Book: The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Summary: En route to London for her father's wedding to a woman she has never met, Hadley meets Oliver. The chance of them falling in love might be as high as Hadley being able to forgive her dad.
Characters: I loved these characters. Hadley is real. She's mad at her parents for their divorce and still figuring out who she is. Oliver is sweet and charming. We only get to know him over the course of 24 hours, so he didn't make a huge impression on me, but he does feel right for Hadley and I was left hoping that they would make it.
The parent's are suprisingly well developed. Both Oliver and Hadley have issues with their parents, but the parents are never vilified. They are presented as real people who make mistakes and are still figuring out how to live a life. That's a real part of growing up... realizing your parents aren't perfect, but that they aren't trying to ruin your life, either. The new step-mom, Charlotte, is sweet and even though we don't spend a ton of time with her bridesmaids, they all have individual personalities.
Plot/Pacing/Structure: The book takes place over a period of 24 hours, but much of the book is Hadley reflecting on her relationship with her dad. Usually, I find myself drawn to one story line or point of view, but this wasn't the case for Statistical Probability (you really want me to write the whole name every time?). I found myself wanting to know why Hadley is so angry with her dad, but I also wanted to stay in the present to see what would happen next with Oliver. I was never bored and even though the story takes place over a short period of time, it feels both realistic and satisfying. The characters grow and change, the plot builds up perfectly, and, yeah, I cried a little bit.
Moments I Loved: Hadley's heart to heart with her dad on the dance floor is touching. It is the moment where it really feels like Hadley has grown as a person and, as a scene, it felt earned so it was emotionally satsifying. I also loved the scene where Hadley and Oliver first meet. The uptight lady made me laugh (although I get it!) and Oliver is charming.
WTF Moments: I don't think there were any moments that left me reeling. Nothing was particularly surprising and there were no super creepy moments that took a moment to digest. It was simply an enjoyable read.
GoodRead's reaction upon finishing: This book is super cute and completely lived up to the hype. The romance swept me away and the father-daughter relationship gave the story a depth I wasn't expecting.
Reading Challenges: This book counts toward the following challenges: 236 pages toward the 15,000 page challenge and Support Your Local Library. Track all my progress on my 2012 Challenges page.
And my first time using my rating system... The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight gets...
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Haha. Totally agree with WTF Moments and Moments You Loved. Glad you like it. Awesome review! :D
ReplyDeleteFara @ Tumbling In Books
I am going to have to read this one! I love how the book cover compliments your blog colors. I actually suspect that's why you read it. ;)
ReplyDeleteI've been found out!
DeleteOh, now I want to read it. :)
ReplyDeleteAbout the Throne of Glass, you have to click/flip pages at least 6 times for the 'pictures' to end and the chapters start. It's a terrible format conversion, but readable. Still very annoying, though. You have to do it at EVERY chapter. :)
ADORABLE. I can't wait to read this either!!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one too.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you on typing out long book names. I usually just shorten them.
I LOVED this book! I read this in one sitting, and It's definitely one I can see myself re-reading. I'm so glad you loved it too :).
ReplyDelete~ Jen @ A Book and a Latte
Awww, yes, this was a charming one! Even with its short length I thought that Jennifer E. Smith managed to pack in plenty of character development without it feeling rushed. Plus Oliver and Hadley were both so, so sweet. I need to re-read this one soon!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this one, too! So charming and I fell so hard for the characters. great review!
ReplyDeleteThis has been on my TBR list for a long time now and I really need to get a copy. I'm so glad you like it so much, that makes me wan to read it even more. I'm really in the mood for romance right now and TSPOLAFS sounds like a good remedy.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you loved this book. So many people are saying so many good things about it. I have it I just haven't had a chance to get to it lately. There are a lot of books I haven't had a chance to get to lately!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those books I want to buy. I've heard nothing but good things.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I finish Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris, I'm going to read this one. I'm glad you loved it :)
ReplyDeleteThis book was so cute! And the best part about this book was that it really wasn't about the romance!
ReplyDeleteI loved this book, most of the time.
ReplyDeleteGood: Oliver was swoonworthy and not a brooding bad boy jerk, the relationship was realistic, and I loved the premise and the aeroplane setting (especially since I read it on the plane to England on the way back from a San Francisco school trip - but I didn't find my Oliver...).
Bad: Although she pretty much nailed the whole English love interest thing, I'm English and I've never heard someone call a fly a 'bloke'. I think sometimes it was a bit gratuitous (although I'm nitpicking, I think if you weren't from the UK you wouldn't notice).
And finally, the names... In the UK, Hadley is a boy's name, and we've got two beefy, rugby-playing twins in my school year called, you guessed it, Hadley and Oliver. It made reading the book awkward (if hilarious) and half my friends have read it for the lols).
Great review! I liked when Hadley and her dad had that moment on the dance floor too!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Love the new blog design!