Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams: A Delightful Fairytale for the Modern Age

Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams
Published: June 13th, 2019 (August 8th in North America) Publisher: Avon Genre: Romantic comedy # of pages: 368
My rating: 5 stars Acquired this book via Netgalley in exchange for honest consideration. All opinions are my own. Goodreads Buy now: Amazon Canada || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Chapters/Indigo What if you almost missed the love of your life?
Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine.
Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.
One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper: To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?
So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.

Do you ever pick up a book at what feels like the exact right time? By that I mean the story and characters resonate with you and where you’re at in your life, it feels like it’s riddled with messages that are for you, and it just feels like you were meant to read this book? That’s what Our Stop felt like for me. I was on Goodreads one day and happened to see a friend was reading it and had got an eARC from Netgalley. I checked Netgalley, surprised to find it still available, requested it without much expectation, and was ecstatic when I was approved. And then I started reading and I had that rare and wonderful feeling of ‘Ohh, okay. This book was meant for me.’ Talk of things happening for a reason, being meant to be, and mentions of the Law of Attraction will always catch my attention, and when they’re paired with a story that’s witty, thought-provoking, romantic, and engaging, it’s a clear winner for me. This book was different from a lot of the British romcoms/chick lit I’ve read. Most of the ones I’ve read can be described as sweet and light, with little to no swearing, no sex, and while they may tackle some heavier real-life topics, they tend to remain mostly fluffy (which is in no way a bad thing - I’m here for the fluff!). But Our Stop was the opposite of the books I’m used to and what I expected this book to be. The characters were smart, modern, and complex, and not only dealt with real issues but talked about them too. Among other things, this book touched on topics like feminism, consent, grief, how men and ‘masculinity’ are perceived, and the female characters talked about things you rarely see talked about, like periods, body hair, and honest discussions about sex. Every time I came to those sections, I would just stop and think ‘Wow. Yes. This is what I want to see more of in books.’

Our Stop was a charming, delightful, hopeful read. It was witty, honest, emotional, and so romantic. By the time I finished reading, I had a big dopey smile on my face and tears in my eyes. It was exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it. I look forward to reading more from Laura Jane Williams!

Have you read Our Stop? What's the last book that pleasantly surprised you?

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