About The Book
In 1869 Concord, Massachusetts, Jo’s first novel becomes a bestseller, and she’s pressured to write a sequel. Seeking inspiration, she travels to New York with Laurie, enjoying museums, operas, and a reading by Charles Dickens. Laurie proposes, but Jo, valuing her independence, declines and Laurie leaves heartbroken for college. He returns with a new girlfriend, prompting Jo to confront her true feelings or risk losing him forever.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3UZ7jtf
My Rating
This book is a retelling that transforms classic characters from Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ from friends to lovers. The twist on the Jo and Laurie story is likely to be a favorite for many readers, even though I am personally not a Laurie fan.
I wouldn’t say that he’s a horrible character, because I actually enjoyed Laurie’s relationship with Jo and her sisters. However, I felt that he came on a bit strong in the book and didn’t want to take no for an answer. Despite my distaste for him, the author kept him pretty true to character.
But the star of this adaptation was Jo. I’m a huge Jo March fan, even though she can be a bit intense for some people. It was as if the authors plucked the character right out of the original story. They were able to capture her essence so well that even in this new story, she still felt like the Jo we know and love.
“He wanted adventure. Passion. He wanted Jo.”
The book was very well written and an easy read. That being said, I found that the writing style did not match my personal taste. The story’s slow pace and plot failed to fully engage me, but I can see how it might captivate others, especially teens, who are the target audience for the book.
The ending is tailored for those who always wished to see Jo and Laurie together. I think it brings a sense of satisfaction to their story, providing a type of closure that some people might not have gotten from the original book. Many people love a good friends-to-lovers story, but unfortunately, I never really saw Jo and Laurie as more than friends.
Overall, in my opinion, Jo and Laurie were at their best as friends, but this retelling takes them on a different romantic journey. It was interesting to see how the authors took these two characters and gave their relationship a whole new ending while still keeping their characters true to the original story. In the end, I must admit it’s a fun book, offering a fresh perspective on beloved characters.
In the comments, let me know if you always thought that Jo and Laurie should have ended up together. Don’t forget that I have new bookish blog posts every week. If you never want to miss a post, follow the blog.
Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny
Enemies-to-Lovers: This has to be my favorite trope of all. There is just something about to rivals that fall in love. I have never actually seen this play out in real life, and don’t really think it is a normal thing. However, in books, it works so well. At least it does most of the time. I’ve read a few books where the characters weren’t true enemies, or the relationship just didn’t work well. Still, despite being predictable, one of my favorite enemies-to-lovers is ‘
Bad Girl, Gone Good: I am not sure if this is a typical trope, or a trope at all. Yet, I enjoy books were there is a bitchy/mean girl character that changes for the better. Think Regina George becoming Lizzie McGuire. Okay, that might not be the best explanation for this trope, but I think you get what I mean. ‘
Fake Dating: I think that almost every romance reader can attest to the fact that this is one of the best tropes in books. For some reason, I cannot get enough of fake relationships. There is something adorable about a fake relationship, or relationship of convenience turning into something real. Instead of recommending one of my favorite, well known, fake dating stories, I will share one that I’m hoping to read, ‘
Forced Proximity: Every since I was a kid, plots where the characters are trapped somewhere always interested me. And, I am not talking about horror stories. When I think of this trope, the Dawson’s Creek episode when Pacey and Joey get stuck in a K-Mart always comes to mind. I believe that I have only ever read one stuck together book, but it was very enjoyable. The book was ‘
Friends-to-Lovers: I was hesitant to put this on the list, because I am not sure of my feeling on the trope. I use to think I wasn’t a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, but my opinion of them has changed. Don’t get me wrong, it still isn’t an all time favorite trope of mine, but it is growing on me. After reading ‘
Kara McDowell