Bookish and Sweet Reads

“And in August it will be fifty-two years together.”
“Wow,” Oliver says. “That’s amazing.”
“I wouldn’t call it amazing,” the woman says, blinking. “It’s easy when you find the right person.”...“When you’re on the other side of it,” she says, “fifty-two years can seem like about fifty-two min-utes...Just like when you’re young and in love, a seven-hour plane ride can seem like a lifetime.” - Old Woman on the plane

I was really excited to read this book, ever since i read the blurb back in October, my interest was piqued. I love y.a. books with a good romance in them and I’m a sucker for contemporary..so this one seemed to be the right fit. Still, i was a bit underwhelmed by this one. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that there was something wrong with the book per say, but rather that it’s not memorable for me. When i read a book i love, I’m usually reliving the events in my head or re-reading passages. And while i shed a few tears with this one, i don’t feel compelled to re-read any passage, nor do i see myself doing so in the future...it was just okay.

Even so, i have to give kuddos to this author for how she executed her storyline. The general gist of the situation is that Hadley is a girl who is 4 minutes late to the airport, thus missing her plane to London where hers father’s wedding to a woman she hasn’t met awaits. If you haven’t guessed it, Hadley is less than thrilled to attend this wedding, considering her father left her mother to stay with this woman. Still, while waiting for the next plane, Hadley meets a boy, Oliver, whom she is later sitting to on her seven hour flight. I’d like to take a moment to point out that this entire story occurs in the short span of 24 hours. With that in mind, I’m amazed at how much emotions and events Jennifer Smith squeezed into this story without it feeling rushed or overwhelming. As far as contemporary stories go, this was a good one, filled with moments of self-growth for Hadley, all while she struggles to understand her parents actions. On top of that, the romance between Hadley and Oliver was sweet and quite natural, making me wish I’d be seated next to such a sweet guy on my next plane ride.

Consensus: As far as contemporary stories go, while this story was good, it was still missing something for me. With that said, it’s the kind of sweet story to have with you, especially when you’re in the need for a couple of smiles :)