Field Notes on Love Review

Title: Field Notes On Love 

Author: Jennifer E Smith

Publisher: Pan Macmillan's Children's Books

Publication Date: 30 May 2019

Source: Pan Macmillan South Africa

Format: Paperback

Pages: 317

Rating: 4.75 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's the perfect idea for a romantic week together: traveling across America by train.

But then Hugo's girlfriend dumps him. Her parting gift: the tickets for their long-planned last-hurrah-before-uni trip. Only, it's been booked under her name. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Mae is still reeling from being rejected from USC's film school. When she stumbles across Hugo's ad for a replacement Margaret Campbell (her full name!), she's certain it's exactly the adventure she needs to shake off her disappointment and jump-start her next film.

A cross-country train trip with a complete stranger might not seem like the best idea. But to Mae and Hugo, both eager to escape their regular lives, it makes perfect sense. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon turns into something more. But when life outside the train catches up to them, can they find a way to keep their feelings for each other from getting derailed?

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I am so excited to jump into this book. Not only does it sound like It is going to be a cute read but it is also Topping the TBR’s pick of the month for May.

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan South Africa for providing me with a copy of this book. Just a quick disclaimer for those reading this review, I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinions in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

The writing was light and fluffy. It was easy to get into the book and get sucked into the world of Mae and Hugo. The novel is written from both of their perspectives and made for an interesting mix of emotion, humour and insight. I loved how light the dialogue was and the humour that made me laugh out loud a couple of times.

Plot Thoughts:

I loved this cute romance that took place on a train that travelled from one side of America to the other. Not only was the setting interesting and fun but the layout of the plot was done really well. I enjoyed the fact that the romance wasn’t instant but definitely brewed over the first part of the book. This is definitely one of those books that are of the feel-good variety. It definitely left a feeling of wanderlust in me and the need to hop onto a train to go across the country.

Character Thoughts:

Mae and Hugo are two fresh-out of high school individuals that find themselves in the need of more. I liked how I was able to connect with both of them on various occasions. I did find that due to the dual perspectives, there wasn’t as much depth to them as I had hoped. However, with that being said, it didn’t take anything away from my reading experience.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this was the perfect book. The atmosphere was light and ready for some romance. The writing was easy to get into and had the right amount of humour to make me laugh out loud. The plot left me wanting to find my own little romance on a train and travel across the country. The characters were accessible and a lot of fun to read about. This book is perfect for anyone who wants a little pick-me-up and a light contemporary read. Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan South Africa for providing me with a copy of this book!