Publisher: Orion
Release: 3rd July 2014
Genre: Fiction, Chick-Lit, Crossover, Romance
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
"Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it's been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and he still loves her - but that almost seems besides the point now.
Two days before they're supposed to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells him that she can't go. She's a TV writer, and something's come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her - he is always a little upset with her - but she doesn't expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.
When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she's finally done it. If she's ruined everything. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It's not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she's been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts... Is that what she's supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?"
Review
Rainbow Rowell is one of my favourite authors and so naturally Landline was one of my most anticipated releases of 2014. I think it’s fair to say that Landline is a bit different compared to Rainbow’s other books. Although the thoughtful and beautiful writing is still there I thought that this one was lacking in Rainbow’s trademark wit and humour.
Landline is quite a sad read as we join Georgie and Neal at breaking point in their marriage. I love that Rainbow Rowell writes about real love not the fairytale kind that can usually be found in books and movies. Landline takes a look at a couple who love one another very much but have let life’s daily problems and neglect slowly but surely worm its way into their marriage.
It took me a little longer than usual to warm to Georgie and Neal both individually and as a couple. At the start of the book I really questioned why these two people were together. It’s not until the couple started to have their telephone chats that I began to fall in love with Neal and Georgie and wanted them to fight for their relationship.
The magical time traveling telephone worked really well and didn’t come across as unbelievable or cheesy. In real time there is a lack of communication between the couple and so when Georgie gets the chance to talk to a past version of Neal at another point in their relationship where it was close to being over she has a chance to not only fix her relationship back then but in the present as well. These conversations and learning about Georgie and Neal’s history made me fall in love with them as a couple and see that their relationship was worth saving.
Overall Landline is a sad, sweet and honest look at marriage. It’s about second chances, communication and not taking the people you love for granted. Although I didn’t find this one as personally relatable as her other books I have no doubt that many others will enjoy and relate to the moral of this story. Rainbow Rowell is the queen of writing honestly about love in all of its different stages and nobody gives me the warm fuzzies in quite the same way that she does.
