Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Bailey "Mink" Rydell is the insecure cool version of me. Bailey has this very me, very introverted way of life. She basically runs from all her problems. Got a problem, avoid it. Don't want to deal with parents divorce? Avoid one of the parents. Don't want to meet someone you've been talking to online in real life, go looking for him while he thinks you are somewhere else because that's what a super secure person does.

Bailey lives with her mom and stepdad or boyfriend... can't remember. Her mom dumped her dad and he's living in California. To avoid any awkwardness Bailey doesn't really see or talk to her father even when he was the victim in all of the mom's shenanigans! I understand why Bailey would avoid her father though. Being uncomfortable sucks.

Eventually, her mom starts fighting with her now husband/boyfriend (you decide) so Bailey decides to go live with her dad in California. Also fueling this move is Alex, the boy she's been talking to online. A boy who makes her laugh and shares her interest in old movies. He's been trying to get her to see a classic movie with him at this festival? or something like that (wow, everything is escaping me when it comes to this book) Any who, she decides not to tell him she's coming to live with her dad to try to find him on her own. Basically, to scope him out in real life like you would do on google after meeting someone special. Things turn topsy turvy when she gets a new job at the strangest museum and becomes enemies with an infuriating boy (I wonder who that could be?). Feelings start happen but what you don't know (and the readers do) is that Alex is the infuriating boy - Porter Roth.

I loved the premise of the story. I thought it was awww! worthy. I didn't know how it was going to go when I knew from the beginning (based on the summary) that Alex was Porter. I was very curious and still am why the author made that choice. My guess is that it was obvious and they wanted the readers to feel suspense for the character not a love triangle. After reading everything, I didn't see the point to letting us know but on the other hand I might have felt differently the other way around. It could have felt fairly obvious. But the guessing and wondering is part of the fun!

Bailey's personality felt very relatable. I totally understood her perspective and fearfulness for new/uncomfortable situations. She still has it together more than me because she's got the guts to go for things (even though she's being pushed to do them) and she's got a style that I love. She loves classic movies (there are quotes in the beginning of every chapter) and the biggest thing I'm taking away from this book is that I want to watch some classic films. I've never watched or gotten into some good old films and that's a shame. Her old Hollywood style is very cute. It's no surprise that she goes into vintage shops to style herself.

Porter was very mysterious with his personality. You could tell based on Bailey's perspective that he was confused by the way she was acting towards him and he would get all revengey on her like putting her on the spot when she's a shy girl. Bailey of course would act completely different to what she normally does because he's the one. I enjoyed them together in the beginning. I know I am sounding somewhat snarky but I thought they were cute and enemies to lovers is a very cute trope.

Okay. So. The premise is great. I like the characters. It's very cute. BUT, I got bored.... Bored! I don't know if I just get bored of couples when they start getting together and I am used to TV dramas breaking them up and putting them back together fifty million times OR it got too long. For me, whenever couples get together it feels like their personalities change. At least it felt that way with Porter. He wasn't so mysterious anymore. He was actually rather sweet. But, I don't know. He felt blah. He acted stupid sometimes. He just didn't do it for me anymore. It's also such a long book. I wanted to skim so badly which was surprising because the first half was so good. A lot of it came down to them being in a relationship, Porter acting stupid, drama for no reason at the end, and there needed to be cuts to make this shorter. Long books are great IF they keep you interested.

This is a book that I enjoyed a good portion of. So you could have been better Alex, Approximately. You could have been better.

On that note, what is your favorite classic movie? Is enemies to lovers the best trope? Let me know in the comments.

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