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

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight it's an easy title to remember, right? Behind this unnaturally long title author Jennifer E. Smith has crafted a realistic YA novel about love at first sight and families. It is an accomplishment to write a novel that is exceptionally cute yet serious at the same time. 

Seventeen year old Hadley was four minutes late for check-in, now the plane she was supposed to be on is on its way to London without her. Hadley hasn't seen her father in a whole year and now he's about to marry a woman Hadley has never even met.

Now Hadley has three hours to wait until the next plane takes off to London. At the airport she runs into Oliver, a cute British guy. There will be, literally, romance in the air.

My thoughts:
I have seen this book being described as cute, I agree but this is also a book addressing some serious issues like grief and family relations. Author Jennifer E. Smith has written a gorgeous and complicated love story, it shows how people can connect in an intimate setting and how hard it can be when one is back in the real world. Can this little seed of infatuation grow into something more or will it be crushed by reality?

The story is fairly short and it unfolds in a short time-span, only 24 hours. Jennifer E. Smith did a great job by letting the reader get to know the characters through conversations and internal flashbacks. There were no boring introductions to the characters; I just wanted more, more, more of these wonderful people! When I first had the time to sit down and sink deep into the story it was very difficult to put down TSPoLaFS.

Both of the main characters had some issues to deal with. Hadley was mad at her father for leaving the family and starting a whole new life, Oliver had a hard time dealing with a bad relationship with his father. Smith showed us that sometimes talking to a stranger can help get a new perspective on things, I liked that. I'm not going to say anything else about TSPoLaFS.. or I might share with you that I cried my eyes out reading the last 50 pages or so. Go grab yourself a copy and fall in love!

The cover:
So cute and fitting the story.


My rating of this book:

 - So sweet, yet serious.

This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.


My copy came from the Norwegian publisher of this novel. I got it in exchange for an honest review.