Lovin' los libros

 

 

After having read and enjoyed London's Definitely Maybe, which is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, I knew I had to read Someday Maybe! I haven't yet read Jane Austen's Persuasion, so I wasn't able to compare the two, but I am all about second chance romances! London has such a fun, cute writing style so her books are not only easy to read, but they are pretty fast paced as well. I did feel this one went a little TOO fast. Some of the transitioning seemed a bit abrupt and at times I felt we were told instead of shown important details. That was my biggest issue with this novel. I loved the characters, the romance, and the story itself.

 

For the beginning of the novel, we flip back and forth between Rachel in the past and the present. We first meet her as a freshman in college, getting ready to begin her ten year plan so that she has a stable, successful future to look forward to. Her overprotective brother, Roger, is well known at USF and feels it is his job to make sure she stays on track and doesn't lose focus. Rachel decides to have one last night before classes begin to sow her wild oats before she really buckles down and blocks out all other distractions. Of course, it is that night she meets Oliver Wentworth. Oliver is the exact kind of distraction that Rachel doesn't need in her life, yet she can't seem to give him up either, thus starting a secret relationship with him. This obviously bothers Oliver, because let's face it: no one wants to be the dirty little secret in a relationship. Unfortunately Rachel doesn't do a very good job at balancing her time with Oliver and staying on top of her studies, and she starts to slip.

 

I like that London transitioned back and forth, slowly unraveling their relationship and then their eventual demise. I felt it really made the novel more effective, because you can really see how happy she was with Oliver and now she's alone starting a new job that is proving to be quite the challenge. Having not completely gotten over Oliver, it comes as quite the shock to discover that he is now dating one of her best friends. No one, save for Roger, knows about Oliver and Rachel's relationship freshman year so things are definitely a bit awkward and strained between them. It's not easy pretending they were never in love, especially since it's clear there's still something between them.

 

The flashbacks were what really made me fall for Oliver. Had we not seen him and Rachel together previously, I don't think I would have him enjoyed him as much. I was a bit irritated with him for dating Rachel's friend Meghan as long as he did, especially knowing Rachel was back in town and that he wasn't completely over her. Towards the end of the novel, we did get to see that sweet, caring side of him that I originally fell for.

 

I wasn't crazy about the dream aspect of the story, either. It felt a bit off for me, even though London does do a good job of having it tie in with the major events in the novel.

 

Even though this can be read as a stand alone, Spring and Henry from Definitely Maybe make a brief appearance and I was thrilled to see the two as adorable together as ever! I also really enjoyed Oliver's sister Sarah, so I wouldn't mind her getting her own story in the future!

 

If you're a fan of second chance romances and just a cute love story in general, definitely pick this one up.