The Statistical Probablity of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

review by Maryom

Hadley is flying to London to be a bridesmaid at her dad's wedding. She's not looking forward to this at all, as it will put the final seal on the end of her parents' marriage, so maybe it isn't completely accidental that she misses her flight by the smallest of margins. If she hadn't missed it though, she'd never have met Oliver. A Brit studying in the US, he's also heading to London for a family event, and, as he helps while away the tedious hours  waiting for her re-scheduled flight and distracts Hadley from her fears on the flight itself, they start to form a connection that surely can't be broken as they leave the plane...

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is, as you might expect, a story of falling in love at, not quite but almost, first sight; a feelgood teen romance of missing connections and making new ones. It's fairly obvious where the story is going but there are enough hitches and obstacles put in Hadley and Oliver's way to keep an element of doubt. It's delightful and light without being fluffy or overly-sentimental. If there's a downside, it's that, like me, you'll want to read it in one sitting - and then be left with nothing to read.

I somehow missed this book when it was first out and worked my way round to it through This Is What Happy Looks Like and The Geography of You and Me so I sort of knew what to expect from the author and I think it had less of an impact than if I'd read it first.

Maryom's review -  4 stars

Publisher - Headline  
Genre - rom com, teen/YA

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith

review by Maryom

Despite living in the same apartment block, in the normal course of events Owen and Lucy would never have met. He lives in the basement with his newly-widowed father, the building's superintendent; she lives up on the 24th floor, with her rarely present jet-setting parents. But fate decides to take a hand in the form of a power cut - and when two people are stranded together in a lift, they can't help but say hello.With both of them left 'home alone', they decide to spend the rest of the blackout together and start out on the first steps to falling in love.
Having thrown them together, fate then decides to tear them apart - Lucy's parents insist she joins them in London, where she learns that they're to relocate from New York to Edinburgh; Owen meanwhile sets outs on a roadtrip across the US with his dad - echoing the one his parents took when they first met. They try to remain in touch through postcards and the odd e-mail but circumstances seem really set against them.

Despite starting with one of my most dreadful nightmares - being stuck in a lift - this is an absolutely delightful read. Yes, it's unashamedly romantic fiction, but without being gushy and sentimental, and although aimed at the teen market, I really enjoyed it.
It's not without it's darker, sadder side - Owen's mother has recently died and both he and his father are still trying to come to terms with their loss and grief. Both are in limbo - unable to come to terms with what's happened and move on with their lives - and so the road trip idea takes shape as a way to say 'goodbye' and look to the future. Their closeness is something that Lucy has never experienced - her parents have always been happy to leave her and her brothers in the care of nannies when younger or alone as they grew up - but in Europe she discovers a new family bond.
I loved the author's previous novel  This Is What Happy Looks Like and The Geography of You and Me is another irresistible romantic read.

Maryom's review -  4.5 stars

Publisher - Headline  
Genre - rom com, teen/YA 

 Buy The Geography Of You And Me from Amazon

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith

review by Maryom

Ellie and Graham met in the virtual world after she received an e-mail he'd intended for one of his friends. Despite living on opposite sides of the US their relationship has blossomed - they've talked about anything and everything, shared all the trivia of their lives but ignored the big things that matter - like why Ellie and her mom left the city behind and moved to 'middle of nowhere' Maine and like the fact that Graham is a famous teen film star. Then Graham manages to get the location of his latest film moved to Ellie's seaside town and they actually get to meet! Can real life live up to their expectations and how can a mega-star be seen out with an 'ordinary' girl?

This Is What Happy Looks Like is a delightful feel-good romcom-style novel. With a growing romance between a famous actor and a 'normal' girl it's like a role-reversal, teen version of Notting Hill. Ellie has almost fallen in love with the guy she's met on the internet - but she certainly hadn't imagined that he was a major teen heart-throb. Ellie's caught between her feelings for Graham and her mother's desire for privacy - not an easy thing to maintain with the press watching Graham's every move. The author captures how difficult it must be to try to lead a normal life under these circumstances and shows that a film star's life is not all fun.

Set in a seaside resort, there's a definite summery holiday feel to everything, whether it's swimming in deserted bays or the whole town gathering for Fourth of July clam-bakes and fireworks. The characters are well drawn, both genuine and charming; the plot, while it's every girl (or woman's) dream come true, is believable; is a happy end inevitable? Read it and find out.

Maryom's review -  5 stars

Publisher - Headline  
Genre - rom com, teen/YA 

Buy This Is What Happy Looks Like from Amazon