How To Write A Love Story - Katy Cannon // Book Review

I love reading and this year I have really rediscovered that and so I want to talk about it more on my blog. You might have already seen, but I have been posting the odd book-related post for a few months now and I want to keep doing so. I love reviewing books and I want to share all of my thoughts but I don't want to do them in monthly wrap-ups anymore as I think that they are too long so from now on, I am going to be doing individual reviews of every book I read. With school starting back up, I don't really get the chance to read a lot and so there shouldn't be too many book reviews but hopefully, you enjoy them. 

If you have read the title or seen the pictures in this post then you will agree with me when I say that, don't you think this book sounds like the perfect cute romance? Well, it definitely intrigued me. I love a good light-hearted contemporary novel as they are just great to read here and there. 

This one, in particular, is written by Katy Cannon, an author I had never heard of before so I was definitely excited to get to know her writing style. As for the plot though, it is about sixteen-year-old Tilly, whose grandmother is a famous romance novelist and so Tilly has always dreamt of following in her footsteps. Well, her opportunity comes when her grandmother needs help writing her next book and so Tilly jumps at this only to realise that she can as she has never experienced love herself. When her high school welcomes a new boy, Zach, Tilly takes it as her chance to experience love for the first time. The book follows Tilly as she learns about love, not only for herself but also for the book she dreams of writing. I loved the idea of this book as it just sounds too good to be true but I did question whether this book would be too idealistic and so I was apprehensive. 

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and ended up giving it a 3.5/5. It definitely wasn't my most favourite romance but I read it at the perfect time when I just needed a little distraction. The concept was great, as well as the writing style so I would recommend it if you are just looking for a super easy read but I'm going to go a little in-depth now into the characters, plot and writing style in case you want a more detailed idea of the book (don't worry, I won't spoil anything either).

Starting with the plot, it does sound a little idealistic but as you read further and further, it definitely gets a little more realistic but it is also very predictable. I was about a third of the way through the book when I guessed what was going to happen and I was right, not because I am an expert on love but just because the book was sort of set up to have a predictable ending. Although the basics are predictable in this book, I did love the role of Tilly's grandmother in this book as she definitely caused a lot of good drama moments in the book. In terms of the topics this book deals with, it is clear that the main one is romance. All of the couples that get together in this book all have their own story however, some are forced, some were hidden to then be discovered and some are incredibly spontaneous, so you do see a range of romance and relationships in this book. I will say, the book lacks a lot of diversity though as all of the couples are heterosexual which I did think was quite disappointing for a 2018 published novel. The other main topic is family relationships which I found to be the most realistic topic. I definitely saw parts of myself within Tilly and her relationship with her grandmother. You definitely see secrets get revealed and some of them are 'hard-hitting' but because of the natural 'fluffy' nature of the book, it doesn't make you, as the reader, particularly emotional. The family relationships also were the most realistic for me, they were not perfect but the book still concluded them all really well. In terms of the ending and the conclusion element, it was just nice. Like I said earlier, it is predictable, but it is really well done, no loose ends, no weird last line, it was just simple but was a great ending. I will also mention now that some of the romance is cringe-worthy but I guess that's what makes it fun. There are, however, some really adorable scenes between both friends and couples. 

As for characters, Tilly clearly being the main one, I found her to be super relatable and a great character to be from the perspective of. She develops a lot throughout the book and you definitely get to see that happen. I found her to be super relatable in terms of how she deals with romance, she embarrasses herself easily, tries to plan for every possible situation yet she is funny and charismatic. She definitely can get a little frustrating nearer the end as she sort of avoids the inevitable but it all solves itself in the end. As for other characters, Tilly's two best friends were so funny in the book and they definitely made a great sub-plot, Tilly's grandmother was also a great character as she is just like your typical nan, with fun quirks and cute nicknames. In terms of Tilly's love interest(s), they are super romantic in their own way and they definitely make you higher your own expectations.

Finally, for the writing style, it is super romantic but well written, clear and easy to follow. I love that the chapters were short and sweet, they didn't necessarily leave you hooked but the story followed really well. A little touch I also loved from the author was that at the start of every chapter there was a quote from a romance book, that wasn't real but linked to the book and its plot. 

I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something light-hearted to read. Let me know if you have read this book before and your thoughts, or if you plan on adding it to your TBR. 

Grace xx