Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith 

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review: 

The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight was a breath of fresh air. I love a good contemporary read and this was the perfect holiday read. Jennifer E. Smith's books have been recommended to me before and I definitely wish I had picked one up earlier. If you're a fan of whirlwind love stories, definitely give this book a try.

Hadley was a character I immediately connected with. Although I don't have her family struggles, I felt for her and what she was going through with her dad. Usually, I don't always connect with books written in third person, but Jennifer did it very well. I felt like I was experiencing things right alongside Hadley and it made the book that much more enjoyable.

It was amazing to see how four minutes could change so much. That is all the time it took for Hadley to miss her flight and meet the sweet, funny, and lovable Oliver. Do not worry for one second that this book suffers from "insta-love syndrome". It doesn't. At all. Hadley and Oliver take the time to get to know each other and realize how alike they are. Hadley is smart and independent and someone I could see myself befriending in real life and her and Oliver's bantering was such fun to experience.

This wasn't just the story of Oliver and Hadley's romance, but so much more. Hadley had a lot going on with her family and the reader really got to see this side of her. Oliver also has more to him than meets the eye and I enjoyed getting to know the various characters introduced throughout the book. It's true that you never know who you are going to end up next to on a plane and Jennifer E. Smith made this premise work so well.

I only wish we got to see more of Oliver. He was such a great character and I loved the scenes he was in, but there just wasn't enough of him for me!

This book has been getting tons of buzz and it deserves every bit of it. Contemporary YA is making a comeback and I couldn't be happier. This is one of my favorite genres and Jennifer E. Smith's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is not to be missed!

Overall: 4.25 out of 5 stars

January 2, 2011/Poppy/236 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Publisher