We share a quiet kind of love. The simple things in life now bring me pleasure. My days of searching are over. I no longer have a desire to be anywhere but home. And my home shall be with him.

Call me charmed but not captivated by The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. I wanted captivated; I wanted to swoon. It feels like we're due for a swooner. That being said, it's a sweet story and a good read. Just not a hit-it-outta-the-park kind of read. This book is like the friend you go to prom with because the boy you're crushing on asked someone else: fun minus the spark.

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper felt very much like the first-time novel that it is. The writing seemed a bit choppy and characters too often seemed out of character. Maybe my expectations were just too high after the comparisons to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and A Man Called Ove. This is no Pettrigrew and most certainly no Ove. And we all know how I feel about my Ove. 

Bottom line: a love story that reminds us that quiet lives can be every bit as beautiful as more adventurous ones. I just wanted it to be told a little better, that's all.

Posted by Rachel