#BookReview: Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl, Melissa de la Cruz

Synopsis: Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence.

1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration—museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself!

But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: ⭐
My Review: This one reminded me of the new Little Women movie that came out not to long ago.  Its the first redone movie of this title that I just didn't care for. And sadly this title was the same way.  It felt very over the top in its doing and I just couldn't get into it.  I didn't feel any connection with anything. 

We all know the story of Little Women and we all know where Jo ends up. This story just felt like it was trying far to hard to shove these two together when we all know that they don't go.  I felt like it could have been such a great story if it would have followed what the others of it kind have done.  But as it sits right now I just have to say that it wasn't for me at all.  The characters were all there but the story itself just didn't work out at all.  

I felt like this was a fan fiction that went the wrong way and I don't know if those who truly love the story of Little Women will enjoy this one.  I know I did not. 

Review

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

"A richly imagined look at grief, creativity, and authorship that infuses the beloved characters with new life." --Publishers Weekly

"Clever, satisfying and well-researched . . . Romantics will swoon." --Shelf Awareness

"Stohl and de la Cruz capture the spirit of Alcott, a notable feat . . . The quick pace and inspired plot are gripping and emotional, with twists that will keep the audience engaged. Fans of classics, romance, and feminism will be glad to see that Jo March has not lost her feisty essence. New readers and admirers of the original will cheer." --School Library Journal

"Stir(s) feelings of nostalgia." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Margaret Stohl is a #1 New York Times bestselling nerd, world-builder, video game creator, comic book writer, and festival founder. As an award-winning young adult author, she has been published in fifty countries and thirty-two languages and has sold more than ten million books worldwide. She has published fifteen novels and graphic novels, as well as contributed to several games and countless comics since her debut. Some of her best known works include the Beautiful Creatures series, the Black Widow: Forever Red duology, the ongoing Mighty Captain Marvel comic, and the Life of Captain Marvel miniseries. Learn more at mstohl.com and follow Margie on Twitter @mstohl and on Instagram @margaret_stohl.

*****

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Publishers Weekly internationally bestselling author of many critically acclaimed books for readers of all ages, including the Alex & Eliza trilogy, Disney's Descendants novels, the Blue Bloods series, and the Summer on East End series. Her books have sold over eight million copies, and the Witches of East End series became an hour-long television drama on the Lifetime network. Visit Mel at melissa-delacruz.com and follow her on Twitter @MelissadelaCruz and on Instagram @authormelissadelacruz.

Did you know that comments are DELICIOUS? Well they are and if you comment on any of these posts you could win some awesome goodies! 

Don't forget to check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and out other social media found on the side bar! 

 Disclaimer: "All opinions are 100% honest and my own."  Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information. Buying via these links allows my site to get a % of the sale at no cost to you. 

FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored. 

Posted in: 1 Star, BookishFirst, G.P. Putnam, Review, Young Adult