A witty and light read that caters to book nerds (in both good and not so good ways).
Summary:
Nina Hill is content with her quiet life, working in a bookstore, reading at home with her cat, and keeping her planner neat and tidy. Until one day, she learns who her father was and that he has died, leaving her in his will and announcing her existence to her newly discovered brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc. Add to that turmoil a crush on a trivia league competitor and her boss' inability to pay the rent. Suddenly Nina's life is looking far less organized than it used to (but maybe a little chaos will bring her out of her shell).
Verdict: 6/10
For having a plot that sounds somewhat heavy (dead dad, estranged family, anxiety, potentially closing book store), this was one of the lightest reads I've had in a while. The characters were upbeat and humorous. Like the heroine, the reader feels all of Nina's problems can be solved by curling up with a good book. Who doesn't love a quirky bibliophile with a pension for trivia, cats, and organization?
But light can also mean surface-level. Waxman knew what her audience would enjoy so she pandered to their tastes. It's a safe bet setting your story in a book store. But I felt like I'd read this novel before. It didn't feel new or unique to me personally. Not saying everything has to break the mold. Some familiarity can be refreshing. But I prefer it not to be cliche.
The feisty, yet lovably awkward, red-headed heroine and the stereotypical romance - seen it. Still the family aspect seemed out of the ordinary. And I enjoyed the omniscient narration as it offered a perspective in the relationships that you wouldn't normally see, letting the reader in on the hilarity behind the miscommunications. Also for a romance, the sex scenes were actually fairly tame. It made a good balance for teenage readers, and I often respect suggestiveness more than explicitness.
Ultimately the novel didn't strike me as profound or emotional, but it was pleasant and easy. Sometimes, that's all that you need in a little escapism.
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