Rebecca Hunter
Ahhh, this is a tough one. I'm always changing my mind! I read a few books a week, so my favorite couple tends to be one from a great book I've read recently, a story with a couple that still feels very "alive" to me.
This last week, I was lucky enough to see Kristan Higgins and Brenda Novak speak. Kristan Higgins said that her favorite couple from her own books is Leo and Jenny from If You Only Knew, so of course I had to read it. I bought the book and started reading at 10 pm, telling myself I'd just read a couple chapters. Famous last words, right? Of course, I didn't go to sleep until I finished. In our early-rising family, staying up into the late hours of the night is a terrible idea, but the book was too good to put down.
Why do I love Leo and Jenny? I'm going to try not to give away the plot too much in my answer! Leo has so much sorrow that he hides behind a lazy, womanizing persona (says he's only "for recreational purposes"), and Jenny's still hurting from her divorce. Their exchanges are hilariously glib, but under the surface of these, they slowly let each other in... or sometimes Jenny finds a way in on her own. This growing closer/pushing apart between Jenny and Leo felt so real and, at times, very raw.
Leo's heart-breaking past easily could have resulted in an overly heavy story. The book does have a couple tear-jerking scenes, but by telling it through Jenny's point of view, Higgins manages to keep the tone hopeful. Her balance of tragedy and hope at the foundation of Leo and Jenny's relationship made me love them as a couple even more.
This last week, I was lucky enough to see Kristan Higgins and Brenda Novak speak. Kristan Higgins said that her favorite couple from her own books is Leo and Jenny from If You Only Knew, so of course I had to read it. I bought the book and started reading at 10 pm, telling myself I'd just read a couple chapters. Famous last words, right? Of course, I didn't go to sleep until I finished. In our early-rising family, staying up into the late hours of the night is a terrible idea, but the book was too good to put down.
Why do I love Leo and Jenny? I'm going to try not to give away the plot too much in my answer! Leo has so much sorrow that he hides behind a lazy, womanizing persona (says he's only "for recreational purposes"), and Jenny's still hurting from her divorce. Their exchanges are hilariously glib, but under the surface of these, they slowly let each other in... or sometimes Jenny finds a way in on her own. This growing closer/pushing apart between Jenny and Leo felt so real and, at times, very raw.
Leo's heart-breaking past easily could have resulted in an overly heavy story. The book does have a couple tear-jerking scenes, but by telling it through Jenny's point of view, Higgins manages to keep the tone hopeful. Her balance of tragedy and hope at the foundation of Leo and Jenny's relationship made me love them as a couple even more.
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