Love by the Book by Jessica George

Love by the Book by Jessica George
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Friendship is the love story you can count on.

Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone—and unable to find her next book idea.

Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn’t have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family—but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.

When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for—if only they can let each other in.

Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life—and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.

Love by the Book by Jessica George is a soulful exploration of the seasons of life. The story follows Remy, a bestselling author struggling with writer’s block and the shifting dynamics of her core friend group, and Simone, a guarded teacher dealing with isolation after a family fallout. Their chance meeting sparks a unique platonic bond that helps them navigate secrets and major life transitions.

The novel’s greatest strength is its focus on platonic love. George does a beautiful job depicting how female friendships morph over time how some people drift away while others become vital anchors. The dynamic between Remy and Simone, despite being total opposites, is refreshing. They offer each other a judgment free space to process their respective secrets. While the themes of feminism and self-love are strong, the execution felt a bit uneven for me. The book felt slightly long, and there were stretches where I had to push myself to keep reading. Additionally, I found Remy’s character to be a bit overly dramatic. Her reaction to her friends moving away felt like an “end of the world” scenario, which became frustrating since they weren’t actually cutting ties. Finally, the big secrets both women were harboring, which drove much of the plot, felt glossed over at the end. After so much build-up, I wanted more detail and weight given to their final decisions rather than the brief mentions they received.

Overall, this is a good read for anyone who enjoys stories centered on the restorative power of friendship. It’s an decent book that offers insight into modern womanhood, even if the pacing and character reactions occasionally missed the mark.