Not Quite by the book by Julie Hatcher is a contemporary romance about a woman who sets out to find herself after giving up on finding her own true love.
Emma Rini decides to take some time for herself, after being made to feel like her family takes her for granted and no longer really sees her. She rents a house in the hometown of her favourite poet, Emily Dickinson, and decides to model her life after the famous poet.
This was such an enjoyable story. Not only was it a romance, but it was also a story about reconnecting with yourself, and your passions, and resolving issues with family.
If I have a beef with this book it’s that there was a lot of deception going happening on the part of Davis. None of the things he was keeping secret were truly awful, but I feel like he should have come clean much earlier in the book. I’m not sure I would have been as forgiving as Emma about some of the things he was keeping secret.
That said, for the most part this was a lovely, sweet, funny read. I really enjoyed it, and it has made me want to read some Emily Dickinson….in fact I ordered a book of her poetry and am currently waiting for it to arrive.
If you love a good romance, then I think you’ll really enjoy this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Not Quite by the Book will be available on March 1 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 