Word by Word

True confession. Before reading this book, I hadn’t read anything by Rainbow Rowell. I’ve heard the buzz, but I just hadn’t gotten to Fangirl and Landline. When Attachments popped up in my Kindle Daily Deals, the premise sounded intriguing and I couldn’t pass it up. I’m really glad I hit the “buy” button!

Not only is this a sweet story about taking a risk and trying to make a connection, it’s practically historical fiction with the Y2K drama and the early email/Internet workplace rules. I snickered more than once at the reminders about how paranoid 1999 leaders and IT people were about people not working and spending all their time on the Internet.

Here’s the gist of the story. Lincoln is almost 30 years-old and he’s back to living with his mom after finishing several college degrees and a heartbreak that still has him in shock. He’s landed a job he hates, reading the employee emails at a local newspaper. That’s right. He’s the creep who works nights and reads the emails for policy violations. He then sends out warnings to violators. He also happens to be working just as the calendar is switching from 1999 to 2000. One night, the emails of two female friends hit his violations folder. Jennifer and Beth send funny, charming and totally against policy emails to each other. And Lincoln can’t bring himself to get them in trouble. Instead, he begins reading them and he slowly develops feelings for Beth.

Every woman wants a man who’ll fall in love with her soul as well as her body. –Rainbow Rowell, Attachments

What I loved: While we get to know Jennifer and Beth through their emails, we’re really in Lincoln’s story. I loved getting the guy’s perspective in this sweet love story. As Lincoln’s back story is slowly revealed, it becomes clear that this hulking man is hurting. He’s been scarred by his last relationship and doesn’t know how to come back from it. And as we discover all the wonderful things about Lincoln, who struggles to see he’s worth something, we begin to inspect all of the relationships he has. His group of D&D friends, Doris his dinner companion at work, Eve his sister and his mother. I loved learning about all of these, but I believe the mother/son relationship was the most interesting to me. Now, a few years ago I would have been all in for the Beth/Lincoln story…and it was great. But, Lincoln’s relationship with his mother fascinated me. As a mom of a 9 year-old boy, I struggle with learning about his inner emotional world and how to have him share that with me. I may have over-identified with his mother when she said the quote below. In the end, there isn’t much I didn’t love about this book.

Why do you think I can remember that,” she asked, “when you can’t? Why does nature do that to us? How does that serve evolution? Those were the most important years of my life, and you can’t even remember them. You can’t understand why it’s so hard for me to hand you off to someone else. You want me to act casual.” –Rainbow Rowell, Attachments

Would I recommend?: Absolutely! Do you love a tender love story? This is for you. Do you like to read about someone overcoming hurt and loss? This is for you. Do you like funny characters and witty dialogue? This is for you. Do you want just a quick, heart-warming tale? This is for you. If you don’t want to be up late reading. This book isn’t for you!

Back list bonus: Honestly, this made me think of my guilty pleasure rom coms. While You Were Sleeping. You’ve Got Mail. It also made me think of Kristin Higgins, who writes some of my favorite funny romance. The characters were funny and witty, but vulnerable. Want a specific Higgins to read? Read them all! Trust me. You’ll thank me later.