Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King
Genre: Contemporary Women, Romance
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Sweet and Cute (if you ignore insta love)
Blythe Harmon is living a fast-track life the way her mother, sister, and boyfriend want. It’s her 30h birthday, and she can’t help but feel suffocated and unhappy. Things couldn’t have been better with a new high-profile job and a marriage proposal from the boyfriend.
But Blythe knows she needs to do what makes her happy. Respite comes in the form of Nomi’s ashes and last request (Nomi is her late grandmother). Blythe goes on an adventure to a small island in the San Juans. Her stay at the Improbable House takes her closer to the past.
However, things get complicated with new revelations. Blythe now has to connect the past to the present to have a happy future. And somewhere amidst the chaos lies the key to her happiness.
The story comes in the first-person POVs of Blythe and Flynn in the present tense.
What I Like:
The story is heartwarming and sweet with a blend of happy and sad moments. There is enough pain (death of loved ones and secrets) in the book, but it doesn’t get overwhelming.
The narration is fast-paced and engaging. It dips a little in the middle but gains momentum again. It does feel a little rushed because of the HEA ending, but I don’t mind it.
Even though the characters aren’t very detailed, they are easy to understand. None of them is perfect, but there aren’t any outright villains (with one exception) either. This makes them easy to understand, if not always likable.
The blurb uses the word magic, and it is important to consider this when reading the book. There are a few unexplainable events that make the setting atmospheric. However, these aren’t explored enough to make the story dark or creepy. This could go either way, depending on your reading preferences.
Savannah is easily my favorite in the book, and Brodie is adorable. Who can resist a fluffy doggy with loads of enthusiasm and no manners? ;P
The themes of self-discovery, acceptance, being true to one’s self, taking a risk, etc., are well done without being too heavy-handed.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Well, as much as I enjoy romance, I don’t like insta love between Blythe and Flynn. A couple of more scenes to show their chemistry would have made the story even better (for me). Also, Flynn’s character needed to be fleshed out more.
The plot is complex and has some twists. But it is solved a little too easily and within the week’s deadline. Maybe a bit of spacing it over the days would increase the impact.
The crucial issues of the plot are also resolved quickly. Given how the issues are dragged over the storyline, the resolution doesn’t feel solid. The gravity of the events is lost when they are wrapped up with ease.
To summarize, Improbably Yours is a sweet and heartwarming book with a few hits and misses. But it is a good read if you want a blend of genres without getting too deep into any of them.
Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #ImprobablyYours
TW: Parental death, domestic violence, grief
*****
P.S: The cover suits the story really well, though I don't much like how the title covers the detailing.
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