Landline by Rainbow Rowell

(source)

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Length: 308 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Classification: Adult, Contemporary, Chick-Lit

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Source: ARC (Won from GoodReads First-Reads. Thank you St. Martin's Press and GoodReads!)

Read: May 2014

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?(From GoodReads)

***I received an ARC of this book from a giveaway that was part of GoodReads First-Reads. This does not change the way I view this book.***

My Rating:

This was my first Rainbow Rowell book, and I just love her writing. I can’t believe I haven’t read any of her other books before this. I love it so much, I am anxious to read more of her books. (And for her to publish more!)

I really enjoyed reading Landline. In fact I read it in one day. I could not put it down. The story and characters really appealed to me and I was hooked.

The Story:

I really feel that I was able to empathize with both Georgie and Neal's issues. 

I really connected with the story. I am not exactly Georgie. But I definitely could see (and feel) her point of view. And I was really able to connect with Neal and how he was feeling in the book. And I just LOVE books that make me feel an emotional connection with. One that makes me think about my life in relation to the story. I felt that this story (for the most part) was very realistic.

Maybe not “talking” to someone in the past, but I definitely think that the book relates well to real life.

And there were several parts of the story that made me stop and think about my own life.

Even though I know that using a phone to talk with someone in the past isn't real, I really liked those parts of the story too. They were interesting and I loved when it would happen.

I really loved the flashbacks, when Georgie was remembering what happened in the past. I loved seeing their relationship develop and unfold. I think it was my favorite part of the story.

I love the references that Rowell has throughout the story. They make me laugh and smile.

There were also parts that brought tears to my eyes.

The Characters:

I think that the characters were very well developed. Each character was likable but also had their flaws, which made them feel real. I liked that I was able to emotionally connect to both Georgie and Neal and care about what would happen to them and their marriage.

I liked and enjoyed the other relationships in the story. Including Georgie's friendship with Seth (the guy that is not only a friend, but they work together) and her developing relationship with her sister. I really enjoyed the parts with her family. They were interesting characters as well.

My Recommendation:

I love the story. I love the characters. So I highly recommend this one. Especially if you like other Rainbow Rowell books. I found it to be intriguing, funny, serious, and entertaining. 

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

(source)

Title: Attachments

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Length: 336 pages

Publisher: PenguinGroup-Plume

Classification: Adult, Chick-Lit, Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: April 2011

Source: e-galley from NetGalley (It was a Read Now Title. Thank you NetGalley and PenguinGroup-Plume!)

Read: May 2014

GoodReads

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . " Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives. Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke. When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ? (From GoodReads)

**I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

My Rating:

Oh my goodness, such a cute story. This is the second Rainbow Rowell book I have read, and I definitely look forward to reading more of her books.

I found this story to be interesting with relatable characters.

The Story:

There are so many references to things that I like. And each time, I yelled “Yes!” in my head. I think my favorite thing about Attachments was that part of the story is told in email format between two female co-workers. I loved this element to the story and would get excited each time a new “email” popped up. I think it adds excitement to the story (not that I felt it needed excitement). I enjoyed the entire story and it kept me interested. There were several times that I didn't want to quit reading.
I found it to be a fun quick read. It had a lot of funny parts too. I love when books make me laugh.
There were moments when I thought what was happening was a little unrealistic, but it didn't take away from me enjoying what I read. I don't need books to be completely realistic for me to like them.

The Characters:

I really enjoyed most of the characters in this book. Each of the main characters were dealing with certain struggles and challenges in their lives, which allowed me to feel for the character and connect with them.

Lincoln: I love him! He is sweet and a little geeky. Definitely a guy that I would date in real life. I found his character to be well developed. He was geeky but also normal, which I think awesome. I liked that it didn't feel like a geeky-gamer stereotype. I was really interested in what happened in Lincoln's past as well as everything that was going on in his life throughout the story. 

Beth: I also enjoyed her character. And I really felt for her with the stuff going on between her and her boyfriend that she is facing in the book. I found her to be likable and sweet. I was really interested in what would happen with her boyfriend as well as if she would meet Lincoln. 

Jennifer: As I have mentioned before, I just love the dialog between Jennifer and Beth in their emails. And I think I was able to really connect with this character and some of the things that were happening in her life. (I don't know by experience, but I was able to really sympathize with her character and become emotionally attached to what happens in her life.) 

Eve: I like Eve. She is the (little bit of a meddling) big sister. And I really felt like I could relate with her, because I am also the older sister and sometimes I feel like I want to help my little brother out with what is going on with his life.

My Recommendation:

Give it a read! If you are already a fan of Rainbow Rowell, or if you like a good contemporary I definitely recommend reading Attachments. I am so glad that I read it!