I was excited to receive this ARC from Bookish First and it did not disappoint! The parallels to Eleanor Oliphant are certainly noticeable, and overall I enjoyed this one. Not quite as much as Eleanor Oliphant, but still an enjoyable, quirky read. I’d also call this a fast read as I read the last 38% in a single sitting because I just had to know how the book ended. Let’s just say the ending read more like a thriller than I would have anticipated. As a thriller lover I certainly won’t complain, and the twist at the end caught me by surprise.
My main complaint is Ava seemed to give up her rigid, tedious ways with such ease at the beginning. As someone so set in her ways, I expected more of a fight from her when Mat comes to Städa. To then do a 180 and revert back when Mat is transferred just seems bizarre and unbelievable. I would have expected a slow character growth over the course of the book but Ava started strong, fell apart, and then finally came into her own. The final chapter left me with a smile on my face as she headed to Underdogs.
All that aside, I thought the book was well written and very witty. I could certainly relate to Ava and found myself chuckling throughout the book. She was lucky to have a friend like Jamie and I’m so glad he didn’t give up on her! While I was annoyed at him before the truth about Mat was revealed, by the end I was wishing he were real.
Finally, to top it all off, can you really go wrong with a book that has a rescue dog? The answer is no, you cannot. I’m glad Brutus was a part of the story and he made it that much more enjoyable.
My main complaint is Ava seemed to give up her rigid, tedious ways with such ease at the beginning. As someone so set in her ways, I expected more of a fight from her when Mat comes to Städa. To then do a 180 and revert back when Mat is transferred just seems bizarre and unbelievable. I would have expected a slow character growth over the course of the book but Ava started strong, fell apart, and then finally came into her own. The final chapter left me with a smile on my face as she headed to Underdogs.
All that aside, I thought the book was well written and very witty. I could certainly relate to Ava and found myself chuckling throughout the book. She was lucky to have a friend like Jamie and I’m so glad he didn’t give up on her! While I was annoyed at him before the truth about Mat was revealed, by the end I was wishing he were real.
Finally, to top it all off, can you really go wrong with a book that has a rescue dog? The answer is no, you cannot. I’m glad Brutus was a part of the story and he made it that much more enjoyable.