Monday, January 26, 2015

Love Me For Me by Jenny Hale

2 Star

Libby Potter has just lost the perfect job, the perfect apartment and the perfect boyfriend. Moving back to the same home town that she couldn’t wait to escape when she was younger was definitely not on her todo list. Especially as it means running into the man whose heart she broke when she left.

Pete Bennett can still make Libby’s world stop with just the sound of his voice – even ten years on. Only now, she is the last person in the world that he wants to see.

As everyone else welcomes Libby home with open arms, she realizes she’s missed that special closeness that comes from lifelong friendship. And, as Libby tries to make amends with Pete, she begins to wonder whether she made the right choice in leaving all those years ago.

When an amazing career opportunity gives her the chance to leave again, Libby will have to decide what her version of perfect is… and where she really belongs.


Kathryn - 2 Star

I read Jenny Hale's novel Coming home for Christmas and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately Love Me For Me didn't really stick with me. I suspect it was all down to the connection I felt with Libby. I just never really understood her motivations for doing things and I couldn't seem to get on board with her choices. 

There was also a certain disconnect between Libby and her mother than seemed unnatural given that it was mostly just the two of them during her childhood. We are informed of her mother's history and the possibility that she was trying to live her own life through her daughter but she completely warmed up and changed her attitude part way through the story, it didn't flow for me.

The same feeling of disconnect was present with her high school friends. There seemed to be very little holding the strings of their relationships together and the fact that they didn't even keep in touch while she was gone, seemed telling of their lack of closeness. Their subsequent meet up when she returned home fell flat.

Another irritation was the number of times going back to New York and the “perfect life” the city offered was mentioned. I got the message after the first couple of times- when it was still being brought out as if it was new information more than halfway through the novel I was exasperated. It made me start skipping everything except the dialogue.

A couple of people were interesting enough for me to keep reading, the mother's friend was sweet and I liked her ex-boyfriend's grandfather... I wish that their relationships had been explored further, it may have given the story more authenticity.

While I had misgivings I think there were some things that could have made a great story, the dots just didn’t form a line for me.


Thank you to Bookouture for our review copy. All opinions are our own.

Connect with Jenny Hale:
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