So, let me tell you about Naturally, Charlie. Or rather, let me tell you my initial thoughts when I started reading it.
In Chapter One, I had proclaimed Charlie B as my new best friend. Likeable, funny and sensitive, I wanted to include her on my morning coffee run and sip cocktails with her in Greenwich Village at night.
In Chapter Two, I had a schoolgirl crush on Charlie A. Witty, strong-willed and as delicious as hot cakes, I wanted to be the girl he confided in while giggling uncontrollable at his charm and humour.
By Chapter Six I was ready to buy my hat for Charlie A and Charlie B’s future wedding. I was going to convince them to let me be Godmother to their first born, and I was going to invite them over for Sunday dinner every week.
Putting it simply, I loved it.
Like my fellow reviewers, I’ve been a fan of S.L.Scott’s writing for some time now and, since hearing that Naturally, Charlie was going to be published this year, have eagerly been awaiting it’s release.
And I can tell you, I was not disappointed!
What I love the most about this book is that it’s a simple yet engaging storyline. Yes, it’s a ‘boy meets girl, like each other, encounter hiccups that prevent them being together’ plot but from the moment I started reading, I was enchanted by Scott’s poetic story telling. She paints a pretty picture with words and I could feel myself living the story. I was with Charlie B when she was on the subway and spotted her name counterpart for the first time. I was with Charlie A when he was handed the lucky rabbit’s foot by his friend. And I was watching both Charlie’s when they were en route to attend similar events. But it’s not just ‘living’ the story that captured me, it was ‘feeling’ the story too.
Naturally, Charlie takes you through a plethora of emotions – from the giddiness of that ‘first date’ feeling where all you can do is smile when you think about the gorgeous guy that gives you butterflies; to the utter devastation at realising you have to make a decision that will break your heart. Scott manages to tell her story with a genuine love for her characters – you can tell that she cares not only how they feel but how her readers feel.
My one small bugbear with Naturally Charlie is its epilogue. I’m not a great fan of prolonging a story when there’s no need for it and, in my opinion, this story had its perfect ending in its last chapter. Sometimes I want to be left with my own thoughts on how the ‘happy ever after’ progresses without the flash forward of life five year’s in the future. For me, the epilogue was slightly too sweet for my taste and in some ways took away from a story that is so beautifully told.
Don’t let that put you off, however. Naturally, Charlie is a delightful and quick read (I devoured it in one sitting on holiday while lazing by the pool). It left me with the warm and fuzzies and a smile on my face for many hours after finishing it (although I must admit, for a couple of chapters I did have the urge to cry and rant and shout “Why Charlie? Why would you do that?!”).
Naturally, Charlie mixes the right amount of humour with angst and has the perfect balance for a contemporary romance – and in my eyes that makes it pretty much fantabulous (and yes, Ms Scott, that is a word…..).
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Title: Naturally, Charlie
Author: S.L.Scott
Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop
Published: 1 November 2012
Production Description:
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.
To buy Naturally, Charlie from Amazon.co.uk, click here
To buy Naturally, Charlie from Amazon.com, click here
