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Writer's pictureEmilia Dodge

Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean


Hello everyone!

For today’s post I have another book review. I’ve been posting a lot about my DCP but I do have book posts too. I’ve been looking for beach reads and I think this is a fun quick read! This post may contain spoilers

Let’s get into it!

Here are the quick facts: eBook Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press Publishing Date: June 14, 2022 Genre: Romance/Teen & YA Rating: 4/5 stars 384 pages

Britt Hanson is given the opportunity of a lifetime to partake in a scavenger hunt in the UK based on classic British Literature. In desperate need for the cash prize, Britt throws herself headfirst into the competition. While there she meets Luke, a boy more than willing to help her. She, Luke, and her "babysitter" Al travel all around England, Scotland, and Wales solving clues based on classic novels. The theme of the scavenger hunt is The Canterbury Tales and each clue revolves around different British authors, novels, and stories. From Oliver Twist to the King Arthur legends, Britt and her team face each challenge head on.


I was surprised by how much I liked this story. When I read the premise I thought it would be something that I would enjoy. Who doesn't want to take an all expenses paid trip to Europe for the opportunity to win $100,000? While the characters are from California, I liked that they used London as a central location. However, the characters didn't spend the entire time in London, which is what usually happens when stories are set in England. There were a ton of literary references in the story as well from the novels used for clues to Britt's comments about Harry Potter. I think that the premise was well executed and it helps give fun connections to classic British literature that can be a bit stiff at times.

I enjoyed the characters. Britt was loud and unapologetically herself. She wasn't the strongest writer or the most knowledgeable in literature but she made for an interesting character. She was a jock who was no longer able to play the sport she loved and that paired with her trip created a coming of age story that mixed in self discovery and a bit of existentialism. Though at times it felt like Britt fell into the "not like other girls" trope especially when talking about her ex friend and fellow competitor, Amberlynn. It felt as if she was condemned for liking clothes and being fashionable when the issues the girls had with each other didn't stem from that. I thought it was clever that the love interest, Luke, was the scholarly one and was more entuned with his emotions. A lot of the time with YA books the protagonist is an over emotional teen girl who falls in love with an emotionally stilted boy. I appreciated the flip in roles.


Overall I really enjoyed the book. It was straightforward and a bit predictable but it was a fast read. I think if you enjoy contemporary young adult fiction it is worth a read.

Again, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the eARC of the ebook!

Love & Other Great Expectations is out today, June 14, 2022, I will link websites where you can purchase the book.


Until next time!


Links




Bookshop.org : https://bookshop.org/books/love-other-great-expectations/9780593429426














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