I was given this debut novel by Catherine Bennetto, and I devoured it quickly! It had the right amount of quirkiness, drama and amusing moments that kept me glued to the pages!!
To be honest, the cover of How Not to Fall in Love, Actually would throw me off, but the good people at Simon Schuster Aus sent it to me, so I thought I'd give it a second look. After reading the description where she accidentally gets knocked up, splits with the father of the baby and puts up with a crazy neighbour, I certainly was intrigued!! And it wasn't anything like the romance reads that I usually pick up, so I think that's why I enjoyed it so much!
Emma was such an interesting character to read about! She went through some tough times, but she always managed to pull through. There were moments that made my heart ache for her as she had to deal with life altering decisions and the betrayal of those she kept close. She was such a kind person and saw the best in everyone around her. She was also close with her family, even if they tested her patience at times.
I met a lot of interesting characters throughout Emma's journey: her quirky neighbour always looked out for her, Emma's mother was a bit self absorbed, her sister was always there for support, her accidental house mate seemed to keep her smiling, her aunt always spoke her mind and her uncle kept her grounded.
How Not to Fall in Love, Actually was entertainment plus from cover to cover! There were so many amusing scenes that made me laugh or smile. I loved seeing Emma grow into a stronger person throughout the book, even though this was not the life she had planned. She struggled with her feelings, and was a little self absorbed herself at times as she dealt with the huge comedy of errors her life had become. There was even a touch of romance that grew throughout the story that I loved as well. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Catherine Bennetto in the future, she's found an instant fan in me!
This quote is a little longer than I usually share, but it gives you a great taste into Emma's crazy life and the beautiful writing of the author!
‘You think you’re alone?’ Joe said, leaning back to look me in the eye. I nodded.
Joe pulled me into a hug and waited for my sobs to subside.
‘Everything’s going to be all right, you’ll see,’ he said, giving the top of my head a kiss.
Joe leant forward and scratched Brutus under his muzzle. ‘Yep.’ He smiled.
Catherine Bennetto was born in New Zealand to a British father and Kiwi mother. She studied a variety of things at University, including Design and Biomedical Science, before settling on a career in television production.
Catherine, her husband and their two young boys have spent the past few years being permanent residents of nowhere - going where the work takes them. They’ve lived in Australia, England, the Caribbean, Hungary, Malaysia and South Africa, and have learnt some useful tricks for entertaining children along the way.
In 2013 she gained a place on Curtis Brown Creative's inaugural online novel writing course. How Not to Fall in Love, Actually is her first novel.