A little odd.

This is the kind of book that many people assume I would love, mainly because the main character is a woman in love with a British man. I can’t fault anyone for that since it is the story of my life, but Gigi is a bit too intense for me to liken myself to willingly.

Gigi owns a romance bookstore, and her entire existence revolves around love and those in love. It is constantly at the forefront of her daily life, yet she finds herself lacking in that department personally. When feeling down or wistful, she listens to audiobooks narrated by her crush, Zane, a British voice actor.

Quickly, we get to the crux of the story; Zane will be the guide on a 10-day tour of England, and Gigi’s friends buy her the trip as a gift in the hopes she can get out and have a life. Through a series of misadventures, Gigi ends up with her fellow travelers, all of whom are eccentric supporting characters, and Zane isn’t precisely what she imagined he’d be. Oh, what to do! She also meets the bus driver with whom she instantly has more chemistry than Zane, but Zane is the one she came all the way to the UK for.

Stuff Gigi in a bin, I say. I found her insufferable and a bit of a brat, not to mention creepy as hell. I’m a librarian and a hopeless romantic, and sometimes audiobook narrators have amazing voices. Still, never so much that my friends need to buy me an international trip to meet a stranger I’m convinced I will marry. Freaking bonkers behavior. We’re supposed to view that as romantic, but it was too much for me. The side characters are fun, and the English countryside is gorgeous, but Gigi took me out of this book, so I can’t say I enjoyed it that much. It’s okay, but nothing special.

Title: Gigi, Listening
Author: Chantel Guertin
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 224
ISBN:  9781647422967

Three Descriptors: Slightly creepy, Strong Setting, Love Abroad

Read Alikes:
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan