From the author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you picked up the wrong suitcase and fell head over heels for its mystery owner?
Can a swapped suitcase lead to love? In Sophie Cousens' new novel Just Haven't Met You Yet it is certainly possible! This light-hearted rom-com follows lifestyle journalist Laura on a trip to Jersey in the Channel Islands as she attempts to track down her parents' love story for a piece she is developing for work, but she ends up on a wild goose chase searching for the man of her dreams instead!
So where does this matchmaking suitcase come into play? Laura runs into an incredibly attractive man at the airport, spilling the contents of her bag all over the floor, only for her to wind up with his suitcase and he with hers! However, this chance encounter doesn't feel like fate until Laura gets to her hotel, opens the suitcase, and not only discovers the swap, but also finds out that this guy loves all of the same things she does and just has to be the love of her life. Her only problem now is to find him ...
As a reader of a lot of literary, dystopian, & suspense fiction, I recently decided to lighten my load with some guilty pleasure romantic comedies, and Just Haven't Met You Yet fit that bill! I love travel books and getting to experience new places through the eyes of a character, so I was excited that this book involved a trip to the glorious Channel Islands in England. Cousens integrates a rather compelling storyline in her book by way of having Laura investigate her parents' own love story by visiting the locations of photos taken the summer the couple first met. This allows us to visit significant places in the Channel Islands, while also learning more about Laura's parents' romance, which includes a few surprises for both Laura and the reader.
This book also involves a love triangle of sorts, as Laura gets to know the taxi driver toting her around Jersey. Ted is brooding and mysterious, and attractive in a gruff sort of way, and the more time Laura spends with him, the more she can't help but feel that there might be something brewing between them. But mystery man is all she could ever want and more, right? So why is she developing feelings for Ted?
While Just Haven't Met You Yet involves a lot of fluffy romance and witty dialogue, it isn't all fun and games. Serious issues surrounding family, identity, health, and career are expertly interspersed with the more lighthearted sections of this novel, making for a well-rounded, satisfying read.
Just Haven't Met You Yet is recommended to lovers of Josie Silver, Sophie Kinsella, Jenna Evans Welch, and JoJo Moyes.
Availability: Book; eBook & eAudiobook in cloudLibrary Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it)
Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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AWARDS: LibraryReads Favorites: 2021
GENRE: Contemporary Romances; Romantic Comedies
TONE: Amusing; Heartwarming; Moving; Upbeat
STORYLINE: Character-Driven
WRITING STYLE: Engaging; Witty
LOCATION: England; Jersey (Channel Islands)
SUBJECT: Accidents; Children of Aging Parents; Fate & Fatalism; Happiness; Inspiration; Interpersonal Attraction; Luggage; Men/Women Relations; Periodical Writing; Romantic Love; Searching; Single Women; Taxicab Drivers; Vacations; Women Journalists; Women Travelers
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