**Read via ARC from For What It's Worth's Book Tours
This book gets a loquacious 5 out of 5 gnomes for being very funny and also full of heart.
The story and humor really pull you in. My personal experience with this happened when I was at the dealership getting my oil changed. Good thing I was there with my dad because I didn't even hear when they called my name to sign out, I just kept on reading and was surprised when he asked me if I was ready to go.
This didn't sound like the kind of book that I normally read but I'm very glad that I gave it a chance. I was pulled into the story from page one. It of course also gets bonus points for having a bookstore be central to the plot.
The chapters alternate between Dash and Lily. They have very distinct voices, probably because they were each written by different authors.
While shopping at the Strand (a really awesome sounding bookstore) Dash finds a red notebook on the shelves. This notebook gives him clues that he has to solve to determine if he's the right one to have found it. This leads to dares being passed between the two via the notebook. The dares in the notebook are a lot of fun to read about because Dash gets his friends involved in them and Lily has her family help her.
At first they seem to be two very different people. Dash hates Christmas but it's Lily's favorite holiday. It's great how they come together and also antagonize each other through the notebook.
Lily's relatives add a lot of fun to the mix especially her Uncle who's a mall Santa. It's fitting that Lily's family and her give Dash the nickname Snarl/say he's snarly because he is a tad snarly at times.
The plot does feel like a romantic comedy type of situation at times. It is raised above the formula type feeling though by the fact that you're not sure what's going to happen next and it feels like it could end unhappily.
Dash's friend Boomer is a superb character, I love the way his mind works and how he sees the world. His excitement about the world seems to always cheer up the other characters. One of Boomer's best lines has him calling an amazon wish list an amazonian hope chest (I know I'll never look at my amazon wish list the same way again).
Love the situations that they get in to, especially the events that lead to them being notorious/celebrities.
At the end it looks like they may have a bright future together with many more dares along the way.
Overall the book is just so much fun and explores beautifully people's expectations of people versus the facts. I have a feeling that for many people this book will become an annual traditional Christmas read.
This book gets a loquacious 5 out of 5 gnomes for being very funny and also full of heart.
The story and humor really pull you in. My personal experience with this happened when I was at the dealership getting my oil changed. Good thing I was there with my dad because I didn't even hear when they called my name to sign out, I just kept on reading and was surprised when he asked me if I was ready to go.
This didn't sound like the kind of book that I normally read but I'm very glad that I gave it a chance. I was pulled into the story from page one. It of course also gets bonus points for having a bookstore be central to the plot.
The chapters alternate between Dash and Lily. They have very distinct voices, probably because they were each written by different authors.
While shopping at the Strand (a really awesome sounding bookstore) Dash finds a red notebook on the shelves. This notebook gives him clues that he has to solve to determine if he's the right one to have found it. This leads to dares being passed between the two via the notebook. The dares in the notebook are a lot of fun to read about because Dash gets his friends involved in them and Lily has her family help her.
At first they seem to be two very different people. Dash hates Christmas but it's Lily's favorite holiday. It's great how they come together and also antagonize each other through the notebook.
Lily's relatives add a lot of fun to the mix especially her Uncle who's a mall Santa. It's fitting that Lily's family and her give Dash the nickname Snarl/say he's snarly because he is a tad snarly at times.
The plot does feel like a romantic comedy type of situation at times. It is raised above the formula type feeling though by the fact that you're not sure what's going to happen next and it feels like it could end unhappily.
Dash's friend Boomer is a superb character, I love the way his mind works and how he sees the world. His excitement about the world seems to always cheer up the other characters. One of Boomer's best lines has him calling an amazon wish list an amazonian hope chest (I know I'll never look at my amazon wish list the same way again).
Love the situations that they get in to, especially the events that lead to them being notorious/celebrities.
At the end it looks like they may have a bright future together with many more dares along the way.
Overall the book is just so much fun and explores beautifully people's expectations of people versus the facts. I have a feeling that for many people this book will become an annual traditional Christmas read.
I'm glad you liked it! Great review.......I'm hoping to go to the Strand when I visit NYC in May!! It sounds like such an amazing place.
ReplyDeleteAw, this sounds fun! The characters, especially.
ReplyDelete@Karen, thanks, yeah it does sound like quite an awesome bookstore.
ReplyDelete@Aylee, it's a really fun read and the characters are genuinely funny.
The link for your review is up! Yay me...lol
ReplyDeleteThere is a book tour link under my header now - www.fwiwreviews.net
@Karen, okay, thanks for adding it. :)
ReplyDelete