(2011)Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. But they go on sending each other endless hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives. Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ?
***
Review: I went into this book, somewhat skeptical of the quality of this author's books (never read one before, heard mixed reviews), and only looking for something light. Light, I definitely got. The quality of the author's books... my jury is still out.
The basic premise is a fantastic one, it quite possibly supersedes my beloved You've Got Mail in terms of ridiculous, electronic romance stories. But I don't feel Rowell did her concept justice. Some elements of the book are very good - for instance, every time I read a conversation between the female leads Beth and Jennifer, I giggled, smiled, or at the very least saw so much of myself in Jennifer that I couldn't but like her. I could take or leave pretty much all the other characters, though.
Things I didn't like included the sheer volume of popular culture references. I felt like I was reading an entertainment magazine at times, or at the very least a Hipster-level attempt at name-dropping for the sake of making oneself look cool, which is a shame, because Rowell does have a knack for writing without needing that. I also found Lincoln as a character to be wholly unlikely, and the ending to be a tad ridiculous. Which, I suppose, was inevitable, but I do feel the whole concept could have been done justice in another author's hands.
All in all, a fun, and at times amusing, read, but also not one that will do your brain cells any degree of good.
Rating: 3/5
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