Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publishing Date: July 8th, 2014
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Pages: 310 pgs
ISBN: 9781250049377
Source: Borrowed from fellow blogger, Kim



Summary from Goodreads:
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?


My Review: 

I think that Rainbow Rowell is one of my new favourites. I have read all her novels and I have to say I have enjoyed them all. I'll admit to Fangirl not being my fave but the rest I have greatly enjoyed. This book is no exception.
First of all, how could you not like a book with a main character named Georgie McCool? This character is the epitome of independent woman. Her life is in a bit of a shamble when we first meet her. She is skipping out on her family's Christmas trip to Omaha in order to work. She works with her best friend, who just happens to be a guy who used to be someone she crushed on. For obvious reasons, this pisses off her husband Neal and he decides to take their children to Omaha anyhow. Georgie is by herself and this gives her time to evaluate her life. While all of this is going on she comes across a magical phone that allows her to speak to her husband in Omaha. Why is this magical you ask? Well she is speaking to Neal of the past, Neal from the 90s before they got married.
This book read really easily and I finished within 24 hours. This is the perfect beach read. You'll want to be reading this while sprawled out on a towel enjoying the sunshine. It's fun while still making you question a few things.
For example, are our lives predestined by fate? How much control do we have over where our lives take us? Also, how do our actions affect our future? The smallest thing can set in motion a whole set of events.
I also think that it makes you think about life/work balance. How much ambition is too much? I have to admit to being a pretty independent woman. I have been on my own since I was 17 and sometimes it's hard to accept help from others, even my husband. In this way, I could relate to Georgie. She is very independent and she likes to work hard. This has caused some rifts in her marriage and it's up to her to fix them.
While I really enjoyed this novel, it is pretty light. I would have liked to see a little bit more character development and a little more interaction between Georgie and Neal. I'd say that's a pretty small gripe and Rowell is on my auto-buy list. Go out and get this for your cottage days/beach days.
  

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