Book written by Jennifer E. Smith, published 2013.
Sometimes, it seems like life is all about the big things. For Ellie O’Neal, life is about achieving big dreams, like getting out of Middle-of-Nowhere, Maine to attend an Ivy League school and study poetry, no matter how much she has to scrimp and save to get there. For up-and-coming movie star Graham Larkin, life has turned into survival, ducking the paparazzi and fighting to blend in everywhere he goes in Middle-of-Everything, California while dreaming about the normal life he used to have. Sometimes, it seems life is all about the big picture when it’s actually all in the details. Sometimes, all it takes is a typo. A simple mistake in an email address to send your words across the country and introduce you to someone who reminds you that happiness is in the simple things.
This is my second favorite Jennifer E. Smith novel. It’s a classic secret pen-pal turned romance trope without coming across as cliché or cheesy or overly dramatic. If you grew up on You’ve Got Mail like I did, I highly recommend this one.
One of my favorite things about Smith’s writing style is how matter-of-fact it is. All of her characters’ emotions are clear-cut and relatable, even if you’ve never experienced what they have. I also love that all of Smith’s romances focus on an emotional and mental connection. Ellie and Graham flirt and everything, but they each have a compelling desire to understand the other, especially when things go wrong. And that’s what makes their story truly sweet.
This book is close to godliness, no language or overly intimate stuff. There is one rather violent punch to the face, but to be honest, that guy totally had it coming.
If you know what I’m talking about, you can move on to the next part of this review without worrying about spoilers.
"She'd tried to talk first, and so had he, their words tumbling into one another like bumper cars until she made him sit down across from her, and they each took a deep breath, laughing without any good reason except that there was a rare kind of joy in this, being here together again. Even without any explanations or apologies, it felt like a redo, a second chance, a new beginning."
Continuing on with that thought of understanding each other, one of my favorite parts of the book was definitely when Graham learns about Ellie’s dad. Harry told Graham the truth about Ellie’s past in an effort to dissuade him from her, but it totally backfires! Instead, it totally clicks for Graham, and he uses it as an opportunity to open a door instead of closing one. I love that his train of thought was something along the lines of, “Well, that’s not a secret anymore, so it shouldn’t stand between us!”
And on that note, the ending really tickled me, more specifically that people cared more that Ellie was Graham’s girlfriend and less that she was Paul Whitman’s daughter. Like, she and her mom spent the entire book worrying about their history getting back out into the world, and when it did, no one cared. It made me laugh, though—when I think about it—it’s probably more out of relief than anything else. I guess I worried about Ellie and her mom too. Just goes to show that the things you don’t want people to see aren’t as big of a deal as you make them out to be—that, and nobody really cares about politicians.
I know I’ve said this before, but I don’t mind saying it again: Smith has a real talent for showcasing different kinds of relationships in her books. Her novels are primarily romantic, but she gives lots of attention to familial, particularly parental, interests as well. And I really appreciate that focus. I find that at the end of her stories, the romantic element doesn’t have any clear path moving forward. There’s no one moment or sentence that makes me go, “Yes, a surefire happily ever after.” Graham and Ellie’s future is really uncertain; there’s no guarantee they’ll spend the rest of their lives together, which is the more realistic ending. But family, especially parents, are relationships that last a lifetime. And I love that Smith spends some time and energy sharing her thoughts on that.
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