Thursday, May 08, 2014

Mini Reviews: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn and The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

From Goodreads: Gemma just got dumped and is devastated. She finds herself back in the Hamptons for the summer - which puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friend that she wronged five years earlier. Do people hold grudges that long? When a small case of mistaken identity causes everyone, including Hallie and her dreamy brother Josh, to think she’s someone else, Gemma decides to go along with it. Gemma's plan is working (she's finding it hard to resist Josh), but she's finding herself in embarrassing situations (how could a bathing suit fall apart like that!?). Is it coincidence or is someone trying to expose her true identity? And how will Josh react if he finds out who she is?  

My Rating: 2.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: When I saw the summary of Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn, I thought it sounded like a fun summer read. Unfortunately, while it was pretty easy to breeze through Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend, I found the plot twist to be very predictable and Gemma to be incredibly naïve! Considering that she had been lying the whole summer, how on Earth could that she think that her apology to Hallie and Josh would be accepted as heartfelt?! I also wasn’t thrilled by the ending because I assumed this was a standalone – and there’s no reason why it couldn’t have been one – and so was surprised to find a cliffhanger ending which promises more petty drama in the future. 

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend was released on May 13, 2014 by Feiwel & Friends. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) for free via NetGalley.
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From Goodreads: Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father. Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and - finally - a reunion in the city where they first met. 

My Rating: 3.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Having now read three of Jennifer E. Smith’s novels, I’ve come to the conclusion that although her novels have cute premises and are enjoyable in the moment, they’re books that just don’t linger with me. However, though I’ve (apparently) given each book the same rating, I’d have to say that I liked The Geography of You and Me slightly more than The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like because it shows how time and distance can affect people’s perceptions of each other and their relationships. While I liked that Smith realistically portrays how hard it can be to maintain a long distance relationship, I was never fully invested in or sold by the romance of Lucy and Owen.

The Geography of You and Me was released by Poppy in April 2014. 

7 comments:

  1. Too bad on the petty drama of Broken Hearts, that always drives me crazy in a book Z! I don't deal well with lots of angst that's just completely unnecessary. I think I'll pass on the first one, but I'm glad even though it's not a book that's going to stick with you, you still enjoyed Geography:)

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  2. I've been leery of Broken Hearts because of all the drama and angst coming off of the premise alone. As for Smith's book, I really don't have any desire to read her books because they all sound the same. I read "Statistical Probability" and thought it was just ok.

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  3. I love Jennifer E Smith's books, but agree that they just aren't that memorable. At least you enjoyed it for the most part! I've never been in a long distance relationship so that would be interesting to read about.

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  4. Hmm yeah, I've only read This is What Happy Looks Like from Smith and it was definitely cute, but it didn't stick with me in any way either... and that's okay, really because I still enjoyed it. It just wasn't a WOW read. Now the first book on the otherhand, there are few things that annoy me more than petty feuds, so I'll definitely avoid that one.

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  5. Really liked The Geography Of You And Me, just like the other Jennifer E. Smith books before:)
    And I've really wanted to read Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn. I recently found out that Katie Finn is Morgan Matson (which I love!!), but I wasn't sure if this book wouldn't be too juvenile. Your review really helped me decide. I'll pass up on it now and maybe try to read it later. Thank you!:)

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  6. Sometimes I find that too - that there are certain books that are enjoyable, but they just don't stick with me. Then there are books that I didn't even think that I was THAT blown away by, but months and months later I still find myself thinking about them. It's interesting, right?

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  7. I have read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and wasn't completely amazed by it, so I haven't read any of Jennifer's other novels- from what I have been seeing (and what you, yourself has said), I don't think I need to be in any rush to experience them.

    It's to bad you didn't like Broken Hearts, Fences... the premise sounds interesting, but I could see where it could go wrong.

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