Book Review: "Our Stop" by Laura Jane Williams
“Our Stop” by Laura Jane Williams
Synopsis: Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.
Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.
One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:
To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?
So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word. - Avon
Rating (out of 5): 4
Review: Of all the things I expected going into quarantine, She’s Full of Lit basically becoming a British Rom Com blog was at the bottom of the list. I thought I’d be able to use some of this time to catch up on some of the longer/denser books on my TBR (looking at you “Girl, Woman, Other” and “FKA USA”), but instead, I’m breezing through comfort reads, YA thrillers, and old favorite series. I’m not beating myself up over it — I’m just happy that I’m finally able to focus on reading again — but I’m afraid I’m running out of well-written rom coms soon.*
“Our Stop” is definitely one of those well-written rom coms, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend if you’re in this weird reading space like the SFOL girls.** The conceit is so clever — a missed connection in a London newspaper — and the story isn’t a total cliche. Yes, there’s a happy ending, but don’t @ me about that being a cliche; does anyone want an unhappy ending in a romantic comedy? No.
Nadia and Daniel are both normal young professionals, living their lives in London, when Daniel makes a gesture that changes the course of both of their lives — posting an ad about the Cute Coffee Girl on this train. I was never an avid reader of Missed Connections, but I do love the idea of it (when used in a not-pervy way), and Laura Jane Williams used it expertly here. In the book, Nadia and Daniel’s story goes slightly viral, and I do love the idea of that happening — that they had so many people rooting for them to get together.
The story bounces between Nadia and Daniel’s perspectives, which really added a lot to the narration for me. I loved seeing both of their thoughts and motivations. It was a treat to get in Daniel’s head, mostly because it was a male talking about wanting to settle down and find love. I feel like that’s not well-represented in fiction, and in all honesty, I think I may have liked him more than Nadia. Don’t tell. That feels anti-feminist.
One of the best parts of the dual narrative, in my opinion, was that it let us see how many times Daniel and Nadia almost met. Yes, the missed connections aren’t just on Craigslist, but also in real life. Friends try to set them up, they meet at an event without knowing who the other is, and many more close calls. It’s part of what makes it so absolutely satisfying when they get together, and while it was a grand gesture, it was one that felt totally in keeping with the tone of the book. I ended up reading the last few chapters with a smile on my face, and that’s the best endorsement I can give to a book right now.
*Not really, I have a few waiting for me, and a few I’m about to review soon!
**Maybe just Shannon and me - Moira is still on the lit fiction/thriller train.
TL;DR: A charming British romance: one part clever premise, two parts adorable romantic leads, about seven parts well-written meddling friends, combining in a book that left me with a giant smile on my face and a mushy feeling in my cold black heart.
If You Liked This, Try These:
“Don’t You Forget About Me” by Mhairi McFarlane (Shannon’s review here!)
“Get a Life, Chloe Brown” by Talia Hibbert (my review here!)
“Evvie Drake Starts Over” by Linda Holmes (Moira’s review here!)
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