F*ck Love

F*ck Love. Tarryn Fisher. Romance/New adult/Magic realism. 257 pages. 2015. 4 stars. [Source: Received through NetGalley]

“The best kind of love is the love that isn’t supposed to happen.”

I received this for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Helena Conway has fallen in love.
Unwillingly. Unwittingly.
But not unprovoked.
Kit Isley is everything she’s not—unstructured, untethered,
and not even a little bit careful.
It could all be so beautiful … if he wasn’t dating her best friend.
Helena must defy her heart, do the right thing, and think of others.
Until she doesn’t.

I’ve been seeing a good number of amazing reviews about this book so I took it upon myself to read it and I was surprised at how this novel seemed to have as much elements of magic realism as it did of contemporary/new adult!! (Magic realism can be referred to something which is normal to a people but is considered odd/not-so-normal by others.) 

I was sold the moment I saw the Dedication Page. Talk about savage.

This novel was mainly inspired by a dream that turned Helena’s world upside down. She dreams that she’s married to her best friend’s boyfriend, Kit, and has 2 children with him. It was a life that Helena never thought she wanted until it was taken away from her when she woke up. This, then, brings Helena to pay more attention to Kit and finds herself falling in love with him without knowing it until it’s too late.

As a sense of magic realism, I find it odd and somehow normal at the same time how a dream can completely change the views of a person at it did to Helena. As the story progresses, we find Helena losing grip of what she once thought was a life well-planned out! She’s taken on an adventure that not only changed her life, but the people around her as well.

The chapters are in #hashtag form and it was really nice to see how each #hashtag related to what was happening! It was easy to relate to the main character and I liked being inside her mind as I read along to the story. As a grammar freak, I particularly loved this part

“She captioned it: my little been. Been. As in I’ve been there. IF ONLY THERE’D BEEN SOMEONE TO PROOF THIS CAPTION.”

Sure, the novel had its funny moments, but it also had moments that completely broke my heart. We have a main character that is constantly torn between what she wants and what she deserves. Does she fight for the guy she loves or does she let him go because “he’s already made his bed and now should lie in it”? Her struggles were so intense that I felt genuinely bad that I had to read it in her perspective.

As great as the story is, there were some dragging parts where I admit to have skimmed. Other than that, I had a fun time reading this novel! Safe to say that this book was a #DartToMyHeart, put #StressInMyChest, and #PainInMyBrain. I recommend this book to anyone who is #sawi (#unfortunate) in the love department!

It’s also super quotable and I’ve put in some of my favorites! And by some I mean a lot.

P.S.
Muslim Black didn’t just inspire Helena Conway HE INSPIRED ME AS WELL DAMN SON I LEARNED MORE IN A CHAPTER THAN I DID IN MY 17 YEARS OF EXISTENCE.