Cara Bastone’s Seatmate and Sweet Talk – Book Review – Before the review, let me tell you something, if Cara Bastone is writing it, I AM MOST DEFINITELY LISTENING TO IT! When I heard Call Me Maybe, I was spellbound by her writing style and the plot of the audiobook but listening to these two books of the series, I am just in love with her work! The way all her characters turn out to be the walking green flags is disgustingly sweet.
Sweet Talk is the second book in the “Love Lines” series. It is about Vera’s brother, Eliot Hoffman, who, oh, so sweetly happened to be a secret writer for the most popular webcomic. If you have heard Call Me Maybe, you’d vividly remember him. Because of his dyslexia, he happened to write her name as some jumbled words when they exchanged their numbers. And while our very own Jessie had a tiny winy micro MAJOR crush on Eliot, she was just scared to tell him about it. (You know my no-spoiler oath! Just go and listen, please!!! I just need someone to talk about the book ToT)
So one night, Eliot mistakenly texted her while he meant to text his sister. When he realized his mistake, he did apologize but both insomnia became the reason for their daily late-night chatting which in very less time ended up being late-night calls. And their little game of scoring and losing points, while he tries to recognize or impress her, is just incredible!
I mean I haven’t read or listened to anything this fun in a long while (apparently I have been running away from reading in the past year but that is a story for another time). Simultaneously interesting part is how he made fun of the building superintendent and himself in front of her not knowing who she really is and the level of embarrassment he finds himself after the revelation. XD I am totally out of words how should I explain this but it is just incredible.
And while she knew who he is and called him by his last name Hoffman, he chose to call her by the last 2 letters of the jumbled words he saved her number as, J.D. It was kinda funny how even when I got to know her real name and he called her Jessie, I was expecting him to call her JD because for the whole 5 hours, that was her name to me and I couldn’t bring myself to call her Jessie. She just became JD for me. Another spoiler alert – when stopped talking, HE FEATURED HER IN HIS WEBCOMIC JUST SO SHE WOULD TALK TO HIM! I mean who does that? ToT
You just need to hear the book to know what I am talking about and I am dead sure you are going to love it totally! Like, loved it from start to end, from top to bottom!
Oh and special kudos to the narrators! They are such perfect fits for the characters. Their squeals, their laugh, their voice, they’re just utterly perfect! I can just cry with the smile and blush I had while listening to it! If I word scream would you even hear me? Naah, I would probably sound like the male characters of her books, they’re so cute and perfect! AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, coming back, the third book in the series is “Seatmate”. And would you believe me if I told you the entire 17 chapters of the book are about ONE AFTERNOON they spent together? THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER IN JUST ONE AFTERNOON?
So Seatmate is a story about Vera’s friend Sam Champion who is the cutest momma’s boy you can ever know! He visits every month to meet his mother, he calls his mother at every possible convenience and inconvenience, does everything she asks even if he at some points does not agree with it or does not like it, just for the sake of her happiness. You know, that perfect gentleman kinda person, he’s just that!
Coming to talk about Gwen Cellar – she is an online blogger who loves to travel and loves to know about strange stories about strangers, the jewellery they wear, the style they opt for, and all the interviewing stuff.
They met on their way back home on a bus and talked like the world was ending. Like the entire ride, they didn’t have a single moment of silence and the level of second-hand embarrassment that I had for both of them is just… I don’t know, cute as well as embarrassing and funny at the same time. I just know it kept me smiling for a straight 5-hour span, up until the very end.
Honestly, I have so much to say and yet nothing to say at the same time. Can you please listen to the book and let me know what’s your take on it? ToT
Oh and drop me a DM on Instagram to let me know your views on these books. I’d love to hear your thoughts!🥹
Till then, checkout other reviews at Read With Sonal.