Set in the era of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, J.T. Tierney’s romance novel LOVE, LITERALLY features two voracious readers who meet when mutual friends invite them to join their bubble and work remotely at their beach house for as long as they desire. Recently out of a breakup, Hallie is a wannabe writer who hopes to connect with herself again. Similarly, English professor Quinn seeks rejuvenation now that he’s beginning to move on from his wife’s death. When Hallie and Quinn meet at the beach house, occupied by two other couples, they instantly get along and begin a romance filled with witty banter and a mutual love of literature.
The smart, humorous dialogue is the book’s shining highlight. Hallie and Quinn trade puns with their quick wit (“I’m surprised you’re not having Cream of Wit for breakfast”), and their conversations are sprinkled with delightful literary references (“Life is a mirror: if you frown at it, it frowns back. If you smile, it returns the greeting”). They discuss their admiration of Austen, Carroll, Tennyson, and the Bronte sisters when they first meet. As they spend more time together over their many weeks at the beach house, they delve into more serious, intimate topics, such as Quinn’s history of cancer and Hallie’s reproductive health issues. Their dialogue is endearing, evidence of an instant yet deep connection. Group conversations with their friends at the dinner table, often fueled by wine, are similarly true to life, with topics ranging from ambitions and fears to political opinions, which show how close-knit the friends are and how their individual experiences have shaped their personalities. Hallie’s friend Maria, for instance, is reticent to talk about money because her less-than-wealthy childhood makes her feel guilty about her large income in her adulthood. Hallie isn’t afraid to bring up sensitive topics, while Quinn takes time to be more vulnerable, and these traits are depicted through dialogue as they open up to each other. A small quibble: the spelling choice of “Omigod” feels childish for these otherwise mature characters.
While the book is heavy on realistic conversion, it is light on plot. There is no will-they-won’t-they to the romance, as Hallie and Quinn click right away and develop their relationship quickly with little to no obstacles along the way. They are easy to like and easy to want to see together, but the lack of suspense makes for an uneventful story centered on characters sitting around the beach house talking to each other. It’s not until nearly two-thirds of the way through the book that the budding couple must navigate emotional decisions about their love lives when Hallie’s ex asks to get back together and Quinn’s adult children express their distaste that their father wants to date again years after their mother’s death. Both also face potential changes in their work environment. Hallie and Quinn’s wishy-washy reactions to opposition feel uncharacteristic for these confident, self-assured protagonists. The problems feel forced, seemingly existing only to conjure tension that’s otherwise missing in the plot.
Also, sections that dip into Maria’s perspective detract from the love story and, like the other scenes involving the whole group of friends, act as stand-ins for political discourse—as when she learns of her daughter’s abortion and confronts her own conflicting feelings about the procedure. Mentions of homophobia, the Black Lives Matter movement, and COVID restrictions seem to be included only to make statements rather than move the plot or character development forward.
The COVID-era-relevant topics of conversation, as well as the fact that many people are wearing masks when the group decides to venture outside the beach house, make the setting feel real. Also, occasionally mentioned details—the pleasant summer temperature, seagulls “float[ing] lazily overhead,” the aroma of various homemade authentic cuisines, etc.—elevate the romance of the beach house setting.
Hallie and Quinn enter the dreamy world of the beach house in their COVID bubble, but they are well aware that the time must eventually come to an end. They approach their budding romance with maturity, and their story features a satisfying conclusion. Despite its slow, uneventful plot, LOVE, LITERALLY is an endearing romance novel with levelheaded, likable protagonists.
Full of realistic conversation and relationship development, J.T. Tierney’s LOVE, LITERALLY is a slow but sweet romance.
~Aimee Jodoin for IndieReader