Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it
If I had written down every line that resonated with me, that made my skin tingle, made me sigh, made me fall in love - I would have taken days to finish reading - and in fact - probably would have just copied out the whole book. Even without recording every moment, I still went back and re-read scenes, passages, pages over and over. I needed to savor every moment. And each word that Jennifer E. Smith put into this book was so clearly refined, put there for a specific purpose, every last one working as a small but important piece in a larger picture.
I've never believed in love at first sight. Still don't. I believe you can be attracted to someone right away, that a first attraction can be so intense - unlike anything you've felt before - and that it can turn into love, but I don't believe you can meet someone and instantly be in love. I expected to read this book and think - yup, uh huh, no way that could ever happen. But I didn't. It all felt so natural and it made it feel like love in the future between Hadley and Oliver was a real possibility. I really liked that they spent time talking, getting to know each other and helping one another through difficult circumstances, but they didn't obviously just jump into a relationship because it was instant attraction. Plus, it wasn't really even instant attraction, Hadley hardly notices him at first, but it is an attraction that develops quickly.
Even better, this book had depths that were so unexpected. I think the longer Hadley knows Oliver, the more she heals a part of herself - he's a symbol of her reconciliation of what was still broken within her after her parent's divorce. More unexpectedly, this book is about fathers - and all the flashbacks that Hadley has to a time when she and her father were really close - definitely stirred the tears. I was surprised that even though Hadley lives with her mother, there isn't much about her mother in this book. It's about her dad and coming to terms with the decisions he's made and what their relationship has turned into.
Hadley is an exemplary character, who really comes into herself and grows up through these 24 hours. And of course I can't deny, I freaking love Oliver - I mean, he's British, sarcastic, adorable, and slightly mysterious. I just love this book so much, it makes me happy and teary just thinking about it.
