Have you ever re-read a book by accident? I always read the back of the book to see if I would be interested, and then go on amazon.com to read other people’s reviews on the book. I found the book “Where is he now?” by Jennifer Greene in a used book store and after reading the back of the book instantly had to have it. Well, later that evening when I started reading I noticed the names of the characters, their occupations, and even the first scene of the book all looked really familiar. When I was maybe up to page 20 in I knew I had read this book before. I don’t remember when or how (since I get most of my books from the library, and this one wasn’t at any of them). Did I borrow it from a friend? Did the library recently stop carrying it? Who knows? Even though I knew I had read it before, I continued to read. Here are my thoughts on what I discovered a second time around, and what I remember from the first time…
“Where is he now?” is one of those books that have charm, comedy, and real characters. Some books I have read are too predictable and the characters are too “lovey dovey” where I just can’t believe it. This book for the most part had good dialogue and character chemistry. I was disappointed that there weren’t that many scenes with the two main characters. The author vaguely brushes on two secondary characters’ re-uniting, but as for the main characters I didn’t feel that there was enough interaction with the two. They each have their own set of problems, and have to learn that the can confide in the other person and don’t have to face the world alone. A brief synopses (since you can easily read a full review somewhere else) is that a woman’s 15 year high school reunion is coning up and she starts to wonder what happened to her high school sweet heart who dumped her years ago. She finds him and learns about the man he has become. They both realize there is still chemistry between them after all these years and have to learn to trust each other or else this may be their last chance to be together (and you don’t get many third chances, let alone second chances).
I think this is definitely a book worth reading, but not buying. There are some library books I have read that I wish I could have kept, and unfortunately this isn’t one of them. It’s a nice read, but towards the end I lost interest and felt like I finished it just to finish it. I have read some other books by Jennifer Greene (Blame it on Chocolate) and that one was good too, but the ending wasn't as good as the beginning either. I think she is a good author, but the endings are definitely lacking. What are some of the books you have bought that you wish you hadn’t? If you have read this book what were your impressions?
Next on my “book to-read list” is Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I read their first book Beautiful Creatures a while ago and remember liking it. It is a YA book, but I have discovered also popular with adults. If you like the fantasy YA books (Twilight included- even though this book is not about vampires), you will like this one. One thing that really drew me to it was this book is told in the boys’ perspective. It was something new and not something you see in books. I think this series is for boys and girls since there is the teen romance between the two main characters, but there is also action and magical elements (think Harry Potter). If you have already read the first one join me in reading Beautiful Darkness. I’ll be back soon with my thoughts on Beautiful Darkness. Feel free to share yours too. :-)
See you soon!
Meg
