I’m not 100% sure that the intended audience, twenty somethings, would have watched or be familiar with all the 80s romcom classics but I appreciated their inclusion anyway. The plot, its conflict and resolution does not rely completely on the romance at all and there is lots more humour, poignancy and heartwarming moments to enjoy.

I must point out that if you’re not a huge romance fan, I think you’d still enjoy this book. Luckily Allsopp managed to balance this out with some sweet, more traditional romcom scenes. There were parts which I found distressing in relation to the representation of psychological domestic abuse. The romance part of the book was very contemporary. At the very least she has OCD and her reliance on routine is so strong that the mere idea of acting spontaneously and following wherever the clues lead her is, therefore, an extremely big deal and shows how hopeless she’s feeling. Her relationship with her boyfriend too has hit a bump in the road and, in a bit of a crazy and desperate moment, Rory decides to let her personal and professional life be directed by the NY Times crossword and the answers to its clues.Īlthough it is not specified, Rory most likely has undiagnosed autism. Rory is a journalist working at a Sydney newspaper who, after a couple of years on the job, has never managed to find a story to promote her further than compiling the classifieds and the weekly tv guide crossword. If you find this book for free, you’re a big rom-com fan, and you don’t sweat characterisation too much, then give it a crack. Overall not the best read of the year but I can see what’s in it for others. Has this author ever actually heard a conversation take place? It’s hard to tell. The dialogue was so unreal and managed to make me feel like the characters had less going on in their heads than when they weren’t speaking. But every time I got to a point of enjoying this book, a conversation would happen and remind me why I wasn’t enjoying this read. That being said there were some enjoyable bits, and though I did consider putting this one down halfway through, I was drawn back by the curiosity of what happens next. It was almost ridiculous enough to come back around to being good, but never quite struck the right level of ludicrous and ended up just sitting in a strange mix between farce and contemporary that was a bit off putting.

The premise of Love and Other Puzzles is excellent - a woman lets the NYT crossword dictate her life choices for a week - but the execution was sadly a let down. This was actually kind of fun and really silly but I cannot in good faith recommend it because the dialogue was SO BAD. Many thanks to Harper Collins Australia for sending out a copy of the book. I giggled at Rorys’ boyfriend niche artwork of gastronomical creations with titles like Beetroot Potter, seriously! 😂🤣 There are many rom-com references throughout the story which I enjoyed although I’m embarrassed to say some just went over my head, I obviously don’t watch enough rom-coms. Her relationship is stuck in a rut and her career is not taking off, she’s no closer to reaching her five year goals which of course she has laminated. Rory usually likes everything in order and diarised, she’s regimental and not good at being spontaneous. Her life is falling apart so she decides to let The York Times Crossword puzzle dictate her decisions for a week - and doesn’t that go well! Love And Other Puzzles is a charming romance and Rory’s character fits perfectly.

I read this book as part of a fun readalong with Tandem Collective Global and a team of wonderful bookstagrammers! Love and Other Puzzles by Kimberley Allsopp was a hoot! If you need a book with a lot of wit and warm and fuzzy vibes this is a book for you. What could possibly go wrong?Ī delightfully witty, deliciously original and astringently refreshing romcom that reads like you're inhaling a zingy citrus cocktail made by Nora Ephron, at a party thrown by Dolly Alderton and Beth O'Leary. So why does everything feel so wrong?ĭeep down, she knows her life and career – not to mention her relationship – are going nowhere, and so Rory, in a moment of desperation, takes an uncharacteristic step: letting the clues of The New York Times crossword puzzle dictate all her decisions for a week. She walks her 12,000 steps a day, writes her to-do list, and each night she prepares her breakfast chia pods and lays out her clothes for the next day. Rory's life is perfectly predictable, ordered and on track – just the way she likes it. Ī witty, warm-hearted and appealing novel about how stepping out of our comfort zones can sometimes be the best – and worst – thing that can ever happen to us. Following the clues doesn't always lead you where you might expect.

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