Book Review : A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger by Lucy Robinson

Title : A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger

Author : Lucy Robinson

Publisher : Michael Joseph (31 Jan 2013)

Source : Sent by the publisher for review, thank you.

 

Charley Lambert has put considerable effort into achieving a perfect life. She has The Job. The Wardrobe. And The Flat. Her womanising, junk food-loving housemate Sam lowers the tone a bit but that aside, things are peachy.

Then she breaks her leg in three places, watches her unrequited love propose to someone else and - worst of all - is forced to hand over her job to her nasty deputy while she recovers. Workaholic Charley fears that she will soon go mad.

Desperate for something to do, she discovers her talent for helping the lovelorn online. And then William arrives in her inbox. Within hours of his first email, her world starts to change. Helpless, she watches herself fall in love with this man and begins to realise that she's not who she thought she was.

But will she be brave enough to turn her back on her old life - all for a total stranger?

I loved Lucy Robinson's debut novel, The Greatest Love Story of All Time as it was absolutely hilarious. I loved how Lucy could express her voice through her character, Fran - her writing voice is really good - tinged with sarcasm and irony. Her voice is fresh, new and really funny. I actually loved the profanities in the book, as they made the book utterly hilarious!

When I was offered a chance to review her next book, A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger, I was so thrilled! I mean, this is Lucy Robinson we're talking about! Writer by day, slacker by night. Crap talker, all the time! Sorry, but she's really amazing and she's the amazeballs. You got to love her.

What I thought about it:

A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger is in fact, a love story. Yes, as much as it makes you recoil in disgust at the thought of mushy kisses and passionate snogs. It's not that kind of love story. It is a more complex love story, because the blurb might mention that Charley is captivated by William, that's just ONE part of the book.

Initially, I thought the book will revolve around Charley winning over William, her desperate attempts to find The One and of course, kick arse at her job. Well, you'll be surprised that, in fact, this is just a few key parts of the book. A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger has a very expansive plot. Once you get reading, you'll find out that the book does have a proper message in it, which is, finding love through online dating but some people are not what they seem when you meet in the cyberworld.

I loved the heroine, Charley, a lot. Mainly because I would like to be so proficient and good at my job. But no one likes a workaholic, I'm sure. Sadly, she is one, she deals with her problems by working. Work, I mean, she's practically a machine, I tell you. She can't sit still, relax or even keep calm, even when she broke her leg, she constantly thinks about her job and the launch of a very *VERY* important drug. For me, Charley started off as a strong, "Amazon" lady, rising to six feet with killer legs. Lucy describes her as a stunning, tall lady but instead, ironically, carries herself as a lanky night stalker. Sorry, Lucy. You're cool with this, eh? But as the story progresses, Charley starts to realise what she really wants in life and that's a wonderful story to read. I adored her friend and housemate, Sam! He's such a wonderful male friend as he may seem scruffy and unruly but has a golden heart! He helped Charley during her recovery from her broken leg - cook for her, be there for her, support her. If only guys like him do exist.

The pace of the book was what I needed. It was fast, upbeat and well-planned. I was recovering from my broken heart after reading The First Last Kiss, so A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger was a good distraction from mourning for the lost of a hero I loved so much. It was the perfect pick-me-up for me as it gave me the joyous boost, a reason to laugh and of course, enjoy what Lucy had to offer. It was mighty good and it reminded me why I loved Lucy's debut novel so much - nostalgia. Some parts of the novel made me cackling like an evil witch with a drinking problem and some parts made me want to give Charley a massive hug!

Verdict:

Overall, the book was a fantastic read. I loved it and managed to finish it in 2 days. I stayed up both nights and read it till the crack of dawn. That's how good it is! It was what modern women's fiction should be - funny, light, fluffy and can I say downright hilarious? Well, because the way Lucy writes, it is like she's sharing her anecdotes and persuade you to follow her characters' stories. I loved it as it was cleverly written and achingly funny, what else do you expect from a Marie Claire blogger?

Rating : 5/5

Lucy Robinson as Charley Lambert
Ah, Charley for me has to be funny-lady Lucy Robinson. Loved how I could imagine her as her heroines vividly in my head.

Max Greenfield as Sam
The first person who came to mind when I got to know how the character Sam is, it has to be Max Greenfield, Schmidt on New Girl? Yes, him!