know that I like my fiction to be a bit more on the dark side. But the romantic in me likes to dive into some lighter and easier stories from time to time, and that was definitely why I picked up this book.

The Little Shop of Happy Ever After was on sale on Bookdepository a while back, and I was drawn to it because it was supposed to be perfect for book lovers, and a lot of it is set in Scotland.

I love books, and I have always wanted to go to Scotland, so I threw it in that webshop basket. The book arrived and it ended up on my bookshelf for a long while, where  I kind of forgot about it. And then the Booktube-a-thon 2018 came around and I was searching through my shelves for the books to put on my tbr, and there it was!

I really didn’t have any expectations for the book, other than for it to be a fluffy and easy read, which it was.

What caught me by surprise was just how witty, smart and lovely it was! The characters were funny and interesting, and the story was more about facing one’s fear than about the romance alone. It’s about the love for literature, and about finding the things in life that truly makes us happy.

There is a fair amount of romance in it too, but it was cute, not the kind that makes me roll my eyes.

It’s a book for book lovers and just the sweet little break that I needed.

Highly recommend if you’re looking for a sweet and fluffy read that’s witty and targeted specifically for book lovers!

Do you want to make up your own opinion about the book?

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Landline by Rainbow Rowell – REVIEW

Landline is an adult contemporary novel. I read this in a paperback edition published by Orion Books.

Published: January 1st 2014

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Pages: 320 (hardcover)

Audiobook length: 9 hrs and 3 min

 

 

 

 Synopsis by the publisher

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts…

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

Rainbow Rowell

***

The Writing

Rowell’s writing is witty and I really did like the dialogue between the characters. Especially the ones between Georgie and young Neal.

There was a lot of easy humor, witty remarks and thoughts on love. And I loved the Tolkien references.

This is the second Rowell novel that I’ve read and I do really enjoy her writing even though I don’t feel as captivated by it as many others do.

The Characters

Georgie was a really ambitious character and I could relate to her in her frustration in feeling like she was trying to fulfill her dream as well as taking care of her family.

Seth and Neal made for two interesting male characters. I really fell for Seth in the beginning and just loved his smart remarks and his humor, but when young Neal came into the picture I had a hard time trying to decide which one of them I liked best.

Noomi is the cutest character in the bunch though! “Meow!”

The Plot

Landline had a pretty even pace and good build up.

It did take me a little while to get invested in the story, but when we got to around a hundred pages the story took a hold on me.

I felt like there could have been a lot more to this story as I did enjoy it quite a lot, but felt like everything got resolved a bit too quickly when there was so many feelings behind the whole plot.

I did like the ending though and it got me a little teared up.

My Thoughts

As I wrote above, it did take me quite a while to  get invested in this story. I was not bored for the first hundred pages, but I did not connect with the characters that much either.

But as the story finally took a hold on me I really did fly through it and enjoyed it very much.

It was an enjoyable and fast read but I didn’t love it.

Would you like your own copy of Landline? Click on the Amazon or BookDepository logo below 🙂 

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella – REVIEW

Finding Audrey was sent to my by the publisher via NetGalley to read and give an honest review. Thank you Penguin Random House UK Children’s and NetGalley!

Sophie Kinsella is known for her Shopaholic series. Finding Audrey is her first YA novel.

Published: June 4th, 2015 (June 9th, 2015 in the U.S.)

Publisher: Doubleday Childrens (Random House)

Pages: 288 (hardback)

Audiobook length: 6 hrs, 36 min

 

 

 

Synopsis by the publisher:

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

***

The Writing

I have no prior experience with Kinsella’s writing so I can’t compare the writing in this novel to her other novels. I found the writing in Finding Audrey to be witty and interesting. It’s written from a first person perspective as if Audrey is talking directly to the reader. It certainly is written for a younger audience, but it still didn’t become cheesy.

The dialogue was very quick and funny. And I really enjoyed being inside the angsty brain of Audrey.

The Characters

Audrey was a very different kind of character but also relatable even though she was definitely struggling with a lot of anxiety. As the story progressed I felt that there was a lot more depth to Audrey that could have been explored further.

I just loved her mother’s craziness though! She was all over the place but making a lot of sense at the same time, like most moms are at some point.

Linus and Frank were both sweethearts! Linus for getting Audrey out of her comfort zone. Frank for being the good protective brother!

The Plot

The story grabbed me at the very beginning when Audrey’s mother is about to throw Frank’s computer out the window. Had me giggling and thinking that a lot of moms can relate to her frustration.

The story flowed very easily and it was a fast read, but when I reached the end I felt like there should have been more. I still had some unanswered questions, but that might have been Kinsella’s intention as well.

There wasn’t really any big twists or turns in the story but it was never boring either.

Thoughts

Finding Audrey is a lighthearted contemporary read about a somewhat heavy subject of anxiety. A perfect summer read that you will fly through.

I felt like it could have had more depth. For me it was just a little bit missing even though I really enjoyed the story and the characters.

Definitely recommend if you want something easy and witty but with somewhat of a more serious theme as well. Just don’t expect too much for it to be a very enjoyable read.

Do you want your own copy of Finding Audrey? Click on the Amazon or BookDepository link below: