Author: Leah Konen
Genre: contemporary
Series: N/A
Pages: 336
Published: November 2016
Source: BEA
Rating: 3.5/5
Perfect for fans of Lauren Myracle and Rainbow Rowell, The Romantics will charm readers of all ages. Gael Brennan is about to have his heart broken when his first big relationship crumbles on the heels of his parents’ painful separation. Love intervenes with the intention of setting things right—but she doesn’t anticipate the intrusion of her dreaded nemesis: the Rebound. Love’s plans for Gael are sidetracked by Cara, Gael’s hot-sauce-wielding “dream girl.”
The more Love meddles, the further Gael drifts from the one girl who can help him mend his heart. Soon Love starts breaking all her own rules—and in order to set Gael’s fate back on course, she has to make some tough decisions about what it means to truly care.
The Romantics was cute and charming and a light, fluffy read; a diverting afternoon's entertainment. It's exactly what it promises to be on the cover: a book romcom about Love, narrated by Love her/itself -- who is also weirdly relateable. It's kind of a twee concept but to her credit, Leah Konen pulls it off with minimal amounts of preciousness. There is the occasional juvenile moment from Gabe, but the random immaturity often leads to character growth for our main character. If you love love, or love a good love story, The Romantics is a good bet for your next read.
I loved that the concept of the novel wasn't the entire focus. Love might narrate Gael's life and also interfere in it, but there's so much more to him as a person than just his romantic relationships. His homelife is slowly revealed and its role in his personal relationships makes an impact. He might be a romantic at heart, but he's also a believable teen. Another appreciated aspect of The Romantics is that it does not vilify rival love interest's of Gael's. The endgame is obvious (Love-the-narrator is not subtle) but there's no slut-shaming or baseless girl-on-girl hate. There are tropes aplenty to be found in The Romantics (airport scene!) but those particualr two are happily absent.
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