Rowell, Rainbow

While this novel doesn’t follow all the traditional romance beats, it’s guaranteed to make hearts flutter, likely while bringing tears to readers’ eyes.

While the topic might have changed, this is still Rowell—reading her work feels like listening to your hilariously insightful best friend tell her best stories. [See "Editors' Spring Picks," LJ 2/15/14; national tour; library marketing.]

Cath is a popular fan fiction author, more at home in the magical world of Simon Snow than in her freshman year at the University of Nebraska...

Set at the turn of the 21st century, this debut novel by a newspaper columnist includes convincing details about the attitude toward computer use in the workplace and brushes over anxieties associated with Y2K. Chick-lit fans may enjoy the engaging dialog and likable characters, but this reviewer was disappointed at the slow unfolding of the romantic elements; the few brief encounters were not enough to result in the full-blown relationship that develops in the span of a few pages at the novel's end.