I love classics' retellings and I love second chance romance so as soon as I read the blurb I was interested in this book. By the Book is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. It's charming and lighthearted. The writing style is engrossing, the pacing is great, and the characters are very likeable (except Rick). Our main characters, Anne and Adam, went to college together and even got engaged. But something happened around their graduation and they broke up. A decade later Anne is teaching English in college in California when Adam comes back into her life as the new President of the college and her new boss. They are drawn to each other despite past hurts.
One thing that left me disappointed is how little time Anne and Adam spend together. What I love to see in second chance romance is the couple reconnecting, working on their relationship and resolving their issues. I missed it in this book. Anne and Adam have very few scenes or dialogue together and don't have many interactions until very late in the book. For most of the book Anne is dating Rick who is a real jerk. I wanted a lot less of Rick and a lot more of Adam. I wanted to love By the Book and even though I did enjoy it, I wasn't entirely satisfied.
One thing that left me disappointed is how little time Anne and Adam spend together. What I love to see in second chance romance is the couple reconnecting, working on their relationship and resolving their issues. I missed it in this book. Anne and Adam have very few scenes or dialogue together and don't have many interactions until very late in the book. For most of the book Anne is dating Rick who is a real jerk. I wanted a lot less of Rick and a lot more of Adam. I wanted to love By the Book and even though I did enjoy it, I wasn't entirely satisfied.