Reading People’s Emails

5 Stars

Attachments is the second Rainbow Rowell book that I’ve read this year, and while I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Fangirl, it hit closer to home for me because up until very recently, I used to read other people’s emails for a living too, just like Lincoln, and just like him, that’s not what the was in the job description. I worked on an email records system, but sometimes it didn’t work well, and sometimes I’d have to read emails to see where they would go to fix it. (Okay, this happened every day) I did not want to read people’s emails. I learned WAY too much about the people I worked with. And rarely did they end up having the charm of Beth and Jennifer’s emails.

Beth, Jennifer and Lincoln work in a newsroom. Lincoln starts reading the email of Beth and Jennifer and starts falling for Beth. Beth has been dating a musician for a long time, but he won’t marry her. When they break up, Lincoln sees an opening to talk to her and admit his feelings, but how can he admit that he’s been reading her email? I thought the parts where Lincoln kept trying to run into Beth but didn’t and ran into Jennifer without knowing who she was were a nice nod to classic romantic tropes, but I was glad that Lincoln and Beth finally connected in the theatre because his behavior was starting to get a little too creepy stalker for me. I thought the side story of Lincoln trying to grow up  and move out of his mother’s house and find a job he could be happy with was a nice story too.  I loved Lincoln’s mother’s character, she reminded me of my mother-in-law. She just didn’t want her son to grow up.

I liked this book a lot, and I can’t wait to read the next book from Rainbow Rowell. And just like Lincoln, I’m very happy that I don’t have to read other people’s emails for a living anymore!