A review by briarsreviews
A Bicycle Made for Two by Mary Jayne Baker
5.0
Oh, Mary Jayne Baker. It's like you wrote this book just for me! It's 100% British and took me back to my youth when my Dad used every British slang word and saying he could all day, everyday. Meanwhile, it's a cute, comedic romance that reminds me I'm an adult. It's safe to say, this book was a nostalgia trip for me and a half!
If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be quirky! It doesn't totally fit into one category for me, and that's totally okay. It has a lot of comedy, a pinch of romance, some epic drama and lots of fictional heists to follow. Just labelling it one of those words (or genres) would be a tragedy! This book is just too good to be put into one little corner.
So, down to the meat of it: Lana Donati is our lead, but her brother Tom, friends Yolanda, Gerry, and Sue, a sexy television star named Hunter, and the love interest/former pro cyclist Stewart all take part in this story too. This book starts out seeming like it'll be your typical romance: Lana and Stewart have a date but then... oh yes... the date goes sour. Stewart doesn't call Lana and life goes to the pits. Her Father passes away and leaves the siblings his restaurant and the Tour de France is coming to town! Big things are coming Lana's way...
For reference, I'm Canadian (half British, but good ol' Canada is my home) so I don't have many British references to give you. If I had to pick one that the masses from North America and the U.K. would understand, I'd relate this book to Coronation Street. It has the fun and quirky characters, the dramatic plot and British-ness I love about the show. But, sometimes that show can get depressing so imagine the funny and romantic storylines.
The banter itself is golden. I started highlighting all of the hilarious comments on my ecopy and I almost highlighted half the book (whoops!).
Since I don't want to deal with too much copyright, here's two excellent comments that made me laugh hysterically and giggle and chuckle and all of the fun laugh terms:
"Scott Spen, 26. Looks like a sheep, sounds like a sheep, may actually be part sheep." Like, dude, who doesn't look at dating profiles and think stuff like that?! Just me? Cool.
"A honking good pair." Without context, sounds brutal. Read the book and you'll be giggling along with me.
Comedy like THIS is what gets me laughing. Witty sarcasm is the best kind of humour, so I absolutely loved this novel.
Did I have negative? Of course I did! No book is perfect.
In some places online, this book was marketed more like a romance, and it's not a pure romance. It's more comedic romance, not Hallmark or Harlequin style romance at all. If a reader comes specifically for that romance, they will be let down. But... does that ruin the book? Heck no! That's just my point of view.
Overall, this book is an absolute delight and totally fits into my wheelhouse! I love Mary Jayne Baker's writing and will definitely be sticking around for the long haul. This book was marvelous!
Five out of five stars!
I received a book for free from the publisher (Mirror Books) in exchange of an honest review.
If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be quirky! It doesn't totally fit into one category for me, and that's totally okay. It has a lot of comedy, a pinch of romance, some epic drama and lots of fictional heists to follow. Just labelling it one of those words (or genres) would be a tragedy! This book is just too good to be put into one little corner.
So, down to the meat of it: Lana Donati is our lead, but her brother Tom, friends Yolanda, Gerry, and Sue, a sexy television star named Hunter, and the love interest/former pro cyclist Stewart all take part in this story too. This book starts out seeming like it'll be your typical romance: Lana and Stewart have a date but then... oh yes... the date goes sour. Stewart doesn't call Lana and life goes to the pits. Her Father passes away and leaves the siblings his restaurant and the Tour de France is coming to town! Big things are coming Lana's way...
For reference, I'm Canadian (half British, but good ol' Canada is my home) so I don't have many British references to give you. If I had to pick one that the masses from North America and the U.K. would understand, I'd relate this book to Coronation Street. It has the fun and quirky characters, the dramatic plot and British-ness I love about the show. But, sometimes that show can get depressing so imagine the funny and romantic storylines.
The banter itself is golden. I started highlighting all of the hilarious comments on my ecopy and I almost highlighted half the book (whoops!).
Since I don't want to deal with too much copyright, here's two excellent comments that made me laugh hysterically and giggle and chuckle and all of the fun laugh terms:
"Scott Spen, 26. Looks like a sheep, sounds like a sheep, may actually be part sheep." Like, dude, who doesn't look at dating profiles and think stuff like that?! Just me? Cool.
"A honking good pair." Without context, sounds brutal. Read the book and you'll be giggling along with me.
Comedy like THIS is what gets me laughing. Witty sarcasm is the best kind of humour, so I absolutely loved this novel.
Did I have negative? Of course I did! No book is perfect.
In some places online, this book was marketed more like a romance, and it's not a pure romance. It's more comedic romance, not Hallmark or Harlequin style romance at all. If a reader comes specifically for that romance, they will be let down. But... does that ruin the book? Heck no! That's just my point of view.
Overall, this book is an absolute delight and totally fits into my wheelhouse! I love Mary Jayne Baker's writing and will definitely be sticking around for the long haul. This book was marvelous!
Five out of five stars!
I received a book for free from the publisher (Mirror Books) in exchange of an honest review.