Just The Way You Are

by Lynsey James

[Leah]

My love of Chick Lit has been waning in recent months, but every now and then, I like to pick up a Chick Lit read and remind myself of some of the good times. After all, some of my favourite authors still write Chick Lit novels and as long as I don’t overdose on Chick Lit, I’m good. One novel that caught my eye was Just The Way You Are by Lynsey James. I heard about it a little while ago and it sounded fantastic, and just a teensy little bit like Lucy Robinson’s outstanding A Passionate Love Affair With A Total Stranger.

I love books with real letters in them, especially love letters! And Ava is a girl who’s received a lot of love letters, all from the mysterious Mr Writer (who, actually, wasn’t all the mysterious and whose identity I guessed pretty darn quick). I actually didn’t mind that I knew who Mr Writer was. I mean, it’s actually blindingly, glaringly obvious, and there was a small part of me that wondered just how Ava was so oblivious (but, then again, she did think it was Bradley Cooper ;)). The letters were actually one of my favourite parts of the novel, because they were just so fun and romantic, and I just knew that if Mr Writer ever did get up the nerve to reveal himself, it would be the start to one of the greatest love stories ever told. And considering there’s ANOTHER pretty epic love story (that of Leo and Ivy, sigh) in Just The Way You Are, that’s saying something.

Lynsey is such a talented writer. I really, really enjoyed getting to know Ava. She’s the kinda girl I could be friends with. And that’s what I love in a heroine, I want someone I could imagine myself having a drink and a chat with. I loved her best friend, Max, too. Though is it wrong I initially thought he was gay? I’ve read too much Chick Lit; thankfully, he wasn’t, he had a girlfriend Amira, and he was just lovely. And I really, really want him to cook me one of his chicken stir fries, please?

Probably my only issue in the novel was the flip-flopping of Gwen, Ava’s “best friend”, who made me cover my eyes at times at her harsh, brutal words. Words I’d expect to have heard from Ava’s enemy, whose name escapes me, but who also flip-flopped from awful to kind. I’m never a fan of characters who’s personalities wildly change within seconds and both Gwen and enemy-with-the-name-M were culpable of that. Missy? Megan? Jesus, I literally just finished the book *holds head in hands*

Overall, I really enjoyed Just The Way You Are. It was such a cute, delightful read, and after seeing Lynsey’s love letter to Miranda Dickinson over on Novelicious a week or so ago, they do write in a very similar (delightful!) way. I can’t wait to see what she does next, as this one will have tons of fans with it’s delightful plot and charming characters!