A review by audaciaray
The Scenic Route by Binnie Kirshenbaum

3.0

I read (or at least, read half of) this book because indie publisher, promoter, and book junkie Richard Nash thought I might like it.

The writing is deceptively simple - so simple and beautiful that you're almost tricked into thinking that it's too simple to be good fiction writing. Almost. The writing is good, and seductive, and just - pretty.

So why couldn't I finish the book? Personal reasons (it's not you, it's me). No, seriously. I like books with rich characters that I can either identify with strongly or show me a totally different aspect of humanity. The characters in this book did something in between for me. More than that, I couldn't finish the book because it's about heartbreak, and falling in love, and getting caught up in the web of another person. And at this particular moment in time (and in my own web of heartbreak and healing),I just can't stomach reading a novel like this.

That said, if you're a hopeless romantic (like I am) but also haven't recently gone through heartbreak (like I have), and want to fantasize about love and European roadtrips, you might just like this book a lot.