Swooning for Rom-Coms discussion

Hi everyone! This thread is for our next group read.

We're going to start reading it this Monday (13th August June).

So now that I downloaded the book on my kindle, I checked and it's got 57 chapters... which is... 15 chapters a week? Sounds like a lot, but it can't be more than 25-30% of the book a week, right?

what do you think?

Do you mean June 13th? That amount sounds good!

Yep, I definitely meant 13th June.! LOL

Lol! I was like wow she skipped 2 months ahead. You must have August summer plans on your mind!

Just booked holiday for August, actually - probably that's why ha ha

Oh nice!!!! Where to?? I’m going to Palm Springs next month

Nice! I'll visit USA one day ;) I'm only going to Poland to visit my mum (it's where I come from and I haven't been there for 4 years now), but I booked us a feww days in a hotel by the sea so I'm hoping for some nice time! And hopefully nice weather haha

That’ll be nice!!!

Hi everyone. I completed book lovers but never found time to drop back in that thread. Thanks for the suggest read starting Monday - Our Stop. Looks cute!

Perfect for a beach read - leaving for our 30th anniversary celebration to Curaçao on the 18th! I will pour through this book then! Happy reading!

Also, I plan to just disappear every single morning while we're there (leave her to fend for herself with my two little rascals (aged 2,5 and 4)) and go to the beach to relax with a book.
Now, doesn't that sound like heaven?
LOL, I'm really looking forward to that holiday!

I honeymoooned in Curaçao! Have a blast! Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary! And congratulations :) Join in with us anytime, we will take 4 weeks to read it, as usual, so there's no rush to start :)

Thank you!! I can’t wait! I wish there was a like button for our comments in here. Haha.

Is it okay to start this a little late? I’d love to join!

Yes, of course. We post weekly starting Friday

As always, I found this threat nearly a weak after it’s being created (thank you Lena for doing so!)

15 chapters is okay with me. I hope I can make them this week with my thesis deadline being on Friday, but I’ll make sure to catch up!

Can’t wait for Summer! I’m going to both London and Italy and I’m looking forward to it!

I have to say... I started Our Stop last Friday and I'm struggling a little. Whenever I start reading I just can't focus! My thoughts keep drifting away after less than a minute and as a result I have to go back and reread the last few paragraphs... Which means that probably 75% of what I read so far, I read twice 😅 And it happens all the time.
I'm not sure what it is yet... I don't find the book outright boring and I like the general idea, and how the story started, so maybe it's something in the author's style that's not getting through to me?
Not sure...

This is interesting. I started it and am up to chapter 5. It seems like a quick easy read.

Yeah... I don't know what's wrong with my copy 😂 I'm on chapter 7 at the moment.

Haha hope it gets more interesting for you! Maybe your brain is already on vacation! We will have to wait and see what others think!

Haha I'd say about 20% of my brain is definitely already on vacation, BUT I have no problem with focusing on other books, so only this one is that kind of special for me :) yeah, now I really want to know what others think :)

I finished the first 15 chapters now and I find this so cute. It should be a movie. I like her plan in the beginning to work on changing her habits - like the reusable cup. I always think ideas like that are good. It’s suspenseful how they keep missing each other on the train and the work party. I really look forward to seeing how this ends. Let us know what you all think so far!

I've just finished all the long 15 chapters (I'm sure they will all be much shorter from now on) and nothing had changed for me...
I'm still not too keen on this one. I admit that if done right it would make a good movie as the story itself is super cute, but I feel like there's not enough interaction between Nadia and Daniel. We're nearly halfway through the book and they're still strangers to each other, so I guess I'm getting a bit impatient here. I know there's a lot happening 'around' them - we get to know Lorenzo, Gaby, Emma and Romeo and they're all lovely people, but there's too much of them and not enough of D&N and I'm just bored...
It's like I'm a carnivore and I want some MEAT and so far the author is feeding me kale most of the time 😂

I’m also struggling with this one a bit and wish it would pick up a bit. Also though I have read a lot of books that have British phrasing some expressions were definitely new to me…still wondering what the expression “like chalk and cheese” means lol. I definitely did relate to Nadia’s “New Routine to Change Her Life” as this is something I feel like I’m trying to do myself every few months. I have chronic illness but whenever I’m doing well for a bit I get determined to start waking up earlier, be more productive in the mornings, meal prep etc like all those put together grownups 🤣

I once picked up this book in Dutch and it didn't really connect with me. I hoped it was just because of the style of the translator, but when picking up the original, I have the same struggle.

I totally get what Lena says there's not enough of Nadia and Daniel.

With all going on in my daily life (graduating, wrapping up the school year) I really want to spend my already limited reading time reading books I really enjoy. So, I'm going to sit the rest of this out if you don't mind. Just know that I'll be on board again for the next read.

No worries Anna, come up with the next one? ;)

Haha Nicky, chalk and cheese don't go together so if some things are like chalk and cheese they are just wrong, not well-matched at all. I admit that this saying would work much better and make more sense if there was something edible instead of chalk, lol. But then again, some sayings are just so silly and people keep using them anyway!

I love it!!! We say “like oil and vinegar”, but I’m definitely using chalk and cheese from now on!

The next section is more of N & D but of course they keep missing each other. But it’s no longer suspenseful, now it’s just kinda derailing and I’m waiting for a good ending. For one other day she tries her new healthy habits approach. I wouldn’t mind reading more about that but it’s not looking like it will include more. Maybe an update at the end! I’m still enjoying it and it’s a fast read…at least for me!

All I’m thinking is it better be one heck of a romance at the end if it’s taking them this long to get together. I wish at least we we’re getting some character growth or something in between. Right now the only parts that are actually interesting imho is the actual missed connections messages they’re sending each other.

I think if you’re going to have a book where it’s taking so long for your mc’s to get together their needs to be more depth to the filler and side characters but this book doesn’t have that. It’s like Sleepless in Seattle but without the depth.

I’m on Chapter 30.
I might be on the outlier on this - I am actually into it, but I’m listening to it instead of reading. It’s now driving me nuts these just misses are gut wrenching but I enjoy the male point of view where they are smitten.

I finished chapter 30, but nothing has changed for me. I still find it quite boring and a lot of content, especially conversations, unnecessary - so many details that don't bring anything into the story... I expected a novel with romance in it and I don't feel like this book actually fits that description.
I will finish it though (so probably complain a bit more, too, sorry:) and I am truly hoping that once they finally meet I'll actually enjoy reading this book at least for a few chapters.

I went ahead and finished the book. It slowed down a bit but then they finally met (of course!). It was cute and cheesy and all that good stuff, but no big wow. I still liked the book. Curious to hear what you all thought of the rest of the book.

I finished as well. This one overall was not that great for me. I wish the focus had stayed on the missed connections and and the bits where they were chatting through the paper.

So much was just side conversations that didn’t seem to matter and there was more focus on their friend’s relationships and lives then the M.C’s.

They spent more time developing her side relationship with Eddie and I think I was sadder when they broke up then I was excited when she finally meets up with Daniel 🤦🏻‍♀️

I did like that moment where they realized how many times they’d almost met; but found it frustrating that once they finally got together, instead of fluffy goodness the rest of the book was just them recapping all the ways they’d missed each other, not once but twice.

Ok, I haven't read your comments, but saw that you both finished so I'll try to finish it tonight or tomorrow and add my final comment then :) so shall we start Something wilder next week then? Or do you need more time to get the book? Im ready :)

Next week works for Something Wilder! I think we are all eager to read something good, lol

works for me

Ok, so I finished it last night, then read your comments and I 100% agree with Nicky!
I might have liked the book much more if there was more of these messages via Missed Connections. But I think I also had a problem with the author's manner of writing, it just didn't click with me, I was never interested to know what happens next.
The main problem - I couldn't believe how many conversations as well as characters were redundant! I wanted more of Nadia and Daniel, couldn't care less about Naomi or Romeo.
And then they finally met... And instead of having a witty, flirty conversation of everything and nothing, they gave us a recap of the book, talking about everything that we've already read about. An even bigger disappointment than the whole book itself...
Well, I don't think I'll be reading anything else by Laura Jane Williams...

Now Something Wilder, please :)