Happy Monday everybody!
Only a couple more days and 2019! Excited to share with you today my review for this fun quirky story!
My Thoughts
This book was just what I needed! Sweet, quirky, and delightful. Not really a romcom more like women’s fiction with a sprinkling of humor and a generous dollop of romance. This is the story of Charlotte who is in her 20s and lost her husband five years ago. Unsure of how to navigate being such a young widow and not wanting the label Charlotte has made it that no one in her life knows that she was ever even married. She has re-entered the dating field but treats it more like a math problem than anything else. Using an algorithm to find the perfect man. BUT everything is turned topsy-turvy when she gets a surprise package with her husband’s ashes inside. Charlotte is now forced to face the past, the truth, and her future. What follows is an engaging story filled with memories, tenderness, heartbreak, hope, forgiveness, and closure.
Charlotte may not have been the most relatable character, but I had a lot of sympathy for her. She had lost her husband at such a young age and was still caring around so much grief and guilt. Her neurotic tendencies really did not help the situation. She had kind of isolated herself from people, avoiding ever being hurt again, and also avoiding ever being loved again. I found the secondary characters roommate Casey and love interest Brian much more interesting than Charlotte if I’m being honest. Brian was a pretty great guy and I loved all the interactions with him. Casey was the perfect counterbalance to Charlotte, and I loved how eventually she basically told her how it is! Later in the story there is a secret revealed and I think Charlotte handled it much better than I might have. I love watching Charlotte bro and rediscover herself throughout the course of this book. Emily Belden has written a clever refreshing story and I’m looking forward to the next book from this author.
This book in emojis 👩🏻💻 🐶 ⚾️ 🍨 ⚱️
🎧🎧🎧 The audiobook was narrated by Piper Goodeve. I truly believe this made the story more relatable to me, she gave Charlotte a human side. Charlotte was kind of a dry character, but I think piper’s voice made her more lively. And more relatable. This might be a book I liked more because I listen to it rather than read it.
*** Big thanks to Harlequin and Harper Audio for my copy of this book ***
About the Book
Sometimes love is unpredictable….
Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk – so she can avoid it.
Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law – and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.
But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.
Berit Talks Books 