I’ve been a fan of Jennifer E. Smith and her stories ever since I first read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and so when my good friend Fay offered up a chance to read her latest, Field Notes on Love, as part of a local blog tour in partnership with the lovely people from Penguin Random House International, y’all know that I practically parkoured to get myself a spot on the initiative. (Fay, I’m sorry it took me weeks to sign up! I really thought I already signed up the first time I opened your sign-up form! *laughs*) Not only am I an avid contemporary / romance reader, but I’m also a huge believer in the fact that train meet-cutes are THE BEST and it’s a romance trope that I really, really enjoy—mostly because lots of my favorite romances usually take place in or at train stations. So anyway, let me stop right here so you can go on and read my actual review.

Field Notes on Love is the story of Mae Campbell, an incoming college student and aspiring filmmaker, and Hugo Wilkinson, 1/6 of a locally famous sextuplet from the United Kingdom who dreams of travelling a small portion of the world before he goes to college. On the day before a big date-trip, Margaret Campbell (who, at the time, was Hugo’s girl friend), breaks up with Hugo, leaving him with two train tickets that’s meant to take him from New York to San Francisco. Not wanting the said tickets to go to waste, he publishes a post that’s meant to find another “Margaret Campbell” just so he can go on the trip, and that’s where Mae comes into the picture. This is a story about finding love in the unlikeliest of places, moving forward without forgetting where you came from, and the strong powers of dreaming greatly.

The first thing I want to talk about is the story’s family dynamics. Hugo, like I’ve mentioned, is 1/6 of a sextuplet, and even though that might sound exciting and/or interesting to some, this seemed like a very overwhelming thing to me. I mean, what does an only child like JM know, right? What I’m trying to point out is that if you’re a part of a huge family, it can sometimes be very easy to choose to settle and just go with the flow. It may sometimes be hard to try and voice out your opinions, especially if that hasn’t been the case for so long. It’s going to be hard to try and establish a foundation for your personal growth because—let’s face it—you’re “part of a unit” as Hugo purposefully mentioned several times in the book. Seeing how Hugo went on a journey to realize this and actually do something about it resonated with me, not because I’m part of a sextuplet, but because I know the feeling of wanting to settle. I know how hard it can sometimes be to want to wander away from what you were told (or destined) to do and so I really appreciated this aspect of the story. And seeing how welcoming and understanding his whole family was, even his brothers and sisters, warmed my heart. I loved seeing just how well-bonded they all were, and I have to say that even though I didn’t get much back story for all of them, I still found them interesting and I wouldn’t mind reading another book about a different Wilkinson sibling. I also liked the fact that even though Mae came from a small but charming family, her parents—who are both dads, by the way—were still very much present in Mae’s life and her Nana, who happens to be one of my favorite characters from the book, is precious gem and I would give up my life for her, honestly.

The whole relatability aspect of the story was also pretty spot on, and it was also one of my favorite things about this book. Hugo and Mae are both incoming college students—one being more prepared and determined than the other. Hugo, along with his five brothers and sisters, has a scholarship waiting for him as part of a publicity stunt, while Mae, albeit being a lot more excited than Hugo, got into her school of choice, just not for filmmaking. Now what I loved about these two’s contrasting situations is that it gave the story a lot more depth and it made the story very relatable, especially from Mae’s point of view. Not all students get into their dream schools to pursue their program choices. Not everybody’s that lucky—even me. I had to fight for my place in school. And so having went through this, and being able to read through Mae’s story actually made me feel seen, and somehow represented. It was like in some small way, Jennifer E. Smith wrote this story specifically for me, and that feeling means to me a lot more than I can say. And I’m pretty sure that I won’t be the only one who will feel this along the way.

As for the romance aspect, I really, really enjoyed watching Hugo and Mae’s love story slowly unfold along with all the different love stories that they discover while travelling. From the beginning, it was pretty obvious that this whole story was written with a whole lot of love, and to see that actually work it’s magic literally made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I love the undeniable chemistry between Mae and Hugo, and even though there were times that I felt like everything was too insta-lovey, I easily came to terms with it just because of how well-knit they were in the end. And the way they freely allowed themselves to feel the things they did made me want to be brave about the way I love, and I guess there’s no denying that I’m a sucker for stories like their’s. I felt for them, I rooted for them, and seeing them get the happy ending they both deserved and got made me feel extremely satisfied.

“Jennifer E. Smith’s newest is one charming novel. It features a light and fuzzy love story about two people who finds love in the unlikeliest of places, a plethora of wonderful relationship dynamics, characters who are extremely easy to love and root for, a central plot that’s interesting, and a trope that’s very well-loved by all kinds of readers. I’ve been a fan of this author for years and this book just reminds me of why I love Jennifer E. Smith. The way she breathes life (and love) into the stories of her characters is impeccable and I look forward to seeing just how well-received Mae and Hugo’s story will be.”

Hugo's life has been spelled out for him, and he has pretty much felt like an animal on display at a zoo, since the moment he was born and became one of England's fifth-ever set of sextuplets. His mum helps supplement his dad's teacher's salary by writing a blog about he and his five siblings as they've grown up (embarrassing moments and all), and in the fall, all six will attend the University of Surrey on full-ride scholarships at the donation of a wealthy donor. During move in, a film crew will be there to provide the footage for the live stream of reality-TV lovers pleasure. Their first weekend on campus includes six interviews.

Hugo has one last chance at freedom of the unknown before uni starts this fall--he and girlfriend Margaret Campbell are to take a train ride across America. Starting in New York, and ending in California, he needs an adventure for one week on his own before starting uni with his five siblings, and, most importantly, for a chance to get a say in his own life. They will say good-bye in Cali where Margaret will stay on to attend uni at Stanford.

Or at least, that was the plan. Until Margaret broke up with him. After three years of dating. He gets it, he does, but man--he really wanted to go on that trip. Margaret gifts him the two tickets and says to go on without her, to  bring one of his siblings. The problem is, everything is in her name, and is nontransferable. He needs someone named Margaret Campbell to get him on board the train. Hugo hatches a plan; he puts out an ad online for a Margaret Campbell. He sends a note into the universe to see if another Margaret Campbell can help him rescue his holiday and get one of her own in exchange. Interested Margarets' are asked to e-mail HugoIsNotANutter@gmail.com.

Mae Campbell has grown up in New York with her two dads, and is a filmmaker. Well, a crushed filmmaker. She was recently denied entry to the University of SoCal's School for Cinematic Arts film program. Mae is on a mission to become a better cinematographer. According to her recent ex-boyfriend film critic, her film-making is brilliant, but "impersonal." She apparently needs to learn how to let people in, to show people who she really is.

Taking life into their own hands, Mae and Hugo meet in New York, both having lied to their parents, both nervous, both surprised at how comfortable they are around each other, and both surprised to find the other particularly attractive. Enjoyable, funny, romantic, cute, and warm-hearted, Jennifer E. Smith is victorious with Field Notes on Love. The latest YA romantic-comedy for the canon, I definitely recommend this title to anyone looking for their next great read. Curl up with a cuppa and enjoy!

I feel like there are three "big" YA romance authors, and the yall take turns and share similar character ARCs. That being said, this book wasn't bad. I just wish it weren't the same "you need to learn to live your life! You haven't found yourself until you have an adventure!"

Anyways it was a cute story about trains and love.

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).