Book Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

A Little Something Different

By Sandy Hall

Release Date: August 26, 2014

Source: Publisher

Summary: The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.  But somehow even when nothing is going on, somethingis happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship. 

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are ment to be together….

Review: I'm a sucker for a good romance, so when I read the summary for A Little Something Different, I knew it was a book I had to read. I was intrigued that the entire romance was told through perspectives other than the main couple. I couldn't wait to literally watch Gabe and Lea fall for each other…

As soon as they meet each other, Gabe and Lea see something in each other they can't seem to shake. And everyone else seems to see it too. From their creative writing teacher to the bus driver, everyone can see the chemistry Gabe and Lea have with each other. Too bad relationships just aren't that easy. Gabe has a secret that has left him shy and scared to do something about his feelings for Lea and Lea is too confused by Gabe's mixed signals to take their relationship to the next step. But if everyone sees that they're meant to be, surely they will too…

First off, I just have to say how darn cute this book was. While it wasn't the most complex novel there is, I loved watching Gabe and Lea develop a relationship through the eyes of everyone around them. This book is like a people watcher's heaven; you get to watch from the outside as Gabe and Lea skirt around each other because they're so unsure of how the other feels. We get to hear both of their insecurities and uncertainties as they confide in their best friends, whose perspectives we are able to see.  What I love about that, also, is the fact that we really get to know not only Gabe and Lea, but everyone else in their lives too. I loved how Gabe's friends got to know Lea's friends and how secondary relationships started to form through that as well. While I wasn't a fan of the passages from the perspectives of the bench and the squirrel because it made the story seem a bit too juvenile, I thought the mix of the other perspectives was charming and perfect for Gabe and Lea's romance. 

A Little Something Different was definitely a simple and quick read, but sometimes that's just what you need. Lea and Gabe aren't that couple that have a super intense attraction and instantly get together. No, they awkwardly work at it for almost a year, but watching them fall for each other is just too cute not to love. I really enjoyed how they were encouraged by their teacher in creative writing class, a sweet waitress at the dinner, and even the baristas at Starbucks. So much goes into a relationship and A Little Something Different explores the world around a relationship and how sweet falling in love can really be.