Review: Yawatta Hosby's review on "Something New"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 17, 2012
I loved this 22 chapter novel. It was so sweet and romantic, and I got lost in the story-the fantasy of it all. Who wouldn't want an old friend to fall in love with them after reuniting? The author has a wonderful gift of painting a full picture with beautiful imagery, without it being purple prose or sounding corny. Besides the romance, I definitely enjoyed the drama of it all. It was so realistic the struggles the characters went through.Simone and Tim's interactions sparked my interest the second they bumped into each other at the airport. That brief encounter meant something special, confusing them because they hadn't kept in touch after high school. And, when he helps her with her business, the way she tries to avoid him was funny. He wasn't having any of that lol.The point-of-view switched from Simone to Tim's perspective (my favorite types of books to read). It helped the readers pinpoint the exact moment they fell for each other while the other was kept in the dark. Like readers are in on the little secret. The characters were Christians, so they were respectful and kind,  yet not boring. My favorite characters were Simone, Tim, and Dallas. Dallas was a trip but in a fun way.While embarking Simone's life journey, I could relate. It sort of felt like I was reading about my life magnified by ten-thousand. She wore ponytails, plain jane in school, got one tattoo, had rocky relationship with her mom. Poor Simone. Her mother was crazy, rude, and any other negative trait imaginable. Their conflict was interesting and realistic-I could see why Simone was fighting her faith on forgiving her. Her mom truly tried her patience and love.I loved the conflict and tension; of course, there has to be unlikeable characters. No one wants to read a happy story about happy people who only do happy things. Kenny (Tim's brother) was extremely jealous of Tim. Talk about someone needing therapy. I like how the story introduced him briefly at the beginning setting up that he'd be an important secondary character to look out for. Then, there was Andrea, the mother of Tim's little girl (so adorable!). Andrea was a spoiled, model-celebrity, but came around at the end.My favorite line was "She screamed at the mess that resembled her personal life-a shattered dream." This was after Simone was devastated that Glen turned down her marriage proposal at the Bahamas. It's interesting that things happen for a reason. If that wouldn't have happened, she wouldn't have met Tim at the airport.I liked that the main characters were minorities, who were positive role models. The ending was suspenseful; it kept me on the edge of my seat. I could definitely picture this book as a movie. I could see Gabrielle Union as Simone and Morris Chestnut as Tim. I'll find any excuse to have him on the big screen.I RECOMMEND this book to read.