Love by the Book by Jessica George
Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone—and unable to find her next book idea.
Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn't have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family—but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.
When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for—if only they can let each other in.
Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life—and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.
Review: Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Remy has built her life around her three best friends and enjoying the success of her debut novel, which borrowed from her real life and is also about a group of close friends. But as she struggles to come up with an idea for a second book, her friend group also seems to be slowly breaking apart as the friends are all moving in different directions. Meanwhile, Simone is a kindergarten teacher with a well-paying side job that doesn't leave her much time for a social life. When she has a falling out with her family, she finds herself feeling very alone, much like Remy. When they bump into each other, it isn't a friendship at first sight, but slowly they begin to let each other into their life.
This was a unique book in that it is very intentionally focusing on female friendships - how hard they are to make in adulthood, how much they bring to our lives, and how quickly they can fall apart. This is also a book about feminism, specifically allowing women to choose what happens with their bodies.
I really did enjoy this book overall. Female friendship is such a powerful force in women's lives and yet it is rarely the main subject. Remy and Simone are very different people and come to the friendship slowly, but I loved seeing them inching towards friendly intimacy as the novel progresses. I liked the difficult topics this book addresses head on - a side job that is considered unsavory, painful falling outs with family, fractured friendships, being ghosted by dates etc. I also appreciated the focus on what we do when we feel like we're flailing, which is the position that both Remy and Simone find themselves in. I love that they lean into a new friendship during this time period and form a strong bond during slightly dark times for them both.
And yet, friendship is tricky. Just like Remy experiences in this book, it can last for decades and then silently fade away. With no familial or legal ties, female friendship can often feel both elusive and nebulous. It can ground our lives and yet drift away in the breeze without the defining parameters that often guide romantic partnerships. In the same sense, I felt a bit dissatisfied with it being the grounding force in this book. I didn't really buy that Remy isn't interested in a romantic relationship and it was difficult to believe her original friendship group of four were so strong since we only ever see the group as scattered and constantly standing her up.
I also thought the author dodged a few key questions that come up in this book. Simone is engaged in a side hustle that is considered by most of society as very taboo (and certainly ill-advised for someone working in education). When her family finds out, they are shocked and shun her. The author takes pains to make it clear that this judgment is old-fashioned, and Remy is more open-minded about Simone's choices. But do we need to feel like she should be judgement free?? I consider myself open-minded and non-judgmental and yet - I would not want a friend or relative to engage in that type of work. The book leaves Simone's future sort of open-ended and unresolved about her next steps.
Likewise, Remy must make a big decision over the course of this book. The book jumps in time and doesn't show her actually deciding or having to go through with her choice and just jumps to a happily ever after epilogue where she's very at peace with her decision after the fact. I don't know that the choice she made could be as fully positive as the book portrays it. Bittersweet, perhaps, but not fully without regrets. It just felt like the author was dodging dealing with the plotline in the end to me - although I will say I was satisfied with the choice Remy made and thought it was fitting for her character.
I was very interested in this book after reading and enjoying Jessica George's novel Maame. This one has a lot of thematic overlap - struggling to find where we belong, complicated family relationships, grown children failing to meet family expectations, characters who are of Ghanian descent but living in London. But the plot was very different here. I enjoyed this one, but Maame remains my favorite of the two.
Review: 3.5
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