Okay, I admit it - sometimes I enjoy reading novels that are bubblegum for the brain. While I do like to keep my brain challenged with reading works of literature, I indulge in the occasional chick lit novel, which is why I picked up From Notting Hill with Love...Actually (2012) by Ali McNamara from my local library. It sounded like a fun piece of fluff which would make a nice balance from my last read - the sad and shocking book, Columbine.
Synopsis: "Movie fanatic Scarlett O'Brien dreams of a life as glamorous and romantic as all the big screen flicks she worships. When a chance house-sitting job in iconic Notting Hill comes along, she knows living in one of her favorite movie settings is an opportunity too good to pass up.
Leaving behind her skeptical friends, family, and fiance, Scarlett heads to London and finds herself thrust into the lead role of her very own romantic comedy. But can real life ever be just like the movies? Larger-than-life new friends, a handsome but irksome new neighbor, and a mystery from her past may prove to Scarlett that living her life like a RomCom is more complicated than she thought!" (from Sourcebooks.com)
Leaving behind her skeptical friends, family, and fiance, Scarlett heads to London and finds herself thrust into the lead role of her very own romantic comedy. But can real life ever be just like the movies? Larger-than-life new friends, a handsome but irksome new neighbor, and a mystery from her past may prove to Scarlett that living her life like a RomCom is more complicated than she thought!" (from Sourcebooks.com)
Review: I love romantic novels and romantic movies therefore I assumed a book intermingling the two together would be really fun. Well, yes and no. Yes, it had the happy romantic ending that one expects, but I found it to be a bit uneven. Although I will say the book got better the longer I read it. After reading the first 50 pages of the 425 page book, I had my doubts on whether or not I would finish it. The nearly constant movie references were really annoying. Additionally, the first half of the book dragged quite a bit and, most importantly, I had a hard time relating to Scarlett. With no other word coming to mind, she was just silly. The other characters shined, particularly the romantic hero, Sean, who was freakin' amazing. I fell in love with him from the start. He's not quite Mr. Darcy, but pretty darned charming. The most redeeming quality of the book, however, was the boisterous, ridiculous, and over the top romantic ending, exactly how a chick lit/romcom story should conclude. I've repeatedly mentioned that I love Brit humor and stories, and this book was no exception - aside from Scarlett. Similar to Bridget Jones's Diary, this story might just be one of those rare cases where the movie version supersedes the book. All in all, it's a good read if you are not looking to tax your brain too hard and have read all the other books in your library.
Rating: 3 out 5
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