My first though upon finishing this book was, “Awww . . . that was adorable!” And it totally was. It was a really cute story. But it also had way more depth than I was expecting. For some reason, I was expecting the entire story to revolve around Hadley and Oliver at the airport, but it turns out that’s only the first half of the book. The second half is more focused on Hadley’s rocky relationship with her dad and her trying to sort out her issues with him. I don’t know what it would be like to have a parent remarry, but Hadley’s reaction to it seemed pretty understandable. She’s equal parts angry at him and missing him, and her emotions felt totally believable.Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Hadley, herself, I wouldn’t necessarily be BFFs with in real life—she’s a little too impulsive and unfiltered for my taste. But I still enjoyed reading her story and getting to know her. Oliver is cute, but did anyone else think he was a little too cagey?—or is it just me? It seemed like he always gave Hadley joking or evasive answers to all her questions about his life, so by the end of the book, I don’t think she actually knew anything concrete about him.
Overall, this was a super cute book, but it wasn’t so fluffy that it lacked substance. It struck a nice balance between the romance and the family issues. I’m definitely looking forward to this author’s next book, which sadly doesn't come out until spring of next year.
Rating: 4 / 5
I've been saving this one for holiday time because it's such a fluffy light read. Really reminds me of Love Actually for some reason!
ReplyDeleteI had pretty much the same reaction. I thought it was adorable and there was a lot more substance than I expected, but it didn't overshadow the story or the tone of the book. And I'm SUPER excited for This Is What Happy Looks Like.
ReplyDeleteThis is one I've been wanting to read. I love books that make you go "Awwww," at the end, all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Great review Karen!
ReplyDeleteWonderful review! I really enjoyed this one too and was so pleasantly surprised by the depth it contained, more than the cute story it simply seemed to hold, so that was fantastic. I can't wait for more from this author either now! :)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a big fan of this one, but mainly because I found Hadley and Oliver a bit annoying - maybe I would have liked them more if they'd had a bit more page time together. Great review though!
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