Tar Heel Bibliobabe: Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by: Jennifer E. Smith

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I thought this book would be a cute and light read, and it was, but it also came with a much deeper meaning. I thought it was wonderful, and I read it so fast; I just couldn’t put it down!

Hadley missed her flight to England for her father’s wedding by only 4 minutes, so she is placed on a later flight. To her good fortune, she is seated with a gorgeous college-aged, British boy named Oliver. They talk about everything under the sun, including their fears, especially hers about seeing her dad again. But much too soon is the flight over. They lose each other in the airport pandemonium and go about their separate ways. Will they find a way to see each other again, or will true love pass them by?

Hadley, whose name I love, was a great character. She was kind and funny, and I loved her dry sense of humor. And she gets claustrophobic really easily. This girl can seriously hold a pretty impressive grudge. But she’s been hurt so I don’t blame her. The thing I liked about most about Hadley was her capacity of love and forgive.

Oliver is totally swoon-worthy. He is British (I have a strong and everlasting weakness for British men), really hot, and insanely nice. He’s pretty much the perfect trifecta of good boys. He’s also caring and a super good listener. I most definitely want an Oliver in my life!

I really liked both of Hadley’s parents, although she didn’t at times. I felt bad for her mother, having her husband leave her after many years of happy marriage, but I liked how she reacted to it. She didn’t let it stop her from living. Hadley’s dad clearly loved her, but I’m not sure he handled a couple situations the best way. Despite that, he was laid back and a sweet dad.

The plot was so dang adorable. I loved how the whole book was spanned over only a period of 24 hours. I think it was a great way to really get to know the characters in depth. I thought the writing as a bit distant, as it was in 3^rd person. Sometimes this works for me, and sometimes it doesn’t. This was a time when it unfortunately did not work for me. I felt this led me to not be able to really connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. But, with that aside, the romance was my favorite part of the book! The way they met and then found each other again was so cute. It was just like a movie. :) They clearly connected very quickly, and despite only knowing each other for a couple hours, they were perfect for each other. That’s a rare thing!

This was a great read, and I only wish I had read it earlier! Jennifer’s new book, This Is What Happy Looks Like, comes out in April, and the premise seems wonderful. I’ll definitely be picking that one up!

Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote: …she hears him mutter “What the hell,” and then, to her surprise, he bends to kiss her. The line continues to move around them, and the customs official gives up for the moment with a frustrated sigh, but Hadley doesn’t notice any of it; she grabs Oliver’s shirt tightly, afraid of being swept away from him, but his hand is pressing on her back as he kisses her, and the truth is, she’s never felt so safe in her life.