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Field Notes on Love
The bestselling author of
Windfall
and
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
returns with a meet-cute romance about Hugo and Mae, two teens who are thrown together on a cross-country train trip that will teach them about love, each other, and the futures they can build for themselves.
It's the perfect idea for a romantic week together: traveling across America by train.
But then Hugo's girlfriend dumps him. Her parting gift: the tickets for their long-planned last-hurrah-before-uni trip. Only, it's been booked under her name. Nontransferable, no exceptions.
Mae is still reeling from being rejected from USC's film school. When she stumbles across Hugo's ad for a replacement Margaret Campbell (her full name!), she's certain it's exactly the adventure she needs to shake off her disappointment and jump-start her next film.
A cross-country train trip with a complete stranger might not seem like the best idea. But to Mae and Hugo, both eager to escape their regular lives, it makes perfect sense. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon turns into something more. But when life outside the train catches up to them, can they find a way to keep their feelings for each other from getting derailed?
It's the perfect idea for a romantic week together: traveling across America by train.
But then Hugo's girlfriend dumps him. Her parting gift: the tickets for their long-planned last-hurrah-before-uni trip. Only, it's been booked under her name. Nontransferable, no exceptions.
Mae is still reeling from being rejected from USC's film school. When she stumbles across Hugo's ad for a replacement Margaret Campbell (her full name!), she's certain it's exactly the adventure she needs to shake off her disappointment and jump-start her next film.
A cross-country train trip with a complete stranger might not seem like the best idea. But to Mae and Hugo, both eager to escape their regular lives, it makes perfect sense. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon turns into something more. But when life outside the train catches up to them, can they find a way to keep their feelings for each other from getting derailed?
9 pages, Audiobook
First published March 5, 2019
690 people are currently reading
35215 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer E. Smith
25 books7,719 followersJennifer E. Smith is the author of nine books for young adults, including The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between, both of which were recently adapted for film. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her writing has been translated into 33 languages. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,111 reviews
March 12, 2019
4.5 stars.
Sometimes I need a break from brooding thrillers and mysteries, where everyone is a suspect (at least in my mind) and the subject matter can be heavy at times. I saw a friend recommend Jennifer E. Smith's newest book, Field Notes on Love , and it definitely seemed to be what I was looking for—a good YA rom-com.
Two hours later I finished the book and I'm so glad I read it. Such a sweet, fun, engaging story—it totally hit the spot!
"Do you ever feel like you need to shake things up? Or just step outside your life for a minute?"
Hugo's life has always been tremendously routine. The youngest of a set of sextuplets, he's always been surrounded by people, and while things can be chaotic, his future path is all but determined, since a generous benefactor provided scholarships for all six children to attend college in Hugo's hometown of Surrey, England. But as much as he loves his family and wants to be close to home, he longs for something more, although he doesn't know what that is.
He and his girlfriend have the perfect plan before she heads off to college in California: they'll travel across the U.S. by train, from New York to California, stopping in a few major cities along the way. And then she breaks up with him, although she gives him the tickets to use. But of course, there's a catch: because she handled the details, all the reservations are under the name of Margaret Campbell. And the tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
So, he conducts a search for another Margaret Campbell to make the trip with.
Enter Mae Campbell (Margaret is her full name). Mae has known her entire life that she wanted to be a filmmaker. Yet when she is rejected by USC's film school, she starts to wonder if an adventure is what she needs to stir up her creativity and inspire her next film, so she can convince the film school to let her in. When she sees Hugo's ad searching for another Margaret Campbell, she feels that this is the opportunity she has been looking for, something her adventure-seeking and romance-loving grandmother agrees with.
While Hugo and Mae begin traveling together simply out of necessity and convenience, it isn't long before the two are drawn to one another, and begin to see that adventure—and perhaps even romance—is what both were needing. But along the way, they'll learn a lot about themselves and their plans for their future, as both find inspiration to do things differently than they always have.
A few years ago I read Smith's The Geography of You and Me and absolutely loved it. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy her writing style, how warm and approachable it is, and how well she draws her characters. Field Notes on Love is exactly the same way—nothing in the plot is particularly surprising, but that doesn't matter, because I couldn't get enough of this book and these characters.
With "love" in the title, you can expect there is lots of talk about what love is and what it means to different people. As a self-professed sap, I enjoyed the exploration of that topic, but found the characters' journeys of self-discovery equally enjoyable. Plus I never felt like Hugo and Mae were too clever and precocious for their own good, which is all too common in YA fiction.
If you're looking for a light read to charm its way into your heart, Field Notes on Love may be just what you're looking for. All aboard!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yrralh/.
Sometimes I need a break from brooding thrillers and mysteries, where everyone is a suspect (at least in my mind) and the subject matter can be heavy at times. I saw a friend recommend Jennifer E. Smith's newest book, Field Notes on Love , and it definitely seemed to be what I was looking for—a good YA rom-com.
Two hours later I finished the book and I'm so glad I read it. Such a sweet, fun, engaging story—it totally hit the spot!
"Do you ever feel like you need to shake things up? Or just step outside your life for a minute?"
Hugo's life has always been tremendously routine. The youngest of a set of sextuplets, he's always been surrounded by people, and while things can be chaotic, his future path is all but determined, since a generous benefactor provided scholarships for all six children to attend college in Hugo's hometown of Surrey, England. But as much as he loves his family and wants to be close to home, he longs for something more, although he doesn't know what that is.
He and his girlfriend have the perfect plan before she heads off to college in California: they'll travel across the U.S. by train, from New York to California, stopping in a few major cities along the way. And then she breaks up with him, although she gives him the tickets to use. But of course, there's a catch: because she handled the details, all the reservations are under the name of Margaret Campbell. And the tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
So, he conducts a search for another Margaret Campbell to make the trip with.
Enter Mae Campbell (Margaret is her full name). Mae has known her entire life that she wanted to be a filmmaker. Yet when she is rejected by USC's film school, she starts to wonder if an adventure is what she needs to stir up her creativity and inspire her next film, so she can convince the film school to let her in. When she sees Hugo's ad searching for another Margaret Campbell, she feels that this is the opportunity she has been looking for, something her adventure-seeking and romance-loving grandmother agrees with.
While Hugo and Mae begin traveling together simply out of necessity and convenience, it isn't long before the two are drawn to one another, and begin to see that adventure—and perhaps even romance—is what both were needing. But along the way, they'll learn a lot about themselves and their plans for their future, as both find inspiration to do things differently than they always have.
A few years ago I read Smith's The Geography of You and Me and absolutely loved it. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy her writing style, how warm and approachable it is, and how well she draws her characters. Field Notes on Love is exactly the same way—nothing in the plot is particularly surprising, but that doesn't matter, because I couldn't get enough of this book and these characters.
With "love" in the title, you can expect there is lots of talk about what love is and what it means to different people. As a self-professed sap, I enjoyed the exploration of that topic, but found the characters' journeys of self-discovery equally enjoyable. Plus I never felt like Hugo and Mae were too clever and precocious for their own good, which is all too common in YA fiction.
If you're looking for a light read to charm its way into your heart, Field Notes on Love may be just what you're looking for. All aboard!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yrralh/.
June 11, 2019
i wish that this book - which takes place nearly in its entirety on a train - had more trains in it.
similarly, i wish that this book, which follows two characters on a cross-country trip, felt more travel-y.
i also wish it felt longer and the characters and their relationship felt deeper and less rushed.
evidently i wish a lot of things. but this was still pretty good.
bottom line: quick and fluffy. i read it in like 3 hours. it's summertime, baby, what more could you want!
-------------
pre-review
i like road trips and i like trains and i like the idea of a book that combines the two very much thanks
similarly, i wish that this book, which follows two characters on a cross-country trip, felt more travel-y.
i also wish it felt longer and the characters and their relationship felt deeper and less rushed.
evidently i wish a lot of things. but this was still pretty good.
bottom line: quick and fluffy. i read it in like 3 hours. it's summertime, baby, what more could you want!
-------------
pre-review
i like road trips and i like trains and i like the idea of a book that combines the two very much thanks
April 3, 2019
4 stars
How adorable was this book? Seriously, this was a super cute YA book that I enjoyed a ton.
Hugo is from England and the youngest of 6 (sextuplets… wow, amiright?) so he’s never really felt like his own person. After graduating high school, he’s supposed to take a train ride across America with his girlfriend, Margaret. Shortly before the trip, Hugo’s girlfriend dumps him, but insists he still go on the trip without her. The problem- the train tickets and the hotel accommodations are under Margarets name and non-transferable and non-refundable.
After trying to change them with no avail, Hugo does the next logical thing. He finds someone else by the same full name as Margaret willing to go on the trip with him. Mae is from NYC and the same age as Hugo and just got rejected from the film program she wanted so desperately to get in to. When she see’s Hugo’s ad, she thinks maybe this is the change she needs. Something to get some life experience under her belt and maybe some motivation for her next film. She gets more than she bargained for.
I adored Hugo and Mae so much. They were the sweetest together. What I really loved about this book was that both Hugo and Mae find themselves on this journey in different ways. They helped each other get there. It was endearing and had a delightful little romance on the tale end, but that wasn’t necessarily the focus of the book.
If you’re looking for a sweet coming of age, feel-good romance be sure to check out Field Notes on Love!
How adorable was this book? Seriously, this was a super cute YA book that I enjoyed a ton.
Hugo is from England and the youngest of 6 (sextuplets… wow, amiright?) so he’s never really felt like his own person. After graduating high school, he’s supposed to take a train ride across America with his girlfriend, Margaret. Shortly before the trip, Hugo’s girlfriend dumps him, but insists he still go on the trip without her. The problem- the train tickets and the hotel accommodations are under Margarets name and non-transferable and non-refundable.
After trying to change them with no avail, Hugo does the next logical thing. He finds someone else by the same full name as Margaret willing to go on the trip with him. Mae is from NYC and the same age as Hugo and just got rejected from the film program she wanted so desperately to get in to. When she see’s Hugo’s ad, she thinks maybe this is the change she needs. Something to get some life experience under her belt and maybe some motivation for her next film. She gets more than she bargained for.
I adored Hugo and Mae so much. They were the sweetest together. What I really loved about this book was that both Hugo and Mae find themselves on this journey in different ways. They helped each other get there. It was endearing and had a delightful little romance on the tale end, but that wasn’t necessarily the focus of the book.
If you’re looking for a sweet coming of age, feel-good romance be sure to check out Field Notes on Love!
November 22, 2022
This was literally just fluff, but that’s honestly exactly what I needed!! Field Notes on Love was such a cutesy and fun read in the end, and I had a great time with it! 🤩🤩🤗🤗
This book is basically about Hugo, a 17-year-old who was planning to go on a ‘last hurrah before uni’ train trip with his girlfriend across America- but then his girlfriend breaks up with him, leaving him the tickets as a parting gift. The problem is that the tickets are booked under her name and Hugo can’t change it.
So he sends out an online advert for a replacement Margaret Campbell, and Mae (full name Margaret Campbell) accepts. So Hugo and Mae travel across America together and gradually start falling for each other. But what happens when they get to the end of their journey?
I think the secret to enjoying this one is going in with no exceptions. When I picked it up, I wasn’t expecting anything much and was just reading it cause I didn’t have many options. But it turned out to be pretty fun! Yes, it is cheesy and cliche, but in a good way! 😁😉
The whole thing is super fluffy and cutesy and is in loads of different settings as Mae and Hugo travel, which was cool. However, there are SOME other aspects than the romance. It definitely has the feel of a coming of age story, with Hugo trying to figure out what he really wants to do with his life, and with Mae, a budding filmmaker, struggling to make the perfect film. Hugo is also a sextuplet (when 6 children are born at the same time), and the story discusses what it’s like for him having so many siblings and him feeling like he’s trapped. So, that was nice 🙂
The writing is super easy to read and makes the whole thing fly by. I would pick it up, aiming to read a chapter or so, but then be halfway through when I put it down. The book is also really short- only 300 pages- and so it’s a very easy, quick read. This would be great to pick up if you're in a reading slump 🙌
Obviously, it does have its faults. I can see what the author is trying to do with her characters, but they can be a bit difficult to connect to at times, and the romance was DEFINITELY a bit instalovey 🙄🙄 It’s not really an ‘emotional’ read, and everything does feel a bit surface level. But if you can look past that, it’s fun.
Would I recommend this if you’re looking for a deep, emotional romance that makes you root for the characters with all of your heart? No. But if you’re looking for something easy, fun and fluffy, then this book is for you! 🥰🥰
~ 3.5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pretty cute!! 😁💕 It wasn't the best romance I've ever read, but it gave me just the fluff I needed 🙌
RTC!
This book is basically about Hugo, a 17-year-old who was planning to go on a ‘last hurrah before uni’ train trip with his girlfriend across America- but then his girlfriend breaks up with him, leaving him the tickets as a parting gift. The problem is that the tickets are booked under her name and Hugo can’t change it.
So he sends out an online advert for a replacement Margaret Campbell, and Mae (full name Margaret Campbell) accepts. So Hugo and Mae travel across America together and gradually start falling for each other. But what happens when they get to the end of their journey?
I think the secret to enjoying this one is going in with no exceptions. When I picked it up, I wasn’t expecting anything much and was just reading it cause I didn’t have many options. But it turned out to be pretty fun! Yes, it is cheesy and cliche, but in a good way! 😁😉
The whole thing is super fluffy and cutesy and is in loads of different settings as Mae and Hugo travel, which was cool. However, there are SOME other aspects than the romance. It definitely has the feel of a coming of age story, with Hugo trying to figure out what he really wants to do with his life, and with Mae, a budding filmmaker, struggling to make the perfect film. Hugo is also a sextuplet (when 6 children are born at the same time), and the story discusses what it’s like for him having so many siblings and him feeling like he’s trapped. So, that was nice 🙂
The writing is super easy to read and makes the whole thing fly by. I would pick it up, aiming to read a chapter or so, but then be halfway through when I put it down. The book is also really short- only 300 pages- and so it’s a very easy, quick read. This would be great to pick up if you're in a reading slump 🙌
Obviously, it does have its faults. I can see what the author is trying to do with her characters, but they can be a bit difficult to connect to at times, and the romance was DEFINITELY a bit instalovey 🙄🙄 It’s not really an ‘emotional’ read, and everything does feel a bit surface level. But if you can look past that, it’s fun.
Would I recommend this if you’re looking for a deep, emotional romance that makes you root for the characters with all of your heart? No. But if you’re looking for something easy, fun and fluffy, then this book is for you! 🥰🥰
~ 3.5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pretty cute!! 😁💕 It wasn't the best romance I've ever read, but it gave me just the fluff I needed 🙌
RTC!
February 27, 2021
Wasted my time.
First let me explain about the 2 stars.
A star for the unbelievably happy unrealistic young adult romance book perfect characters. We all wish for people like these in our lives.
Another star for those 2 perfect pages on what the book is supposed to be. Those pages when Mae actually interviews a woman in the train about life and love.
Otherwise the rest 99% of the book is pure cheesy, young adult insta love, all over each other, we-cannot-live-without-each-other kind of stuff till the last page of happily ever after of two 18 year olds who met each other by chance!
What are the odds?!
Mae is someone who knows what she wants. Yet she is in a relationship with someone who she knows she doesn't want to be with at the beginning of the story. She is judgemental and pessimistic and really unlikable.
And just like that when she knows she is going on a trip she left him just like that. With no explanations!
And then there is Hugo, one of the sextuplets.
He wants to be somewhere alone, exploring things, needs to stay away from his siblings for a while and see how life is different apart from being as one of the sextuplets.
He gets dumped by his girlfriend at the beginning of the story.
The thing is that they booked tickets with her name. And all he has to do is to find someone with a similar name to make the trip happen.
So that's how they meet.
Then insta love happens.
Then nothing much happens.
Then cheesiness happens until the 100th something page.
And I actually thought the story is about to change for good.
Those two pages on actual 'Field Notes On Love' happened when Mae interviews a couple they meet during the train ride.
The questions asked and the answers given are truly life endearing. And I really started believing that this book is going to be one of my fav reads.
BUT...
PISS.....
It goes back to being cheesy.
Then being too cheesy...
And nothing much than only being more cheesy till the last line.
Damn, those two pages were so valuable and perfect.
Had it gone that line for the rest of the book, it would have been so damn good.
Had it been a little different how it ended and actually have moved towards how the characters viewed their lives as they had At the beginning it would have been better.
But nothing changed.
It is all about meeting a good looking boy for the girl. And a good looking girl for the boy.
And just insta love happened and last for them till the end of the story. Sadly, that's all.
The characters were fun to begin the book with. But they were like all high, rather too happy and pumped up, too desperate for finding a love interest for the main characters.
I tried my best to like this one. But meh! I have read enough YA books to last a lifetime for such rerepeats.
I appreciate the understanding parents and the siblings, the respective confidantes of each, the supposedly strong independent characters who have a different dream of their own; having two guys as parents and how a family with sextuplets struggles.
But it seems like it is trying too hard to be sweet and good that I cannot bear it at all. I kept on reading with the single hope of reading another 'Field Notes On Love' towards the end but...sadly, it never happened.
And trust me you wouldn't miss out on much if you don't pick up this one.
A repeat of 'When Dimple Met Rishi' I want to say. But that book seems a lot better than this one.
The cover looks so good though😍 😭
First let me explain about the 2 stars.
A star for the unbelievably happy unrealistic young adult romance book perfect characters. We all wish for people like these in our lives.
Another star for those 2 perfect pages on what the book is supposed to be. Those pages when Mae actually interviews a woman in the train about life and love.
Otherwise the rest 99% of the book is pure cheesy, young adult insta love, all over each other, we-cannot-live-without-each-other kind of stuff till the last page of happily ever after of two 18 year olds who met each other by chance!
What are the odds?!
Mae is someone who knows what she wants. Yet she is in a relationship with someone who she knows she doesn't want to be with at the beginning of the story. She is judgemental and pessimistic and really unlikable.
And just like that when she knows she is going on a trip she left him just like that. With no explanations!
And then there is Hugo, one of the sextuplets.
He wants to be somewhere alone, exploring things, needs to stay away from his siblings for a while and see how life is different apart from being as one of the sextuplets.
He gets dumped by his girlfriend at the beginning of the story.
The thing is that they booked tickets with her name. And all he has to do is to find someone with a similar name to make the trip happen.
So that's how they meet.
Then insta love happens.
Then nothing much happens.
Then cheesiness happens until the 100th something page.
And I actually thought the story is about to change for good.
Those two pages on actual 'Field Notes On Love' happened when Mae interviews a couple they meet during the train ride.
The questions asked and the answers given are truly life endearing. And I really started believing that this book is going to be one of my fav reads.
BUT...
PISS.....
It goes back to being cheesy.
Then being too cheesy...
And nothing much than only being more cheesy till the last line.
Damn, those two pages were so valuable and perfect.
Had it gone that line for the rest of the book, it would have been so damn good.
Had it been a little different how it ended and actually have moved towards how the characters viewed their lives as they had At the beginning it would have been better.
But nothing changed.
It is all about meeting a good looking boy for the girl. And a good looking girl for the boy.
And just insta love happened and last for them till the end of the story. Sadly, that's all.
The characters were fun to begin the book with. But they were like all high, rather too happy and pumped up, too desperate for finding a love interest for the main characters.
I tried my best to like this one. But meh! I have read enough YA books to last a lifetime for such rerepeats.
I appreciate the understanding parents and the siblings, the respective confidantes of each, the supposedly strong independent characters who have a different dream of their own; having two guys as parents and how a family with sextuplets struggles.
But it seems like it is trying too hard to be sweet and good that I cannot bear it at all. I kept on reading with the single hope of reading another 'Field Notes On Love' towards the end but...sadly, it never happened.
And trust me you wouldn't miss out on much if you don't pick up this one.
A repeat of 'When Dimple Met Rishi' I want to say. But that book seems a lot better than this one.
The cover looks so good though😍 😭
Read
March 19, 2019why did i cry so much while reading this one? SO CUTE!! just what my spring contemporary craving heart needed.
April 14, 2020
When Hugo Wilkinson’s girlfriend Margaret unexpectedly breaks up with him, he’s left with a broken heart and an extra ticket for the trip of a lifetime they’d planned to take together between high school and college. It would be a grand adventure and an opportunity for Hugo to get out of his siblings’ shadow for a bit. As one of the famed Surrey sextuplets, there’s very little he gets to do on his own. Hugo would be happy to travel alone, but there’s a catch—Margaret booked the nonrefundable, nontransferable tickets for their cross-country American rail adventure in her name, which means if the trip is going to happen, he needs to find another Margaret Campbell. What follows is a story of chance, friendship, coming out of your shell, and into your own … while maybe finding love on the way.
Part coming-of-age story, part romance, part travel adventure, wholly absorbing.
Part coming-of-age story, part romance, part travel adventure, wholly absorbing.
June 12, 2021
It was totally unique concept and brilliantly written by author Jennifer E. Smith.
August 1, 2019
absolutely adorable but with so much heart
July 1, 2022
I'm amazed by how much I enjoyed this one! Both of the main characters (Hugo and Mae) were absolutely stunning, their character developments throughout the story were truly inspiring. Shows you to be more open minded to love and to live for yourself, not for whatever plan others have set or planned for you. I felt like I was in the scenes going along with the characters, the story truly draws you in. I definitely teared up a few times but smiled and laughed alot more than I cried. Such a beautifully written book!
March 19, 2019
(Rounded up as of 3/18!) I was looking forward to reading a new Jennifer E. Smith novel, but I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did. From the cross-country train journey, to the personal journeys both Mae and Hugo go on (which really resonated with me), I just genuinely fell hard for this story.
May 12, 2019
This epitomised so much of what I love about YA romance. It perfectly balanced the fluffy ‘squee’ moments with a brilliant depth, it had well rounded, fleshed out characters and relationships and a plot I found myself immediately invested in.
I’ve never been one for instalove (I’m all about that slow burn romance life) but I kinda loved this? Sure, it happened quickly but it was so adorable and, for me, the characters logic behind it made it a lot more plausible.
The train setting was so much fun and I loved getting the tiny glimpses of the US it gave us. I also throughly enjoyed both Mae and Hugo’s individual voices and narrative. I could relate and empathise with both Mae and Hugo on so many aspects but also loved how different they were to myself and each other in personality and the path they were pursuing.
This was by far my favourite of the Jennifer E. Smith books I’ve read. It was full of heart and an utter delight to read.
I’ve never been one for instalove (I’m all about that slow burn romance life) but I kinda loved this? Sure, it happened quickly but it was so adorable and, for me, the characters logic behind it made it a lot more plausible.
The train setting was so much fun and I loved getting the tiny glimpses of the US it gave us. I also throughly enjoyed both Mae and Hugo’s individual voices and narrative. I could relate and empathise with both Mae and Hugo on so many aspects but also loved how different they were to myself and each other in personality and the path they were pursuing.
This was by far my favourite of the Jennifer E. Smith books I’ve read. It was full of heart and an utter delight to read.
February 27, 2019
Once again I find myself in awe of the book gods. And grateful! I was going to pass on this book. Last week my head and heart were swimming with indecision on what to read next. On a whim, I picked this one up from my “read later” pile and BOOM! I was swept into a beautiful, made-my-heart-thump-and-flip, romantic read. Field Notes on Love is a journey. One we all take to discover who we are and what we want to be in this world. A path that is different for all of us. I am SO happy I jumped aboard. It brought back memories and inspired new dreams in me. Come see where this journey takes you…
ALL ABOARD!!!
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith tells the story of two individuals about to set off for college. For one, that path is not going as planned and for the other, unfortunately, the plan is going exactly according to plan. Both are in need of a detour though. Hugo, a charming and adorable British lad, is about to head off to university with his five brothers and sisters. Yes, I said FIVE. Hugo is a sextuplet. Quite famous across the pond actually for that very reason—for being in a pack. He loves his family, but right now he just wants to see if he can do it on his own. It’s hard to find yourself when you’re always surrounded. Hugo is definitely in need of an adventure away from his family. But plans for a train trip across America with his girlfriend, Margaret Campbell, have suddenly derailed. She dumped him! And all of the reservations and nonrefundable tickets were made in her name. So what Hugo really needs right now is another Margaret Campbell.
This is where Mae, full name Margaret Campbell, enters the picture in a fate is oh-so funny kind of way. Her dreams of attending film school have just been shattered. Well not completely shattered. Mae got into USC, but not in the film program. A movie she thought was perfect for getting her noticed and accepted fell flat. Why? She needs something new to shake up her film making and her heart. Sooo…she answers a crazy ad looking for a Margaret Campbell travel buddy for a cross-country train trip. A trip with a stranger. A boy. A cute British boy! Haha….Let the fun and romance begin!
I loved this book. Ms. Smith put two strong, likable characters in a small, cozy train compartment and let the magic whirl, stir, and inspire. I liked and connected and felt for Mae and Hugo at first sight. All the characters found a home in my heart actually—Priyanka, the dads, Nana, and all the siblings (especially Alfie and his big mouth). But the star and focus of this book was the chemistry and warmth between Hugo and Mae. It was immediate. You’ll feel that connection click at word one between them! The way they talked, touched, trusted and allowed themselves to fall so completely was beautiful. I was swept right in! As the train moved across the land, Hugo and Mae created a sweet, cozy bubble where they talked through the night, held hands, laughed, snored, counted freckles, and shared so much of each other. I adored watching these two fall in love. You have to meet Hugo and Mae and their fellow travelers. There are so many love stories here!
The train plays a huge part of the love actually. The train’s movement, schedule, and people all added to the magic. It swayed, rocked, rattled and charmed its way into my heart along with Hugo and Mae. I could have stayed in that train bubble forever!
“In the hallway, a door opens and voices call out to each other. But in here, it’s quiet, just the sound of their breathing and the roar of the train underneath it all. They could be anywhere and nowhere, but they’ve somehow found themselves here, and she’s suddenly grateful for it, all of it, for the extra ticket and the way it brought them together despite everything, the bigness of the world and the unlikeliness of a moment like this.”
And even though Hugo and Mae spent much of the book in an enclosed train or hotel room, this story felt BIG. Their journey opened their eyes to new places and people and feelings. And dreams! I loved how these two pushed each other to ask the hard questions and fight for what they want. The world is a big place and Mae and Hugo are just getting started. Their excitement and energy moves through this story with force and magic. Pure magic! It’s the best word for what I felt here with Hugo and Mae. I cried and swooned and rooted for Mae and Hugo and the love they found. But can they hold on to that love? Are they meant to? Some love stories are short and sweet.
You are going to have to climb on board to find out! You’ll be happy you did. You might find yourself falling hard & fast, daydreaming of faraway places, and in need of a pizza ASAP! Haha….You’ll see.
Highly recommended.
**Quote taken from ARC**
January 19, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Delacorte Press through advanced distribution at YALLFest. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.
I received this book at the Get Underlined tarot card reading session during Yallfest, and I don't think I read my future right. We were allowed to pick 2 books out of the 4 that was there, and I immediately snatched up Come Find Me by Megan Miranda 'cause we know I'm Miranda trash. However, I flopped over the other 3 on what to pick, and I finally went with this one because the cover was really cute. I didn't put it together until much later that it was by Jennifer E. Smith, whose The Statistical Probability of Love I really enjoyed.
This book was...I just...it was just so MEH? There was not much to it. It was just...fluff? filler? fluffy filler? I'm 200% down for fluff, but it has to have actual things behind the fluff. I felt like this book just sat there the entire time, and I just looked at the words, and they tried to make some sense, but they just fell so flat.
The entire plot was Hugo and Mae on a train. Mae was trying to find who she was after she was rejected from film school for a film that wasn't her. Hugo was trying to escape the life of being forever surrounded by his famous sextuplet family. They find their paths colliding after Hugo puts out a request for a Margaret Campbell online, since his train trip across the United States required one after his Margaret Campbell drops out.
There was a LOT of potential. I mean, a LOT. I love me some travel stories, some fluffy romance, some emotional depth and reflection. I mean, this characters were going on a JOURNEY - both physically and mentally and emotionally and I was down! I down was down for the train ride.
However, every chance this book got it, it just...stalled. The train never started on the track. It just sat there, and I was the car that was needed to get on the other side, and it blocked my way and even looping around it DID NOTHING.
The characters were blah. Hugo and Mae were both extremely bland. I didn't connect with either. I had hopes for the family, but I felt like Hugo's family just blended together into one big blob. I did like Mae's dads and her grandmother, but I also felt like Mae's grandmother became into a bit of a cliche? I had hopes AGAIN that maybe they would run into some cool eccentric characters on their train ride that would be fun and quirky, but everyone felt like the next one. I don't even remember Mae's best friend's name.
The romance was...well, it was there. They were...I just...THEY WERE SO EH. I never felt any tension between them. It was very fast and abrupt and SO FAST. I will admit that I can get behind instalove occasionally if done right, but this was just...they were trusting each other fully on the first night and feeling deeps feels. I just.
And the romance felt like really the only plot? I mean, they were focused on Hugo setting off on his own and Mae doing movie things, but they didn't do much to me. There were all the parts together, but I never really connected with them. The best part was the premise of Hugo trying to find Mae, and that only lasted like 40 pages. There was a plot twist was entirely predictable, and I was just 200% done with it at that point that it made zero impact.
Just...I...I don't even know. The cover is really cute, though?
This book gets 1 crown from me and a Merida rating. I don't hate it with a fiery passion, and there wasn't anything extremely wrong or problematic with it. It just...it just sat there. It would sat there, and I would look at the cover, and that was at least goodness. But it just didn't have a flow or deep connection for anything.
I received this book at the Get Underlined tarot card reading session during Yallfest, and I don't think I read my future right. We were allowed to pick 2 books out of the 4 that was there, and I immediately snatched up Come Find Me by Megan Miranda 'cause we know I'm Miranda trash. However, I flopped over the other 3 on what to pick, and I finally went with this one because the cover was really cute. I didn't put it together until much later that it was by Jennifer E. Smith, whose The Statistical Probability of Love I really enjoyed.
This book was...I just...it was just so MEH? There was not much to it. It was just...fluff? filler? fluffy filler? I'm 200% down for fluff, but it has to have actual things behind the fluff. I felt like this book just sat there the entire time, and I just looked at the words, and they tried to make some sense, but they just fell so flat.
The entire plot was Hugo and Mae on a train. Mae was trying to find who she was after she was rejected from film school for a film that wasn't her. Hugo was trying to escape the life of being forever surrounded by his famous sextuplet family. They find their paths colliding after Hugo puts out a request for a Margaret Campbell online, since his train trip across the United States required one after his Margaret Campbell drops out.
There was a LOT of potential. I mean, a LOT. I love me some travel stories, some fluffy romance, some emotional depth and reflection. I mean, this characters were going on a JOURNEY - both physically and mentally and emotionally and I was down! I down was down for the train ride.
However, every chance this book got it, it just...stalled. The train never started on the track. It just sat there, and I was the car that was needed to get on the other side, and it blocked my way and even looping around it DID NOTHING.
The characters were blah. Hugo and Mae were both extremely bland. I didn't connect with either. I had hopes for the family, but I felt like Hugo's family just blended together into one big blob. I did like Mae's dads and her grandmother, but I also felt like Mae's grandmother became into a bit of a cliche? I had hopes AGAIN that maybe they would run into some cool eccentric characters on their train ride that would be fun and quirky, but everyone felt like the next one. I don't even remember Mae's best friend's name.
The romance was...well, it was there. They were...I just...THEY WERE SO EH. I never felt any tension between them. It was very fast and abrupt and SO FAST. I will admit that I can get behind instalove occasionally if done right, but this was just...they were trusting each other fully on the first night and feeling deeps feels. I just.
And the romance felt like really the only plot? I mean, they were focused on Hugo setting off on his own and Mae doing movie things, but they didn't do much to me. There were all the parts together, but I never really connected with them. The best part was the premise of Hugo trying to find Mae, and that only lasted like 40 pages. There was a plot twist was entirely predictable, and I was just 200% done with it at that point that it made zero impact.
Just...I...I don't even know. The cover is really cute, though?
This book gets 1 crown from me and a Merida rating. I don't hate it with a fiery passion, and there wasn't anything extremely wrong or problematic with it. It just...it just sat there. It would sat there, and I would look at the cover, and that was at least goodness. But it just didn't have a flow or deep connection for anything.
April 11, 2019
*3.5 stars*
I loved how straightforward and pure and lovely the writing and the romance were in this one. And the train setting was SO fun. Honestly, this was the cutest premise, executed really well.
I loved how straightforward and pure and lovely the writing and the romance were in this one. And the train setting was SO fun. Honestly, this was the cutest premise, executed really well.
November 28, 2025
Mae never realised it was possible to feel homesick for a train. Or, for that matter, a person.
Adequate, unspectacular, and a bit bland in the grand scheme of things. But in my defense, I wasn't entirely looking to get my wiring reworked. A cute escapade was all I wanted out of this visual equivalent of a gooey marshmallow. And the book does its best to dance away on that accord.
Honestly? I had actually forgotten I even owned a copy of this. It was more of a happy accident when I accidentally shelled it out of the shadows of my forgotten YA literature pile. A part of me was delighted to find that the author was Jennifer E. Smith. I haven't read her before. But it's a beautiful coincidence that one of my very favorite silly rom-coms ('Love at First Sight') is based on one of her novels...
Now, was it Smith's core material at play? Or is my irrational crush on Haley Lu Richardson pulling my strings? We shall never know for sure. (Ha!) But one thing's certain—Jennifer Smith writes well. Her prose is easy, sweet, and heartfelt. And it helped me finish this thing in a couple of hours, with enough time left in the day to sit down with my good friend Chat-GPT and work on a probable fancast of the same. (Posters included!)
Safe to say, Wattpad would have been really proud.
Nevertheless, this thing had the wheels to run a long... long course. (See what I did there?) You have the Brit meets Murica conundrum. The spirit of travelling wonder. Fairly likable leads who are endearing enough. An eccentric cast, ranging from whimsical co-passengers to cinematic family members and ample caricatures to make one grin wide apart.
And yet, where it goes marginally wrong is the impatience with which it strikes its own narrative. You'd think a YA novel written so many years back would hold onto their cards for a bit longer than this. To her credit, the author sets the stage well. She polishes the platform clean and allows the arrival of an awkwardly wholesome meet-cute, buzzing with promise and so much hope.
And it works quicker than instant glue. The book had me where it wanted. I was with Hugo. I was with Margaret. I was inside that train pushing a seat back with the air of a lovelorn puppy awaiting fireworks to light up the night!
And then it all comes down. The spark fizzling away to make way for a gritty, anticlimactic fog... Instead of building upon the tentative, awkward, electric energy between the two dumdums until cracks show up inevitably and wash them up with ginormous amounts of oceanic longing. The author fast-tracks a good chunk of the romance, taking the instantaneous route that more than often trades the slow-burn for an immediate, pronounced release.
Which could have been an acceptable leeway for an adult crosswind. But for these two urchins in particular? A steady approach would have yielded monumental wonders. (See : 'Love At First Sight' (I beg of you!))
The other thing that annoyed me was the lack of a 'travel spirit' for a book that essentially sells itself upon the central train ride. A railway adventure throughout America where the two protagonists get to know each other, fall in love, and discover themselves in tandem was what the doctor ordered originally. But other than the forced 'Before Sunrise' comparison adorning the covers, there's little here to satiate one's wanderlust. Feeling more of a sudden cop-out that gallops around the lines, than a complete romantic adventure fitting the stakes.
And that is a bummer, according to me.
Nevertheless, we won't be hating completely tonight. Despite everything, I did enjoy how cheesy it was. I specifically asked for extra cheese, and the order was garnished with a bucketload of it. So how can I hold onto my integrity and still complain the way I am complaining right now?
I get it, though. The book's way too fixated upon the saccharine. It comes off as desperate at times. A bit too happy for a world that abhors whimsy. But that's alright. Sometimes all you want is to take a break. Or maybe act mental and skim through the fattest dictionary in the house. Try it for yourself. Hunt for words like pure, fluffy, adorable, and happy amidst the forest fire of blackened words. That is when a silly mess like this works its stupendously wide-eyed magical charm. Salty anticlimax, all be damned.
So, fuck it.
Long live the sweet tooth. It's perfectly rational to crave all the comfort in the world. It's perfectly splendid, I say.
(3/5 || May, 2025)
Adequate, unspectacular, and a bit bland in the grand scheme of things. But in my defense, I wasn't entirely looking to get my wiring reworked. A cute escapade was all I wanted out of this visual equivalent of a gooey marshmallow. And the book does its best to dance away on that accord.
Honestly? I had actually forgotten I even owned a copy of this. It was more of a happy accident when I accidentally shelled it out of the shadows of my forgotten YA literature pile. A part of me was delighted to find that the author was Jennifer E. Smith. I haven't read her before. But it's a beautiful coincidence that one of my very favorite silly rom-coms ('Love at First Sight') is based on one of her novels...
Now, was it Smith's core material at play? Or is my irrational crush on Haley Lu Richardson pulling my strings? We shall never know for sure. (Ha!) But one thing's certain—Jennifer Smith writes well. Her prose is easy, sweet, and heartfelt. And it helped me finish this thing in a couple of hours, with enough time left in the day to sit down with my good friend Chat-GPT and work on a probable fancast of the same. (Posters included!)
Safe to say, Wattpad would have been really proud.
Nevertheless, this thing had the wheels to run a long... long course. (See what I did there?) You have the Brit meets Murica conundrum. The spirit of travelling wonder. Fairly likable leads who are endearing enough. An eccentric cast, ranging from whimsical co-passengers to cinematic family members and ample caricatures to make one grin wide apart.
And yet, where it goes marginally wrong is the impatience with which it strikes its own narrative. You'd think a YA novel written so many years back would hold onto their cards for a bit longer than this. To her credit, the author sets the stage well. She polishes the platform clean and allows the arrival of an awkwardly wholesome meet-cute, buzzing with promise and so much hope.
And it works quicker than instant glue. The book had me where it wanted. I was with Hugo. I was with Margaret. I was inside that train pushing a seat back with the air of a lovelorn puppy awaiting fireworks to light up the night!
And then it all comes down. The spark fizzling away to make way for a gritty, anticlimactic fog... Instead of building upon the tentative, awkward, electric energy between the two dumdums until cracks show up inevitably and wash them up with ginormous amounts of oceanic longing. The author fast-tracks a good chunk of the romance, taking the instantaneous route that more than often trades the slow-burn for an immediate, pronounced release.
Which could have been an acceptable leeway for an adult crosswind. But for these two urchins in particular? A steady approach would have yielded monumental wonders. (See : 'Love At First Sight' (I beg of you!))
The other thing that annoyed me was the lack of a 'travel spirit' for a book that essentially sells itself upon the central train ride. A railway adventure throughout America where the two protagonists get to know each other, fall in love, and discover themselves in tandem was what the doctor ordered originally. But other than the forced 'Before Sunrise' comparison adorning the covers, there's little here to satiate one's wanderlust. Feeling more of a sudden cop-out that gallops around the lines, than a complete romantic adventure fitting the stakes.
And that is a bummer, according to me.
Nevertheless, we won't be hating completely tonight. Despite everything, I did enjoy how cheesy it was. I specifically asked for extra cheese, and the order was garnished with a bucketload of it. So how can I hold onto my integrity and still complain the way I am complaining right now?
I get it, though. The book's way too fixated upon the saccharine. It comes off as desperate at times. A bit too happy for a world that abhors whimsy. But that's alright. Sometimes all you want is to take a break. Or maybe act mental and skim through the fattest dictionary in the house. Try it for yourself. Hunt for words like pure, fluffy, adorable, and happy amidst the forest fire of blackened words. That is when a silly mess like this works its stupendously wide-eyed magical charm. Salty anticlimax, all be damned.
So, fuck it.
Long live the sweet tooth. It's perfectly rational to crave all the comfort in the world. It's perfectly splendid, I say.
(3/5 || May, 2025)
May 27, 2021
Lately, I've been very picky with YAs. I started and unfinished three different ones before settling with Field Notes on Love.
In my experience, you couldn't go wrong with a road trip romance. This is even better because Mae and Hugo do the trip using the train and that's not even the cutest part. That they are total strangers to each other in the beginning of the trip is what is.
This is my fifth book by Ms. Jennifer E. Smith and she just keeps getting better. Told in the he said, she said POV, this is one YA contemporary that is romantic, profound, diverse, and quite original, a perfect laid-back but still very meaningful summer read. It made me feel all gooey and warm inside.
In my experience, you couldn't go wrong with a road trip romance. This is even better because Mae and Hugo do the trip using the train and that's not even the cutest part. That they are total strangers to each other in the beginning of the trip is what is.
This is my fifth book by Ms. Jennifer E. Smith and she just keeps getting better. Told in the he said, she said POV, this is one YA contemporary that is romantic, profound, diverse, and quite original, a perfect laid-back but still very meaningful summer read. It made me feel all gooey and warm inside.
February 23, 2021
This was a cute story, but nothing more for me. Hugo and Mae were truly adorable together and I really enjoyed their journey across the United States. I would have liked to see them explore the cities more, I feel like we got so little of that.
I also appreciated how both Hugo and Mae each had their own thing that they needed to reflect upon and to sort out: Hugo had university and its future to think about, whereas Mae had her movie.
If you're looking for a sweet ya romance that mostly takes place on trains, then you might want to check this book out.
I also appreciated how both Hugo and Mae each had their own thing that they needed to reflect upon and to sort out: Hugo had university and its future to think about, whereas Mae had her movie.
If you're looking for a sweet ya romance that mostly takes place on trains, then you might want to check this book out.
April 1, 2019
this book is so quintessentially contemporary fluff, i cant even handle it right now.
jennifer smith has really grown in my eyes. i wasnt a big fan of her earlier stories, but this and ‘windfall’ have now convinced me otherwise. she is definitely becoming an author i will immediately recommend when friends are looking for that sweet YA goodness.
there is just so much to love about this and i adored every word.
↠ 4 stars
jennifer smith has really grown in my eyes. i wasnt a big fan of her earlier stories, but this and ‘windfall’ have now convinced me otherwise. she is definitely becoming an author i will immediately recommend when friends are looking for that sweet YA goodness.
there is just so much to love about this and i adored every word.
↠ 4 stars
August 24, 2024
very demure. very mindful. very cutesy.
this book was a super fun and light romance with a ton of awesome characters!! I loved Nana so much, she was just iconic!!🤩 that's honestly what I see Lorelei Gilmore grandma to be lol. I loved their story, it was just so romantic!! meeting on a train and falling in love on a whirlwind trip across the country while realizing that you need to change your life?! cmon😍 I loved that Mae was a filmmaker, and I loved that she interviewed all the train passengers and random passersby for her film. that was just such a personal and sweet touch to the book!! i loved loved LOVED Hugo and Mae, they were just perfect together!! getting to see him realize that he wanted more and go through that with Mae was just so sweet!! both of their families were awesome as well! I had two main reasons for giving it 4 stars, first was the travel aspect. the whole point of the book was supposedly two strangers falling in love on a cross country train ride, exploring the cities and stuff together. but that definitely took a backstage. honestly, I felt like the book was just too short to achieve everything the author wanted. and second, the whole sextuplets thing was an interesting fit into the book. I thought it was good, if a little unrealistic. idk, I feel like that role and feeling could have been done a bit better, but it totally could be me!! but for the most part, this book is such a fun read!!
“Love is... I don't know. Something bigger than that. It's like the sun."
"In that you can get burnt by it?"
"No," she says wearily, but already her eyes have that starry quality they get whenever she's thinking of Alex. "In that it makes everything brighter and happier. And it warms you from the inside out.”
Pages: 271
Language: 🤭
TW⚠️: lgbtq+ characters, death of a grandparent, mild racism
Genre: YA romance
Format I read: Hardback (library)
Would I recommend to others: yes!
this book was a super fun and light romance with a ton of awesome characters!! I loved Nana so much, she was just iconic!!🤩 that's honestly what I see Lorelei Gilmore grandma to be lol. I loved their story, it was just so romantic!! meeting on a train and falling in love on a whirlwind trip across the country while realizing that you need to change your life?! cmon😍 I loved that Mae was a filmmaker, and I loved that she interviewed all the train passengers and random passersby for her film. that was just such a personal and sweet touch to the book!! i loved loved LOVED Hugo and Mae, they were just perfect together!! getting to see him realize that he wanted more and go through that with Mae was just so sweet!! both of their families were awesome as well! I had two main reasons for giving it 4 stars, first was the travel aspect. the whole point of the book was supposedly two strangers falling in love on a cross country train ride, exploring the cities and stuff together. but that definitely took a backstage. honestly, I felt like the book was just too short to achieve everything the author wanted. and second, the whole sextuplets thing was an interesting fit into the book. I thought it was good, if a little unrealistic. idk, I feel like that role and feeling could have been done a bit better, but it totally could be me!! but for the most part, this book is such a fun read!!
“Love is... I don't know. Something bigger than that. It's like the sun."
"In that you can get burnt by it?"
"No," she says wearily, but already her eyes have that starry quality they get whenever she's thinking of Alex. "In that it makes everything brighter and happier. And it warms you from the inside out.”
Pages: 271
Language: 🤭
TW⚠️: lgbtq+ characters, death of a grandparent, mild racism
Genre: YA romance
Format I read: Hardback (library)
Would I recommend to others: yes!
June 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! The premise of two teens meeting on a cross-country trip and developing a sweet, innocent relationship together drew me right in. Add to that the fact that the boy protagonist is one of six sextuplets from England and I couldn’t put it down!
Memorable quotes:
(Pg.27) “When he was little, his Mum used to call him Paddington because he was always getting lost from the rest of the group.”
(Pg. 99) “I love that every generation thinks they’ve invented it. They think they are the first ones to fall in love and get their hearts broken, to feel loss and passion and pain. And in a way, they are.”- Ida
Memorable quotes:
(Pg.27) “When he was little, his Mum used to call him Paddington because he was always getting lost from the rest of the group.”
(Pg. 99) “I love that every generation thinks they’ve invented it. They think they are the first ones to fall in love and get their hearts broken, to feel loss and passion and pain. And in a way, they are.”- Ida
July 11, 2019
Welcome to the CringeFest.
Trigger warning: the most extreme case of insta love that makes ME - a person who after dating a guy for a few months decided to move across the globe for him - roll my eyes.
All right, to be frank, it wasn't the worst or most cliche YA novel I ever read.
But I certainly dove into it with different expectations! I wanted to hear about the epic road trip! We certainly need more road trip stories in this bookish world!
And all I got was two kids falling in love while sleeping next to each other on a train.
Trigger warning: the most extreme case of insta love that makes ME - a person who after dating a guy for a few months decided to move across the globe for him - roll my eyes.
All right, to be frank, it wasn't the worst or most cliche YA novel I ever read.
But I certainly dove into it with different expectations! I wanted to hear about the epic road trip! We certainly need more road trip stories in this bookish world!
And all I got was two kids falling in love while sleeping next to each other on a train.
Read
April 28, 2019Yay - really enjoyed this one - my favorite of her books so far.
Review to come!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram!
lol this is actually something that happened a few years back - I remember reading the story online and thinking "that would make a great rom com."
Review to come!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram!
lol this is actually something that happened a few years back - I remember reading the story online and thinking "that would make a great rom com."
March 8, 2019
I love a cute YA romance, so when I saw that Jennifer E Smith was coming out with a romance that took place on a train ride, I was so intrigued and knew I had to pick it up.
The summer before leaving for college, Hugo and his girlfriend decided to go on a cross-country trainride to California before they're separated for school, her in California and him home in England. But when Hugo's girlfriend dumps him and tells him to still go on the trip, Hugo finds himself in need of a girl with his girlfriend's exact name, seeing as her tickets are all non-refundable and non-transferable. Mae has wanted to be a filmmaker for as long as she can remember, so when she is rejected from her dream film school, she is devastated. Lost and unsure of how convince the admissions board that she really is good enough, Mae answers an ad to go on a train trip with a complete stranger. Mae and Hugo embark on a journey together where they learn more about themselves than they could ever have known.
From the start, I absolutely adored Hugo and his family. Hugo's parents are so adorable and I loved how Hugo was a sextuplet. His entire family was so quintessentially British and quirky that my favorite scenes were of Hugo interacting with his five siblings. I definitely remember the weird in-between sate of the summer before freshmen year of college and I think Jennifer E Smith embodied that state so well with both Hugo and Mae's characters. They really didn't know what path was right for them and were trying to find a little self discovery along the way of their train journey.
While this book does take place in a short amount of time, I never felt like the romance was insta-lovey. I really liked how Hugo and Mae felt kind of awkward with each other at first since they had never met, but how they opened up to each other because of the fact that they were strangers. There was an inexplicable trust that grew into something more. I can only think of the word "adorable" to describe this romance because that's exactly what it was.
If you're in the mood for a cute romance about two people who are just trying to figure out who they really are as individuals, you really need to pick up Field Notes on Love. I loved the backdrop of a cross country train ride to this romance with quirky characters and supportive, lovable family members that give the story more to love.
The summer before leaving for college, Hugo and his girlfriend decided to go on a cross-country trainride to California before they're separated for school, her in California and him home in England. But when Hugo's girlfriend dumps him and tells him to still go on the trip, Hugo finds himself in need of a girl with his girlfriend's exact name, seeing as her tickets are all non-refundable and non-transferable. Mae has wanted to be a filmmaker for as long as she can remember, so when she is rejected from her dream film school, she is devastated. Lost and unsure of how convince the admissions board that she really is good enough, Mae answers an ad to go on a train trip with a complete stranger. Mae and Hugo embark on a journey together where they learn more about themselves than they could ever have known.
From the start, I absolutely adored Hugo and his family. Hugo's parents are so adorable and I loved how Hugo was a sextuplet. His entire family was so quintessentially British and quirky that my favorite scenes were of Hugo interacting with his five siblings. I definitely remember the weird in-between sate of the summer before freshmen year of college and I think Jennifer E Smith embodied that state so well with both Hugo and Mae's characters. They really didn't know what path was right for them and were trying to find a little self discovery along the way of their train journey.
While this book does take place in a short amount of time, I never felt like the romance was insta-lovey. I really liked how Hugo and Mae felt kind of awkward with each other at first since they had never met, but how they opened up to each other because of the fact that they were strangers. There was an inexplicable trust that grew into something more. I can only think of the word "adorable" to describe this romance because that's exactly what it was.
If you're in the mood for a cute romance about two people who are just trying to figure out who they really are as individuals, you really need to pick up Field Notes on Love. I loved the backdrop of a cross country train ride to this romance with quirky characters and supportive, lovable family members that give the story more to love.
August 13, 2022
I liked that there wasn’t much drama in the book.
I have to say that there were parts that were really cute but they were so short I didn’t get the full experience of the ✨romance✨
It was kinda boring at times so I skimmed quite a bit. I think the main reason I couldn’t connect to the characters was because of the third person pov. I feel like if I hadn’t read it in one day it would’ve sat there unfinished lol. It felt a little too insta lovey for my tastes but I guess that’s the point of the book 🤷🏻♀️
Overall, it was sweet but It’s not going to blow your mind.
I have to say that there were parts that were really cute but they were so short I didn’t get the full experience of the ✨romance✨
It was kinda boring at times so I skimmed quite a bit. I think the main reason I couldn’t connect to the characters was because of the third person pov. I feel like if I hadn’t read it in one day it would’ve sat there unfinished lol. It felt a little too insta lovey for my tastes but I guess that’s the point of the book 🤷🏻♀️
Overall, it was sweet but It’s not going to blow your mind.
June 16, 2020
4.5/5 Stars
OMG AHHHHHHHHHHH THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!!! Why not a full five STARS may you ask?
Because it was really confusing and boring in the beginning, plus I’m not a fan of third person, but Jennifer made it good anyway. This book was unlike like anything I’ve ever read before, I mean it. It’s realistic and creative and absolutely mad at the same time! Again with the British main characters! Their phrases are so cool! Rubish, mate, bloody hell, etc. It’s all quite amusing and amazing at the same time!
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK/MY THOUGHTS:
*First of all, way TOO MANY THOUGHTS! I can never type all my thoughts down!
*The characters were great! I mean in the beginning it was confusing because I didn’t know there were TWO Margaret Campbells (then there was two 🤣), I thought this was a story about exes who got back together after a break up or something, but the fact that it wasn’t made it so much better. 😊 I loved Mae’s nana. She was the best! Funny, but true. So true! I loved Mae’s family too and Hugo’s awesomely big family as well! Alfie was my favorite sibling, though he probably knew that already.
*I loved the title too. Toward the middle, I figured out why it was called “Field Notes on Love,” though I have no idea what field Notes are...🤣
*Traveling and trains and love all in ONE book! YASSSS PLEASE!😁❤️
*This book has been on my TBR list for so long, well not that long and I’m so glad I read it! It’s also the first book I’ve ever read by Jennifer E. Smith.
*I read this WHOLE book out loud and now my throat officially hurts. I did British accents that were not that good for Hugo and his family. Don’t ask... I’m that bonkers!
*I shed a tear. No, if my sister hadn’t walked into the room at THE WRONG MOMENT, then I probably would’ve been full on sobbing. Why? BECAUSE I. HATE. GOODBYES!!!😭 I was crying when they said goodbye. No, it’s not the end of world, but for me it was. My sister looks at me with a look that SCREAMS “Really?” She will NEVER understand! It happens in Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, The Sun Is Also A Star, Everything, Everything. They all eventually find each other!
*Mae’s movie clip thing was spot on! The interviews, the beginning, the everything! And Hugo’s siblings were the best!
*The ending was so cute!! Like Omigawd ima fangirl right now, hold on. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OMG SO CUTE 😖*me screaming out one word that sums up all my emotions right now.* SOOOOOOOO. CUTEEEEEEE!!❤️
*I can’t get over how amazingly awesome this book was! The characters, the scenes, the whole idea!
SIDE NOTE: This has nothing to do with the book, but I swear to god I keep hearing a dying cat and a phone constantly ringing outside my window. WHAT THE HECK? Okay, I think it might have stopped now. It’s so annoying! Nope I still hear what seems like dying animals. It’s the AM here, so what do I expect, but WHY DO PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR CATS OUTSIDEEEE?!!😡
Anyways, overall I LOVED THIS BOOK! I recommend to all! WARNING: There are boring parts and it may be confusing at first.
Nineteen out of fifty done! 📚 19 = FIELD NOTES ON LOVE
Thanks for reading this! BYEEEEEEEEEEEE👋
Special thanks to Fran, a mod from the RRRC group for suggesting this book on the June Pick-It-For-Me Challenge in the RRRC group and to Akhila for buddy reading this with me, (though we have not discussed yet!) !😊
-Becca da Romance Queen<3
OMG AHHHHHHHHHHH THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!!! Why not a full five STARS may you ask?
Because it was really confusing and boring in the beginning, plus I’m not a fan of third person, but Jennifer made it good anyway. This book was unlike like anything I’ve ever read before, I mean it. It’s realistic and creative and absolutely mad at the same time! Again with the British main characters! Their phrases are so cool! Rubish, mate, bloody hell, etc. It’s all quite amusing and amazing at the same time!
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK/MY THOUGHTS:
*First of all, way TOO MANY THOUGHTS! I can never type all my thoughts down!
*The characters were great! I mean in the beginning it was confusing because I didn’t know there were TWO Margaret Campbells (then there was two 🤣), I thought this was a story about exes who got back together after a break up or something, but the fact that it wasn’t made it so much better. 😊 I loved Mae’s nana. She was the best! Funny, but true. So true! I loved Mae’s family too and Hugo’s awesomely big family as well! Alfie was my favorite sibling, though he probably knew that already.
*I loved the title too. Toward the middle, I figured out why it was called “Field Notes on Love,” though I have no idea what field Notes are...🤣
*Traveling and trains and love all in ONE book! YASSSS PLEASE!😁❤️
*This book has been on my TBR list for so long, well not that long and I’m so glad I read it! It’s also the first book I’ve ever read by Jennifer E. Smith.
*I read this WHOLE book out loud and now my throat officially hurts. I did British accents that were not that good for Hugo and his family. Don’t ask... I’m that bonkers!
*I shed a tear. No, if my sister hadn’t walked into the room at THE WRONG MOMENT, then I probably would’ve been full on sobbing. Why? BECAUSE I. HATE. GOODBYES!!!😭 I was crying when they said goodbye. No, it’s not the end of world, but for me it was. My sister looks at me with a look that SCREAMS “Really?” She will NEVER understand! It happens in Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, The Sun Is Also A Star, Everything, Everything. They all eventually find each other!
*Mae’s movie clip thing was spot on! The interviews, the beginning, the everything! And Hugo’s siblings were the best!
*The ending was so cute!! Like Omigawd ima fangirl right now, hold on. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OMG SO CUTE 😖*me screaming out one word that sums up all my emotions right now.* SOOOOOOOO. CUTEEEEEEE!!❤️
*I can’t get over how amazingly awesome this book was! The characters, the scenes, the whole idea!
SIDE NOTE: This has nothing to do with the book, but I swear to god I keep hearing a dying cat and a phone constantly ringing outside my window. WHAT THE HECK? Okay, I think it might have stopped now. It’s so annoying! Nope I still hear what seems like dying animals. It’s the AM here, so what do I expect, but WHY DO PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR CATS OUTSIDEEEE?!!😡
Anyways, overall I LOVED THIS BOOK! I recommend to all! WARNING: There are boring parts and it may be confusing at first.
Nineteen out of fifty done! 📚 19 = FIELD NOTES ON LOVE
Thanks for reading this! BYEEEEEEEEEEEE👋
Special thanks to Fran, a mod from the RRRC group for suggesting this book on the June Pick-It-For-Me Challenge in the RRRC group and to Akhila for buddy reading this with me, (though we have not discussed yet!) !😊
-Becca da Romance Queen<3
August 20, 2022
3.5⭐️
This was a cute YA romance! I liked the travel aspect and I thought that Mae and Hugo were adorable. I liked the first half a little more than the second half. It was a fun read overall but also had some emotional depth, I just think it sometimes was trying to do too much for a shorter book.
This was a cute YA romance! I liked the travel aspect and I thought that Mae and Hugo were adorable. I liked the first half a little more than the second half. It was a fun read overall but also had some emotional depth, I just think it sometimes was trying to do too much for a shorter book.
July 15, 2020
I was given a free copy of this book through the Goodreads giveaway program. This does not in any way affect my opinion. I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.
So this book was a 3-star for me from start to finish. Which for me means that I enjoyed it. It had some good moments, but nothing about the story was great to me. I didn't have to force myself to pick it up, but it was still easy enough to put it down. The romance was cute and sweet but didn't have much chemistry. There was also so much about personal growth for both of the main characters, but even that I didn't relate to much at all. All in all, it felt pretty mediocre to me.
So this book was a 3-star for me from start to finish. Which for me means that I enjoyed it. It had some good moments, but nothing about the story was great to me. I didn't have to force myself to pick it up, but it was still easy enough to put it down. The romance was cute and sweet but didn't have much chemistry. There was also so much about personal growth for both of the main characters, but even that I didn't relate to much at all. All in all, it felt pretty mediocre to me.
March 22, 2019
4⅚ STARS.
I feel disgusting for saying this, but after reading this book, never have I wanted to fALl iN LoVE wITh sOMeOne MORE. Period! This book was SO cute and I've never actually felt this gushy about a fictional couple. Also, I absolutely LOVE this cover and I’m going to be able to have the pleasure of meeting the author this Saturday!1!!1!
Mae is this confident New Yorker who loves watching and making film. Hugo's a kind-of-famous sextuplet from the U.K. who does great in school but doesn't really know what his passion is.
When Hugo's girlfriend Margaret dumps him soon before they we're supposed to go on the train trip in the U.S., she lets him keep the tickets. He realizes that he still needs a travel partner—someone with the same exact name as his ex. That's how he meets Mae.
In Field Notes on Love we follow Mae and Hugo as they go on a road trip across America.
THE CHARACTERS? LOVEABLE | ★★★★★
Mae is great. She says what she wants. I love her. She comes into the book with her own idea of what love is and leaves saying, oh, so it's actually way better than that.
But I love Hugo even better. He's extremely relatable and everything he did had me [heart emoji, air puffing out nose emoji]. Both he and Mae are pretty likable people.
Other notable characters:
- Mae's grandmother: Cool old person.
- Alfie: One of Hugo's siblings. I love his banter.
- Mae's dads: Cool and relatable fathers.
There's nothing off about the pacing, so five stars again.
Everyone's choices seemed pretty reasonable, and I couldn't imagine anything happening in any other way. So five stars.
THE ROMANCE? GREAT | ★★★★★
This is the first couple I've read about where I wasn't like, this is fine I guess, or, these people should hate each other, wtf, or, is this freshman year of high school?? because there's no chemistry. Mae and Hugo are a natural pair. They're, like, fresh or something. They're clean. "Exquisite" is a word that comes to mind. For some reason.
My point is that their relationship is in no way forced. Besides, it's the whole plot of the book, so it would be embarrassing to miss.
But they were just really cute. I'm here for it. I'm very sure I'd give up my trust fund for them. No question.
The book was pretty luring. I always wanted to read it. So how interesting was the book? Very. Five stars.
My only problem with the book was the writing. | ★★★★☆
There were two things off about it.
One thing: There were two or three times where something kind of dramatic happened, and I just didn't care. At these moments, I wanted to be like [D':], but I could only manage a [\: okay]. I think the writing was too impersonal at times and I couldn't feel anything.
The other thing: I can't even confidently pinpoint it. It might've been the sometimes-rapid change in perspective. I'm not sure. There was just something else in the book getting on my nerves.
★
In conclusion, I want to go on a train ride with some British dude I've never met. Thank you.
I feel disgusting for saying this, but after reading this book, never have I wanted to fALl iN LoVE wITh sOMeOne MORE. Period! This book was SO cute and I've never actually felt this gushy about a fictional couple. Also, I absolutely LOVE this cover and I’m going to be able to have the pleasure of meeting the author this Saturday!1!!1!
Mae is this confident New Yorker who loves watching and making film. Hugo's a kind-of-famous sextuplet from the U.K. who does great in school but doesn't really know what his passion is.
When Hugo's girlfriend Margaret dumps him soon before they we're supposed to go on the train trip in the U.S., she lets him keep the tickets. He realizes that he still needs a travel partner—someone with the same exact name as his ex. That's how he meets Mae.
In Field Notes on Love we follow Mae and Hugo as they go on a road trip across America.
THE CHARACTERS? LOVEABLE | ★★★★★
Mae is great. She says what she wants. I love her. She comes into the book with her own idea of what love is and leaves saying, oh, so it's actually way better than that.
But I love Hugo even better. He's extremely relatable and everything he did had me [heart emoji, air puffing out nose emoji]. Both he and Mae are pretty likable people.
Other notable characters:
- Mae's grandmother: Cool old person.
- Alfie: One of Hugo's siblings. I love his banter.
- Mae's dads: Cool and relatable fathers.
There's nothing off about the pacing, so five stars again.
Everyone's choices seemed pretty reasonable, and I couldn't imagine anything happening in any other way. So five stars.
THE ROMANCE? GREAT | ★★★★★
This is the first couple I've read about where I wasn't like, this is fine I guess, or, these people should hate each other, wtf, or, is this freshman year of high school?? because there's no chemistry. Mae and Hugo are a natural pair. They're, like, fresh or something. They're clean. "Exquisite" is a word that comes to mind. For some reason.
My point is that their relationship is in no way forced. Besides, it's the whole plot of the book, so it would be embarrassing to miss.
But they were just really cute. I'm here for it. I'm very sure I'd give up my trust fund for them. No question.
The book was pretty luring. I always wanted to read it. So how interesting was the book? Very. Five stars.
My only problem with the book was the writing. | ★★★★☆
There were two things off about it.
One thing: There were two or three times where something kind of dramatic happened, and I just didn't care. At these moments, I wanted to be like [D':], but I could only manage a [\: okay]. I think the writing was too impersonal at times and I couldn't feel anything.
The other thing: I can't even confidently pinpoint it. It might've been the sometimes-rapid change in perspective. I'm not sure. There was just something else in the book getting on my nerves.
★
In conclusion, I want to go on a train ride with some British dude I've never met. Thank you.
July 6, 2019
Review is up on A Take from Two Cities blog here.
FIELD NOTES ON LOVE was a sweet read. It was pleasant, easy to get into, with interesting characters. The premise for this storyline takes a bit of setting up before Hugo and Margaret make their epic train journey across the USA.
Hugo is a sextuplet (its relevant) from the UK and he needs a Margaret Campbell to use two tickets for his journey. Enters the perfect-aged Margaret Campbell. Both Margaret and Hugo had interesting families and they were cute to watch getting to know one another.
I didn’t make an emotional connection with the story or the characters particularly which left me feeling like an outside observer. I found the exes issue an irritation and perhaps a little bit of a predictable story arc. However, it was overall satisfying book.
This is an easy, appealing read with likeable characters. I would recommend for a day’s or weekend’s escapism reading.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
FIELD NOTES ON LOVE was a sweet read. It was pleasant, easy to get into, with interesting characters. The premise for this storyline takes a bit of setting up before Hugo and Margaret make their epic train journey across the USA.
Hugo is a sextuplet (its relevant) from the UK and he needs a Margaret Campbell to use two tickets for his journey. Enters the perfect-aged Margaret Campbell. Both Margaret and Hugo had interesting families and they were cute to watch getting to know one another.
I didn’t make an emotional connection with the story or the characters particularly which left me feeling like an outside observer. I found the exes issue an irritation and perhaps a little bit of a predictable story arc. However, it was overall satisfying book.
This is an easy, appealing read with likeable characters. I would recommend for a day’s or weekend’s escapism reading.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
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