Mini Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: January 2, 2012
Pages: 236
Genre: Contemporary
Target Audience: Young Adult
Series: No
Source and Format: Bought; Nook eBook

Summary (From Goodreads)
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Thoughts on The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
This book has so many fun things going for it -- an adorable cover, a quirky title, a meet-cute romance, and the perfect mixture of fluff and substance. It was a great choice as my first read for 2013, and at 236 pages, it was a quick read too. 

With the phrase "love at first sight" in the title, you'd think that insta-love would be all over this book, which is one of my biggest pet peeves with young adult novels (or any novel, really). But let me assure you, that is not the case with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I am even a little bit of a believer in love at first sight myself, since the husband likes to say he knew I would be someone special when he first saw me. He ended up being right about that one, y'all! ;)

Another thing I particularly loved about this book was how Hadley's love for reading played into the story, especially in her relationship with her father. I really connected to this element of Hadley's character, and some of my favorite quotes from the book came from this aspect of the novel (one is included below).

This book wasn't anything groundbreaking, but if you find yourself facing a long flight coming up soon, or have a free afternoon to curl up with a short novel, this one might be the perfect light read for you. I'd recommend it!

Memorable Quotes

“It's not the changes that will break your heart; it's that tug of familiarity.”

“Even when she was old enough to read herself, they still tackled the classics together, moving from Anna Karenina to Pride and Prejudice to The Grapes of Wrath as if traveling across the globe itself, leaving holes in the bookshelves like missing teeth. And later, when it started to become clear that she cared more about soccer practice and phone privileges than Jane Austen or Walt Whitman, when the hour turned into a half hour and every night turned into every other, it no longer mattered. The stories had become a part of her by then; they stuck to her bones like a good meal, bloomed inside of her like a garden. They were as deep and meaningful as any other trait Dad had passed along to her: her blue eyes, her straw-colored hair, the sprinkling of freckles across her nose.”

Disclosure: This review was originally posted on my lifestyle blog on January 29, 2013.