A heartfelt story of love at first sight, second chances, and the obstacles that two people face in making their deepest desires come true. This book made me feel frustrated, emotional, and best of all, it made me cry like a baby from sheer happiness. This story takes place over several years as the characters wade their way through new challenges, new romances, and attempts to subdue their feelings for each other. It is so obvious that Laurie and Jack belong together, and they both know it subconsciously.
But this is no simple love story. This is a spoiler-free review!

Book blurb: Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist. After all, life isn’t a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away. Laurie thinks she’ll never see the boy from the bus again. But at their Christmas party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus. Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. But what if fate has other plans?

The novel starts with Laurie making eye contact with Jack whilst she is on a bus and he’s sitting at a bus stop. She thinks it’s love at first sight and they share a romantic moment, but the bus speeds away before he gets a chance to board it (I know right, how annoying). I must admit, at this point the critic in me thought, how realistic is this really? I found the moment touching but a bit hard to take seriously that she fell in love without having even once talked to the guy. I guess this is my main criticism, along with that fact that Jack at times acts like a volatile teenage headcase with a sex addiction. I don’t really see what Laurie sees in him, but hey, to each their own. Maybe they were made for each other.

Other than that, I loved the intricate design of this romantic story. The way in which this story took place over several years really worked in this book and we feel like we really get to know the characters and how they develop. The female friendship between Laurie and Sarah is heart-warming and inspiring. I wouldn’t really class this as a traditional love triangle, so don’t worry about this if you weren’t a fan of Twilight! Both Laurie and Jack have big decisions to make with regards to each other which could potentially ruin their closest friendships. One thing I should point out about this novel is how human the characters felt; none of them is perfect, they each have their flaws and upsides. Some readers may like this whilst others may prefer more idealistic characters. This book is one of a kind and I agree with previous comments that it has all the feels of a romance movie. I absolutely loved loved loved the ending of the book! It was a fairy-tale ending that put a huge smile on my face. Uplifting and powerful.

Rating: 4/5