WIZ
Hi Beliana and everybody else
I’m happily back from London, full of inspiringly gorgeous impressions. And now my reactions to the first part of the book. Well, as I ’d noted before ( though nobody followed me, I wonder why? Technical problems? ) it was a somewhat absurd start with a not-to-believe and yet almost clichèd beginning, promising more surprises to come, i.e. a real page-turner.
The two main characters, Daphne a children’s librarian and Miles, bar-tender and jack-of-all-trades in Cherry Mill winery, are brought together by strange, hard to believe circumstances of necessity. Both, in their twenties have been jilted by their partners. For Daphne all the more painful as she was just about to marry Peter, wedding dress bought and ready to be worn by the would-be bride. The absurdity of the situation is that her ex, Peter left Daphne for Miles’ ex- girlfriend, Petra.
First they show no interest in one another, merely try to make the best of sharing the flat, but as time goes by, seemingly against their will, they get closer to each other. There’s nothing like a closure, or a closed book, as Ashley, Daphne’s coworker and later friend tells about Daphne. In the meantime we get to know quite a lot about the two characters and their former relationships. The readers realize how naive and too trusting Daphne was towards Peter, she just ‘belonged’. So I think, though hard for her at the moment, it’s better to get to know life and herself a bit better instead of chaining herself to an uncaring, possessive guy like Peter. Luckily, she finds pleasure in her job, she gives her heart to the kids. “It’s the piece of my life that feels right” she says and knows, she can’t leave for 85 days when the Read-a-thon event, she’s looking forward to so much, happens. I loved the passages in which she talks about the difference between the kids and adults, or her former reading experienceWell, and so the countdown begins, Daphne and Miles spend the first night out together planning to deliberately make Peter and Petra jealous, coaxing them into believing that they ’re dating and have a crush on each other.
Daphne, the control-freak is not yet ready for a new relationship, but out of the blue, it just happens.She can hardly to admit even for herself how she lusts after her new room-neighbour, the chaotic dyslexic but mindful and outgoing Miles. He shows her places she’s never been to before, does things with her she’s never experienced before. This newness certainly has a refreshing, invigorating effect on Daphne. It was worthwhile leaving her comfort zone.
“The oddball parings are so cliché, so expected. But then again, they work, ” says Emily Henry. And how right she is!
