Still good, but not my fave of hers. Like, 4.5 stars. If I had to rate all her books, this one would be nearer to the bottom, just above Eleanor & Park, and that’s purely personal preference speaking. All of the Rowells are Quality. (I have no idea what to expect for the forthcoming Pumpkinheads, but I am nevertheless excited in my ignorance.)
This is definitely the most adult of her books, not a true romance, but a story of marriage and the hard work and heartbreak that goes into it. Not being married, I can’t relate specifically, but this book feels personal in that “I opened up a vein to write this” sort of way, and that gets to you as a reader.
Georgie and Neil are both Pieces of Work (in different ways), and I’m not sure I really *like* them, but I do feel for them and I want them to be happy. I still love the main conceit of this book, that inexplicable magical telephone that’s never explained, but just descends into Georgie’s life like judgment from on high: Talk to your husband. They stopped really talking to each long before we enter their lives, and it seems very fitting and circular (story-wise) that the main thrust of this book is Georgie talking herself back into her relationship by talking to Neil from the past, simultaneously convincing him in the past to do something she never knew she’d convinced him to do in the first place. TIME TRAVEL!
Seth is gross and I don’t like him.
The little romance subplot in this (f/f) is one of my favorite things Rainbow has ever written, and how they finally get together is the most adorable and sort of gross (puppies!). I know she can write m/m romance and m/f, so I would like her please to maybe try to write a full novel of f/f. I bet she would be great at it.
This concludes my review that I should have written a month and a half ago.
[4.5 stars]