Always Will

Melanie Jacobson is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. Her romances are inevitably fun, smart, swoony (and clean, if that's your thing). I pre-ordered this one, and though my to-be-read list threatens to collapse under it's own rate, I snuck this one to the front of the pile and read it in two sittings.

Hannah Becker has loved her brother's best friend, Will Hallerman, since she was a teenager. But as an adult, she's determined to put aside that childhood crush and move on with her life. That is, until Will, who lives down the hall from her (he took over her brother's apartment after her brother got married), decides it's time for him to follow her brother into nuptial bliss. Will approaches dating like he does everything else, with the full force of his not-inconsiderable mind (he's a literal rocket scientist). He tries out a variety of dating sites determined to eliminate "system inefficiencies" and find the perfect woman. His new approach only makes Hannah realize she's not over him--and this is her last chance to change his mind. But her attempts to manipulate his dating life only complicate things between them, and if Hannah can't find a way to make things right, she may lose Will for good.

I love the idea of a best-friends romance, and though I didn't always agree with Hannah's decisions, I spent the second half of this book with that pleasant kind of pain that the best romance books always bring out in me.

Dear Mr. Knightley

Dear Mr. Knightley, by Katherine Reay

This novel was a pretty clear adaptation of Dear Daddy Long Legs, and while it lacked the full charm of the original (there's something about 1930s setting that gets lost in translation), it did have its own charm. Samatha Moore has survived a traumatic childhood of abandonment, foster care, and living in an orphanage. And now she has one more chance: a full scholarship to a journalism program. The only catch is that she must write regular letters to her sponsor explaining her progress, without expecting any return missives.

Sam keeps up her end of the bargain, ultimately regarding these letters as a kind of personal therapy. Through the letters, we see her struggle to connect to her emotions and live an authentic life--a challenge that nearly costs her her position in the program. She's learned to protect herself by channeling her beloved historical characters: Edmond Dante, Jane Eyre, Lizzie Bennett. But she has to learn to be herself before she can win the life she wants. Along the way she meets a host of minor characters: a young boy even more guarded than herself, an older couple who provide her a refuge, and a chance encounter with Alex Powell, an author she idolizes, leads to an unexpected friendship.

The ending was not surprising to anyone who's read the original, but it is a sweet story and I connected deeply to Sam's struggles to open up. The beginning was slow and I considered putting it down, but I'm glad I persevered, as the novel was increasingly engrossing.