Review: More Than a Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 27, 2013
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.The Blog Affair is a story about a young woman, Emma, who has serious baggage from previous relationships with men. I can't imagine having gone through all the hurt and disappointments she went through. Emma has erected a barrier over her heart but she's an absolute master at writing a blog about the pitfalls of disfunctional dating.Anyway, Emma has run away from her previous boyfriend, Phil, to start a new life in Cape Town. She soon settles in and enjoys her new job working for mystery writer and journalist but rather mysterious and private Nick. Nick seems to carry his own baggage but is smooth, handsome, and appealing to Emma. But Emma doesn't date her boss so she ignores her feelings for him. There are way too many barriers in the way of her heart. Nick seems to respect Emma's reluctance to open up which only makes him even more attractive to her.Besides dealing with her confusing emotions towards her new boss, Emma has to handle the very unusual young people she lives with. Her housemates' stories and her blog posts which are all put into the book, certainly reveal the dangerous world of modern dating. I think this book would be a great read for our daughters when they reach the age of dating to know which type of men to avoid. But, there's a touch of cynicism in her blog posts and reactions to her friends, which Emma soon learns to let go of. The character arc in this story is really good - the main character learns a balance between caution and finding true love.While Emma writes her blog about serial datists, a commenter on her blog helps her to see that she has elements of serial datism in herself. She starts to fall for this man while also nursing a growing attraction to her boss.This is a very different romance. I loved the way she grounded me in the setting very firmly. If I were an American or British reader, I would certainly understand South Africa much better after this read. She brings the country and culture alive in an often humorous way. I laughed out loud several times while reading this book.Her secondary characters are colourful and unique. I adored Andre the most and wished she'd written a bit more about his fate at the end of the story.The blog posts are very entertaining and informative. They definitely add a fascinating flavour to the novel.The ending left me with hope for Emma's future - I was satisfied with it and the place Emma reached in her life.This book isn't just a romance - it's a journey and a lesson for anyone looking for true love. A good read for young adult women embarking on the world of love.