Helpful Score: 1
Sometimes it isn't just the book itself, but the time or circumstances in which you are reading it that makes a book go "click." Amid the very depressing and isolating Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, I gave up on reading my more serious book club books... Because after all, my book club isn't even going to get to meet. I had "The Love Letter" on my shelf, had read a few books by Riley in the past, and thought this was just what I needed. And it was. It's not serious. It's just simply well written, entertaining, and a rollicking good story that combines romance, intrigue, suspense, mystery, all surrounding a 70-year-old secret. The characters are well-drawn and it's easy to like them and understand their points of view. Given the nature of the fictional secret, it's no wonder that the book was originally published to a lukewarm if not outright disapproving response. I'm glad circumstances changed that allowed Riley to resurrect the novel. Because at bottom, it was just great entertainment. If you paid attention, many but not all of the developments were foreseeable, but I suspect I was maybe paying greater than average attention because I wanted to escape into the book, given the nature of life in 2020. And by no means all of the developments were foreseeable. Riley came up with some pretty satisfying plot twists at the end. I think if you take the book for what it is meant to be (pure escapist entertainment and nothing else), then "The Love Letter" will prove an enjoyable read. Don't make it out to be something it is not, and you won't be disappointed.
