After Hello
by Lisa Mangum
Published: September 4, 2012
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
Format: Hardcover (272 pages)
Source: Library
Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City.
Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t—a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold-out Broadway show. In New York, there is always something interesting to find.
When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other—and about themselves....
This book gave me a respect for contemporary romance. After Hello is one of the first newish contemporary romances that I’ve read. It takes better writing to keep your interest since the author has to keep the plot and characters grounded in reality. I really liked the writing. I thought it was beautiful and the conversations were interesting. New York was very much a part of the story without there being tons of over-description. I just felt immersed in the city the whole time. The way the setting was written was very well done.
I really enjoyed watching the romance slowly build. I can see the appeal of contemporary romances now. The characters have rich and distinct personalities. Sam and Sara were so easy to visualize in my head and I could see why they were drawn to each other. They have time to actually build an interesting connection with each other. The story was very much character driven instead of plot driven.
That also brings me to my complaint: the plot felt slow to me. This story happens in one day, but it felt like hardly anything happened. They go on a quest together (if you will) for the brattiest celebrity ever, but they take their sweet time going about it. Sometimes I wondered if they just plain forgot about it. It was a little aggravating to me. You can take this criticism with a grain of salt since I’m a fantasy lovin’ gal and I prefer plot driven stories. So I can’t really tell you if the plot is slow for a contemporary novel – just that it felt slow to me compared to what I usually read.
The conflict was interesting – maybe mildly far-fetched but still possible and a lot of fun. I thought the resolution to their quest was a bit of a let down, but the open ending to the rest of the story was enjoyable. I liked the feeling of hope and wondering of what would happen next.
Overall, it was a charming romance with a fun setting and great characters, but the plot felt slow and anti-climactic to me.
Content Rating: Mild, for the troubled backgrounds the characters have.
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About Lisa Mangum
Lisa Mangum has loved and worked with books ever since elementary school, when she volunteered at the school library during recess. Her first paying job was shelving books at the Sandy Library. She worked for five years at Waldenbooks while she attended the University of Utah, graduating with honors with a degree in English. An avid reader of all genres, she has worked in the publishing department for Deseret Book since 1997.
Besides books, Lisa loves movies, sunsets, spending time with her family, trips to Disneyland, and vanilla ice cream topped with fresh raspberries. She lives in Taylorsville, Utah, with her husband, Tracy. She is the author of The Hourglass Door (which was named the 2009 YA Book of the Year by ForeWord Reviews) and The Golden Spiral.
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
I just read this book and totally adored it! I’m so glad you liked it too!!!! I thought it was totally great. You should for sure look into more contemporaries! I adore them. They’re just so refreshing and wonderful!
<333 Inky
I’m with you on this one. I thought the characters were really cute, but I wanted more from the plot. I love contemporary, but I think this is a little slower than the genre usually is. But it’s definitely a light, fun story.
I should add this to my pile for the month! I forgot I had it!
I’m glad you enjoyed a contemporary romance. I LOVE contemporary romance!! I haven’t read this book, but if it takes place in 1 day it probably would feel a little slow. Have you read any of Marcia Lynn McClure’s? She writes mostly adult (totally clean). Some of her books are historical fiction and some are contemporary. Love them!
I haven’t read any of Marcia Lynn McClure’s books, but I’m always looking for good historical fiction :) Thanks for the rec!
Wow, that’s pretty cool that this one gave you an appreciation for contemporary romance! Nicely reviewed. I still struggle with that genre too, but there are some books out there like this one that really let you in on a special story with highly complex and developed characters… but like you, I also need a bit more of an exciting plot and tend to dislike books that are solely reliant on the characters.