Approximately, Alex

I really enjoyed this book! Honestly, it's not one that I would normally pick up on my own, because I'm not much of a contemporary reader, but I'm really glad I read it, anyway! It's reminiscent of a modern day Shop Around the Corner scenario where two people become friends over the internet and don't know who each other is when they meet in real life. It was a fun, unique story that I would definitely recommend!

Really good summer read. It was light-hearted and funny. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me interested without the heart-wrenching drama that normally is associated with a YA teen romance novel.
Although I do feel like the back cover summary gives away the biggest twist of the book. Would have been nice to figure it out as I read the book.

OMG this book scared me! I was so looking forward to it, and when I started it something just wasn't clicking for me. But I'm happy to report once I got a little farther in, I was totally hooked and in love.

ALEX, APPROXIMATELY is a winner with its charming romance and delightful voice--you won't be able to put it down until the end, and even then you'll be looking for more pages.

You'll root for Bailey and Porter. How many other ships can say they caught a thief (twice!), took a compatibility quiz, and got locked in a museum overnight? And that's on top of all the mistaken identity. This book is a fun, enjoyable hoot. Porter has some great lines, and knows how to bribe Bailey with food cookies, and is all around too swoony for his own good. GUARD YOUR HEARTS.

I was surprised to find this book has a good deal of trauma in it. Bailey in particular has a dark backstory you'll be able to piece together fairly easy, and the effects that event still haunt her today. There's a heartfelt moment on the beach during a bonfire that shredded my feels. Porter, too has some trauma he deals with, and while his arc isn't as in depth as Bailey, there's a scene between her and his mom that got me. I really, really love to see accurate and nuanced portrays of trauma in books, and thought this one to be to done well.

Oh, also!! Bailey's dad is a sweetheart. They have a great dynamic. So do Porter and his family, so basically all the family stuff was great. Everything was great! The ship was great, the voice was great, the little clues that point to Alex/Porter that Bailey couldn't see were great, the side characters were great... you get my point. I can't wait until this is out and I can get my own copy + throw it at everyone!

I thought this was totally adorable and a definite page-turner. I read it in three, 100 page chunks, so it was pretty addictive. I loved Bailey's style and her somewhat mysterious back story. I also enjoyed the chemistry, bickering and no conventional romance. It was sweet, cute, sexy and interesting. A great YA romance.

What a great love story!!! Bailey and Porter are as enjoyable, ok more, as Mink and Alex. They rile each other up and spar fantastically! When the flames smolder and develop into true feelings...that's the magic.

Loooooved this book. My ONLY critique is that we remain unaware of Bailey's mom.

Wholly recommend this to all ages!

I absolutely LOVED this book!!!!!!! Granted, it did take me a few chapters to really get into it but once I did, I had a very hard time putting it down. I truly loved the characters of Bailey & Porter. Geez, I wish I had friends like that when I was growing up. They are both perfectly damaged in their own ways! There was a point, when they really started to fall for each other, that I actually jumped up & down on my bed & clapped ... I was SO happy for their characters! The author did a superb job of explaining their feelings ... I was there, I was in it, 100%!!! I would recommend this book for sure. Yes, it's a YA book but that takes nothing away from how great it is!!!!!!! I kind of want there to be a sequel. I swooned over this love story.

Such a good summer read! Bailey is a great female lead, not your usual teenage girl. She is totally relatable. All the relationships, friendships, and characters in the book feel so real and colorful. I loved the world this author created. Great, fun, and easy read even if you aren't a young adult. Loved it!! Looking froward to reading more from this author.

My (Christi- Mom's) Review:

This is another joint review between my daughter (11 yo) and me...and yes, I'm well aware that some of the subject matter in this book was a little old for her, but we have a very open dialogue about any questions/concerns she might have. She's extremely mature for her age and writing her own stories, so I'm fine with her reading this type of older book, especially as I know the exact context of the details in the story since I'm reading the books along with her, too.

My first thought when I finished this book was dang, that was so good. There towards the end, I cried and I laughed and I finished the book with a big, wide smile on my face. In my opinion, that makes this a fabulous story that I most definitely got completely swept up into.

There were so many things that I truly loved about this book, but first and foremost has to be the setting. I've never been to California, but if I ever go...I want to go to THIS TOWN! It was so quaint and picturesque. I loved the boardwalk, and the little shops, and the quacky cave museum (seriously I want to go there), and the film festival, and the churro carts, and the surfing and beach scenes. All of it sounded just so picturesque and quaint.

And then there's Bailey...who had just as much style as the town. I loved her Vespa with the leopard print seat and her 40's rockabilly style. I want to be her...seriously. She was awesome. But I also loved getting to see her evolve. She starts out the book stating flat-out...she's an avoider...a dodger. She doesn't want to stand out, get involved, have the spotlight on her. But she's the new girl and that takes a certain amount of courage to get out there and make new friends. She has a GREAT character arc.

I loved the fact that Bailey and Porter connected before she moved there (and that's not a spoiler because it's in the story description). The anticipation of it all coming out was fantastic, but the actual event was even more emotional than I ever expected it to be (I mentioned tears AND laughing, right?) So, yeah, I pretty much loved this book. I hope to reread it over and over again.

And now I'm totally in the mood to rent some of the classic movies...how have I never seen The Philadelphia Story? I think Kat and I need to have a girls' classic movie day. Note...I loved, loved, loved all the movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Seriously, you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!! It's just so much fun!

Kat's Review (11yo):

Ok so this book made me feel so many emotions throughout the time I was reading it. When I’m on the verge of jumping up in down screaming because something romantic happened you know I’m reading a really good book.

I was so intrigued into this book form the moment I read the first chapter. I mean Bailey is just my kind of girl. She’s so curious, kind, smart, funny, and just a little bit geeky at times. She is just the kind of girl who you can relate to so easily.

This book over all was so amazing and relatable! I very highly recommend this book and give it 10/10!

I LOVED this book! And I particularly loved the way the plot unfolded. Let me explain... The summary tells you who is Alex, so, if you read the blurb before settling into the book, you're almost in on the secret. You get little quirks and tidbits that come along with knowing something the characters don't. It's not a spoiler, per say, and I really enjoyed this aspect about the book—knowing why Porter freaks out, that the whale watcher wasn't Alex, that the guy Bailey loathe at the start is the guy she's fallen for online. It makes it all that much more interesting and made me want to keep reading until everyone knew the secret I knew from the start.

As for the actual story. I also loved it (you'll find there was little about this book I disliked, if anything at all). Bailey is such an interesting person with her love for old movies, and her backstory was well flushed out and not unrealistic. I like how Bennett created the little town around the story and felt like I was in that world when reading. Porter was also quite complex. He's not just another surfer boy. He has a past with Davy and the shark attack (and rescue). But he also loves old movies, which you wouldn't expect from the outside. Then there's Grace, who is a great secondary character and friend to Bailey. She provides the support she needs as a newbie to town. However, I wish we got more of her story since all the other characters—from Mr. Roth to Davy—were flushed out more than hers. We get the bit with her boyfriend, but it seems incomplete.

Anyway, if you can't tell already, I adored this book and actually started to get sad when I realized I was getting towards the end. It'll definitely be one I come back to and read over and over again.

Now excuse me while I go watch You've Got Mail.

Bailey and Porter have such great chemistry and hilarious witty banter that will keep readers engaged throughout the novel. The dramatic irony of readers knowing that ‘Alex’ was really Porter was frustrating, because I wanted Bailey to figure it out already! But it worked. Definitely worked.
I liked that each chapter started off with a short movie quote on the top of the page. While I hadn’t seen all the movies, the quotes were a nice tie in to each chapter and kept the theme of the characters shared love of film present even in chapters when it wasn’t discussed.
As a character, I liked Bailey. She was a great narrator, smart and witty and I never found her especially whiny or annoying which was great. Her tragic backstory was fine, although I think it wasn’t absolutely necessary; however I understand why Jenn created that as a part of her character, so I’m cool with that. I also enjoyed the concept of Bailey being an ‘evader’, and how her character grows and matures throughout the course of the novel.
Porter was an engaging and interesting character as well. His past with Davy and traumatic surfing events fit in nicely with the overall arc of the story, and I liked that he wasn’t a ‘perfect’ love interest. At the start, and basically throughout the book, Porter and Bailey argue constantly, which was a nice change from most YA relationships starting out almost seamlessly.
I do wish that Bailey would have figured out that Porter was really ‘Alex’ sooner, but then the book would’ve ended a lot quicker, and I didn’t want that! I wanted to keep reading. Although I’m sure it’s more realistic that it would take her awhile because she’s certainly not even entertaining the idea that Porter could be ‘Alex’.
The supporting characters were awesome as well. For example, I loved Grace, Bailey’s new friend and coworker. She was super sweet but also really dedicated and loyal. Pangborn, Porter’s fellow security guard at the museum was also super sweet and helpful and just a good character. I also liked how Bailey’s relationship with her father evolved, and the good dynamic Porter has with his own family.
Overall, I really enjoyed the novel; it was definitely worthy of being on my immediate TBR! It’s a perfect summer read, with an amazing premise and great delivery. I want to go into film after college (more specifically, book publishing and film production!) so of course I had to read this book! I also loved the cover. The title is a bit blurry because ‘Bailey’ is the main focus, so it kinda makes me feel like I’m going blind, but other than that I love the design concept and it’s SO aesthetically pleasing.