I have been in a very long reading slump (it's been since practically March), but I flew through this book. Alex, Approximately took me... Approximately a couple of hours to finish.
This was a very good Contemporary Romance novel and even though I didn't rate it 5 stars (I have a couple of reasons I'm going to talk about later on), it's definitely up there on my favorites list, right next to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
“But just when you think you understand someone, it turns out that you didn't really know them at all. Or maybe the real problem was that you didn't understand something about yourself."
The characters were well developed an not flat. Each and every individual had some baggage in their past that shaped them and helped them become who they were in that point of time in the book. As I read, I had to learn more and more about each character and I came to understand all of them and the way they acted because of their backgrounds which were carefully laced into the whole plot line so that I would learn gradually throughout the story. Some of the situations which I guess were meant to be a kind of surprise weren't surprising, though. I kind of expected some of the things that happened. But despite that, I still enjoyed the story.
There was never a boring moment that I could tell and I never once willingly set the book down during the time I spent reading it. Jenn Bennett managed to keep the fast pace consistent throughout the book and succeeded in capturing my attention for the entirety of the novel.
“And not after, when we’re clinging to each other like the world just fell apart and is slowly clicking back together, piece by piece, breath by breath . . . heartbeat by beautiful heartbeat."
My reasoning for the 4 stars instead of 5 was the element of surprise being lost due to the synopsis and the characters' reactions to situations that occurred in the novel.
Let's start with the element of surprise being lost. I don't think that it is that big of a deal, but I can't help but think if it would have been a better reading experience if the synopsis on the back of the book hadn't revealed that Porter was Alex. Would I have found it more surprising of a read? Maybe I would've guessed that Porter was Alex to begin with, but maybe it would've been better if that revelation was left to the reader instead of advertised on the back of the book.
Next, the characters' reactions to situations that occurred in the novel. Some situations were bad, but not horrible. They were inconvenient, but they weren't catastrophic. And some of the characters just BLEW UP about it. They were so dramatic and it almost made (no, it did make) me cringe. The characters acted way more dramatic than the situation called for and honestly at times it made it seem to me like a low-budget TV show with poorly paid actors.
In conclusion, I still much enjoyed this book and I'd definitely recommend this book to others -- especially fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han.
Paperback / 388 Pages
Published April 4th, 2017
Publisher / Simon Pulse
Author / Jenn Bennett
Rate / 4 stars
SYNOPSIS The one guy Bailey Rydell can't stand is actually the boy of her dreams -- she just doesn't know it.
Classic movie fan Bailey "Mink" Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey movies in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he's a creep in real life -- or worse?), Bailey doesn't tell Alex she's moved to his hometown. Or that she's landed a job at the local tourist trap museum. Or that she's being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth -- a.k.a. her new arch nemesis. But life is a whole lot messier than in the movies, especially when Bailey discovers those tricky fine lines dividing hate, love, and whatever it is she's starting to feel for Porter.
And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex... Approximately.
Are interested in reading this book? Have you read it already? What do you think of the "Porter is Alex" revelation in the synopsis? Chat with Me in the comments section!