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.

I can rely on Smith for delightful, feel-good love stories, and this one was no exception.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

eARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.

This book starts with a break-up and non-transferable travel tickets in the ex-girlfriend's name leading to trouble for the male main character. Once he finds another girl named Margaret Campbell to solve this issue our main characters are in for a trip across the US on a train with a few stops along the way.

I have mixed feelings about this book -- it was a cute read but at times almost forgettable since it could be just about any other YA romance book. I like Smith's writing and her characters are pretty well fleshed out which is impressive given the amount of characters in this book. This is a book that I would recommend to reader's who enjoyed Stephanie Perkins books or are long time fans of Smith's own works.

This was a very enjoyable book. I enjoyed both of the main characters and their character arch of growth throughout the novel. It had the perfect ending.

This book was amazing! The back and forth of the characters, the setting (TRAINS!), and the secondary characters all make this book a must read. I cannot wait to share this with my students.

This ended up being a very middle of the road book for me. I didn't really have any strong feelings of super enjoying it, but I also didn't really dislike it, I was just eh.
The biggest downfall as to why I don't think I ended up enjoying it was I just had trouble connecting to it. One of the things I could not connect to was both of the main characters. I don't know what it was, but nothing really drew me in. I definitely did enjoy Hugos family, I thought they were interesting, but as far as Hugo himself and the other main character Mae, I just couldn't bring myself to be invested enough to care about whether or not they got what they wanted. Also, I really just wasn't invested in them for a relationship. It was not exactly instalove, but by the time romance was brought into the story, I felt nothing for it, which goes back to me just not being invested and connecting to them as characters in general.
The other thing I couldn't connect with was the plot in general, the journey. I love the idea of traveling across the U.S. , but this story didn't really focus that much on the road trip aspect, it was more abut Mae and Hugo discovering things about themselves and what they want to do with life and college. Quick side note, but when I read Jennifer's other book Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In between, it was at a time where I was in the exact same spot as the characters and it made the connection with them and the story stronger, and that is why it ended up being so impactful at the time and why it was a favorite of mine. That was something I needed to enjoy this book, and I just didn't have it. I think there are going to be people to do connect with that aspect of the book, and I think those people can really like this book.
TLDR: Not one of Jennifer's books that is going to stick with me, but it wasn't a bad book and I would still recommend it to people.

This was such an unexpectedly delightful read. I wasn't sure what to expect from the description, but it turned into such a cute story about these two strangers who meet under unique circumstances. I really rooted for their relationship and I liked that it focused on their own growth as individuals, as well as their relationship.

It all starts with a break-up.

This meet-cute journey through America for two teens from different parts of the world is full of humor, romance, and self-discovery. Mae, an aspiring film maker, takes a chance on an unique advantage that has her name written all over it. Hugo, a biracial teen from a large family, flies to America from the UK to find himself and discovers so much more along the way. Together, Hugo and Mae support one another as they determine where they belong and who they are. Racism and death are brought up briefly but don't overwhelm the flow of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC!

eARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher.
Print ARC provided by Publisher and RI Office of Library and Information Services.

The universe really wanted me to read this ARC because it sent me two. As a librarian, I really like Smith’s titles because they are super easy to shop to teen readers. They are always a manageable size, they are clean reads, and they are always filled with hope. They appeal to readers of Kasie West, Deb Caletti, Susane Colasanti, and Sarah Dessen. And my readers always report back feeling optimistic about the “open yet completed”way she chooses to conclude all her books. As a reader, her books always just leave me happy and hope filled.

Hugo is a sextuplet with a conundrum: his just-broke-up-with-him girlfriend Margaret is still gifting him a train trip from New York City to California, with several stops along the way in Chicago, Denver, and San Fransisco. The catch: it's her name that all the reservations are booked under. So, Hugo sends a post into the internet: Is your name Margaret Campbell? Will you join me on a train trip? He finds a contender in Mae, also 18 years old. Mae and Hugo start their train trip as strangers, but through proximity, a spark, and a documentary project (Mae is a filmmaker), they fall for one another. But, Hugo and his five brothers and sisters are expected to go to uni in their hometown of Surrey and Mae is starting her freshman year at the University of Southern California. Is this a week-long romance only or is there hope for an actual relationship?

Field Notes on Love is a cute premise. I love the uniqueness: train trip, different cultures, and the sextuplet aspect. It's a cute romance that will be enjoyed by fans of Jenna Evans Welch's Love and Gelato.


Diverse reads: Hugo is bi-racial: Caucasian and African (from England) + Mae has two dads

A longtime fan of Jennifer E. Smith, I was eager for her latest novel, a return to the kind of travel story that made me initially fall in love with her writing (I adore The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight!). Hugo is a sextuplet, recently dumped, and supposed to be going on a trans-continental train trip from New York to California with said ex-girlfriend. Problem is, she made all of the nonrefundable, nontransferable reservations in her name. Enter Mae, a New York aspiring film maker with the same name and a desire to live more after more than a few people imply her films are lacking that certain *thing* (including USC film school).

I inhaled this novel, starting one evening and finishing the following morning. Though I had a hard time getting into the sextuplet aspects of the story, I eventually accepted it and enjoyed the unique bond (and sometimes, necessary lack thereof) Hugo has with his siblings. Mae's chapters were similarly insightful, striving for so much and yet hard on herself while also unable to understand the criticisms of others. At times I would have enjoyed a bit more from the supporting cast (I LOVED Mae's grandma, and would have liked similar attention given to other secondary characters), but the two protagonists at the heart of the story hold the narrative together. This pulled at my heart strings and had a tear or two trickling down my cheek towards the end. I think my 8th grade girls especially will adore this!

A fun and heartfelt novel that explores what happens when two teens who have spent their whole lives in their hometowns finally get out to see the world. Immediately before starting college. Spending an entire week together on a train. In the same compartment. And oh yeah--they're total strangers.

This hit a lot of favorite notes for me, but if I'm honest I'm even more excited to read each of Hugo's siblings' stories. Maybe someday, Jennifer E. Smith? 😍

Jennifer E. Smith has a funny, entertaining young adult romance with this book. The characters are likable and the plot gives you romance lined with comedy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of this novel.

Fun love story that brings together two teens just before they start college, one coming from England and the other from the Hudson Valley in NY, who embark a train trip across the US.

This was a fun story. Pretty unlikely premise, but it worked. Our students looking for a little romance will definitely be hooked. Loved that she had two dads but that it wasn't a focal point.

What an adorable romcom! Jennifer E. Smith does not disappoint with this one. It leaves you with the warm and gooey feeling of hopefulness you want from a good romance with characters you want to be friends with. Hugh comes from his sextuplet microscope life and Mae has her two dads and adventurous Nana to meet on a train for a week of cross country introspection.