Field Notes on Love is exactly what you would expect. It’s cute. It’s fluffy. It’s a quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the kind of book you seek out on a cold, winter day when you need some good vibes and miss the summer sun.

Hugo just broke up with his long-time girlfriend and is stuck with a non-transferable trip to the US of A. He needs to find someone with the exact same name as his ex so he can go on a trip of a lifetime and get away from his big, bustling family for the first time. So he does what anyone would do, he puts an ad on the internet. YAY.

Mae is an aspiring filmmaker. Unfortunately she didn’t get into the program of her dreams so she has a lot to prove to herself and the world about her filmmaking skills. When she sees Hugo’s ad for a trip companion, she decides she needs to get out of her comfort zone and embark on an adventure.

When the two meet, they hit off even though it is a bit of an awkward situation. As they travel across the country, they meet lots of new people and in turn learn more about what it is they want in the long run.

I think, in situations like these, when the premise is unoriginal and tropes are abundant, the way a book stands out is on the basis of the kind of relationships the characters have with the people around them. The secondary characters infuse a new life to the tropes and help make the book distinct.

In the case of Field Notes On Love, Mae’s relationship with her grandmother and Hugo’s relationship with his siblings really help make the book unique and all the more delightful. While these characters don’t have as much page time, they do have a significant presence in the thoughts of the main characters and their lives in general so we get a really good feel for them. THEY ARE ALL WONDERFUL and supportive and I wish I could hang out with them.

Overall, Field Notes for Love is an entertaining read if not a particularly memorable one. I’d definitely recommend it with a nice cup of hot cocoa on a cold, winter day (or a cold, rainy day.)

I was disappointed when I couldn't get into Jennifer E. Smith's Windfall last year, but Field Notes on Love was a delight from beginning to end. I just loved this feel-good romance between Hugo, a British boy who is a sextuplet and yearns for independence and Mae, an American girl who is trying to figure out why she was rejected from film school. Unlikely circumstances bring these two together on a train journey across the U.S., and everything about the story just works. It's emotional, and a bit sentimental, but also funny, and despite being a bit hard-to-believe, completely real. The film project the two work on together, and their relationships with the people back home in their real lives, add real depth to the story, and it was impossible not to root for these two teens, both as individuals and as a couple. This book has all the elements I loved in Smith's earlier books, [book:The Geography of You and Me|18295852] and [book:The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight|10798416], and I'm hoping for more books like this one from Smith in the future!

This book was so cute and fluffy and everything I hope for in a lighthearted contemporary. I really liked the two main characters, especially Hugo. Hugo’s relationship with his siblings was adorable and I really enjoyed reading their interactions with one another. I will say that this book was very insta lovey so if you’re not into that sort of thing, this may not be the book for you. I didn’t mind the insta love aspect but I knew to expect it. I love how this book explores the topic of love and what it means to different people. Overall I give it at 3.5 stars.

Field Notes on Love opens as Hugh Wilkinson, one of the famous Surrey Sextuplets, contemplates heading to University with his siblings and his breakup with his girlfriend Margaret, which has left him with two tickets in her name for a rail trip across the United States .  Looking for one last gasp of freedom before he is forced to head off to college (the scholarship he received is dependent on all 6 of the sextuplets attending), Hugh decides to advertise for another Margaret Campbell, so he can take the train trip. Mae Campbell, a distraught New York teen who has just been rejected from USC film school, sends him a video in response to his ad, hoping to gather material for a new film on the trip. They meet at NYC's Penn Station and after an awkward initial encounter, embark on their cross country trip in close quarters.  As they travel, she interviews fellow passengers and he struggles with his ambivalence toward his planned future.  His British charm and her no-nonsense tough girl persona make for fun feisty dialogue, as they fall in love through their shared experiences.  This is an enjoyable contemporary twist on the romantic trope of strangers falling in love on a train.

I’ve been eyeing this book for a long time now since I saw it on NetGalley. I tried requesting in advanced but I was like on a waiting list, so when I saw this blog tour, I immediately signed up. I was so eager to join because I really wanted to read the book. I know it would be another good story from Jennifer E. Smith, and she didn’t fail that expectation. I enjoyed reading the book a lot. It was so hard to stop and do other things, I even read this during my lunch break at work or on trip to work. I got hooked, the author got me hooked. I liked the concept of it, train, travel, new people, finding yourself. It’s perfect. Traveling to me is another form of finding yourself and being with complete stranger is another thing. Maybe if I could get a chance like that I would never say no as well. It would be a great experience I’m sure.

I liked how the individual life of the characters where form in here, both Hugo and Mae wants an escape on their not so perfect life, both wants to find out some missing pieces of their lives and both wants to move on. These two characters made the book so exciting to read, the supporting characters made it fun especially Mae’s Nana and best friend. Aside from that, Hugo’s siblings.

I don’t think there were a dull moments on this book. As I go one all I wanted to know is what will happen at the end of their trip? I am also curious to Mae’s little project about their travels. The book was so chill, all you wanted was to continue reading, laugh with the characters and imagine all those scenery they passed by during their trips. It honestly made me wonder to try or not this kind of trip. I already decided to try and take the traveling around a place by driving a car, and being on a train is a different adventure. Maybe someday I would.

This book is worth reading. I can’t wait to have a physical copy and just enjoy the book once again. Before I finally end this review, I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage the readers to travel and enjoy life. Be open-minded on new opportunities in life and of course don’t forget to accept defeat. We don’t always win, but we learn from all the failures.

Lastly, thank you so much for the blog tour host for letting me become part of this tour. It was really awesome and thank you for giving me a chance to read the book. Field Notes on Love is really worth it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this as would a lot of upper YA readers.  Might make a good movie too as the romance was perfect.

Field Notes on Love has the kind of premise I’d usually scoff at- two strangers agreeing to travel together by train? It doesn’t see like the kind of thing which could happen in real life. Maybe it can’t happen in real life, maybe it can, but that’s not the point of the story. Regardless of how believable I found it to be, it was a highly engaging and entertaining read.

At its heart, I’d call this a coming-of-age story. At the start of the book, both experience a certain upheaval in their lives- Mae when she gets rejected from film school, and Hugo when his girlfriend breaks up with him. These experiences bring them together on an adventure which sees them grow as people on the trip of a lifetime. This is undoubtedly a YA Contemporary Romance, yes. And it is very romantic and I liked Mae and Hugo getting to know each other better and gradually falling in love. It’s sweet and fluffy, with a dash of angst and pain, the way I like my romance books to be.

However, the character arcs of both characters and how they grow and start to think about what they really want to do as adult is what I’d say was the highlight of the book for me. Mae and Hugo are both interesting characters with their own issues. Mae wants to be a filmmaker but she has a tendency to be closed off, preventing her work from being seen as truly personal. Hugo has been boxed in and defined  by his being a sextuplet, hindering his own personal growth. How they resolved both of their own issues made for a very interesting read.

Overall, I highly recommend Field Notes on Love if you’re into YA Contemporary and want something a bit on the lighter side but with strong character arcs.

Hugo might have just been dumped by his girlfriend Margaret Campbell, but that won’t stop him from taking the “last hurrah before college starts” trip they were supposed to go on together crossing the United States via train…. Except that the paperwork is booked in her name, nontransferable and no exceptions. The solution to his problem arrives in the form of Mae, an aspiring filmmaker who shares Margaret’s name and wants to expand her horizons a little. As the two of them travel together and get to know each other, they just might discover this trip will bring them more than they bargained for.

I never expected to fall head over heels in love with Field Notes on Love, but here we are, now mostly recovered from the crying fest that ensued after turning the very last page. Anyway, the three things I loved most about Field Notes on Love are:

1) The cross-country train journey (and the cities they visited) – I was immediately raring to book a cross-country train trip of my own after reading this novel. I’ve always enjoyed traveling by train, and the idea of going across the entire country using that method of transport is fascinating! It was also cool to have Mae and Hugo explore a little bit of the cities they stopped at (though I could have gone for more details and more time at each, though that’s obviously not how their trip was set-up).

2) Hugo’s personal journey – I found Hugo’s half of the story instantly relatable from the start. He’s struggling with making sense of his identity outside of his family, including learning how to be apart from them without cutting them out completely. He’s also figuring out what he wants to do with his life, specifically in terms of university. And boy, but are these two specific situations similar to my own experiences back in the day. Smith portrays this in a way that feels both specific to Hugo but universal in emotional scope, which certainly lent to my emotional investment of the outcome of his story. 

3) Mae’s personal journey (including the “field notes on love”) – I didn’t really expect to fall in love with Mae’s story. She’s a tough nut to crack at the start, careful and cautious, with all vulnerability walled off for protection. It takes some time before it happens but witnessing the moment she opens up and the resulting domino effect (especially on her film work) is something really special. Personally, I found her experience extremely relatable and cathartic, especially as someone who used to also be very guarded with her feelings.

To put it simply, Field Notes on Love blew me away. I had been eagerly anticipating this new book from Jennifer E. Smith since I’d first caught wind of it, but I didn’t expect to find this story so emotionally resonant. It was an unexpectedly intense reading experience, but in the best way, and I’m so excited for everyone else to read this book too!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I just love @jenniferesmith. Her newest, out on Tuesday, is no exception. Freshly dumped Hugo, who is a British sextuplet, is faced with a train trip across America booked in his ex-girlfriend’s name. The hotels won’t change the name on the booking, so Hugo sees no other choice: he needs to find another Margaret Campbell to accompany him. Enter Mae, an aspiring filmmaker who is set to start school at USC anyway, and needs an adventure (she’s actually his second choice, but the first Margaret Campbell got bunions, so you know). What comes next is an adorable love story that is sure to fly off library shelves. Highly recommend for middle school and up.

The initial situation here is simultaneously a stretch and a cliche. Strangers meet and fall in love - cliche. Sextuplet meets a girl who happens to have the same name as his ex girlfriend - stretch. And of course they're both "good people" and a perfect match, because that's how life works in a teen romance. Disbelief aside, there are a number of things I like about this book. We have a lot of approaches to love here. The idea that teen years are for fun, not serious relationships. The end of a long term relationship, the result of changes in personality at a time of transition. A relationship that works even long distance, the idea that real love can be found as teens.and that's worth fighting for. There's also a lot of attention paid to the idea of self discovery. Both protagonists are learning to put themselves out there, to be vulnerable and acknowledge desires. The difference between a whim and a dream. Smith takes a largely shallow plot and gives it some depth.

Hugo was just dumped by his girlfriend. The worst part is that is was just before they were supposed travel abroad and go on a train ride across America. Hugo was excited to get out and see the world before starting college with his brothers and sisters, who are local quintuplet celebrities. Hugo has always wanted to break away from this collective identity, but his siblings don’t feel the same way and the scholarship money is (potentially) contingent upon all of them sticking together. Hugo decides that he still deserves his trip, but everything was booked under his ex’s name. In order to take advantage of the tickets, Hugo searches out other women with the same name. Mae lives in small town America and was denied entrance to her dream college. She believes that she needs more life experience, so she responds to Hugo’s ad and the two are set to go on a cross country train trip across America. 

Smith has a great way with epic love stories and building real characters. Her stories play with the line between realistic and romantic comedy fantasy. This novel was sweet and solid.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour hosted by Bibliophile Soprano.

Look, I’m still pretty doped up by this book while writing this review so I apologize if this is too all over the place.

I’m so excited to be a part of this blog tour, especially since I loved this book so much! Field Notes of Love follows two strangers from different parts of the world as they take a one-week trip to find themselves, only to have discovered each other along the way as well. I loved getting to know Hugo and Mae, and seeing the changes in their interactions as they spend more time with each other. They become so supportive of each other without compromising their own endeavors. Plus, both their banters and deep conversations are so interesting to read about!

I was whizzing through this books, so engrossed in their story, that I didn’t even realize when it was ending. Their affection for each other wasn’t a slow-burn but I enjoyed reading about it nonetheless. But what made me love this even more is the fact that this book isn’t just a love story; it’s so much more! This also touches up on self-discovery and what it’s like to experience the world on your own, while you’re young. It also highlights the importance of support towards dreams. And, not to mention, the great familial aspect in the book.

As much as I loved reading about Hugo and Mae as a couple, I also cherished them both as individuals. Being part of a sextuplet, Hugo has a big warm family that has always stuck together from day one. They clearly love and support each other but, as I assume most people do, he can’t help wonder what it would feel like to be on his own for a change. To be known as Hugo, and not only as a part of a sextuplet. And then there’s Mae, a would-be filmmaker who was told to “live more” and so, she did. Together with her two dads and wonderful grandmother, they have an admirable family dynamic which adds up to my fun reading experience.

The ending of the book did feel quite abrupt and I could have done with a bit more time with Hugo’s family (since I love big families) but aside from that, Field Notes on Love is spectacular. I went through a lot of emotions with this one and I highly recommend it! I’ve only read and loved one other book from the author before but I could tell that Jennifer E. Smith is gonna be one of my auto-buy authors!

How much did I love FIELD NOTES ON LOVE... let me count the ways! 1) cross-country "road-tip" via train. 2) cute British guy. 3) Witty banter and sarcasm. 4) meet-cute. 5) interfering siblings. 6) written by Jennifer E. Smith a.k.a Auto-buy Author. I could go on and on, but I won't. FIELD NOTES ON LOVE is a fun YA teen romance, but different. Hugo is just adorable. I loved that he was trying to find himself away from his 5 brothers and sisters; the famous Surrey Sextuplet. Add in Mae, who is headed off to college in California and desperate to get into film school. Told her admission piece lacks heart/emotion, she takes a chance in answering Hugo's ad for a travel companion with the same name as his ex-girlfriend. I don't want to say more because part of the fun is experiencing the train ride along with them. So, sit back, put your feel up and just read it!

Field Notes on Love is classic Jennifer E.. Smith. It is reminiscent of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.  Hugo

Posted to Goodreads: Hugo Wilkinson has a problem.  He was supposed to go on a train trip across the United States with his girlfriend Margret Campbell but she broke up with him and now Hugo can't use the trip tickets which are in her name.  Hugo is desperate and posts an ad online looking for another Margaret Campbell to use the tickets and he does.  Hugo finds Margaret "Mae" Campbell an aspiring filmmaker who is looking for her own adventure.  The two will spend a week on a train together which may lead to way more. 

This is just a really lovely story.  Jennifer E. Smith is a master at coming up with interest premises to make her YA romances to be a little better than the average book.  This time her premises is unique while having a feeling of a classic film.  Hugo and Mae have a sweet romantic story that made me want to keep reading after the ending.  However, this is a quiet kind of story that may not appeal to people looking for an extreme story yet if you want a sweet story then this one is a must read.

Jennifer Smith is ALWAYS a guaranteed great read! Her stories are fresh and rich and so are her characters. Great for fans of Sarah Dessen.

This book is so, so cute. If you love YA romance or clean romances, you definitely need this one on your shelf.

I loved the premise -- two teens falling in love on a train as they make their way across the United States. So romantic! And so different from anything else I've read in this genre.

It all starts when Hugo's girlfriend dumps him because she's going to university in California and doesn't want to do the long-distance relationship thing. Unwilling to give up the train trip they had planned together, Hugo goes in search of another girl with the same name and finds Mae, a girl desperate for adventure. So Hugo and Mae set off across the country to find themselves, have an adventure, and accidentally fall in love.

It's such a cute story. I can't get over how upbeat and cheerful it was. There were a few little things that bugged me here and there, but nothing so big that it ruined my enjoyment of the story. I loved how Hugo loses everything and how Mae is outspoken and quirky. They make such a sweet couple and I adored how they interviewed so many people on the train and collected love stories for Mae's documentary.

This is the kind of book that leaves you feeling happy and satisfied. A must-read for YA romance lovers!

One huge bonus for me was how clean this book is. There is some sexual tension (they have to share sleeping quarters, after all), but there is no sex and no cursing. I love reading books that I don't have to hide from my tween daughter. I love being able to read a book and then hand it over to her so we can discuss it later, so extra bonus points for that!

Content: Some sexual tension (no sex) and kissing (male/female).

I've only read one other Jennifer E. Smith novel, but I really enjoyed Field Notes on Love!  It was a cute romance, but also went below the surface level with the characterization and the unique plot.  I would recommend to anyone who needs a quick romance to lift their spirits!

This was such a cute book! It made me want to take a train trip across the United States! Hugo is a British-born sextuplet that received a train trip as a gift from his now ex-girlfriend.  The easy solution is to just take someone else or go by himself, but of course the tickets are in his ex-girlfriend’s name and are nontransferable.  Hugo still wants to go, so on the joking advice of one of his many siblings he decides to look for another Margaret Campbell.  He finds Mae, an aspiring filmmaker who recently found out the film she was so proved of creating is not good enough to get into her dream film program. Mae thinks a cross-country train trip with a stranger is the perfect way to expand her horizons and inspire her next film.

This is a heart-warming story about two young individuals that learn to grow and that sometimes they must put themselves out there in order to accomplish their dreams. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte Press for giving me the chance to read and review this book early!

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but then I couldn't put it down. I think this is the best book I've read from this author.