This book was not at all what I expected. The blurb about a man whose wife disappeared, who continues to hold on to hope for seven years, who stumbles on a Trip Advisor review and sets off on a journey to track her down, all seemed to promise a romantic dramedy. There were moments that made me chuckle, but This Disaster Loves You is far from what it seemed.

Perhaps the cover art is partly to blame for misleading my expectations. The writing felt awkward and clunky; the story was drawn out longer than needed. By the time I reached Part Three, I was doing more skimming than reading. The pieces of the puzzle depicting what really happened to Brian’s wife, Lily, were finally slipping into place, but I no longer felt invested.

I felt for Brian; his self-doubt and self-deprecating humor were evident results of a difficult childhood of loss and social awkwardness. I did not like the character of Lily at all. She is superficial and oblivious at times, selfish and cold at others. The twist of her disappearance did catch me by surprise, but my reaction was more “Huh?” than “OMG!”

You know what I say: not every book is for every reading. This disaster may love me, but it’s unrequited in this case.