DISCLAIMER:
I'm going to say this very clearly, I really dislike cheesy romances. Unfortunately, Hollywood has a tendency to make those the only ones they make into movies. I have yet to read a Nicholas Sparks book and might never pick one up. This book does fall into the romance genre which is surprising considering I practically never voluntarily read anything that falls in that category. This is an exception to the rule. Just thought I would make that clear. Don't expect romance novel reviews to start appearing on this blog all the time. Chances are that will never happen. Now that that is out of the way...The trailer for the movie adaptation of this book appeared as a commercial when I was trying to watch something else. I decided to watch the commercial to completion (which usually only happens with commercials involving films in my case) and I was actually intrigued by the peculiar way this particular romance film was being presented. Based on the trailer, which you can watch by following the link below,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4pEn72mPeM
I decided I should give the book a chance. This was after I looked up the film and the book popped up. I had no real clue what the film or book would be about and decided to keep it that way. I looked up no more details on it and just got it from the library to read. I ended up finishing it in about three sittings. It was way more intriguing than I expected it to be.
SPOILER SECTION: Don't keep reading if you haven't completed the book.
The two main characters in the book, Will and Louisa have a pathetically entertaining dynamic. Will is a tetraplegic who lost most of his mobility two years ago before the beginning of the book. A very rich and clever young man he is very bitter because of the fact. Louisa struggles to find a new job after being let go from her previous job. She is hired as a caregiver for Will by his mother, to Will's chagrin. During their encounters, Will is very sarcastic and employs a dark humor of sorts when she is around. This is very funny to visualize as a reader because we see everything from Louisa's perspective. Eventually she starts making remarks that are just as biting back at Will which develops the playful relationship they end up having. Most of the time when reading their encounters in the book almost feels like placing two toddlers in a room that do nothing but tease each other in a mean but playful way back and forth.
The progression of the relationships in the book feel natural. Each character is given some spotlight to be human. It's easy to become fond of all the characters. The relationships between all the characters are explored evenly, which is something I feel can rarely be said for a romance novel since the couple is usually the focus. We are given a good amount of insight into both Will and Louisa's families and the people closest to them both as well as their respective relationships with one another. Each interaction between the characters help reveal some type of character flaw or inner turmoil that the character must confront and deal with. I haven't seen quite this much character development in a novel for all the characters in quite a while.
I honestly really enjoyed reading this novel and will probably consider reading the sequel in the near future. Even if you are not into romance, which I sure as heck am not, I am sure anyone can enjoy this novel. The romance progresses at a natural pace where I could plausibly see this type of romance develop in real life. The characters don't feel cheesy, or unreachable. They are relatable, flawed, and emotionally raw. If you want to read a good novel about love overall and not just romance, this is a book I would recommend.
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