By the Book

by Amanda Sellet

[Sam@WLABB]

It wasn't easy being the introvert of the family, but Mary was happy to live her life within the pages of her favorite 19th-century books. However, when she is forced to switch schools, she finds herself shunned by her former friend. She is lucky enough to find a trio of young women, who appreciate Mary's bookish leanings, but will she be able to fully navigate high school, her new friendships, and a maybe romance by the book?

In a word, this book was DELIGHTFUL! It put a smile on my face from the very first page, which never faded.

Mary captured my heart from our very first meeting. I can totally relate to being undone by any life change, big or small, but having to start over in a new school sophomore year is far from easy. To make it worse, her frienemy from her previous school decides to "unburden" herself, and cuts Mary loose. So, obviously my heart broke for her, but I was also proud of the way she dusted herself off, and took a chance by talking to Terry, Lydia, and Arden. This trio became such an important part of Mary's being, and I simply adored the friendship they shared.

Arden was probably my favorite of the friends. She was personality plus, and I loved the enthusiasm she had for just about everything. The fact that she planned a "season" for Mary, for her high school coming out, endeared her even more to me, and I had a great time attending each "event" with this bunch.

I also loved Mary's family. She had this big, bookish family, which was chaotic and wonderful! Sellet did such a incredible job pulling us into the Porter-Malcolm home. I had such a fantastic time getting to know all Mary's siblings, and getting to see the dynamic in her family. Mary often pointed out how money was tight, but let me tell you, there was no shortage of love or attention. They sat down at dinner together almost every night, and actually talked to one another. They supported each others passions as well, by attending matches and plays. I also had a stupendous time at quiz night with the Get Lit team. By the end of the book, I was so enamored with them, that I was ready to claim my spot in the Porter-Malcolm family.

Alongside all the family fun and friendship antics was a charming romance. I guess you would call it hate-to-love, and it was precious. The banter between Mary and Alex was delectable, and I could not get enough of them. I was pleased that there was a lot more to Alex than met the eye, and was glad Mary was able to see it too.

This book kept me in a constant state of elation! The strong focus on family and friendship coupled with an absolutely adorable romance will always win me over. And, although I am not a big 19-century lit reader, I thought the references were so fun. I mean, WWJAD - What Would Jane Austen Do? FANTASTIC!

For me, there were no flaws in this book. The story was fun and sweet, and it filled me up with so much mirth. This was a lovely and enchanting read, and I hope Sellet has a LOT more stories like this coming our way.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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