Sweet Home Alaska by Jennifer Snow
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Sweet Home Alaska in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
I was supposed to write this review last week, but instead I kept staring at my computer screen, hoping the words would write themselves. With a heavy sigh I now sit at my desk while my lunch slowly burns to a crisp. I have to write this review someday.
It appears I’m not really in the mood for any romance novels lately, since all the ones I have had to read for the Mass Market Summer Romance Reads blog tours have left me kind of unimpressed.
The Details
Sweet Home Alaska begins with descriptions of ice cold water, hyperthermia and the Alaskan coastline. Sorry, but that really doesn’t sound very summer-y.
The protagonist is a bit of a mystery to me. She is introduced as someone who appears to have to desire to gain people’s respect and acceptance. Why? I have to stop for a minute and ask myself, if I feel like opening that can of worms.
Oh, what hell! Here it goes:
She is worried that people won’t treat her with the respect she deserves, because she chose the same career path as her father and grandfather before her. So what? If this were a story with a male protagonist, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
She still had to work hard to succeed. Who cares what people think. You might wonder what this has to do with a romance novel. I had the same question. The story begins with everything that is the opposite of a promise of a summer romance read.
On top of that the author is very inconsistent with the development of the protagonist. She works hard to earn respect, but all of a sudden goes all ga-ga when she sees her ex…from high school.
Both characters appear incredibly immature in their pursuit of love…? Acting like high school kids hyped up on hormones while they explore their feelings for each other isn’t really the greatest plot. I’m not sure why I should care.
The writing is repetitive. Already in the first chapter or two we get to read about her insecurities over and over again. We get it. She’s got issues. Don’t we all.
The Verdict
Overall, Sweet Home Alaska is just not for me. I had hoped for more.
About the Author
Jennifer Snow is a USA Today bestselling author and screenwriter of contemporary romance and thrillers. Her novels have won awards and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. Mistletoe & Molly, a romcom adapted from her novella, aired on UPTV and Super Channel, and she has four new films airing in 2022. A Canadian living in Torrevieja, Spain, with her husband and son, she loves to travel and spend time near the ocean. More information can be found at jennifersnowauthor.com
