When Poppy loses her engagement ring and her phone all in the same day you could be mistaken for thinking that this is one of the worst days of her life. On the surface it is, but these events trigger changes in Poppy's life that will be irrevocable and ultimately for the best. Whilst waiting desperately for any news of her engagement ring in a hotel lobby Poppy spots a mobile phone in the bin. Needing to have something to be contacted on so that her fiancé doesn't find out she snatches it up and is soon confronted with the voice of the phone's owner, Sam. From here there are a series of hilarious incidents leading to Sam and Poppy becoming closer. Who knew that mobile phones could lead to true love?
The romance in this book was exactly what I expected. It was cute and funny with only a little touch of smooshiness. Of course Sam and Poppy only really know each other for just over a week so there is an aspect of insta-love. This wasn't really an issue though as so much happens that it feels much longer than a week. That was perhaps the most 'unrealistic' part of the romance because the rest of it felt genuine and even plausible. Sam and Poppy's relationship grew throughout their texting and in the end I found myself rooting for them.
Generally, I enjoyed the book on the whole, but there one or two things that I found frustrating. The biggest issue that I had with this book is the portrayal of Poppy's future mother-in-law,Wanda. From the very beginning of the novel we are aware that Poppy is intimidated by her in-laws intelligence and academic achievements. That I understand to be a character flaw in Poppy. She is insecure because she isn't being true to herself and doesn't fit in with the family. However, I am disappointed that Wanda had to be represented as a straw feminist. Poppy on several occasions moans about Wanda asking her about feminism automatically portraying it in a negative light and not something that 'normal' women are interested in. There was also a subtle attach on Wanda's difference in priorities from Poppy's namely that she doesn't cook well and doesn't fuss over the cleanliness of her home. This in itself isn't terrible but when it is mirrored by Poppy's comments about how she always cooks when she's there and the in-laws aren't or her taking it upon her self to tidy around the family, the idea of Wanda's poor housekeeping becomes less of just a characteristic and more Kinsella's comment on the 'feminist' archetype.
I do also feel a little frustration with the character of Poppy herself at times and in general the female protagonists in this genre of novel. I suppose it is a story of 'finding yourself', but really why are people so lost in the first place? It frustrates me immensely to see yet another Kinsella novel where a twenty-something woman is so lost that she pretends constantly to be something that she isn't. I am not sure that this ever really gets addressed in the novel, but then it is only supposed to be a light read. In life I am sure that many twenty-something women and in fact men and people of all over ages suffer from feeling lost and make poor choices as a result of it and so maybe it is that that I find grating and should cut Kinsella and other romantic comedy authors some slack. I know what I am getting when I pick these books up, but is this really the price I have to pay for the wit? Perhaps I should just be thankful that I am so aware that the characters are not being true to themselves and so there is less chance of this happening in my own life. Perhaps.
Rating: ★★★
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