Book Review: Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

Harper, film tie-in edition, October 2014.

Sometimes fate just can’t stop meddling…

Best friends since forever, Rosie and Alex have shared their hopes, dreams, awkward moments – and firsts. But their bond is threatened when Alex’s family move to America. They stay in touch, but misunderstandings, circumstances and sheer bad luck seem to be conspiring to keep them apart. Can they gamble everything – even their friendship – on true love?

(Warning: review may contain spoilers.)

I remember reading this when it first came out in 2004 (released as Where Rainbows End.) I had been a huge fan of P.S I Love You previously so it wasn’t surprising that I would read Cecelia’s second novel. I loved it and since then, it’s been my favourite of her novels.

As it had been ten years since I’d first read it, I decided to give it a re-read when it was released with a new title (Love, Rosie,) and cover to tie in with the release of the film. I actually saw the film which then made me want to re-read the book. The film was great (Sam Claflin was perfect as Alex especially,) but the film only spans a small amount of their lives (until they are in their 30’s,) whereas the book spans from childhood until their 50’s which felt more realistic. I know you can’t fit everything into a film and it’s hard to age the actors but the book captures their lost love perfectly.

What I love about Rosie Dunne is that she is ordinary. She has dreams, plans and an idea of what her life was going to be like and then it suddenly throws her a curve ball she wasn’t expecting and she has to remap her life around it whilst her best friend is on the other side of the world living the life she could no longer have but somehow, through everything, they manage to sort themselves out in the end.

The style took a bit of getting used to but not so bad the second time around. I love the fact that it’s in letters, notes and e-mails. It’s an intimate way to get to know the characters and throws you into their lives immediately as you meet them from childhood. Alex and Rosie have a friendship many people would envy and all the way through, you are willing them to get themselves sorted out.

I knew how this book was going to end but it’s how they get there that counts and it’s a wonderful story which in places is hilarious, bittersweet and heart-breaking and full of little twists. One minute I was laughing and the next I was trying not to cry. Despite having read it before, I took it away on holiday with me and re-read within a day – it’s so easy to get into it and read the hours away.

If you’re new to Cecelia Ahern or have only read some of her more recent novels, I really recommend, Love Rosie/Where Rainbows End. A lovely novel full of laughs and warmth.

by

Novel Kicks

About Novel Kicks/Laura...
Novel Kicks was founded in 2009 and is run by Laura who is currently living in Hampshire, and lives with husband, Chris and her cat, Buddy. She would love to be a writer. She’s trying to write the novel she thinks so much about. She’s loved reading and writing since ‘Creative Writing’ classes in primary school. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything she can get her hands on, she loves reading, dancing like a loon, and watching Project Runway and Ugly Betty (her two TV guilty pleasures.) She also has an obsession with chocolate and Jammie Dodgers.