Undomestic Goddess & Love Walked In

I finally finished Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella and Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos. They both took me forever to get through (unexpectedly seeing that neither is exactly a Ph.D. dissertation), and both picked up significantly in the second half. 

In Undomestic Goddess, the protagonist, Samantha, is incredibly annoying for the entire first half. This, to me, is nothing new for Sophie Kinsella's novels. Samantha's irksome behavior reappears occasionally in the second half, but is easier to stomach once the story gets rolling. 

It is obvious that Love Walked In is written by a poet. Her prose is often reminiscent of a poem. Because of this the statements she makes, which would be thoughtfully crafted poetry, often result in tiresome, instead of beautiful, storytelling. Though there are novels written as epic poems, the majority of literature is not... for a reason. Most people appreciate poetry in shorter form, where the words themselves are the point, not just fillers in a larger plot. 

That all being said, both books ended well; meaning the conclusion of the stories were entertaining and satisfactory. They both explored the beauty of slowing down and the comfort of being surrounded by loved ones. Once the reader reaches the parts of these books where the point begins, the story lines are enjoyable even if a bit wordy for the wear. This isn't to say that I didn't well up during the last three pages of Love Walked In, because I did. It was a sweet story. The sweeter of the two, actually. And not to say that the actual idea of Undomestic Goddess isn't cute, because it is. Really.

Will I read these authors again? 

Kinsella, probably not. I've read many of her books, and they are very similar... not my taste anymore. However, she has a large fan base for a reason, and if you enjoy her-- read her! (Hello, a major motion picture was made from one of her books... she's doing something right within her demographic.) That's the beauty of the millions and billions of books in the world, there is something for everybody. I think it's fantastic that one person's toothache is another's massage. Goodness knows I would have to pull teeth to get several of my friends to read some of the books I love. 
Two Coconuts

I will not be surprised if I pick up de los Santos' second book, or others when she's written them. In my opinion, she's worth another read. Even though LWI took me so long to get through, I'm glad I finished. 
Three Coconuts

Give them a try, let me know what you think. 

xo,

The Coconut Librarian

Comments

[Nadia]

I've read all of Kinsella's books, including Undomestic Goddess and I have enjoyed them all - of course when I read them I am expecting fluff books and so I feel that I get what I expect from these books. As for the Marisa de los Santos book - I have not ready anything by her, but I have just mooched this book and am looking forward to it. Great post! Cheers!!

[Coconut Library]

Nadia, if you like her books, I've read (on GR) that people are liking her newest one... Twenties Girl. Have you read it?