Not Exactly a Love Story

by Audrey Couloumbis

It's 1977. 

Fifteen-year old Vinnie isn't having a good year. He's recovering from the worst case of galloping acne his dermatologist's ever seen. His girl moved to California without even saying good-bye. And the ink on his parents divorce papers is barely dry, when his mom announces that they're moving from Queens to Long Island.

The silver lining in all this is that they move next door to Patsy—everyone's dream girl. Not that she'd ever notice him. But when Vinnie calls Patsy one night, it leads to a chain of anonymous midnight conversations. Under the cover of darkness, Vinnie becomes Vincenzo, Patsy's mystery caller, and the two share a side of themselves they would never reveal in daylight and develop a surprisingly real connection (despite the lies it's built on). As Vinnie gets to know Patsy in real life though, it becomes clear both identities can't survive and he'll have to find a way to hangup the phone and step into the daylight. Fraught with complications and crackling with witty dialogue, and all the angst and electricity that comes with always being just a phone wire away from the one you want, acclaimed author Audrey Couloumbis's YA debut is a smooth-talking Cyrano meets Saturday Night Fever and tells a quirky, flirty, and smart story that will appeal to fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Frank Portman's King Dork, Natalie Standiford's How to Say Goodbye in Robot, and John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. It's not exactly a love story . . . but it's pretty close.  

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary

276 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Audrey is a recently transplanted (yet again) New Yorker (by choice), now in Bunker Hill, West Virginia (also by choice), where Civil War ghosts scare the dogs at night, where a CSX train track runs behind the house and the romantic sound of a faraway train can be heard three or four times a day, where she is starting a new garden of rambling roses and assorted deer-resistant flowering shrubs and renovating an old house.

Leisure time, what little there is of it, is spent watching how-to acrylic painting videos on youtube and occasionally getting out the paints to play.

New books are on the way: If Wishes Were Princes, Life and Death at the Warwick Arms, and Anthony Was Here. Stay tuned.

Reviews

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sociologists have pointed out that attractive people get treated better than less attractive ones. They get more complimented more often. They get unsolicited favors. They get a distorted impression of their importance. It makes sense. If you looked in a mirror and saw that you were beautiful, you’d be satisfied, wouldn’t you? You’d look more often, and each time you’d feel that same satisfaction. After a while, you wouldn’t have to look in the mirror to get that feeling going. You’d just have to think about it. Or not. Satisfaction with yourself is something that can get to be a habit.”

I couldn't decide on the next book to read so I just randomly picked Not Exactly a Love Story which as it turned out is the perfect pick for when you don't know what to read next or not sure what book you're in the mood for.

Set in 1977, the book is an amusing coming-of-age story about a 16 year old boy, Vinnie, whose life suddenly gets upturned by the divorce announcement of his parents and just a few months later of his mother's engagement to his gym teacher.

As things start to become too much for him to handle, he decides to call Patsy, the girl next door anonymously every midnight only to be rejected each and every time until one day, he finally gets through and they become weird phone pals. Lol.

As the plot progresses, Patsy starts being attracted to Vinnie’s alter-character as Vincenzo even though that’s his real name (Slow much? Patsy? Lol) and at the same time she begins to like the cool boy next door too, Vinnie. Add in to the mix, “Biff”, the big and popular jock who was supposed to be her knight in shining armor but who turns out to be something more of a Ramsay of GOT in the making although I sincerely hope not. And now her emotions are all mixed up.

It’s definitely an enjoyable story, a young adult romance that’s not exactly a love story because it has a really good quirk and twist to it I could not explain that made it work really well, probably even better than your standard love story.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

The year is 1977 and Vinnie’s world has been turned upside down. Not only did his parents (who he thought got along just fine) divorce, but only a few months later his mother remarried – and to his arch nemesis, Mr. B the PE teacher, no less. Uprooted from Queens to Long Island Vinnie isn’t quite sure how to fit in. When he happens to find the phone number of the girl of his dreams – who just so happens to be the girl next door – he decides to seize the day and give her a ring. And things get a little awkward . . . .



Oh no. Waaaaaaaay more awkward than that when he gets struck with a sudden case of word diarrhea and his dreamgirl thinks him to be some sort of phone pervert. First he just wants Patsy to realize he’s not some creep and apologize for his sudden onset Tourette’s, but as time goes by and the nightly calls continue Vinnie realizes . . . .

And what I knew now, no matter what happened between me and Patsy from here on out, once she knew it was me making these calls, I would, someday far in the future, be the guy she remembered as someone who loved here, yeah – but what a clown.

Does he go for it and risk being a joke or remain anonymous????

Confession time: I read this because of my friend AJ’s review. Like me she is a big fan of YA and she finds stories like these all of the time that I’ve never even heard of. Sure, this isn’t going to change anyone’s life, but it sure was cute and I literally was at the library's curbside checkout at 5:00 last night and was finished by 9:00 so it’s not like I really had to struggle to get through it! I’d happily recommend this to a teen who wants something sweet with no sex and very little swearing. Don’t let the wayback machine scare you away either. Aside from the fact that Vinnie actually knows how to dance at a dance and one or two references to songs or “The Fonz” . . . . .



This could easily take place in modern times . . . Well, assuming humans still talked on phones and that landlines were still a thing *wink*

[Jazzy-girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay... that was cute in a really weird way. Not memorable but kinda fun while it lasted! our mc is so very awkward and relatable tho.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Despite not ever having heard anything about Couloumbis or Not Exactly a Love Story, I was intrigued. I mean, how many YA books do you hear about set in the 1970s? That's just not a popular era for historical fiction yet. At first, I wasn't too sure whether this was going to be something I would enjoy. Vinnie's narrative voice grated a bit at first and the plot does some...interesting...things, but in the end, Couloumbis won me over to her odd, unique, surprisingly sweet story.

When we meet Vinnie, his girl, the girl he's been crushing on, has moved away. His parents then announce their divorce. Vinnie doesn't take this particularly well. His previously high grades slip. He even fails gym, a feat he didn't think was actually possible. Of course, this means his gym teacher, Mr. B, has to meet with his mother about the situation. Then Mr. B and his mom start dating, marry, and move.

Vinnie immediately develops a crush on the gorgeous girl next door, whose room he can see through his window. Yes, he does peek. That's Vinnie. He imagines that she will go for him, even if he isn't a jock type. For the first day of his new school, he dresses to showcase his sweet style by wearing his rad leather pants. Mind you that this was in summer. Oh, Vinnie and his leather pants. This was one of those factors that sold the time period, and reminded me about how crazy the characters all must have looked (like photos of my parents in college). Sadly, though, Patsy, the neighbor, does not take any notice of him, focusing her attentions on the new football star, who Vinnie nicknames Biff.

Here's where things take a turn for the different: Biff obtains Patsy's number, but accidentally drops it in the locker room. Vinnie finds the number and takes it. He decides to call her at midnight, but can't bring himself to say anything. He calls back again, and fails again, now labeled a creepy breather. On the third call, she answers with acid in her voice, and he says something rude, because he feels like she's being to mean to a shy guy. The next night he calls at midnight again to apologize for what he said the previous night. Thus, a strange friendship is born.

Every night at midnight, Vinnie calls Patsy, and every night she answers, even though he is, for all intents and purposes an obscene caller. While I certainly wouldn't recommend this to anyone, it does bring something to Patsy's life and to Vinnie's that was missing before. With the anonymity they feel in the phone calls, they feel free to open up parts of themselves they generally hide from the world. The phone calls involve some humorous back-and-forth, like Patsy attempting to guess his name, which he tells her is Italian.

To add to the hilarity, Patsy begins to express some small amount in Vinnie Gold, his real life self, as well as Vincenzo, his obscene caller self. Vincenzo and Vinnie find themselves jealous of one another, and, for a while there, Vinnie looks like he's about to suffer a mental break. Though set in 1977, Not Exactly a Love Story has a lot of application in a modern teen's life, though rather than phone calls, such an experience would happen on the internet. It's a story about the schism between how you present yourself and how you are, and finding a way to see yourself clearly.

Just as important, Couloumbis tackles the subject of divorce. Vinnie, through the course of the novel, works through his emotions about the separation of his parents. He comes to realize, in a very realistic plot arc, that just because he loves both his parents that they don't necessarily make each other happy anymore. I love that he has not just two present parents, but three, as Mr. B totally steps up. Of course, all of the parents make mistakes, but they're just so obviously a loving family.

Audrey Couloumbis' Not Exactly a Love Story is a quirky book, full of heart and (not so) obscene phone calls. This a great read for those who enjoy a focus on family dynamics and a bit of weirdness. Or, perhaps, for adults nostalgic for the days when kids wore leather pants to school.

[Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vinny Gold has bad luck. His crush moved away on Valentine's Day, his dog died and his parents announced they're getting a divorce. Oh, and he turned 15 and began to break out with terrible acne on his face.

I want to preface this review by saying I think I should've read this the year it came out because it really doesn't fit the current age. However, this book is pitched as "set in 1977", yet there's not anything implemented to keep reminding me that the characters are living in 1977 aside from the last 20 pages (the dance scene) and the music selections. No pop culture references whatsoever. Also, I probably wouldn't have known Vinny was calling the girl next door, Patsy on a rotary phone if it wasn't placed on the back of the cover (in my edition at least).

I really liked the premise of this book since it's some of my favorite tropes: anonymous romance, girl next door. This book reminded me of one of my favorite books, Paper Towns and the movie, A Cinderella Story featuring Hilary Duff - a classic - However, this book just fell flat for me. Vinny's only purpose throughout the book was his neighbor, Patsy - a girl he goes to school with- and anonymously calling her every night at midnight. He doesn't make friends, just gets bullied and his only "buddies" are his dad and his new step-dad. For a coming of age book or just a book set in high school, I felt like Vinny's storyline and character arc really lacked. But, I will say I understand if the author's intent for this was because of his age and he was really coming into himself.

Vinny talks a lot about his heritage and religious beliefs as he's Italian (from his mother's side) and Jewish on his biological father's side. But, as an Italian, I had a hard time believing Vinny was Italian because his mother is an awful cook, they say "spaghetti" instead of "pasta" and they don't really do many things that convience me they're Italian aside from their names.

I also felt like Vinny's parents divorce and his mother re-marrying was really quick and confusing. Overall, I feel like this book just needed more depth.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vinnie is his own Cyrano de Bergerac. Feeling awkward with an acute case of acne and recently displaced from Queens to Long Island when his mother divorces his dad and marries his gym teacher (!), Vinnie falls for Patsy, the girl next door--everybody's dream girl. He acts cool and somewhat aloof around her in school, but after an initial obscene phone call (!) to her bedroom one night, he continues to call her every night at midnight and they talk anonymously and truthfully. Because Patsy has heart, she falls for the boy who listens to her deepest thoughts (and family problems). She calls him Vincenzo; he disguises his voice, but she thinks he might be the boy next door, even though he acts shallow and jerky in person. That's the main thrust of the story, and I think teens will like it. But Vinnie's family relations rang the most true to me. Couloumbis has a knack for creating exceptional families, ever since her first book, the Newbery Honor winner Getting Near to Baby. Vinnie developing a rapport with his jock step-dad was more touching to me than the school romance.

PS Couloumbis' most touching note in the book comes on the back flap of the dust-jacket where she tells how she met her deceased but in no way forgotten husband Akila when she hailed the taxi he was driving down Broadway. Vinnie's dad is a taxi driver and aspiring actor; and he's altogether likable.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
Quick and fun young adult read.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial reaction: Very interesting story about an awkward teen growing up in the 70s who falls in love with a girl he happens to get her number and goes through a number of unfortunate mishaps along the way. I think the mystery man/stalker thing was weird, but Vinny and Patsy are characters I liked for the most part, and I thought the story had some interesting humor in spurts. I wouldn't necessarily take this story for all the comparisons it has in its blurb, but it is a decent read of its own character.

Full review:

I really didn't know what I was going into when I picked up Audrey Couloumbis's "Not Exactly a Love Story". Sure, I like periodic reflections, and the fact that this story takes place in the 70s was a factor I don't usually come across in YA literature. I did find it sadly lacking in terms of setting the period (because there aren't really any cue to give you a sense of familiarity with the time), but I honestly liked the voices of the characters in this.

Vinny is a 15-year-old boy who can't seem to catch a break if his life depended on it, at least in the beginning of the story. His parents are divorcing, he breaks out with a really bad case of acne, his mother seems to jump into another relationship at the drop of a hat (let alone with his teacher), and they all move to a different place before Vinny can really make sense of things. Yet a bright spot in Vinny's life is when he becomes invested in a girl named Patsy. He happens to get her number, tries to work up his mettle to ask her out, gets marked as a "stalker" because of being incredibly nervous the first several times he tries to call her, and eventually the two end up having phone conversations at midnight each night. Patsy has no idea who Vinny is (because he doesn't tell her his name, only that his name is Italian, and that prompts Patsy to try to play guessing games with his name each time they start a conversation).

I'll admit I was weirded out about the stalker premise of this particular tale - mainly because I've seen this troupe begin and end very badly in YA works. Vinny manages to be a likable guy though, very socially awkward and just having a lot of bad deals handed to him in parts of the story. I did like him and I felt for him in his awkward moments. His interactions with Patsy are funny and sweet in spurts. I don't know how I felt about some parts of the story in the way that they were handled, though. Some parts I think really did get under my skin such as Patsy's relationship with Biff (who doesn't treat her all that well, and Vinny points this out), and the attributional "stalker" elements that were through the work (because considering the implications and interactions in that, I just didn't find them funny). In the collective measure of things though, I found it easy to go along with Vinny and Patsy's experiences, and the way they eventually come together was a nice touch.

It's not so much a deeply invested love story as it is a light tale of two different kids who find a point to bond in some interesting ways. I liked reading it, particularly since I ended up reading this twice - the ARC galley of it as well as the audiobook version - which featured a nice reading by Maxwell Glick.

Overall score: 3/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Random House BFYR.

[Liam Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Very much in the vein of "You've Got Mail." Not one that I'd recommend unless you like that kind of thing, but it fills that hole very well.

[Umbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: [This will be spoiler free, but the actual review below will not]. The story is set in 1977, following a 15 year old boy called Vinnie Gold. He has a horrible case of acne, was recently left by his girlfriend and found out his parents are divorcing – so it’s safe to say his life is pretty shitty at best. Very soon, his mother falls in love with Vinnie’s gym teacher – Mr. B., and the trio move to Long Island. While he’s incredibly upset, Vinnie finds a distraction from his problems – his super hot, super popular neighbour – Patsy. As expected, Patsy doesn’t speak to the uncool Vinnie, but when by chance he comes across her number, things change. It starts with a phone call, and an accidental inappropriate comment. “Wanna fuck?”
‘Not Exactly a Love Story’ follows the development of Patsy’s relationship with her mystery obscene caller, and Vinnie’s struggle to separate his two (polar opposite) identities.

Review: [Reminder: Spoilers]. This was an extremely well written novel. It was written quite recently, but Couloumbis manages to display the olden vibes more than adequately. It was a great way to pass a weekend, and provides light reading enjoyable by anyone.
Vinnie Gold is an average guy, but he’s put through some pretty tough circumstances. He has a horrible case of acne, his parents are divorcing, and he’s super unsporty – despite his stepdad being his gym teacher. He also, apparently, doesn’t know how to communicate with girls – even though he had a girlfriend previously? When he calls his neighbour, Patsy, he doesn’t say anything the first two times, and when he finally picks up the nerve to speak, he lets slip a rude comment! I just didn’t find this believable at all. If his relationship with his ex was as good as it was made out to be, I doubt he would be this shy. But this didn’t take away from the greatness of the book.
Something that did however irritate me while I read this novel was that Vinnie’s life seems to revolve around Patsy, cooking and running. While I understand that the plot needs to keep moving along, it’s very rushed regarding school and the like. It’s almost as if Couloumbis, in a state of laziness, wrote ‘Vinnie went to school. He stared at Patsy from afar as he ran along the track field. He hoped she didn’t know he was the mystery called. He went home.’ This was the only major problem I had with this book – I felt as though if more attention was paid to detail (without overdoing it), it would have been so much more realistic.
For me, the most enjoyable part of reading this book was Patsy’s character. She’s feisty, flirty, pretty, popular, kind – basically all the things a girl wishes she can be, without seeming too perfect to be real. Her reactions were very natural, and she was probably the most well-rounded character in the story. Patsy was – as you would expect – genuinely pissed off at her mystery caller at first, but as time passed, she got to know him well – and really started falling for him. At the same time, Vinnie was talking to her in real life, but she found a common issue in ‘both’ of them. They were too cool and never shared their feelings. This was one of the reasons that Patsy rejected Vinnie Gold.
I commend Couloumbis for using clichés, but also twisting them around and making them her own. While themes such as jerk jocks, and the popularity scale were seen throughout the book, the prom scene was brilliantly pulled off. You’d except that if the mystery boy agrees to meet the girl on the night of prom, he’d be revealed by some accident – but this was totally not the case, and Couloumbis totally won me over with this.
While she could have dealt with some issues more carefully, this book was so well-written that it would be a crime not to recommend it. It’s a brilliant coming-of-age story, and will have you laughing and crying with the characters. Despite the out-of-the-ordinary conditions that bring Vinnie and Patsy together, their interactions seems so human, it’s impossible not to fall in love with them.

My Final Rating: 3&1/2. This story would have gotten an A if it weren’t for the disregard to Vinnie’s average life (that didn’t always revolve around Patsy) – but don’t let that stop you from reading this book. It’s written so well that you can’t help but love it – and personally, it’s now sitting in my Amazon cart, waiting for me to ship over another fairly large amount of books at Christmas.

[Claire - The Coffeeholic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Late night anonymous phone calls, nerdy guy has a bad case of acne, girl next door rejects him, story set in late 1970s.. Sounds like a recipe for a good romantic read... But this is Not Exactly A Love Story  and it's really a great one.

Vinnie fell for her new neighbor, Patsy when he and his family moved, and she had always intrigued him ever since. When his parents divorced and his PE teacher became his mom's new husband, Vinnie thought he would never regain his composure and would never gain friends, either. But when he set his eyes on Patsy, he knew he had to know everything about her and get close to her. Problem was, he was too self-conscious of his acne-infested face and cowardice. There's only one way to get to know her, and that's by pretending to be someone else. He finally got the guts to call her late at night when someone dropped her phone number. And soon, Vincenzo Gold materialized and conquered Patsy's heart. But who would she chose in the end - her nerdy and shy classmate Vinnie, or super confident but obscene late night caller Vincenzo?

If you are a fan of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park and John Green's Abundance of Katherines, then this book might just be right up your alley. It's such a pleasure reading this book, it brought back memories of my high school, when all I ever had to communicate was a rotary phone and a bunch of love letters written anonymously and signed, from your secret admirer. Gosh, this book reminded me what it was like to fall so hard at a young age, with all the warm fuzzy feelings fluttering in my belly.

Don't be fooled by the title of this super cute coming of age story, because I am telling you, this got all the feels that only romantic novels could bring you. It is Almost a Love Story and I can't wait for you all to read it.

A highly recommended read!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is difficult for me to rate. I'm going with 2.5 stars for now. This book wasn't bad but it was very hard for me to get through. It was slow with characters that were just okay. In fact, I think the biggest problem with this book was that everything was just ok. I had no real strong pull towards the characters, the story, the romance, the family, or the outcome. It took me almost a month to read. But it wasn't bad. And that's really all I've got right now.
I will say that it posed an interesting question. Vinnie, the 15 year old main character, liked a girl but didn't know how to talk to her. So he called her on the phone late at night. It turned into a prank call. When he wanted to apologize, he didn't know how. So when he called again, it was the same awkward conversation. He kept wanting to apologize, but couldn't. So he created a character he could play when he talked to her. And the calls continued. They got more personal. He became Vinnie by day, boy who attends the same school as the girl he likes but doesn't talk to, and Vincenzo by night, the mystery guy on the phone who the girl talks to about personal stuff and who she wants to meet in real life. The question, how to combine the two images she has of these guys into one guy that she'll still like? That part was a little bit interesting to think about. But otherwise, I wasn't invested. I wish I had liked Vinnie more. He was just dull and seemed to be playing the part of a high school boy rather than actually feeling like one.
I wish I had more to say, but it's probably better that I don't. I just wasn't a fan. I had hoped for more and it just didn't deliver. I give Not Exactly a Love Story 2.5 stars.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vinnie is not having a good year, and he keeps messing up. He doesn't mean to make things harder for himself, but it keeps happening. First his parents split up, and then his mom starts dating someone new. This results in Vinnie moving to a new school with a new set of problems.

Patsy is one of the popular girls at school, and she is also Vinnie’s neighbor. She doesn’t seem to notice him at first. Vinnie finds her unlisted number and calls her late one night. It doesn’t go very well. He comes across as an obscene caller. He eventually manages to smooth things over and the phone calls become a nightly occurrence. Only Vinnie has never told Patsy who he is. Then, in real life, Vinnie starts hanging out with Patsy. Patsy seems torn between real Vinnie and phone Vinnie. Vinnie himself needs to decide how to tell Patsy his secret without losing what he has.

This book is set in the 1970s. That is important because there are no cell phones, caller ID, or any other way to tell who is calling.

Vinnie is completely safe making his nightly phone calls to Patsy.
Overall this was a solid read. The story moves at a good pace, and the characters are believable. I liked that Vinnie was a nice guy that just kept screwing up. We’ve all had those periods in our lives where we just can’t pull it together. It was also refreshing to read a book about a relationship from the guy’s perspective.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

When 15-year-old Vinnie’s parents divorce he tries to be supportive of each of them. But he’s having a bad year: he has a raging case of acne, the girl he’s secretly loved for two years moved to California without so much as a goodbye, his dog died, he got mugged and he’s failing gym. Could things get worse? Of course they could. His mother has a conference with the gym teacher, Mr B … and then another meeting … and then dinner. Now, suddenly they’ve married and they’re moving to Long Island for Mr B’s new job. On the plus side, they now live next door to Patsy – every boy’s ideal “girl next door” – though, of course, she’s dating the new football star and way too cool to talk to Vinnie. Or is she? A late-night phone call becomes a daily ritual, and the two begin to really confide in one another, though Vinnie remains anonymous.

This is a nice YA coming-of-age novel. Vinnie and Patsy are believable teenagers, though I did have to remind myself that it’s set in 1977 (i.e. before caller ID). Their developing relationship is sweet and shows that getting to know someone well is far more important than looks or physical attraction. The way in which Couloumbis has this anonymous friendship continue (and finally resolves it) is a little unrealistic. Also, while I get that the focus is on Vinnie and Patsy, the adults are really stereotypical and thinly drawn.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are not quite going Vinnie's way these days - problems with the family pet, his skin, his grades, his parents' divorce, his mother's remarriage, moving out to the island, starting in a new school, he has a lot on his plate. However, he finds a bright spot in the form of his neighbor, Patsy. She is beautiful and popular and the object of the football star's desire. Fate drops Patsy's phone number into Vinnie's hands and he begins a ritual of anonymous midnight calls with Patsy, and unknowingly, a relationship.

This book really highlights the ups and downs of Vinnie's life. We find out that Vinnie's character is not defined by what happens to him, but rather, how he reacts. He is actually quite a tender heart, who loves and cares for the people around him. Then there is Patsy, who is struggling with her own home life issues and other people's expectations of her. The characters were interesting and believable. I know I like the characters when I find myself wanting the best for them and I was rooting for Vinnie the whole time.

[Reving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Exactly a Love Story was a quick and fun read, filled with down-to-earth and believable characters, perfect for a guy or girl, looking for a good, solid story. Vinnie is dealing with a lot: his parents' divorce, his mom's remarriage to his gym teacher, a move from Queens to Long Island and The Girl Next Door. Vinnie's got a crush of sorts, and while at first, he hardly ever speaks to Patsy face-to-face, he is calling her and talking to her every night at midnight. He won't tell her who he is, but they talk anyway, hiding behind his anonymity, he can say anything he wants, without fear of rejection, and so can Patsy.

I loved the way the characters were honest about their self-doubt. No character was a caricature, nor were the parents unreal monsters, like they are in so many YA books. They are just real people. I think this simple, touching coming-of-age book will be easy to recommend to many.

[Tressa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped listening to Not Exactly a Love Story when Vinnie called Patsy. I did not like how he blamed her for his own actions. I lost all respect for Vinnie and did not want to continue listening to a story about him.

[Stephanie Chambers · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise really seemed interesting.
But the creep factor was high with the main character. The narration of his life was good, but the main plot was awful. I almost didn't finish, but I really wanted to see what his mom fixed for their meals everyday. She reached new lows of bad cooking.

[Dani Paige · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't worry if you can't get a girl to talk to you, because you just need to anonymously call her at midnight every night for months and wear her down!

[Super Ninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this is completely different from everything else I've ever read. Yes, this is for teens. Yes, this was completely cheesy. But despite that, I absolutely loved this book. I was in the mood for a light, fluffy, cheesy book and that was exactly what I got.
☎️
Short summary: a young teen boy, Vinny, anonymously calls Patsy, his dream girl living next door. This leads to him to calling daily and they have late night conversations and they develop a real connection, all the while Patsy still has no idea who really is on the other end of that call. Patsy knows that they go to the same school and that he's Italian so she starts to try and guess his thing each night with one guess.
☎️
I really enjoyed watching their friendship blossom and listening to all of their quirky midnight conversations. This book also had a nice message about family. I loved the short chapters, which helped the reading pace move along nicely.
☎️
My overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was such...an intriguing read. strange...very strange....

premise was kinda odd, anon "obscene caller" thing...Patsy...girl...ik times were different, but if i was getting calls like that in the middle of the night Girl I would move to another country. Vinnie had borderline (actual) creep moments, which was kinda uncomfy to read idk...

i do like these kind of introspective narratives, but it wasn't too enjoyable bc i think the MC is a real #Loser whenever he talks about Patsy. typical male teenager blegh.

but I did enjoy the storyline following his parents' divorce and the healing that came after that. felt very real, and the adults had depth to them (yay) in contrast with the stereotypical teenage archetypes we had to sit through... (😔)

overall, this book was a refreshing read. the setting, the domestic life – very cozy. i just hated reading about the high school drama, i think. family themes were 👍

rating: 3.5/5⭐️

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute. I'm always happy to read a fresh story as so much YA seems to follow a formula these days. The family dynamic is interesting, & it's nice to see this teen boy coming into his own. I don't think it's genuine love at any point, but at least they're getting to know each other by phone, which people just don't do these days. I don't know that the 1970s setting was necessary or even made obvious in here (maybe just because she has a private phone line? That's the only time I felt it came into play), but at least it wasn't shoved down your throat like it is in many books set in the past like that. Overall, cute, but not very memorable for me.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay maybe it’s cause I’m bordering a reading slump, but I DNF’d this. Thats how you know it was badddd! Also, only picked this up cause It was on my shelf collecting dust for ages.

The major factor was just how stalkerish, awkward, and weird the main character was being to this “popular” blonde chick that to him isn’t like the typical crowd she hangs with. Their whole relationship starts out with anonymous midnight phone calls from the dude. In the first actual call, the first words that come out of his mouth are “I want to f*k you” and it just got worse from there. There was potential for it to be funny but it was just so awkward, that it was unbearable.

[Julieth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me almost half of the book to actually get into the story. I like the main character, he was funny and sort of sweet. I found the premise of the story interesting, he is a creepy caller that was lucky to get the phone number of the girl he likes. He starts calling her every night and they develop some sort of friendship. It was a good book and maybe in a distant future I think I might reread it.

[Elia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly good read, and Vinnie is a very likeable narrator. I also liked his step dad and dad a lot, though I could not stand the character of his mom. The one character I was disappointed in was Patsy, the main female love interest, as she never felt completely fleshed out to me. However, in the context of the book it works, since this is Patsy as viewed by Vinnie, of course is wearing the rose-colored glasses of teenage love.

[Janessa King · Rating 2 out of 5]

After taking almost a year to read this because I just couldn’t get invested into the story, I’ve finally read it. I was curious of the premise, which is why I didn’t just DNF. Once I started really reading it, it was a quick and easy read. I’d likely rate it more 2.5 stars. It had some good parts, but overall it just felt off in a way and the writing sometimes had me rereading it to make sure I understood what had been said.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
Overall pretty good, but the entire time it felt like I was reading the story from the pov of my friend Cole C. Almost every detail; the physical description, the way he spoke, the small little Italian detail reminded me of Cole. Which was strange, I couldn’t unthink it the whole book.
Ending was alright, a bit like guessable, but maybe it would have been better if we didn’t get the ‘happy’ ending, could have added a bit more interest to the otherwise normal story.

[Cecily Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love this story, but I didn't dislike it either.
I really liked the idea of the whole secret admire thing, and I imagine the whole situation that this novel is based upon, I am guessing, happens a lot more often these days with the internet, and online dating.
I still enjoyed it though.
Okay Read!

[CharityJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book that felt like a throwback to classic ya lit like "Ordinary People". The characters are relatable and funny, their stories complex, cozy if quirky feel, satisfying ending. For readers 13 and up and those that like cozy ya.

[Beth Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a awkward teen from the 70's decided to call the girl next door and pretend to be someone else, he sets himself up for quite the adventure.

A quick read written it what would HAVE to be how the teenage boy mind actually sounds! 😂