Review | A Girl Like You by Maria Geraci

Title: A Girl Like You
Series: N/A
Author: Maria Geraci
Genre: Adult - Contemporary/Romance
Publication: 08.07.2012 by Berkley, Penguin USA
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Source: BookSparks PR
Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: What if you found out you were the ugly friend?

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.

Thoughts: I was in desperate need of an adult romance and didn't even know it until I got my hands on this gem. While I love my YA, I definitely needed a change in genre and this was the perfect book. A Girl Like You is a heartwarming and fun read that I truly enjoyed and am really glad I picked up.

A Girl Like You has a little bit of everything mixed in: romance, humor, family, friendship and work related issues and situations. From the beginning, I was able to connect with the main character, and really liked Emma. She's a bit unsure of herself because she's a size 12 and is called "the ugly friend" by an acquaintance. Yet, she's determined to make the best of things and we watch as Emma stumbles across loves, makes new friends, and learns to spend more time with her moms. I admired her strength to get through situations, her honesty and her courage. I also admired her ability to forgive those who hurt her, all while making and keeping friends.

While Emma is attempting to get an interview with a celebrity she went to high school with, but hasn't seen in over 14 years, she puts herself in some pretty funny situations that had me laughing out loud and wondering where the story was going. I really thought I had everything figured out, but was nicely surprised with how things turned out for Emma in the end. I definitely didn't see it coming.

Overall: I don't want to gush too much about the book, because I really loved everything about A Girl Like You: the main character, and all the secondary characters (each unique and really special to the story,) the small town setting (I love small towns!) and the romance aspect. I couldn't put this book down once I started it and I definitely recommend to others who love contemporary romance. This is one you won't want to miss!

About the author: Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba and raised on Florida's Space coast. She lives in north Florida with her husband and children and writes fun, romantic women's fiction.

Website | Facebook
Buy the book: Amazon