Tag: romance

classics

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Mia
This edition of “Sense and Sensibility” comes from a box set from Macmillan Collector’s Library

MY REVIEW

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Skip to the bolded line to avoid spoilers!

When I finished Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” I felt a sense of disappointment. I felt uneasy; its perfect ending was actually, in a way, horrifying to me. The novel ended with Elinor marrying Mr. Ferrars, a man who had been recently disowned by his family, and Marianne marrying Colonel Brandon, a man with whom she had no chemistry or conversations. The two couples live side-by-side in the country, happy as can be. I couldn’t understand why or how this could satisfy any of the characters. How could Elinor be happy in almost certain poverty? How could Colonel Brandon marry someone who didn’t love him back the way he loved her? How could Marianne marry someone she didn’t love, especially as a character so in tune with her emotions?

I was ready to give the book 3 out of 5 stars, disappointed and unsettled, before I read the afterword, which argued that the ending was supposed to feel somewhat uneasy on a first read. At no point in the novel does it make sense for the characters to make the choices they did; nor does it make sense to have this incandescently happy ending when the whole novel has been about turmoil: falling into hysterics over information about a potential suitor’s betrayal, screaming into pillows, fainting and falling ill. This wasn’t supposed to feel right, because the characters at the end are not the same as the characters we knew in the body of the novel. They have changed for the better. However, we were unable to see this change. The ending is more of an epilogue in truth, and without any context given in the months that pass between the second-to-last and final chapter, it is difficult to understand this. 

What I came to understand was that Marianne needed to marry someone she wasn’t desperately in love with. Intense love had nearly killed her before, with the betrayal of Mr. Willoughby making her sick for months on end. She didn’t need passion; she needed a partner. She already found passion in her everyday life: in nature, in literature, and within herself. Marianne needed a husband who was a friend first and lover second. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Elinor needed to marry someone she was desperately in love with. She was used to making practical choices, having been the one earlier in the novel who stated the importance of a man’s wealth when picking a match for marriage. She ends up marrying a poor man, cut off from his family. Why would she do this? Elinor comes to realize the importance of passion, something which she is lacking. She already has sense. What she needs is someone who will make her see the joys of life, even if he is not the most practical choice. Once I understood this, I upped my rating to 4 out of 5 stars.

“Sense and Sensibility” is not what I was expecting; it is less of a love story than it is a story of self-discovery, of teen girls learning how to be adult women in society without losing their identities. I think that is why I was initially disappointed by the novel — where was the chemistry, the romance? In the end, the focus wasn’t supposed to be on the chemistry or the romance. The focus was on how the characters dealt with the romance, or lack thereof: their overly emotional, or, on the other hand, entirely hidden responses, and how those change throughout the book.

“Sense and Sensibility” is not “Pride and Prejudice.” They are not even comparable on some levels because “Sense and Sensibility” is a coming-of-age story first and romance second, while in “Pride and Prejudice,” you find the reverse. While both include Austen’s gorgeous and witty prose, along with the issues of marriage and money, their objectives are different. One is written to tell a love story. The other is written as almost a lesson on growing up and finding love, as well as finding maturity. However, the story is magnetic and, in a strange way, relatable. As a teenage girl, it is interesting to see how so much has changed, yet so much has stayed the same between now and Regency Era England. While I might not be dressing up for a ball or getting engaged at 18, I can understand wanting to scream into a pillow when you find out your crush likes your friend or getting frustrated with your younger sister when she keeps talking about the guy you like.

Although I don’t see myself rereading “Sense and Sensibility” anytime soon, I know I will continue to think about it for many months to come. 

romance, young adult

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

Mia

SYNOPSIS (from Goodreads):

Every May 7, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu’s relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year, they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It’s been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since.

Through breakups, make ups, and dating other people, each year’s class trip brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to an amusement park, from New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all.

REVIEW:

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. I was so excited for the premise: a relationship told through snippets from field trips over four years. I thought it would be interesting to see how a relationship changes over the course of high school, especially considering many books are unable to do this when using a traditional chronological writing style. However, I almost DNF’ed this before the first “year” was even over.

In the freshman year section of the book, the writing style and humor felt childish, making me believe this book was intended for a younger audience. I thought of dropping it after reading one too many fart jokes, and while I didn’t enjoy them, I have to say that author Miranda Kenneally wrote the most accurate depiction of high schoolers I have seen in a while. That doesn’t mean that I enjoyed that she wrote them the way she did, just that it’s something I noticed. Many books portray high school students as being overly mature, while “Four Days of You and Me” highlighted the idiotic nature of teenagers.

However, I disagreed with one way she chose to show this nature, which is including a rape joke. This was brushed over and used as an opportunity to portray the main character’s love interest, Alex, as a good guy because he didn’t laugh. That doesn’t make him a good guy. That is an absolutely average thing to do—maybe even below average because he didn’t stand up to his friend. 

Additionally, Alex and main character Lulu are advertised as having an “enemies-to-lovers” arc. Here is the key with enemies-to-lovers: the enemies must change for the better before they become lovers. In the first “year” of this book, there is no growth. They prank each other dramatically. They hurt each other’s feelings. And then they make out. It doesn’t make sense. There’s no “aha” moment. They’re both jerks to each other.

By the time I finished the second “year” of the book, I was glad I didn’t DNF. The fart jokes disappear (thank God) and things start to heat up between Alex and Lulu. I can definitely feel the connection, but when it comes to their relationship problems, it’s just a matter of miscommunication. If you like the miscommunication trope, maybe you’d enjoy this, but it just annoyed me. Sure, it was accurate for their ages as most 16-year-olds cannot communicate like adults, but it was frustrating as a reader. 

The second “year” also left me feeling off because Alex’s character had changed dramatically. While this change is for the better (well… sometimes it is), you could have swapped his name with someone else’s when it comes to personality traits, and it would have made just as much sense. He became a generic “good guy,” when just the year before he had picked a class field trip he knew Lulu wouldn’t like just to piss her off. What? And then he messes around with other girls after being all-in on Lulu? There’s a problem with character continuity here.

The third and fourth “years” left me loving Alex and Lulu’s connection (as well as their character growth), but I couldn’t get past Kenneally’s writing style. Her word choice and use of cliche similes made me feel with every bone in my body that this book was meant for a younger audience, but then she would throw in a sexually explicit scene! I don’t know who this book was meant for. 

Additionally, Lulu’s character was annoying me. She was a two-dimensional “social justice warrior” vegan and had a hard time leading the story. The side characters were much more interesting, and I would have much rather read a book about Max and Caleb’s relationship or even one about Grace and Ryan’s relationship.

The fourth “year” provided me with a new source of anger, as well. Lulu is a graphic novelist and has submitted her book, “Here Comes the Sun,” to several publishers and editors. When she hears back from them, they always say that their favorite part is the inclusion of science. This inclusion is only because of Alex, who suggested it and helped her do the research. Maybe this is nitpicking, but it felt like this was indirectly giving Alex credit for Lulu’s years of hard work. It was already obvious that he had helped her to improve “Here Comes the Sun.” He didn’t have to receive credit in this way, too.

I finished “Four Days of You and Me” feeling as though the positives and negatives of the novel canceled out. While I admired Kenneally’s realistic portrayal of teenagers, I can’t say that I enjoyed that element of the book, as it was often annoying. And even though I liked the connection between Lulu and Alex, I couldn’t get past my dislike of Kenneally’s writing style. Because of this, I won’t be looking for any future books by Kenneally, unfortunately.

romance, young adult

Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Mia
I love this cover so much!

SUMMARY (from GoodReads)

Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.

As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.

Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?

REVIEW:

Featuring the Beth March bookmark from pagepetal.com

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This one hurt. A lot. While it definitely had those sweet, absolutely swoonworthy moments Nicola Yoon is known for, it also held a lot of heartbreak. Instructions for Dancing is about learning to love even though love ends, which is painful and beautiful at the same time. This book was the definition of bittersweet, and while I tend to prefer a happy-ever-after, I think the ending of this book only added to its message and importance. 

Even with this novel’s deep message, it didn’t feel overly heavy. The romance between Evie and X was incredible, and as someone who was obsessed with Dancing With the Stars as a kid, I loved the ballroom dancing element so much. It made me want to sign up for lessons at the local ballroom dance studio, only to find the love of my life there… I guess that’s unlikely.

While I didn’t like the “seeing the future” element of the plot at first, in retrospect I see its importance to the plot. Instructions for Dancing definitely lived up to the hype, even if it broke my heart in two. I love you, Nicola Yoon, even if you did make me cry with this book!

romance, young adult

“Kisses and Croissants” by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Mia

SUMMARY:

Seventeen-year-old Mia has wanted to be a ballerina ever since she could remember. Ballet is in her genes — or so her relatives say. It is rumored that her great-great-grandmother was painted by the famous Edgar Degas when she was a talented ballerina.

When Mia is admitted to an elite summer ballet program in Paris, she is elated, not only because of her chance to dance but also because of the chance to find the long-lost Degas painting of her ancestor. With the help of Louis, a charming French boy, Mia may find something more than a painting — she might find love.

REVIEW:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

When I started “Kisses and Croissants,” I was afraid it was going to follow the typical “girl gives up her passions for a guy” trope, which I hate (Rachel from “Friends”? Joey from “Dawson’s Creek” in Season 1? Too many others to count?). Luckily, that was not what happened at all. Instead of deciding that she has to give up her passions for a guy, Mia learns how to balance ballet and her love life. 

Mia was a great main character — passionate, relatable, and fun — and Louis was a great match for her. He challenged her but knew when to stop and listen. Louis always respected Mia’s boundaries, something that is unusual (but very welcome!) for a romance novel. Too often, writers think “pushing boundaries” is a romantic behavior: following her when she says to stop, asking her out repeatedly even after she says “no,” you get the idea. Louis was extremely respectful and didn’t push Mia, which I loved. He also never made Mia choose between him and ballet. Instead, he encouraged her in and helped her with her passions, even when he had nothing to gain from it.

While searching for the long-lost portrait of Mia’s ancestor, readers get to see so many spots in Paris. This underlying adventure was so fun, and it left me feeling like I had been on vacation! The ratio of travel to romance to ballet was perfect. Seriously. All of the other travel romances I have read have left me feeling unbalanced — there was too much romance and not enough travel or vice/versa. But not this one. I knew the characters well, I knew the scenery well, and I could feel the romantic connection. The one thing I wished for was to see a few more moments with Mia’s new friends, Anouk and the girl from Manchester (I can’t believe I forgot her name! I guess that goes to show that she was not mentioned often enough). It was said that they became good friends, but readers wouldn’t have known that otherwise because it seemed like Mia was always practicing ballet with Audrey, her frenemy, instead of hanging out with them.

Because of the perfect romance-to-travel ratio and great characters, I was going to give this book 4.5 stars. Then, the plot twist came in. 

The plot twist felt, in a word, unnecessary. Sure, otherwise the ending would have been predictable. But it’s a romance novel! Readers want the ending to be predictable. I loved that this book had been mainly positive, and I hated this plot twist so much that if I read the book again I would skip the last few chapters and head straight to the epilogue. I would tape the pages together, I’m not even kidding. I do feel like the epilogue offered some redemption to the book, but that plot twist really left a bad taste in my mouth, leading to my spoiler-filled GoodReads review that I wrote in the heat of the moment after finishing the book:

**Skip past the italics if you don’t want spoilers**

WHY WOULD YOU HAVE THEM GET HIT BY A CAR????? EVERYTHING WAS SO PERFECT. I DIDN’T NEED A TWIST. I JUST WANTED THEM TO BE HAPPY. I have a lot of emotions right now. 

**Spoilers end here**

While the plot twist did cause me to knock half of a star off of my rating, I still loved this book. It was such a fun, cute, and quick read that is perfect for summer. I will 100% be looking out for any future books written in English by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, and until then, I will probably read this one again.