Charming and quirky the whole way through. Honestly, I picked up this novel based on its setting: Pasadena, my new home town of the past two years. And wow, I learned so much about my new home in probably the most entertaining way I could have. Arroyo is a fun ride the whole way through.

Nick, the protagonist, is a true joy even when he makes you want to throw your hands up in exasperation with him. He's fun and clever, he tries so hard and fails spectacularly but never stops trying. It's easy to root for a character who manages to get themselves into messes without meaning to, and somehow takes it in stride. Nick wears his heart on his sleeve but he stands up for things when it's important. And, it's impossible not to love Royo. Really, all the characters are so interesting, I honestly liked them all.

Pasadena itself is a character, along with her infamous bridge. I can't wait to travel around and see the places mentioned in the story, and revel in the fact that I get to live in a place that lends itself so well to story and to remembering history. I'm a bit of a local history buff so every page about this great town (Best Small Town in America, you know) was a treat. I had a ton of fun reading this novel and hated to put it down.

I will admit, there were some strange parts. Particularly there was one twist that was so twisty about 3/4ths of the way through that I was not at all prepared for but after another chapter I was just as hooked when I could see the groundwork the author was laying out. But you know, the strangeness, the over-the-top-ness of it at times suits not just the story but the place it portrays. It's a true love letter to Pasadena, a place so dear to my heart, and it was utterly delightful the whole way through.


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Darcie Rowan PR, and the author Chip Jacobs for the opportunity to do so.

What a different book. I don't know what I expected it to be and I'm also not sure I wholeheartedly bought into the premise. Pasadena is such a historic city, written about by authors everywhere, but not so much the Arroyo Seco bridge which has a fascinating history of it's own and that part was really interesting. The plot of the book didn't see to be well thought out and there seemed to be a lot of disjointed activities going on. I like magical realism but in this book it just didn't work for me.

I liked the tours through Pasadena and other areas in Southern California, but I had a hard time keeping track of the storyline and what was important about all the different places.

I think the best part of the entire book was all the history told but I wonder if the history is real or if it has been manipulated for storyline purposes. After all this is a fiction book and not non-fiction so the history could be a combination of both.

Arroyo is definitely a distinct animal: a fictionalized historical of the city in 1914 and then in 1994 with a healthy dose of mystical realism. Author Jacobs gives us a deus ex machina character, creates ways for him to interact with all the interesting bits of Pasadena in particular but also Southern California in general, then throws in a magical dog and reincarnation to boot. The prose is thick enough to make the book seem to weigh heavier than the famous Colorado bridge and it is hard to distinguish fact from fiction throughout. But it is, if unbelievable, a wonderful tour of Pasadena and whether you live there or not, you'll learn quite a bit about that dynamic Southern California city (home of the Playboy Mansion, Rose Bowl Parade and game, Route 66, and the first Western Freeway).

Plot: It is 1914 and Nick Chance lost his job at the Cawston Ostrich farm but gets a chance to design solar bulbs for the new Arroyo Seco bridge under construction. At the same time, a stray saves his life during an explosion at the Red Car Trolley warehouse and the dog appears to be trying to talk with him telepathically (while also destroying his house, chewing Wrigley's, and trying to hump his girlfriend). As Nick comes to meet luminaries such as Lillian Busch (wife of Adolphus, the beer king), Upton Sinclair, Teddy Roosevelt and more, he also in his free time gets to enjoy Busch Gardens, funicular rides up the San Gabriel Mountain, dinners at the Green Hotel, and trollry rides to the Santa Monica beach area. Pasadena is his city - so why is it trying to communicate to him through a stray dog?

Your enjoyment of Arroyo will likely come down to your willingness to enjoy the book on a shallow level while finding out so many amazing facts about the city. None of the characters are fleshed out and those who love history might be frustrated by the lack of clarity in facts vs fiction. E.g., main character Nick Chance is not a believable character nor are any of the obviously fictional ones - they don't talk normally and most of the dialogue is snappy comebacks rather than organic discussions. I don't believe the author was emulating the talk of 1914; rather, this is his personality coming through in the writing. But I can admit to frustration over the dissonance in dealing with wonderful facts couched in a lot of shallow fiction. It can feel like an overwritten deus ex machina at most times and because the fiction is unrealistic, so too did I doubt the facts (something I never want to do with history). The author is clearly unapologetic about it and I wouldn't change a word because it made for a unique read all the same. But it is jarring.

The plot itself is Pasadena. There is no attempt to create an arc or subplot, as with novels about California history like an Ellroy crime detective or a Steinbeck pathos novel. Rather, our protagonist walks around Pasadena/LA and experiences many things that are and aren't around any more. This takes about 80% of the book until it switches to the future for some mystical mumbo jumbo and to give Nick the chance to finish what he didn't do in 1914. It doesn't make a lot of sense and I can't really see how Nick is that important in either era, but the last part moves quickly and feels tacked on. That last 20% was particularly odd, with a complete and utter fascination with Led Zeppelin (see how many Zep fans recognize all the lyrics hidden in the text) that never gels with a book about the history of Pasadena.

One thing that really must be said is that this can be a fun read and is very easy (it's never dry facts and always light and chirpy). As well, the historical aspects were fascinating, though I didn't believe in any of the people (real or imagined) and instead enjoyed the tidbits. It is kind of sad that Pasadena once had a hotel on a mountain, a funicular to get to it, an amazing terraced garden thanks to the Busch family, and of course, the Red Car trolley that could take you to to the beach from the San Gabriel mountains (ironic that the trolley only exits in Disneyland's California Adventure Park today). But the bridge at the center of the book is still there and used daily.

I didn't grow up in Pasadena but worked there and went there often over the years. It's staggering how much I didn't know. Although the novel is set in 1914, main character Nick Chance muses a lot over many changes in the past and speculates on what the future will bring (rather accurately, natch). I also was very amused that modern Nick Chance worked at Wham-O (yes, the hula hoop and frisbee people) and was the same age as me, so there were a lot of great memories even among the modern section. That was the Pasadena I knew best, that one at the end of the century.

Arroyo definitely wasn't my type of fiction but I loved the history. I also have to respect that the writing is quite unique and it was not a chore to read (surprising for a novel that really goes no where). But it does feel VERY overwritten, like each sentence was agonized over to create something snappier and wittier - to the detriment of believability. In that way, it reminded me a lot of the plastic surgery altered grand dames of Pasadena's millionaire row - pretty to look at but at the same time never quite looking anything other than artificial. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Witty and creative, Arroyo has an interesting storyline but didn't hold my attention. I liked the tie-ins to history and the aspect of the clairvoyant dog, but I had a hard time getting into the story. There was too much going on and I became confused at times. Arroyo is Jacobs' debut novel, and I will definitely keep an open mind about this book. Historical fiction fans will be excited to see this novel.

I didn't finish this book. DNF @ 18%. I'm not leaving a rating on Goodreads because I didn't finish it, but I must leave one here.

I just couldn't get into this book at all. 18% and I still have no clue what it's about. I'm sure it's a great book and all, once you get into it, but it's just not for me.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

This was an entertaining book, I love historical fiction and this had such a interesting premise and characters that I really enjoyed reading it.