Book Review: Naturally, Charlie

Naturally, Charlie by S.L. Scott
November 1, 2012
The Writer's Coffee Shop
249 pages
Source: borrowed from NetGalley

Goodreads Summary:

Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary.

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny.

My Review:

I love the concept of this book, falling in love with someone with your name. Kinda cute. And this book was cute. Charlie B & Charlie A build up a genuine friendship that started from odd circumstances - a chance meeting on a subway, an encounter in a bar, and, of course, funerals. What better way to start a relationship, right? If only falling in love were that easy. Well, it could be, if it weren't for the baggage that Charlie B & Charlie A have been carrying around, letting it stiffle them.

I love the chemistry between CB & CA. Their conversations are fun and quirky and sweet. I enjoyed how they were able to draw each other out, slowly delving into each other's pasts and trying to heal each other. They fell into such a natural routine with each other, melding their lives together. But again, it's not always that simple. CA understood his feelings much much earlier than CB. I found myself frustrated with CB for the first half of the book. I mean, really, how many times does she need to say "just friends." Are people that slow in real life, lol? The second half I came to understand her hang-ups and sympathized with her more, though I still wanted to give her a nudge. CA was such a patient, great guy, and I wanted the best for him. But I also appreciated how he wanted CB to figure things out for herself.

The pacing of the book was different. It started bigger and then went slow, with the easy friendship. During this time period, I was nervous because I kept expecting a bomb to get dropped. Maybe that was the author's plan, to lure me into a trance and then throw some big issues in to mix it up. Well, it worked. The big conflict came later, just in time. I think CB & CA needed to be shook up. I liked the conflict that was posed and how they really had to face the reality of who they were, what their past meant, and what they wanted. Did they end up wanting each other and in time? You'll have to find out for yourself.

This really is a sweet story. And I loved the ending. There are a couple of "adult" situations, but really, this is a love story, not a quickie romance. If you like a good love story, you'll enjoy this one.

4 STARS