Some people have friends with benefits. You have sex with benefits.
I had plans for today. I had appointements to honor and things to check off a list. Those plans and promises have been derailed by a book. A book I also had plans for. I started this book you see, “My Oxford Year” by Julia Whelan, expecting some light fluff and a way to help pass time in between the things I’ve intented to do today.
Except instead of this book becoming my instrument to help pass time, I became the book’s plaything. I couldn’t put it down(still can’t, my kindle needed a charge, drat!). I’ve spent a whole morning—phone turned off, sorry responsibilites— frantically reading, immersed in a world of poetry and English lit references, playful banter and dry humor, taking on a delightful journey of self-discovery through Ella’s smart and witty point of view. Oh and what of the romance you say? Well, I’m only (already) at 63% and what has started sweet, sexy and exciting is becoming… angsty. Serious. Hopeful.
Julia Whelan‘s storytelling has me spellbound and entirely too eager to ignore any remnant of real life peppering in. I just want to savour the exquisite tale of Ella and Jamie.
I’m off now, surely my kindle is charged enough!?
…In that voice, he asks, “Shall we?” and you know you’ll never stop answering yes to that question.
…To truly experience a poem, you need to feel it. A poem is alive, it has a voice. It is a person. Who are they? Why are they?
Reading poetry is a conversation of feeling between two people. It shouldn’t answer anything, it should only create more questions, like any good conversation.
It’s not lust; lust you could understand. It’s appreciation. It comes with a nearly imperceptible smile when he looks at you and he thins you can’t see him. It’s the appreciation that separates him from all the other boys you’ve been with. It’s the appreciation that makes him a man.
Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.
American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.
When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.
Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.
Author : Julia Whelan
Title : My Oxford Year
Series : –
Number of pages : 352
Publisher : William Morrow (Harper Collins)
Release Date : April 24th, 2018
Genre : Contemporary
Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, life-long actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master. When not writing her own books, you can find her reading other people’s out loud into a microphone.
Thank you SO much!
And thank you for bringing these characters into my life. I finished the book earlier this morning. Had to take a break last night because it really became personal at one point, Jamie’s experience and Ella’s support, but wow. Left me full of hope. Loved it.
Really looking forward to this one!
Leigh, I know you’re going to adore this one. I know it. x