Goodreads Blurb
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. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother 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 sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.
My Review
I expected this to be both cheesy and cliche. I was far from right! It was both romantic, sweet and so very realistic. This was more than a love story, it was an exploration of different relationships and random coincidence. It was both funny and serious and kept me simultaneously laughing and crying. It was heartbreakingly honest and I just wanted to read more. The ending felt more like a beginning and each page was a journey that I didn’t want to end.
The plot was simple, the story itself was not. Hadley is preparing to suffer through her father’s second wedding when she misses her flight by four minutes. Oliver is just another random stranger who charmingly offers to take care of her suitcase. One meal and a plane ride later, they are kissing goodbye in another airport. The painstaking uncertainty of their departure had me screaming, “you have to be together!!!!”
Both characters are so very realistic. And even through the course of this love story, their growth is very clear. I loved Oliver for being able to live in the moment with Hadley, despite the fact that he was going to London for a far sadder reason than Hadley. Hadley’s habit of assuming and placing blame reminded me of myself but I was still annoyed with her for jumping to conclusions so quickly. I think she should have had more faith in Oliver (and maybe even in the power of “true love”).
Rating:
4.25/5 stars
Inspired By Literature 