Melody's Reading Corner: Chick-Lit

Showing posts with label Chick-Lit. Show all posts

This Love Story Will Self-Destruct by Leslie Cohen

Melody

Gallery Books | January 2018 | 336 pgs

Source: Library

Eve is a dreamer. She is also quirky, sensitive to emotions, likes having fun with her girlfriends and a worrier, too. She finds herself attracted to a guy in class due to his poetic charms and his talent in song writing and they hit it off quickly. They continue their relationship even after they graduated from Columbia University but both are brought down by the harshness of reality as Jesse struggles with his music band and Eve finds herself miserable with his hot and cold treatment and on top of that, the dread of him being caught as a drug runner. Their relationship finally ended but Eve still feels she is missing something in her life.

Ben is an engineer who likes order and facts. He is a man of few words but that doesn't mean he has no opinions and ideas. He is usually calm unless something annoys or irritates him. He knew Eve when they were both students at the University but they were never close and there were no sparks between them as they have no common ground. But fate is a strange thing and they find themselves crossing paths again and again. Their friendship gradually leads to a connection they've not thought before, but it is fragile as Ben later finds out the truth regarding their parents' life-and-death encounters during the 9/11 attacks. However, Eve has this trust issue which stemmed from her unhappy tween years and one can say she is a pessimist. Adding her clashing personality with Ben's, she doesn't think they've a future and thus she finds herself destructing the relationship she has with Ben.

Part coming-of-age and part romance, this book chronicle two different people's meeting and their falling in love. We first follow Ben and Eve in their 20s and we learn about their ups and downs as youths and thereafter the challenges in life and work as adults. Truth be told, I never felt a connection with Eve throughout the book while Ben, who seemed insignificant and non-existent from the beginning grown on me instead. The story was simple and common enough, but Ms. Cohen has a way of writing that will draw you in to her characters and into their stories. I'd have liked this story more if not because of Eve (she got on my nerves) and that being said, I'll still look forward to Ms. Cohen's next release.

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Labels: 3 stars, Book Review, Chick-Lit, Contemporary Romance, Fiction 10 comments |

You're the One That I Don't Want by Alexandra Potter

Melody

ISBN-13: 9780340954133
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
Published: August 2010
400 pgs
Source: Personal Library

When 18-year-old British girl Lucy Hemmingway met American boy Nathaniel Kennedy when they were in Venice, Italy, it was as if they were being hit by Cupid's arrow. Perhaps they are young, or perhaps they got carried away by the romantic atmosphere that they kissed under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset with the church bells ringing. And according to the legend, any couple who did that will be tied to each other for eternity.

However ten years later, they had went on separate ways and Lucy is now working in an art gallery in New York since her paintings have gotten her to nowhere in London, despite that she still has a passion for them. Just when she thought she had forgotten about Nate, she stumbled upon him and she brushed off their encounter as merely a coincidence. But it seems more like fate when they start to bump into each other, again and again until Lucy began to wonder if the legend is indeed true.

Lucy decided to give their relationship another chance, since Nate is separated with his wife, Beth and perhaps she thinks he is indeed The One after all this time. But as the time goes by, Lucy did not think their relationship is as wonderful as they were back in Venice, and to complicate things, Lucy thinks she has fallen in love with another man called Adam. Perhaps it is cursed by the legend, but Lucy finds it is hard to not bump into Nate wherever she goes, and vice versa. It is certainly hard to explain when things simply turned out to be that way, no matter how much they hated it.

I have not read a romantic comedy for a while, so this is one reason why I find this book so enjoyable and refreshing besides the fact that I had read one of Alexandra Potter's earlier releases and loving it. Alexandra Potter has a way with the plots and that is not all, she also makes her characters seem likeable. You would have thought my favourite characters are Lucy and Nate don't you, after all they are the protagonists but I have to say it is actually Lucy's employer, Magda and Lucy's friend, Robyn who have made this story so much more interesting and entertaining. Their dialogues are witty most of the times and it is always interesting to hear their side of their stories, from topics such as the laws of attraction in the universe (that's Robyn talking) right down to matchmaking and making meatballs (and that's Magda). While I find Robyn's opinion of believing in stars and fate to be romantic, I think one shouldn't take those too seriously and to be more open and observant to the people surrounding you because your true love might be hidden out there.

All in all, I had fun reading this book! So who did Lucy end up with? I wish I can tell you the answer but as you already know, I won't so you will have to read it and find out yourself.

Note: The last time I checked on Alexandra Potter's website, this book will be out in August in the UK and a year later in the US.