Review: Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Owe You One, an utterly delightful novel about a woman who ditches her dating app for a writer's retreat in Italy--only to find that real love comes with its own filters
Call Ava romantic, but she thinks love should be found in the real world, not on apps that filter men by height, job, or astrological sign. She believes in feelings, not algorithms. So after a recent breakup and dating app debacle, she decides to put love on hold and escapes to a remote writers' retreat in coastal Italy. She's determined to finish writing the novel she's been fantasizing about, even though it means leaving her close-knit group of friends and her precious dog, Harold, behind.
At the retreat, she's not allowed to use her real name or reveal any personal information. When the neighboring martial arts retreat is canceled and a few of its attendees join their small writing community, Ava, now going by "Aria," meets "Dutch," a man who seems too good to be true. The two embark on a baggage-free, whirlwind love affair, cliff-jumping into gem-colored Mediterranean waters and exploring the splendor of the Italian coast. Things seem to be perfect for Aria and Dutch.
But then their real identities--Ava and Matt--must return to London. As their fantasy starts to fade, they discover just how different their personal worlds are. From food choices to annoying habits to sauna etiquette . . . are they compatible in anything? And then there's the prickly situation with Matt's ex-girlfriend, who isn't too eager to let him go. As one mishap follows another, it seems while they love each other, they just can't love each other's lives. Can they reconcile their differences to find one life together?
-summary and cover via Goodreads
Plot: I really liked it! The premise of Ava and Matt falling love, without really knowing anything about each other, then discovering how very different they are, was interesting! I don't want to say too much more about the plot of this one, for fear of spoiling it for people!
Characters: I liked all the characters! Ava was delightful, and I loved all her friends! The scenes with them were some of the ones that made me laugh the most. Also, I wanted to write one thing, but don't know if people would consider this a spoiler, so be warned about this next paragraph!
**SPOILER** I was really happy when I read that Nell's (Ava's friend) chronic condition is Lupus. I have Lupus, so to read a book by one of my favorite authors, that featured a character with it, was really, really nice. I also think the way she portrayed it was really accurate, because Lupus can be very different for each person who has it, with the way it affects the body. A couple of problems Nell faces, were exactly ones I've dealt with. It was also really nice that Nell got a relationship in the book, because so often the "sick friend" doesn't get to be happy, which irritates me, so I'm really happy with that! **SPOILER**
The Cover: Cute! I love illustrated covers, and I really like the ones Sophie Kinsella's book have been getting recently, including the reprints.
Overall: I expected to love this book, because it was a Sophie Kinsella book (One of my all-time favorite authors!), and I'm happy to write I did! I won't say too much here about it, for fear of spoiling it for people, but I highly recommend reading!
I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.
