Review: Just Kind of Enough
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 01 24, 2014
2.5 starsMeh. Simplest review ever, but really that's kind of what I thought about this one. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed reading it, but it's written well enough and the story, although not original, moved along quickly. Basically this book was just kind of enough.I think my lack of feeling for the book stems from my lack of feelings for the characters. There was nothing wrong with Wes or Dani, but I just didn't feel like I knew either of them or formed any sort of connection with them. I also didn't buy their friendship. They met in college and became best friends bonding over their shared love of history, ok, I get that. However, the book takes place five years after they graduated and it's not really clear what's happened to their relationship over the last five years. Dani moved away to follow a boyfriend who turned out to be a total dud and the story picks up a few months after he dumped her. When Wes and Dani first talk on the phone I didn't feel any connection or spark between them. It seemed like they had lost touch since college and rarely spoke. But later in the book we find out that Wes had recently been to visit Dani after she had surgery, which really surprised me.All of this made it difficult for me to then picture them as a couple. I get why people in their situation would be easily able to fool their family, everyone always thinks guys and girls can't really be friends, but I just didn't buy them as a couple. I was also surprised Dani had never met Wes's family before since they had been friends for so long and went to college around where his family lived. The fooling the family also bothered me, Wes's family was so nice and I felt so bad that he was lying to them.The more I write this review the more I think of things I didn't like. This is one of those books where I just wanted to shake Dani and Wes and tell them to stop being such idiots. They both like each other, why not just tell each other? Or at least why doesn't Dani stop telling Wes to get back with his ex? And Dani is working at this job that she hates in a state that she can't stand, but she still wants to get promoted and refuses to even entertain the idea of moving back closer to Wes, not even to date him, but just to be happier. I get that big decisions are scary, but when you just want to slap the characters silly it's not a good sign.I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.