My Oxford Year: A Novel

My Oxford Year wasn’t quite what I was expecting … not in a bad way. I promise that this sentence will make more sense as you read.

When I looked at the cover I was expecting a fluffy coming of age romance with a bit of drama. And essentially that’s what it is, but it is also something of an emotional rollercoaster of a read. Obviously the summary kind of gives you some clue as to the drama about to unfold, but apparently I missed the clues going in, so when the “big thing” is revealed I was a little … surprised? I think that’s the best word to use.

I’m a fan of Julia Whelan’s narration on my audible titles and when this book hit my radar I was immediately intrigued by the idea that she also writes books so I got a copy in my hands as quick as possible. Plus the idea of this story set in England at Oxford was a bonus! Ella Durran has known since she was 13 that she was going to be at Oxford someday, and receiving a Rhodes Scholar is the way she makes that happen. She will enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity, then she will turn around and go home and become the sweetheart of politics as she’s been planning for years. As she arrives in London, she’s presented with the opportunity to work on a rising star’s political campaign – her solution – she’ll attend Oxford and work the campaign from across the pond and when she goes home in June she’ll have a job waiting for her., but honestly that whole part of the story felt kind of out of place for me. I get it.. it gave her a reason to have to go home when her Rhodes is up, but it just felt like a mash-up of reasons why she ultimately was going to leave instead of a part of the actual story.

I liked Ella… I did. There were a few things about her personality that grated on me, but overall she’s a completely relatable character if a little.. bland. I kind of wanted to know her better and I think that is probably the one complaint I have about her specifically, I just wanted to get to know her more, which you would think the story is told from her POV would help with. Some pretty major revelations are touched on throughout, but then quickly relegated to a minor blip in the story and really didn’t allow me to get that much-needed information I like in order to ‘bond’ with a character..

I get the why of it throughout the first part of the story … the relationship that she embarks on with Jamie is supposed to be just a ‘friends with benefits’ type of thing – completely surface, so there’s little revealed amongst each other, but Ella didn’t really share any of her background with her newfound friends either, so how are we meant to get to know her? Plus Jamie and Ella aren’t going to get attached because there is no future, but that really makes it hard to become invested in their lives too, both together and apart. Whelan kind of breezes past 6 weeks of a ‘relationship’ where they are unwittingly falling for each other, and we don’t get to see or experience any of it other than the few interactions in the early stages and we’re just supposed to accept that the bond they have formed is deeper than either intended.

I liked Jamie… I did. (this sounds familiar) He totally comes across as this carefree guy who doesn’t have a care in the world when we first meet him and I kind of loved the first interactions he had with Ella. But then these things start happening and I started feeling another way about him… okay I was angry because WHY IS HE LYING ALL THE LIES?? Then I felt guilty when I found out why he was lying and then I was mad at Ella for being mad and it wasn’t pretty because then she did a thing and I was like WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU… I was confused about how I was supposed to feel. Obviously, Jamie has his reasons, but I felt that through the rest of the book he’s constantly making decisions based on how it will affect Ella rather than how it will effect him, and if ever there is a time to be selfish, it’s when your life is on the line. So that all kind of made me mad, plus there is this huge drama with Jamie’s father that really doesn’t make sense until a certain part of the story, and I’m sorry to say it, but I’m on his side I think!

Honestly, I was kind of emotionally spent when the big “life-changing” secret that Jamie had is revealed and you still have about 1/3 of the book left. So while the first part was lots of light-hearted making friends, having uncomplicated sex, drinking in pubs and just all around fun, the last part of this book really drags you down from that, and it’s such a huge change in tone from the first part that it kind of affected the rest of the read for me.

I’m not saying that that is entirely a bad thing, but it was just not what I was expecting when I started and so I was caught off guard by all these feelings I suddenly was having.

One of the things I absolutely loved was Whelan’s knowledge of England and Oxford and that showed in all her descriptions. I felt like I was experiencing it for the first time right alongside Ella. I love books set in England, I vicariously live through characters who get to travel internationally so that was a huge bonus in reading this.

I also thought the way that Whelan wrapped up the story was wonderfully done. Without giving anything away it was a nice way to end it and leave it up for reader interpretation and imagination to determine what came next for both Ella and Jamie.

Fans of Jo Jo Moyes will definitely enjoy this one, and if you don’t mind a little heartbreak and sadness with your Women’s Fiction (and who doesn’t really?) Definitely get this one in your hands and give it a go!

This is a story about love, family, loss and never giving up! It was full of feels and heartfelt to the last page read. It has some very funny laugh out loud moments too. The main characters Jamie Davenport and Ella, “from Ohio” were interesting and relatable and their love for literature brought them together in unexpected ways.

The secondary characters were very loveable and hilarious, just as I would imagine them to be as scholars at Oxford.

This was a very well written book, which flowed well. A very impressive debut by Julia Whelan. I loved everything thing about this book!

After all the glowing reviews... it wasn't that great. Some of it was entertaining, but there was too much going on in the world of stereotypes here and the story is not realistic. Big rich Casanova type guy really is not that way - he has a serious illness. The end falls flat. Glad I just borrowed it.

You know how our expectations are sometimes too high? Or, you expect something completely different and get something else and it's even better than what you were anticipating? It's the best feeling when a book does that. My Oxford Year surprised me, it totally blindsided me. Although I read the blurb it kind of slipped that it was compared to JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks. Anyway, let me tell you about this sparkling little gem that is My Oxford Year.

When Ella arrives in Oxford, jetlagged and, you know, a little freaked, the way you are when you are alone in a foreign country, her first encounters with Jamie leave her riled up, annoyed and...a tiny bit intrigued. When she finds out that he will be her professor for the term she doesn't see good things in their future. But a chance run-in on a night out in town is a complete game changer and this is where the fun starts.

Jamie and Ella are both highly intelligent characters. It's not just that the author says so, no, the way they talk to each other, the banter, their long conversations about poetry, Julia Whelan shows us that these are super-smart people. Their weapon of choice is a sharp tongue that can cut deep. Mostly used in humor though, I loved their witty retorts and comebacks so much and it's a testament to the author's own intelligence and wit. I want to be BFFs with Julia Whelan.

Jamie has this wonderfully dry humor that so resonates with me. He is kind, brave and endearing with his little quirks and I fell head over heels in love with him. He is the kind of complicated that makes a man charismatic. He is a contradicting mix of calm and storm and his tenderness is heart-achingly sweet. Jamie is unforgettable and will always hold a special place in my heart. Ella from Ohio is his American equivalent. There was one situation I felt my face getting red from anger because Ella acted cruelly but she came through in a big way so she had my forgiveness in the end.

Their connection is made of dislike and explosive chemistry from the get-go but these are equals on the battlefield of words. The combative basis of their relationship morphs soon into respect and affection, then love.

This author describes Oxford in vivid pictures, I could see Ella ride her bike through the streets of this charming town. Her description is a love declaration for Oxford.

Ella's journey is one of soul searching and while you watch Jamie and Ella growing into the best people they can be this book forces you to look at your own life. It invites you to do your own soul searching to become a better version of yourself. My Oxford Year will stay with me for a long time, my heart still constricts when I think about it. Julia Whelan intersperses a ton of humor so that the sadder parts don't feel depressing. I really appreciate that - I love my angst but I don't want to be overwhelmed with it. The story ends with a message that we all should take to heart - live today, live and love like there is no tomorrow. Life isn't about goals and targets, it's about the way to them and how you get there. And that your goals can change.

With its intelligent prose and witty banter this book will go on my top-favorites-2018 - shelf. It made me feel, laugh and think and I can't wait to discover what else Ms Whelan has in store for us readers.

I bought the paperback last week, but have been too busy to sit down and read it so I decided to use this month’s Audible credit on the audiobook. I’m soooo glad I did. Julia Whalen is so talented! Not only is she a fantastic narrator, but she can also write. I was hooked immediately and ended up making time to read it too. I laughed and cried. I loved all the characters. Such a wonderful book. I will definitely read it again (and listen too).

Okay. So that first part was ROUGH. But I genuinely liked this book. They make some reference that gives the entire thing away, but because I was excepting this to be like every other romcom, I didn’t catch it. Silly me. Still worth a read if you want a good love story.

Reminiscent of classic 90s rom-coms, My Oxford Year is utterly delightful. It finds the sweet spot between romance and women's fiction, putting together American Rhodes scholar Ella Durran and Oxford lecturer Jamie Davenport to tell a bigger picture story about choices and growth and life. The fling between them is just the conduit, almost the icing on the cake.

My Oxford Year is a must if you can't resist a British accent, 90s rom-coms and/or Victorian poetry. Ideal for fans of Jojo Moyes. I loved it.

I borrowed this from the library on a passing recommendation from a friend as, I too, had an Oxford year. My idea that it was going to be another light Chic Lit book with little substance was quickly proven wrong. While still a quick read, this book put all those other silly books to shame with its depth, intelligence and overall theme.

This book had me from the beginning. she captured me with every page. i will hold many things close to me from here on out. the BEST part for me is she didn't kill Jamie. Thank you so much for that. even though "we" know it was going to happen I was able to end the book in peace knowing he and Ella were still able to love.

Loved this story so much ! Lots of real memories for me, so that added to the story. An American girl on a Scholarship to study at Oxford for a year. Many adventures and great story line. It was a great summer read ! I rationed pages so I wouldn't read it straight through. Will probably reread it , and just enjoy!

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan was a surprising and entertaining contemporary romance that was very well written by Whelan in her debut novel. Ella Duran is an American fulfilling her lifelong dream of being a Rhodes Scholar and spending a year at Oxford, England. Ella has a rising political career in front of her, but she looks forward to her year studying English literature, her hobby. Just when she arrives, she receives a phone call offering her a position in a presidential campaign; they accept for her to do her scholarship and in her spare time, they can work together remotely. As Ella heads for Oxford, she is thrilled with her opportunity, and the experience of a lifetime going to Oxford. This started surprisingly so well, as I was enjoying Ella’s journey and her joy in both her future job, and her time spent in Oxford.

Her first day starts off badly when she meets an arrogant young man with his girlfriend, who was also drunk. To her surprise, the next day she finds out that the same man was one of her professors, which leads her to think perhaps she should change the class. But Ella also meets some friends, who will play a big part of her stay in England. Ella will run into Jaime again, and in a short time things will change, as they become friends and eventually lovers. Both Ella and Jaime just want to enjoy themselves, and not become committed; they were great together, with the fun banter between them.

With the support of Jaime, Ella manages to continue to work with her new bosses in America, giving ideas for the political campaign, and is thrilled in a short time when they offer her a full time job. While she looks forward to returning home, things will slowly change, as Ella falls in love with England and Jaime. When she finds out some truths that he hid from her, she must make life altering changes that could have so many tragic results. Ella’s own words say it all: “I came to Oxford looking for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience and I chose to experience a lifetime.”

To tell too much more would be spoilers, as it would ruin the story for you. Julia Whelan has written a wonderful story of life, love, experiences, decisions and how quickly things can change. Whelan also does an excellent job of bringing Oxford to life. I strongly suggest you read My Oxford Year.

This book had me from the beginning. she captured me with every page. i will hold many things close to me from here on out. the BEST part for me is she didn't kill Jamie. Thank you so much for that. even though "we" know it was going to happen I was able to end the book in peace knowing he and Ella were still able to love.