Book Review and GIVEAWAY: This Love Story Will Self-Destruct, by Leslie Cohen {ends 1/5/18}

I still pass them by sometimes: the streets, apartment buildings, bars, and restaurants, all a part of this story.
...
A part of this story will always remain in those places, as if stranded in time. I like to revisit some of them and enjoy the nostalgia. The memories are still so vivid. Others are best left alone, to fade over time. Looking back, I can see how those places were leading us somewhere. We were drawing lines from a series of scattered dots, hoping to see a picture emerge. It took time to put it together. The dots existed all over the city—and not in a way that made any sense or always felt good. But we should have known. And whenever I find myself passing one of these places, I can't help but think, What took us so long?

This book is being compared to When Harry Met Sally, and overall it was an enjoyable read.

Official synopsis:

This is the classic tale of boy meets girl: Girl…goes home with someone else.

Meet Eve. She’s a dreamer, a feeler, a careening well of sensitivities who can’t quite keep her feet on the ground, or steer clear of trouble. She’s a laugher, a crier, a quirky and quick-witted bleeding-heart-worrier.

Meet Ben. He’s an engineer, an expert at leveling floors who likes order, structure, and straight lines. He doesn’t opine, he doesn’t ruminate, he doesn’t simmer until he boils over.

So naturally, when the two first cross paths, sparks don’t exactly fly. But then they meet again. And again. And then, finally, they find themselves with a deep yet fragile connection that will change the course of their relationship—possibly forever.

Follow Eve and Ben as they navigate their twenties on a winding journey through first jobs, first dates, and first breakups; through first reunions, first betrayals and, maybe, first love. This is When Harry Met Sally reimagined; a charming tale told from two unapologetically original points of view. With an acerbic edge and heartwarming humor, debut novelist Leslie Cohen takes us on a tour of what life looks like when it doesn’t go according to plan, and explores the complexity, chaos, and comedy in finding a relationship built to last.

Eve and Ben technically first meet in college, but he's a friend of a friend, or something like that. They don't "properly" meet until a few years post-college, and then they find themselves falling for each other. They have an even deeper past connection than that, too, which Ben knows about but doesn't tell Eve until later on in the book.

I was surprised that this was the author's first book, as it was very good. I love YA books, and although this isn't entirely YA, it has elements of it (young romance, etc.). It also takes place in the NYC area, which is almost a character in itself, and I've visited NYC so I liked that aspect as well.

I'd recommend this book for anyone that likes a good love story or even a good coming-of-age story.

4 stars out of 5.
This book will be available in stores and online on January 23, 2018.
{click here to purchase}

*Disclosure: I was provided with an e-copy of this book to facilitate this review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of this book!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Friday, January 5, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be emailed the next day and must respond within 24 hours, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

This Love Story Will Self-Destruct book