Date published: January 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Poppy/ Little Brown
Synopsis: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
What I Thought:
I first read this book in March of 2012. My original review on Goodreads goes, "I liked Hadley. She's appropriately lost and hurt by her father's defection and remarriage. She meets Oliver on the way to her father's wedding in London. I jut wish she had confronted her father as opposed to keeping all of her feelings locked away. The story is faced past and a good book. Check it out!" Back then I rated the story 3 stars. I was just really hung up on how hurt Hadley was over her father's treatment of her and how she handled it.
Somethings changed for me and others stayed the same. Once again I was engrossed in the story and read it quickly. I loved that that each chapter had two times at the top; One based on the time where she'd started and the other from where she was going. This is the first time I actually paid attention to them as I tracked her journey. I still really liked Hadley and Oliver. Once again I didn't see the twists coming. I was also surprised by my strong reactions. When Hadley expressed her frustrations at not being able to vocalize how she felt, my chest got tight. The same thing happened when Hadley detailed the aftermath of her father's desertion. Another thing that changed for me with this re-read was how I felt about it. The book went from, "I like it," to "Wow. That was pretty good!".
I still feel like Hadley didn't really clear things up with her father. She glossed over a lot that made me think Hadley was really mature but had forgiven all too quickly. She showed a lot more maturity than I would have, even now as an adult. Due to all the feelings I got, I re-rated this book at 4.5 stars. Jennifer E. Smith's writing is no joke. She makes you have all these feelings, wonder at human nature, and question all these thoughts and ideas you have, all while appealing to readers of all ages. I love her books. Each one is successively better and I can't wait to read her new book.
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About the Author
Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.
* I originally purchased a copy of this book. A copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any manner.*
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