The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith Series: Stand Alone
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers on January, 1st 2013
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads
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.
Hi my honey’s! Today we’re going to do something a little different and start this review with a story.
*cue flashback effects now*
Once upon a time there was a girl who grew up without her father’s presence. She wasn’t bitter or damaged. She didn’t hold a grudge or stupidly believe that he would leave his amazing wife, and eventually she got over the fact that he wasn’t a part of her childhood and let him be a part of her life through her adult years.
the end
Ok I know it’s not a literary masterpiece but I figured it was a good way to help you understand why a book that comes so highly rated didn’t work for me.
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (LaFS from here on!) was part of my personal goal to branch outside my reading comfort zones. I’ve gotten so comfortable with YA and PNR that other genres have actually started to scare me a bit! Me! The same person that ate the “gumbo” Ayanna made with things I’m still unsure about! I’m usually a “try anything once” kind of girl, so when I noticed that I was becoming complacent I decided now would be the perfect time to try new book genres. WRONG OCTAVIA! WRONG!
I tried, I really tried to like contemporary novels but, every time I attempt to read one I can’t help but want to run away screaming!
And sadly this book was no exception to that urge.
The book starts off with our main character Hadley missing her flight to her father’s wedding in London. Not the end of the world right? You miss the flight you get put on the next one and deal with the consequences of you not being smart enough to read a clock correctly. WRONG! Somehow her constant brooding over her missed flight last for a full fucking chapter guys!! A full 16 minutes in my audio book! 16 minutes of “maybe if “x” wouldn’t have happened I wouldn’t be late” and “I’d been wishing for this to happen since I found out about the wedding, but I thought it would be more dramatic” and “I didn’t want to go to the stupid wedding anyway”. Over and over and over I had to listen to this nonsense. One second she was frustrated for missing the flight and the next she’s frustrated because she wished for this to happen. I knew right then that this book would not be my friend. But of course I am stubborn so I continued.
After that first “chapter”of “what if” I had the pleasure of meeting a cute British boy in the airport. This boy happens to go to Harvard and “boy” is on his way to London to see his family. What’s his name you ask? Why I think I’ll drag it out like they did in the story. You appreciate me withholding that kind of information don’t you? Of course you do!
Anywho, Hadley and boy spend hours before the flight swapping puns and sharing their paralyzing fears, because of course Hadley must remind us ever two paragraphs that she is claustrophobic. From this point I’m forced to endure numerous flashback’s (from a 17 year old!) and many discussions about her “horrible father and his crappy soon-to-be-wife”. In fact, she bad mouthed her father’s new bride so much that I was completely prepared to hate her for whatever it is she has done to Hadley. BUT THEY HAVEN’T MET YET! I totally get her feeling some animosity towards the woman she believes took her dad away. I swear I get that. But for her to talk so badly about a woman she not only has never met but has never even spoken to on the phone just blew my mind. And please don’t give me that “Octavia you just don’t get it!” crap. My dad got married when I was like 8, to a woman that I didn’t get the chance to met. So yes I do understand.
Anywho, long story short Hadley bares her soul to boy and some how a romance forms. One that starts slowly and in the span of one chapter burns with the intensity of a thousand suns and is sealed with a steamy airport kiss. But of course things happen stuff is left unsaid and the story continues….for 20 chapters! 20 chapters of hiding behind bushes! Aimlessly running around London! Crying! and finally overly dramatic kisses. By the end of the audiobook I was exhausted from dealing with all of the emotions.
And of course I know that I may be overanalyzing this, but everything about this book just read like an over done soap opera to me. She’s claustrophobic AND afraid of mayo?! I know there are people out there who legitimately have these issues but I felt it odd that the author even felt it was necessary to mention the mayo bit since mayo was only named in 3 sentences out of the whole book.
At the end of the day, I obviously did not like this book, and for once I’m happy I can’t blame that on it being a audiobook.
