Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight + Giveaway

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E. Smith

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Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: TODAY
Publisher: Hachette/Poppy
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Requested from Publicist
Rating: Special Shelf

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About the Book:

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. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that 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 in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

There are so many ways it could have all turned out differently...

I adore contemporary romance novels almost as much as I love paranormal ones, so I've been tingling with anticipation for this novel for quite a while! Hadley Sullivan is dreading her upcoming flight to England, where she'll be forced to watch her father get remarried to the woman who caused her father to leave his family behind, a woman, incidentally, she's never even met. Although ready to brave jet lag and sitting with strangers (never mind that she's claustrophobic), Hadley misses her flight entirely by a miniscule four minutes. Simultaneously tormented and soothed, she rearranges her flight and braces for the worst forty-eight hours of her life to begin. But those mere four minutes are responsible for so much more than a missed flight and will impact Hadley's life in ways she could never have predicted.

Hadley, hurt and bitter and resentful, is a pretty, pleasantly ordinary girl riddled with turmoil, yet she throws her chin up and takes the mature route, avoiding hysterics and annoying outbursts. Her pain is tangible, her distress and suffering becomes ours as we retrieve glimpses of her sweet, shattering past with a father who left her behind to be with another woman in, not a town or state away, an entirely separate continent. It's simple to hate him and blame him for the damage done to his and Hadley's relationship. But what I loved about this book is that it proves our feelings, which propel our actions, are so very complex, and while what her father did may not have been right, his situation spawns sympathy, and, eventually, forgiveness.

Oliver, a gorgeous, charming British boy with his own secret past, is not just that helpful stranger from the waiting area - turns out assistance is vital when trying to deflect the terrible disapproval of nosy old ladies - but also Hadley's flight companion for the next several hours. The flowering romance - which is not just limited to Hadley and Oliver necessarily, mind you - in this book conjures the warm and fuzzies and makes you want to curl up in bed, hugging this book and your pillow, fantasizing about meeting your true love in the seat next to you on your long, airborne journey to anywhere. I basked in their witty, insightful conversations, a trembling sigh escaped when a puzzled, intense look was shared, as if to say, I've found something amazing here, haven't I? Healing words of kindness and understanding, melting embraces, and the helping hand of fate combine to stitch a lasting bond between two characters, who, over the course of a single flight, in a matter of hours, not only fall in love with each other but make you fall in love with them too.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is so much more than what it claims to be. It's not a story that focuses solely on romantic love, love at first sight, but one that realistically and genuinely illustrates the means of forgiveness, family issues, and the abiding love between family members. This book resonated with me especially because Hadley and I share similar pasts and old wounds, and our feelings blended together until I couldn't separate which were hers and which were mine, causing me to leak an ocean of tears, particularly toward the end.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight caters to the belief that the magic of true love/instantaneous love may not be confined to only the storybooks, that some things, like family bonds, can weather anything. A novel with the potential to soften even the biggest cynic's guarded, resistant heart, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a wise, wonderful, heart-stopping debut that decisively places Jennifer squarely as an auto-buy author.

With that being said, I've decided no one should live without this book, if I can help it, so it's

Giveaway Time!

What you can win:

A finished copy of The Statistical Probability of Love at First by Jennifer E. Smith (and no you can't have my copy! :P).

Official Giveaway Info:

• you do NOT have to be a follower
• there are extra entries available
• all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
• giveaway deadline is January 27, 2012
• read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

This giveaway is open to EVERYONE, so long as the Book Depository ships to your shipping address.
You can find out by clicking here! and finding your country's name on the list.