Review of Looking Glass Friends
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Amy Sexton 1
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- Latest Review: Looking Glass Friends by E L Neve
Review of Looking Glass Friends
[Following is a volunteer review of "Looking Glass Friends" by E L Neve.]
Ellie is a regular customer at the bakery Neil works at. When Neil sells her some cream puffs from the stash he had set aside for his wife, Ellie decides to gift him her favorite book to express her gratitude. Neil loved the book and wrote a letter to Ellie with his thoughts on the book and how it related to his current situation. From there they started their friendship by regularly exchanging emails after Ellie had left Neil her contact information. They bonded over their love of reading, philosophy, and finding someone who could finally stimulate their minds in a way that has always been missing. What starts out as an innocent friendship to supplement what is missing in their marriages turns into an internal struggle of comfort versus what could be the love of a lifetime. Should they break up their families to chase a dream that might be too good to be true? The email and phone call encounters between these two seem to show them peering into each other’s souls. The connection they share transcends physical attraction and starts with their minds and souls connecting. The physical connection follows soon after and will keep you on your toes. Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve is a fictional love story based on real letters found by the author, which creates the basis for a new and fresh take on romance novels.
I enjoyed the poetry and philosophy that was referenced throughout the book. There were many times that Ellie and Neil referenced or quoted lines from real books and poems to express their feelings. There was also an owl that could be heard outside Ellie’s window. This owl seemed to provoke her at different points of the book by calling out, “who? Who?” I loved the way that the meaning of the owl’s question changes throughout the story. Another aspect of the story I loved was the development of Neil’s character. In the beginning he seems like a man who is barely getting by in life. He doesn’t truly care about any aspect of his life and comes across quite arrogant, almost like he is too good for everything and everyone. By the end of the book I got to see Neil blossom into the strong, loving, ambitious man he was meant to be. The first chapter of the book was also extremely insightful to the state of Neil’s mental health, which caught my attention right away.
One thing I didn’t love about the book is that Jake, Ellie’s husband, had a confusing back story. At one point the book mentions that he was an orphan. Then his aunt is mentioned as a cruel guardian to him when he was young. Towards the end of the book he and Ellie go to visit his parents, which were not mentioned before this point. His background felt very confusing and inconsistent. I feel that his rough childhood played a huge part in how his character turned out, so it was disappointing to not have a clear answer as to how he actually grew up.
I’m going to give Looking Glass Friends four out of four stars. I absolutely loved this book. The romance aspect was more than just physical. It talked about love in a way that I have never read in a book before. The sexual parts of the book were intriguing and steamy without being too raunchy. This book was about more than just romance. There was internal struggle within the characters that added a layer of complexity and interest to the book. I also appreciated that the story took place in 1997. They had the convenience of communicating with technology via email and cell phones, but didn’t have the instant gratification from text messages, which added suspense as they waited for each other’s replies.
I would highly recommend this book to adult readers that enjoy more mild romance novels. I believe that anyone who appreciates poetry and philosophy would also enjoy this book for how the main characters are connected by those ideas. As a married woman who has been with her partner for ten years, I enjoyed the book for looking at marriage in a real light instead of a perfect fairytale. I think many individuals in long term relationships would feel the same way.
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Looking Glass Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Ellie is a regular customer at the bakery Neil works at. When Neil sells her some cream puffs from the stash he had set aside for his wife, Ellie decides to gift him her favorite book to express her gratitude. Neil loved the book and wrote a letter to Ellie with his thoughts on the book and how it related to his current situation. From there they started their friendship by regularly exchanging emails after Ellie had left Neil her contact information. They bonded over their love of reading, philosophy, and finding someone who could finally stimulate their minds in a way that has always been missing. What starts out as an innocent friendship to supplement what is missing in their marriages turns into an internal struggle of comfort versus what could be the love of a lifetime. Should they break up their families to chase a dream that might be too good to be true? The email and phone call encounters between these two seem to show them peering into each other’s souls. The connection they share transcends physical attraction and starts with their minds and souls connecting. The physical connection follows soon after and will keep you on your toes. Looking Glass Friends by E.L. Neve is a fictional love story based on real letters found by the author, which creates the basis for a new and fresh take on romance novels.
I enjoyed the poetry and philosophy that was referenced throughout the book. There were many times that Ellie and Neil referenced or quoted lines from real books and poems to express their feelings. There was also an owl that could be heard outside Ellie’s window. This owl seemed to provoke her at different points of the book by calling out, “who? Who?” I loved the way that the meaning of the owl’s question changes throughout the story. Another aspect of the story I loved was the development of Neil’s character. In the beginning he seems like a man who is barely getting by in life. He doesn’t truly care about any aspect of his life and comes across quite arrogant, almost like he is too good for everything and everyone. By the end of the book I got to see Neil blossom into the strong, loving, ambitious man he was meant to be. The first chapter of the book was also extremely insightful to the state of Neil’s mental health, which caught my attention right away.
One thing I didn’t love about the book is that Jake, Ellie’s husband, had a confusing back story. At one point the book mentions that he was an orphan. Then his aunt is mentioned as a cruel guardian to him when he was young. Towards the end of the book he and Ellie go to visit his parents, which were not mentioned before this point. His background felt very confusing and inconsistent. I feel that his rough childhood played a huge part in how his character turned out, so it was disappointing to not have a clear answer as to how he actually grew up.
I’m going to give Looking Glass Friends four out of four stars. I absolutely loved this book. The romance aspect was more than just physical. It talked about love in a way that I have never read in a book before. The sexual parts of the book were intriguing and steamy without being too raunchy. This book was about more than just romance. There was internal struggle within the characters that added a layer of complexity and interest to the book. I also appreciated that the story took place in 1997. They had the convenience of communicating with technology via email and cell phones, but didn’t have the instant gratification from text messages, which added suspense as they waited for each other’s replies.
I would highly recommend this book to adult readers that enjoy more mild romance novels. I believe that anyone who appreciates poetry and philosophy would also enjoy this book for how the main characters are connected by those ideas. As a married woman who has been with her partner for ten years, I enjoyed the book for looking at marriage in a real light instead of a perfect fairytale. I think many individuals in long term relationships would feel the same way.
******
Looking Glass Friends
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Looking Glass Friends by E L Neve
