Review: Happenstance

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jamie McGuire
Format: ebook/novella
Pages: 100
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads): Erin Easter, one of three Erins in the small senior class of rural Blackwell High School who not only share a first name, but also their birthday. Erin Easter, raised by a neglectful single mom, keeps to herself and admires Weston Gates from afar. The other Erins, Erin A. and Erin M. are the darlings of the community: daughters of the two wealthiest families in town, best friends, cheerleaders, and everything Erin Easter isn't--and they never let her forget it. Erin A. has even claimed Weston since the 8th grade.

Weston is a well-liked star athlete, and the son of two prominent attorneys. He struggles daily with the pressures of living up to his family name and secretly empathizes with Erin Easter's feeling that she belongs somewhere else; in a different life. Not until he begins sneaking nights out with Erin does he gain the courage to buck expectations and acknowledge his feelings ... both for his future, and for her.

But when a shocking tragedy rocks the tiny town, Erin's life is turned upside down in the best way possible. But when the truth is revealed and everything Erin thinks she wanted falls into her lap, life only becomes more complicated.

My thoughts: This was another novella that could be a full length novel. I think it loses something because it isn't. Kristen informs me that this is to be a series or is a series or whatever which is nice; however, I forgot what it was about after reading it. There wasn't enough of it to stick with me for the week I was camping. I lost it. It was in one eye out the other, as it were... I wish that it was more. This novel itself could have been expanded to a full length, still ending in the same spot for future novels. Perhaps, I imagine the author with more free time than they really have. I'm not sure but it still makes me sad to read short novella's like this when they could be so much more. I know it's the author's choice but I'm still sad about it.

Having a book be so short, you get thrown too fast into the action. Everything happens far too quickly. I don't get a feel for the characters fast enough. I can't figure out exactly what's happening fast enough and everything seems fake. This isn't because it is, I just don't have the time in this novel to figure it all out.

Also, I don't trust whatshisface...Weston. Nope. Too fast. All of it is too fast. Sigh. I don't know what else to say?

The idea was wonderful and the writing was good. It was entertaining and a fast read. It wasn't a waste of the 45 minutes it took to read it. The potential was there...

Check it out? Give it the hour you need to read it.

I think I'll be looking for the next one in the series just to find out what happens.