by Sandy Hall
Read: July 21, 2014
Published: August 26, 2014 by Swoon Reads
Source: Macmillan Paper ARC - THANK YOU!
Category: Contemporary Romance, Mulit-POV, College, New Adult
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together….
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A Little Something Different is the definition of adorable. This book made me happy. It is the story of how Gabe and Lea get together, from the perspective of all the people who want so badly for it to happen. Lea is stating her freshman year at college and Gabe is returning to school after a year absence. They are in the same creative writing class and keep running into each other. But Gabe is shy and dealing with his own issues, and Lea isn't sure how to approach him either. Yet it is clear almost immediately that they could be so great together. You will want it to happen too.
The idea of 14 different viewpoints and none of them being the main characters sounds a little daunting, but I actually really enjoyed the perspectives. I think what works about it in this story is that the 14 perspectives are all focused on Gabe and Lea. It's not like there are 14 different plots going. They are all working together to tell the same story. My favorite voices were the creative writing professor and angry classmate Victor. I also enjoyed Gabe's brother Sam and his friend Casey, though in the beginning I had to remind myself that they were talking to Gabe instead of the other way around. It worked surprisingly well to tell Gabe and Lea's growing romance from outside perspectives, but it was something I had to get used to at first. The only two perspectives I didn't care for were the squirrel and the park bench. An inanimate object and an animal were a little too silly and unbelievable for me.
Thankfully, this book was low on angst or any sort of over the top drama, both of which are almost guaranteed in a college romance. Gabe is sweet and shy and adorably awkward, which is not the normal fare for a romantic lead. He went through something a year ago that has had to adjust to. But he has a supportive brother and friends that care deeply about him, and this book didn't take the over traumatized approach of many NA books (not to downplay anything people have faced, it's just that NA books seem to make Everything More Extreme). I also genuinely liked Lea. She's a little shy too, but she has great friends that she cares about, works hard in school, but goes out to parties and has fun too. I think we could be friends.
A Little Something Different was a bit agonizing in parts because it took Gabe and Lea a while to connect. But I laughed out loud and smiled and sighed in all the right places, and was able to sit back and enjoy watching these two realize they wanted to be together as much as the people around them (and I) wanted it to happen. This book is such a sweet picture of attraction and early love, when you can't wait to run into the other person and sometimes accidentally on purpose end up where they are just so that you can run into them again.
Love Triangle Factor: NONE
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone
This book does sound so cute and I plan to read it. Part of me thinks the fourteen POVs (except the squirrel and bench) is such a unique way to tell the story and I'm looking forward to it, but I wonder if that means I'll feel a disconnect with the main characters because of that. It doesn't sound like that happened to you so hopefully I'll feel the same way. Great review, glad you loved it! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteEeep! Yay for an adorable story :) I love the sound of this and even though so many POVs are more than scary (I can handel 3 at best), I still want to read it since wooooooow. It sounds so awesome! I love how different it is. The inanimate objects sound weird, but quirky to me ;) Gabe seems like an adorable character and I'm glad you enjoyed Lea's character as well. Eeep! I love when books make you LOL :) So happy you enjoyed it, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteEveryone has been saying how lovely this book is and I'm truly excited to grab a copy when it comes out. The idea of the 14 POVs put me off too, but everyone says that it works well, so I'm going to definitely want to read it now. The characters all sound lovely and the romance seems so adorable.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait!
Lovely review, Lauren! :)
Agonizing is good when it comes to romance--as long as there's an HEA! I saw this (Edelweiss, maybe?) and was put off by the 14 POVs. And NA really does seem to make Everything More Extreme (yes, caps are indeed necessary!).
ReplyDeleteThe 14 POVs is what I was worried about the most, but it sounds like it has really been working well for most people so far. The story really sounds adorable, and definitely like the sort of thing I'd enjoy. This is one of the books on my August TBR, so I hope to get around to it soon. Lovely review, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteWoah, fourteen perspectives? O.o. I'm not sure how I'd deal with that since Please Ignore Vera Dietz had a lot of perspectives in it, many of them inanimate objects, and I couldn't get into that form of story-telling whatsoever (and everyone and their mother loves that book!). I will admit that this story seems cute--so perhaps I'll pick it up when I'm in the exact mood for this type of tale--but either than that, I'm not sure it's entirely my cup of tea. I'm glad it worked out for you though, Lauren! Just as always, yet another fantastic review. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read it! But yes initially I was also a little scared when I heard about the 14 POV - but it seems like Sandy Hall get's this to work! What I also like is that they are both rather shy people, who might even have some difficulties finding together. Just like you said, College NA romance usually means angst and alpha males :)
ReplyDelete"The idea of 14 different viewpoints and none of them being the main characters sounds a little daunting"
ReplyDeleteYes it does Lauren, it's why I've been putting this book off! I tend to struggle with more than 2 or 3 POVs - I just lose interest - so 14 pretty much gave me a nervous tic just thinking about all of them. So glad they seemed to work well in this case though, and I LOVE that you said there's no angst or over the top drama. That pretty much has me sold right there! Definitely going to give this one a try now:)
Okay I am honestly worried about that now. I knew this book had multiple POVs but I had NO idea that none of those POVs were from the main characters. That is more than a little daunting for me .-. Especially if two of those POVs are from a squirrel and a park bench. The squirrel would still not bother me that much but the park bench? That's a little too silly .-.
ReplyDeleteI am glad though that in spite of all that you ended up enjoying it. It does help reassure me some even though now I am a little vary of reading this.
Fantastic review, Lauren!! :)
Rashika @ The Social Potato
A Little Something Different sounds just like a romantic comedy, and therefore, I'm sure I'll love it. It just sounds so cute, and I might have to read this in the future. I'm unsure about the 14 different perspectives, especially the squirrel and the bench, but I think it could really work and it's certainly unique. Wonderful review! Glad you enjoyed it! :D
ReplyDeleteI just thought this was such a cute, fun read! I agree that some of the perspectives were a little overkill, but otherwise I liked seeing Gabe and Lea through so many different viewpoints. I think my favorite was the barista who at first hated them but couldn't help but eventually get involved in their story. :P
ReplyDeleteHmm having the perspective of a bench and squirrel does sound pretty weird. But I really enjoyed The Truth About Alice earlier this year, which employs the same sort of idea of having the central character's story told through outside perspectives. It sounds like for the most part that authorial choice works out here as well, which is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely have to keep this in mind for when I want a lighter, cute sort of romantic read.
Aw, yay :D Amazing review sweetie. <3 I'm so glad you managed to enjoy this book. I do admit that it sounds and looks so so adorable. But I wouldn't manage to not read from the point of view of the couple :p Sigh. And a park bench? Wtf? lol. But so happy you found it to be a sweet book :)
ReplyDeleteOhhh. I wasn't sure what to think of this one and hadn't read any reviews, but I gave myself permission to read yours since I was on the fence about trying it. But you liked it! And you said it's cute! Huh. I will have to leaf through my copy when I'm in the mood for a cute story. Thank you for the nudge!
ReplyDeleteWendy @ The Midnight Garden
Everyone is pretty much in agreement that this book is just flipping adorable. I guess I'll have to give in and get a copy. I'm especially eager to read from the perspectives of the squirrel and the park bench since that can go either way. Inanimate objects with their own POV could be cute or it could be annoying and awkward. We'll see. I'll have to get to this to balance out the more serious fare I've been reading these days.
ReplyDelete