CLP Blog Tour: Ripple the Twine

Hello and welcome to a CLP Blog Tour stop for Ripple the Twine! I really enjoyed reading this novel by Jenn Flynn-Shon.

Here's what it's all about:

A Tomboy-meets-Townie love story and tale about how friendship can save your life.

Sara Quinn is a Sportswriter from Boston and over the past year she has started to earn major respect in the local market. In the process, however, she abandoned her personal relationships and put her emotions in the box. Regardless of her self-imposed timeout, a friend introduces her to Ben. With blue eyes, black hair and a brogue, he's her ultimate triple threat. But they connect just as Sara learns that her friends are facing heavy emotional crises. She starts offering advice, becoming a rock for everyone else, and in the process Sara unearths her own long dormant insecurities. But a bag of peanut butter cups and a hockey game won't fix her issues. She's got to move past her emotional past without hiding behind her career for once. She needs her friend's support as much as they need hers and the four will quickly discover that, when they stick together, their offense is virtually unstoppable.

This was one of those books that I loved while reading it and didn't want to put it down. It wasn't until afterwards that I started seeing a few issues. For one, there was way more description and less dialogue than I liked. There were whole (albeit short) chapters that didn't have a single piece of dialogue. Instead of conversations I got descriptions. I think that it made the story just a little bit less personal.

I also didn't really feel like there was much drama. That's not to say the story was boring because I really did enjoy it. I just felt like there was something missing - particularly in the romance between Ben and Sara. Did it bother me because I'm so used to drama filled stories? Or did I feel like I needed a bit more excitement because I was putting in the time to read the book? I'm not really sure but I don't think this is a deal breaker, just something to think about.

All that being said, I really liked reading this one. I was interested in Sara's life - particularly when it came to her job. It was fun to see how her life as a freelance sports writer worked. I'm a sports fan and a pretty laid back female, like Sara, so I really connected with her. This definitely increased my appreciation for this book!

I loved how close Sara was to her friends. Even though she had realized she had been a bit distant because of work (and honestly, that happens to all of us at some point or another), she is always there for her friends when they need her. And boy do they need her in this book. I feel like they had way more issues than she did in the novel and that she always had to be there to pick up the pieces. I'd definitely want her for a friend.

Overall, I really liked reading Ripple the Twine by Jenn Flynn-Shon. There were some minor issues but nothing that really deterred from my enjoyment of the book. I think many other chick lit lovers would enjoy this novel as well - even if they're not sports fans.

PS If you're curious about what "ripple the twine" means, like I was, it relates to hockey (no surprise there). It means scoring a goal!

Happy reading :)