Love by the Book: A Novel

“𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝…”⁣ ⁣ Love by the Book evoked so many emotions within me, leaving me in tears.⁣ ⁣ The book is slow, be warned, but it covers so many pivotal themes - woman’s choice on having children, evolution of friendships, loneliness, family expectations, and so much more.⁣ ⁣ Remi was such a tender, loving soul - romanticizing and treasuring the friendships in her life, an author with a flare for communicating with heart, soul, and grace. Simone, on the other hand, was a reserved teacher, shying away from others’ perceptions and quick judgments.⁣ ⁣ They couldn’t be more different,but were able to form a close knit bond, when they needed each other the most. The way Remi grieved her now distant friendships, and the consistency of them always being there was so relatable! Nobody talks about the ache and despair of missing friends who are still here, but not here. It’s a tough road to navigate, especially when it feels as though everyone moved on so seamlessly without missing a step.⁣ ⁣ The scenes when Remi’s mom went through cards to show Remi how highly others thought of her, and when she and her friend group reunited, shared their feelings and plans for nurturing the new phase of friendship was such heartfelt moments. Incredibly real, raw and authentic.⁣ ⁣ And can we talk about this stellar one-woman-show narration performance? Isabel Adomakoh Young was phenomenal! The way she embodied the feel, tone, moodiness of Simone and effortlessly switched to a more perky optimistic Remi in 1/2 a beat needs to be studied. One voice gave life to a multitude of characters; each one individually shining through. Jessica and Isabel are a dynamic duo 👏🏾⁣ ⁣ When fiction feels so real, when the characters voice your struggles, when the themes make you inwardly reflect, when an author speaks to your core, when you think about the story days later… it’s something special. Perfect book club pick to dissect and engage in meaningful conversation! This was a gratifying reading experience & one I’ll cherish for years to come and highly recommend! 🤎