Book Review // The Girl He Used to Know

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

"Annika Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people's behavior confusing, she'd rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game—and his heart—to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone. 

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She's living the life she wanted as a librarian. He's a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins." Amazon.com

Review:

I’ll be honest with you, this feel right in the middle for me. And I’ve been seeing it reviewed and loved by everyone in the bookstagram world. So maybe it’s just me?? 

What I liked:

-Annika had a similar personality and vibe to Eleanor Oliphant (not sure if I liked that or hated that).

-Jonathan was forgiving of what happened in college.

-Annika became self aware of her challenges and turned her life into one of production and fulfillment.

-The love story was similar to The Notebook in the fact that it was sweet and innocent (*includes a sex scene)

-The story kept my attention. I couldn’t put this one down.

What I didn’t like:

-Jonathan and Annika totally lacked chemistry. Even reading Jonathan’s chapters and getting his perspective, it still just didn’t resonate with me that he was deeply in love with Annika. He was kind of a dud. 

-The ending. That came out of left field and to be honest with you, it came of disingenuous to include a mega terror attack in a fluffy romance novel. It felt out of place and didn’t make sense with the rest of the book. (Of COURSE Jonathan was in NYC inside the WTC). 

Loved parts and didn’t love other parts. Didn’t feel any real connection with either main characters.