Review : The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E Smith

Summary (from Goodreads)

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. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that 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 in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Personal Thoughts

I'm not a huge fan of insta-love. I find it unbelievable and unrealistic. So, I was a bit wary to start reading The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight. I still decided to give it a shot because my Goodreads friends had found it a good read. To say I wasn't disappointed would be an understatement. In fact, I fell in love with this book.

We are introduced to Hadley who has just missed her flight to London by four minutes. Her father is getting married in less than 24 hours. Hadley really didn't want to go to this wedding, but upon her mother's encouragement she decides to attend the wedding. While waiting to board the next flight, Hadley meets Oliver, who is also on his way to London as well.
Hadley is devastated by her parent's wedding and to her, her father getting married is equivalent to a deception. Because of that, she feels nothing but confusion about her father. I found Hadley to be a sweet, down-to-earth and a realistic main character. I loved being in her head. The most important thing about Hadley, though, is that she undergoes tremendous personal growth in the novel. She comes to realize many things and I loved that she was so willing to learn this things. Another characteristic of Hadley was that she was really caring inside although she pretended not to be.
 Overall, I believe that Hadley was a beautiful character.

Oliver, the boy she meets at the airport, was as sweet as Hadley. He was adorable. Charming and blatantly honest, his character swept me away. His charm and wit made him terribly attractive. I loved how helpful he was. I loved how he was willing to listen to Hadley. I loved how he tried to show what the right thing to do was. I loved how he cared about Hadley. The thing is Oliver is harboring a secret that I felt was devastating and heart breaking for him. Yet, he tries to cheer Hadley up. Oliver is the kind of character I wish all male characters were like. Throughout the book, we get glimpses of his characters that made me wish he really did exist.

I honestly expected to dislike the romance part of this book. I was waiting for me to feel utter hatred and frustration towards this  book, but it never came. This book may be about love at first sight, but the characters get to know each other really well during the 7 hour flight to London. Hadley and Oliver talk about so many things. It's easy to see their connection and I was rooting for them the entire book. Through their various topics of conversations, Hadley and Oliver get to know each others personalities. There was something terribly sweet about their entire relationship and although I don't believe in love at first sight, I thought their relationship was like chocolate, sweet and addictive. Overall, the romance is adorable and Jennifer E Smith wrote about it very well.

The secondary characters in this book were also very good. Through Hadley's flashbacks, we get to know her parents a lot better. And through the wedding we learn more about Charlotte, Hadley's future step-mom.

The writing in this book was simple, light yet addictive. I wanted to keep on reading it to know what was happening. The whole book was warm and sweet, it left me in a very good mood. I know for sure that I'll be picking up more of Jennifer E Smith's books because I absolutely positively fell in love with The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight.

Overall, this book with its lovable characters and super cute romance blew me away. I don't hesitate recommending this enjoyable book to fans of contemporary romance. Yes, The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight is a must-read!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5

Characters : 5/5

Writing : 5/5