THE OPTIMIST

A perpetually unlucky-in-love optimist goes to wacky lengths to find Mr. Right.

Tabitha Gray didn’t have the best role model when it came to healthy relationships. Her parents split up when she was young, and her glamorous but unpredictable mother spent the years afterward chasing love. She was happy when she was in a relationship, but when things would inevitably go sour, she’d get drunk and cynical. Tabitha becomes convinced that if she could find love for herself, her mother would see that an ideal relationship is possible. The only problem is that the perfect man is a bit harder to find than Tabitha hoped. But she won’t give up easily! She throws herself into any situation that might produce a romantic-comedy–worthy meeting: a martial arts class where the passion of fighting could lead to a passionate affair, a long flight where she could fall in love with her seatmate, or a library where she could find romance among the stacks. Of course, as is the tradition of romantic comedies, Tabitha might find out that real love never required going to such great lengths—her perfect man might be right under her nose. The premise—a woman willing to do anything to find her dream guy—sounds like a perfectly amusing rom-com. However, in execution the story is often quite hard to follow. Tabitha’s narration frequently veers off on tangents or stories from the past, and her seemingly stream-of-consciousness rambles make it difficult to find the plot. Like many rom-com heroines, Tabitha is bright, fun, and more than a little clueless. However, her lack of filter often leads to thoughts and comments that are less hilarious than they are selfish and mean. It’s hard to root for her, find her relatable, or laugh with her when she’s doing things like accosting a naked old man in a spa shower (breaking his nose in the process) or following a stranger into an airplane bathroom in an attempt to join the mile-high club. When Tabitha’s well-earned happily-ever-after comes, it’s actually quite sweet…but readers may wish more time was spent on developing that relationship instead of on Tabitha’s antics.

A romantic comedy without much romance or comedy.