As always, a copy of this book was provided by the author or publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

For years, I've always found myself drifting in and out of thoughts of what ifs. What if I turned left when I should have turned right. What if I'd followed my original career choice of being a ballerina nurse (listen, four year old me was AMBITIOUS, okay) and left for Paris? What if, what if, what if?

Whether this is an indication of my daydreamer status or not is, probably, irrelevant. But, it's relevant to why I've always been fond of fan-fiction, retellings, AU's and the like. And this trait played a huge part in why Jo & Laurie was so enjoyable (though, admittedly not my favourite) for me.

When good stories spark that specific part of our mind, we are always itching to get our hands on more content or explore what other's can create with the usual suspects. Classics like Little Women are among some of the stories with endless possibilities of paths. None of these paths will ever hold a candle to, or beat, the original ending--but, I don't necessarily think they are trying to.

First of all, retellings change absolutely nothing of the original story and its essence. You can choose not to read it. Jo & Laurie is simply another AU in a long line of AU stories and retellings that stand apart from Little Women and tell a completely different story. If you aren't okay with that, or can't comprehend that, then this novel is absolutely not going to be the right fit for you. And that's 100% okay.

But, let's get to the main attraction! Jo & Laurie is fun. Imperfect and still undeniably charming. I'm often smitten with books like these, so this was no different. A sweetly tuned, fast paced spin, on the original novel, Jo & Laurie was definitely better than many of the retellings I've read in the past, (I'm looking at you, Anna Todd's Spring Girls) but it does suffer at times for its pacing, resolutions and development.

In particular: the ending.

In terms of characters and the reflection of each from Little Women to Jo & Laurie: they're mostly still who they've always been, with some exceptions. (Example: I didn't like Amy in Jo & Laurie but I always liked her more than other's seemed to. And I, somehow, like Laurie a lot more.)

If life were considerably less volatile and more normal right now, I'd probably be sipping some wine and laying out at the beach or a pool with this novel. Alas, life is bleak. Much like many of Melissa de la Cruz and Margaret Stohl's prior releases, Jo & Laurie is a breeze to get through and provides readers with their desire of 'what ifs' and serves us some dazzling escapism.

DNF.
I tried to pick up this book several times, but I had a difficult time connecting and staying focused on the story, especially due to the slow pacing. The book originally interested me as a retelling--I was reading Little Women for my women's writing course and all gung ho for independent, intellectual female characters developing their sense of agency and knowing what they want --and I was curious to see the outcome of the novel. Canonically, Jo and Laurie did not end up together, and honestly, I do agree with the sentiment. However, I tried reading this novel with this perspective in mind that this Jo was in, I guess, an alternative, "what-if"" universe. Unfortunately, what I read fell flat to me.

I was sent a copy of this book from Megan Beatie Communications through Net Galley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I feel the need to state that this review is coming from someone that has not read Little Women nor have I watched the movie. I feel this is important to point out because I think that if you have read Little Women or even watched the movie you would already have some connection with these characters from the beginning.
I am a fan of Melissa de la Cruz’s books and this one did not disappoint.

This story takes place between the publication of Little Women and Good Wives. This book is first and foremost a love story between Joe and Laurie. But another bonus is that this book shows how a whole everyone in a family can deal with grief differently. I do not think this was meant to be a main plot point but I think it was displayed well.

This book took me about 100 pages to really get into it but I really think its because I did not know the original story.

I loved watching Joe and Laurie’s relationship. Everyone in the story knew that those two were meant to be together except Joe. She had a lot to work through to discover that she is allowed to be happy too. I liked the portrayal of grief and depression in this story and seeing how it was worked through. I felt so many feelings while reading this book that I did not expect to feel.

I recommend this book to anyone that thinks that the story sounds interesting. Just note if you have not read Little Women it will take a little bit to connect with these characters.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following unbiased and impartial review:
•
5*
Pros: There's nothing better than a complex and well-done retelling of your favourite tale, particularly of one that you abhor the thought of its official sequel. A fantastic retelling of Good Wives, full of love, depth and care by the authors. Jo and Laurie finally get their multidimensional relationship sorted out. Much more cohesive settings and development of characters. A better take on Jo as a writer and the struggles an author faces, then and now. A beautiful portrait of the flaws and failings of human nature, even of those with hearts of gold.
.
Cons: Some unnecessary scenes. No development of what comes after.

I think I had really high expectations going into this book. It could also be the fact that I reread Little Women right before this one. I definitely am a hardcore Little Women fan even though I never liked the fact that Jo does not end up with Laurie. I was extremely excited to read this because the title told me that it was going to be a whole book with my two favorite characters. Unfortunately, I felt this book did not have enough Jo and Laurie. I found that it had a lot of Jo, worrying about how she was going to finish her book. And a little bit of Laurie mad that Jo refused him ( Again). And a bit of Jo and Laurie together. The city chapters were a bit cringy to read, Jo seemed more nervous and skittish of love than I remember her to be. I understand that a lot of the uninteresting parts to me ( like Meg and Brooke parts) were so they can show how Jo was not only influenced by the people in her real life to write, but was influenced by her novel to go about her real life. But it was still as uninteresting as the Meg and Brooke in the original. The addition of a new character was exciting, Lady Hat. But she ended feeling 2 dimensional and annoying and she was only there to move the story along with doubts and gossip. At the end when Jo finally realizes she does love Laurie ( and she had been unknowingly using the trauma of her sister's death to not let this love be real ) it felt too rushed for me to believe. All in all, I did enjoy seeing where these authors took the story. I was intrigued by the fact that it was Jo the author and not Jo the character of the story which was not what I was expecting. I liked coming back and seeing what the possibilities could be and what differences there were to the real life people apart from the book characters. And I was happy that in the end Jo and Laurie did end up together as everyone has always wanted in the history of literature. The journey to this conclusion was not what I would rate higher than a 2 or 2.5.

Note that I haven’t read Little Women, the original book by Louisa May Alcott, so I wouldn’t be able compare the two.

What I liked
- I loved the voice of Jo which conveyed her strong-willed and independent nature... and in a way that captured the tone of the period too. It made me smile each time she exclaimed “Christopher Columbus!"
- I loved the banter between Jo and Laurie. I could really feel the romantic tension between them and I rooted for them the entire way.
- I liked the theme of the book which was about the struggle between love and domesticity and independence, and I loved that this book showed that it was possible to be a strong and independent woman and fall in love too. I saw quite a few bad reviews for this book on Goodreads, mostly from those who felt that this betrayed the original intention of the author, but to be frank I didn’t think Jo needed to deny Laurie to be an independent woman.
- Although this book centred on romance, I loved that it didn’t focus 100% on Jo and Laurie. Family was an important component of Jo’s life and it showed through her interactions with her sisters and mother.
- Jo’s struggles with writing were relatable for me as an aspiring writer!
- Did I mention that classics intimidate me a little bit? This book made me want to read the original little women! I think it’s a sign of a good retelling if it can grow the initial audience of the original book!

What I didn’t like
- I thought that the events of the second book leading up to the climax and conclusion were somehow random and not caused by the events later on in the book. It felt like Jo and Laurie were responding to everything that happened around them rather than proactively affecting their future

The bottom line
I enjoyed this retelling of Little Women. I’m always a bit intimidated by classics but this book made me want to read the original - and this counts as a win in my books!

First of all, I'm a HUGE fan of Little Women. I’ve read the book countless times, and, well, y’all know all about my obsession with the movie already. So obviously I was really excited, yet slightly nervous about this, and know the story very well!

The second thing I wanted to talk about is the fact that people are prejudiced against this book without even reading it. This isn’t mere fanfiction, nor a simple retelling. The storyline itself takes place in between part one and part two, and even the characters feel more like Louisa May Alcott and her family, and less like attempts at paralleling the originals. So, I think that the Goodreads rating* should currently be taken with a grain of salt, because many people are rating it one star without just cause.

Jo is both the Jo we know and love, and also how I’d imagine Louisa May Alcott to be. She’s struggling with writing the sequel to Little Women, while dealing with the grief of losing her sister Beth. Laurie STILL HAS MY WHOLE HEART AND SOUL. He’s still the clever, kind, snarky, passionate boy from the novel. However, we get to see from his perspective, and we watch him struggle with his (seemingly) unreciprocated feelings for Jo.
Marmie is Mama Abba, a small change that Jo had made for purposes of her book. Amy and Meg are familiar but not total copycats of their doppelgangers in Little Women. And that is a small piece of the genius of this novel. Somehow, the authors took beloved, familiar characters, and managed to make them their own.

The plot itself is brilliantly woven with small references to the events that happened in the original story, and little twists of unique ideas. We get to see *certain* relationships develop, and I was never bored reading it!
and oh. the romance of it all.
You might be thinking “well duh, this is a historical ROMANCE. Don’t be so surprised”. And you’re probably right, but that didn’t stop me from being shocked at how easily I fell in love with how adorably awkward the two main characters are. One of the lines that has totally stuck with me concerning Jo and Laurie’s tale is the phrase:

"the greatest love story never told."

Am I the only one crying in a corner…? Seriously, their chemistry was always off-the-charts. And it’s no different here, where Jo can’t realize her feelings and Laurie is tortured by the knowledge of his own. IT’S ALL TOO GOOD FOR WORDS.

I would recommend this for fans of all who adore Little Women, and honestly just historical romance in general because AH the feels!

That’s it! This was a bit of a longer one but I would wholeheartedly recommend giving this a chance, because IT’S SO GOOD. It is a story that’s thrilling in its originality, yet comforting in its familiarity. It’s a story I’m so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read!

Jo & Laurie is a romantic retelling of The Little Women, featuring Jo March and her best friend, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence. This retelling takes place right after the publication of Jo March's first novel. Much to her surprise, the book has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans are demanding a sequel. This book follows Jo as she struggles to write the much awaited sequel to Little Women, while also trying to figure out her feelings towards Laurie.
In all honesty, I have not read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. However, I have seen the movie adaptations. With that being said, I've never had a hard stance or strong opinion about who Jo should have ended up with. So, I was able to go into this retelling with an open mind. However, I did struggle a bit with the idea of Jo & Laurie being together. Overall, the story was cute. However, it wasn't the romance that kept me reading. What really kept me engaged was watching Jo develop and the relationship between the sisters. I loved watching Jo struggle to write the sequel as she tries to stay true to herself and values. It was so nice to watch the story come together over the course of the book. I also absolutely loved seeing the relationship between the sisters. I really think that Margaret and Melissa did an amazing job of keeping the spirit of the March sisters in their retelling. This book definitely gets off to a slow start, but does eventually pick up.
Overall, the authors did a great job of capturing Louisa May Alcott’s characters and their personalities, while still putting their own spin on the story. I know this may not be for everyone, especially die-hard Little Women fans, but if you have always shipped Jo & Laurie from the original Little Women, or you just like to play the What If game, then I think Jo & Laurie is a romantic retelling that  you may enjoy.

Before I start, I would like to mention that I didn’t read Little Women before I read this book. I received this book from MB Communications. I may say that I’m glad I read this one first because I don’t know if I would like it as much as I did after reading the original story. I’m kind of person who always reads the book before watching any movie adaptation, and most of the time I hate the movie. I think I might have the same with this book. I need to say that Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz did a great job by bringing this story to life and twist it a little bit.

After the success of Jo’s first book, she is fighting her will to write a book her editor will love. It’s not as easy as she thought it will be as they have different ideas about how the story of Little Women will continue. Jo is a very stubborn person, so she was fighting her way to publishing a book about independent women who don’t need men to change their lives into a dream. However, her publisher wants a book about good wives.

Her best friend Laurie tries to inspire her and takes her to New York. He organizes a week of visiting museums, operas, and many more. This visitation seems like a dream for Jo. However, the plans change, when they meet a longtime friend of Laurie, Miss Harriet. Harriet is a person I still don’t know if I like or not. On one side, I see her as a character that no one understands. She dreams about love but every person she puts her eyes on falls in love with someone else. On the other side, she’s very manipulative and looks down at people that aren’t upper class.

When the week comes to an end, Laurie does something that changes the relation between him and Jo. He reveals his feelings to her and proposes. Well, it doesn’t turn up well. Jo turned him down with the dream of being an independent woman. I felt bad for Laurie but at the same time, he was a little bit too straight forward. He should prepare her more for this, instead of throwing his emotions on her. I think that’s the moment when the story slows down a little and shows the consequences of this major question.

Jo is a mix of tomboy and feminist. Her goal is to become an independent woman. She loves to read and cares about her sisters more than anything else. She’s a very talented writer and uses her abilities to provide for her family, while her father is fighting in the civil war.

Laurie comes from a rich family. He’s pressured by his grandfather to go to the university and inherit the family business. However, Laurie’s wish is to become a musician, the same as his mother was. As much as he cries about his lost dreams, he doesn’t want to disappoint his grandfather, since he’s the only family he has.
Jo and Laurie are amazing friends. You can see how close they are just by reading their conversations. They don’t need to pretend when they are with each other. That’s why I was so disappointed when the proposal ruined their friendship. I didn’t know who I should be mad at.

Jo & Laurie convinced me how much I was missing for all these years I was postponing reading Little Women for many years. Obviously, this book is only a retelling and it differentiates from the original. However, the authors made a very good job with research since they implemented the essence of the original book into it. I’m very happy that I received this book to review because it finally pushes me to read the classic story.

I would like to thank MB Communications, Stephanie Elliot, Margaret Stohl, and Melissa de la Cruz for providing me with this copy and starting my new obsession with Little Women.

This was one big predictable fan fiction tbh. I liked the premise, the question of What If that the authors asked and answered. The whole journey of this book was beautifully written and narrated, I feel. I related to Jo's own confusion and blocks while writing. It was so nicely shown. The sister relationship was beautifully portrayed too.
But despite that, something didn't feel alright. It really felt like an original tale only with the exception of jo and Laurie's story. The whole retelling was too much like the original book, I suppose, with addition of a weekend getaway and bits in between.
Nevertheless, it was cute I suppose. Very very predictable, maybe that was the intention too. But I couldn't wholly enjoy it.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an e-copy. All views expressed are fully mine.

This book is basically for those who were really rooting for Jo and Laurie, but were disappointed in the end by the original Little Women book. I do recognize that it’s kind of an unpopular opinion it seems, at least after reading reviews from other people. And as much as I appreciate and acknowledge original author's authorial intent and the individual characters’ personalities, this “retelling” was definitely my kind of thing! Now if only authors could do this to make my wishes come true for everything, haha.

I must say, the ending felt the least organic out of everything in this book. I would say that Teddy and Jo’s relationship’s natural ebb and flow was mostly kept throughout the book, but the ending felt a bit rushed and forced in order for things to get back on track again.

However, there were still plenty of swoon worthy sections and I loved how the authors were able to paint a beautiful picture of society back then. The descriptions of the theatre, post office, and parties are filled with excitement and you can’t help but yearn to experience those places for yourself as a reader. Overall, I felt pretty satisfied with the book and it gave me what I wanted for a Jo and Laurie romance.

This book makes me want to read the original Little Women! What a great read! I absolutely loved the banter between the March sisters, but I was obsessed with the budding relationship between Jo & Laurie. I really love Jo & Laurie’s banter throughout the book. The author did an amazing job of making you feel exactly what the characters were feeling. I could hardly put it down because I was ready for them to get together already. The ending was absolutely amazing. I must go read Little Women now!

Jo & Laurie is not a book that I would typically choose to read since I usually lean towards high
fantasy, however, Melissa de la Cruz had a hand in it and I’ve been enjoying her books, so I
decided to give it a try!

First, let me say that I have never read Little Women or seen the movie, so I went in blind with
very few expectations, so this review is just based on my feelings about the book itself, not
comparing it to the original source.

Overall, I thought the story was cute. It had the ‘best-friends to relationship’ trope that I enjoy
and the characters were likable! It was interesting to read about Jo’s hesitation when it came to
changing their relationship. I also enjoyed reading about Jo’s thought process as she tried to
write her sequel.

While I enjoyed Jo & Laurie simply because it was a nice change of pace for me compared to
the books I usually read, I think anyone that is into Historical Fiction and Romance would love it!

CALLING ALL MY JO AND LAURIE SHIPPERS. my wee lil heart SQUEEZED SO HARD with every lil Laurie moment @authormelissadelacruz @margaret_stohl bestowed upon us. here are some quotes I copied (yes they’re only from the beginning, but it’s cuz I was reading too fast after that to copy them from then on ;-;). *remember!! this is an unedited manuscript and quotes may change:)
__
- “It was true that most girls wouldn’t have gone swimming in their britches with the boy from next door—but most girls weren’t bohemian writers setting out to make a name for themselves as the voice of their generation, and most boys weren’t Laurie.” (be still, my beating heart 🤧).
- “I’m allowed to think you’re wonderful, Jo. I’ve never pretended not to.” (HONESTLY, LAURIE.)
__
I was also extremely impressed with how true Melissa and Margaret stayed with the language found in Louisa Alcott’a books. if you’re a fan of that era and diction, you’ll LOVE THIS.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

I personally haven’t read or watched Little Women, and I know that so many people love that story so I was curious to know what people thought of this retelling. Although I feel like this was more of a continuation rather than a retelling since it seemed like it went further than what happened in Little Women, but then again since I didn’t read the original, I wouldn’t know for sure!

As someone who doesn’t have any background information on the original source material, I felt like this was an interesting story. I think I fall under the majority of people when I say that Meg was my overall favorite character compared to our main character Jo, even though Meg wasn’t the main focus. And I guess since most people were pretty disappointed with how the original story ended between Jo and Laurie, this kind of gave them the closure that they were looking for. As for me, I guess either way would have been fine for me.

I did also read that since the original ending was giving autonomy to Jo for keeping her single and having Jo and Laurie as just friends, this book did some sort of injustice to the original author’s wishes, and I could see that too. In essence, this book could be seen as some sort of fan-fiction to those that wanted to see Jo and Laurie have some sort of romantic relationship that they would have never seen. Kind of like how people wanted Zutara to happen, when the end game was always going to be Kataang.


So I guess I’m pretty in the middle with this. I will say that I’ve always been a fan of de la Cruz’s writing, so I didn’t have a problem with the prose itself. It was definitely really interesting to see de la Cruz and Stohl partner up for this one. My only experience with Stohl was for Beautiful Creatures, and that was a partnership novel as well, so I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of reading Stohl’s work alone. But I feel like their voices just meshed well together in this novel and it seemed to do well here.

“The greatest love story finally told” is a bold statement. Does Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz live up to that claim. Let’s see.

First things first, this book is either incredibly clever or wickedly confusing depending on how you’re feeling as you read it. Also, I assume, it helps if you’ve actually read Little Women as to know the characters of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel better. But, something worth knowing is that Jo is the writer of Little Women within Little Women and so in this book she is in the period between the first half of Little Women that came out in 1868 and the second half of Little Women that came out in 1869. Those two halves were then turned into one novel, which is the classic Little Women that can be found on bookshelves and libraries everywhere today. So, this book is set within the fiction of the two books’ releases that were actual world releases. Considering the fact that Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is considered a semi-autobiographical novel, I guess it makes sense for the setting of this book to have one foot in fiction and one foot in reality.

I do have to say though, the arrival of Theodore “Laurie” Laurence in this book is the first real jolt of energy and life, aside from Jo debating with her publisher over her book’s title in the beginning. But alas, as soon as he shows up he is gone again. Something wonderful that Stohl and de la Cruz have done in this novel are making Laurie fulfill the role of muse and the infamous “lover-that-saves-the-writer’s-career.” In almost every author origin story, there is the lover that tells the writer to keep writing. Usually, like in Stephen King’s case for example, that person is a woman propping up a man. To see Laurie playing support character to Jo is a nice switch on the old doubtful writer narrative,

There is something incredibly distracting about this book as well. The language is, I assume because I wasn’t alive in 1868, accurate to how people spoke in 1868. This makes the book both feel incredibly accurate while also mildly annoying. Personally, I spent a lot of the dialogue thinking to myself, “Who talks like this?” But then when I remember the book is set in the summer of 1868, I am reminded that they, probably, did. However, that is only during the scenes that are establishing the fact that the story is in 1868. The conversations among the sisters, for example, when discussing Jo’s writing are rather fun to read. In fact, as a writer myself, these scenes make Jo the most relatable to me as a reader.

The cover claims that this book is “the greatest love story finally told” and based on the title being Jo & Laurie it is easy to assume that Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz are writing about the love story between Jo March and Theodore “Laurie” Laurence. However, as I read it, I found there to be a very different love story going on. That love story would be the love between an author and the writing process. All of this book that is not about Jo and Laurie is about Jo and writing. The interactions she has, the conversations she has, the insecurities she feels, the dedication she shows, the utter abandonment of writing at all she goes through, and everything else that develops her writing is like a big love letter to writing. Stohl and de la Cruz seem to focus on the love story of author and writing. A love story explored in interesting ways like Jo’s conversations with her publisher and editor. While the love story between Jo and Laurie is one that is interesting and real at times, the true love story that makes this book such a great read is the love letter from Maragret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz to writing itself.

You guys, I am such a sucker for retellings or continuations or “what ifs” for classic literature. And when I read Little Women when I was younger, I totally wanted Jo and Laurie to be together. I refused to believe that wasn’t how it would end. So Stohl and de la Cruz have created the book of my true heart here, and I was so excited to get the chance to read an ARC and offer my thoughts.

First, I feel like the voice of this book is authentically true to Little Women. I know that may feel like a shock to those of you who are also fans of the original work, and who strongly identify with Jo as an independent women. It may feel impossible for her to ever actually be with Laurie and maintain that fierce independence. I can totally understand that, and I can understand why this might not be the book for you if you feel that way. However, if, like me, you think this could be a grand adventure into the land of “what if” and thinking about how a beloved classic might have been written, then I suggest checking this out. I say it is authentic to Little Women because Jo still had such a strong, independent voice, and the authors did such a wonderful job of showing how that voice was exactly what drew Laurie to her. It made sense and was consistent.

I also just flat-out loved the historical setting in Boston and New York and all the references to things from that time period. They go and hear Charles Dickens speak, and it is the best thing! And of course, Jo’s sisters Amy and Meg added a richness to the story. Everything is not the same as it is in the original classic, but nor would I want it to be. This is a unique retelling of an alternate ending for Jo. It’s a twist on a classic, and I wouldn’t have wanted it not to bring something new to the table.

I hope you’ll read and enjoy it like I did!

I am going to preface this review by saying I have NOT read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott...yet. I have it! But we all know the size of this book can be a little daunting. So this review is coming from someone who has a general idea of the story in Little Women, and is otherwise blind and open to this book.


And I really freaking liked it. Once I started reading it, I felt like that’s all I wanted to do. I loved how Margaret and Melissa wrote it in the style of older American literature, because I didn’t feel like I was reading a book that was literally published on this day in 2020. This is a love story, but I am assuming like Little Women, it is a story about family, friendship, perseverance, goals, and being true to yourself. I felt attached to the characters, like I could feel their emotions, even though I was meeting them for the first time. I loved this story so much, it is leaving me desperately wanting to dive into this gorgeous copy of Little Women.


I also truly appreciated the Authoress’ notes both in the beginning of the book to explain where this story was meant to fit into the Little Women timeline, as well as the note at the end talking about their inspiration for this story. Sometimes, you just have to tell the story that you want to be written, and I felt this book truly did that.


If you are a fan of Jo, of Laurie, of Meg, or even Amy; if you thought they should have ended up together or they shouldn’t have; or if you are brand new to the March sisters, please read this book and see the magic that Margaret and Melissa wove that transported the reader back in time and back in literature, to a place so full of love and sisterhood.

<I>“Because of all the other little sisters- the ones you’ll never know or meet- who you’ve made believe they could tell a story on their own.” </I>

I grew up reading classics like Little Women and The Secret Garden and Heidi. So when I say that I think these authors did an amazing job of this retelling, I mean it. They captured the vibe of Louisa’s writing perfectly, it honestly didn’t even feel much like a retelling and felt a lot like it could have act been the works of the real author. Just,,the vibes were immaculate.

Let’s talk about Jo & Laurie. Of course, like the general public I was never really a Jo & Laurie shipper and I don’t think I’ll really ever ship them in Little Women. But here, Melissa and Margaret really truly did something. They made Jo & Laurie <i> Jo & Laurie </I> in a way that not many people could have done this well. Without giving their actual relationship much screen time, I still felt like I knew how they grew together and how I knew, just like the other March sisters knew, that they would inevitably end up together. I don’t know if it was the watering hole or the inside jokes or the way Laurie just <I> knew</I> her, inside out and upside down, but it was perfect. And in the end when they became JoandLaurie I was so happy.

And one more thing we HAVE to talk about. The emphasis placed on the sister bond. Obviously it’s really important in Louisa’s actual book but here it was just as good. Everytime a book character has a good relationship with their siblings my heart goes💞 because it’s so precious i honestly can’t. As someone who has a younger sister I felt like Jo’s relationship with Amy was done so well. The perfect blend of frustration and love. And Meg. So so cute.

The only thing I didn’t love about this book was that we glossed over Jo’s trauma regarding Beth a little bit in the end. I feel like it would’ve been easier to connect with her if we’d explored that further in the book.

All in all this book was such a heartwarming, cute read that it kind of made me want to read some more historical fiction🥳. If you’re a fan of classics or Little Women id highly encourage you to pick this up!

(It also definitely didn’t hurt that I pictured Laurie as Timothee Chalamet the entire time🌝)

Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN is, of course, one of the most influential American novels of all time. But many readers were disappointed at the fates of the characters in the second half of the book, where heroine Jo rejects a marriage proposal from her childhood friend, Laurie, and marries the much older Professor Bhaer instead. Readers are largely split about this decision to this day -- some insist that Jo should have married Laurie, while others say that they would have made a horrible couple and the ending is for the best.

Well, buckle up, guys -- everyone's oldest and most controversial ship is back. But it might not be as cut-and-dry as you think.

First of all, JO AND LAURIE isn't a straightforward retelling of LITTLE WOMEN. It's framed as a story within a story, wherein the original LITTLE WOMEN was written by Jo, and now she's struggling to write a sequel to please her publisher. This scenario mimics the way Louisa May Alcott herself struggled with the sequel in real life, as was explained in the excellent authors' note at the end. The framing also has the effect of avoiding any implication that the authors are trying to revise LITTLE WOMEN canon, which would obviously be disrespectful to Alcott's memory. Overall, I found it to be a pretty thoughtful handling of a classic book.

Now, on to the shipping wars. When I first read LITTLE WOMEN several years ago, I was definitely disappointed that Jo and Laurie didn't end up together. More recently, having reflected on it, my preference would be if Jo didn't get married at all; but suffice to say, I didn't like the person she eventually married in canon. This retelling seemed like a cool way to see what it would have been like if things were different, and for me, it hit the mark exactly.

Here's the thing: original, canon Jo and Laurie make great friends, but they'd make a pretty terrible couple. Laurie is kind of immature, and seems to expect Jo to be in love with him just because he wants her to be. However, this version of Jo and Laurie aren't canon Jo and Laurie. They do resemble the originals for much of the story, with Laurie initially complaining a ton when Jo rejects him; but they both go through transformations that make them more compatible over the course of the story (read: Laurie grows the hell up :P). When they finally got together at the end of the story, I got straight-up chills, because it made sense in this version.

Aside from the main romance, I enjoyed discovering the little riffs on the original story that Stohl and de la Cruz slipped in there. Jo replicated some "real-life" events in LITTLE WOMEN exactly, but others she switched up and added and embellished. One such riff I loved was the fact that Meg and John Brooke, who got engaged in LITTLE WOMEN, had never actually spoken to each other in reality -- at least, at the start of the story -- which causes a lot of awkwardness. Amy was a delight as always. I particularly loved the emphasis on Jo's struggles to write her sequel. As the authors noted at the end, Jo's writing process wasn't shown much in the original, and it was really cool to imagine what it would have been like.

Overall, I think many fans of LITTLE WOMEN will like this book precisely for its meta qualities. The writing didn't replicate Alcott's style exactly, but as I read further, I realized that it didn't need to. Indeed, JO AND LAURIE isn't intended as a revision of canon, but as a fun "what if?" scenario that explores how Jo and Laurie could have gotten together -- but also why, in the original canon, they might not have been meant for each other after all.