With the rise in popularity of the TikTok community #booktok, lots of young people are starting to read for fun on a regular basis. Gen Z has become invested in books, especially in those of the romance genre. Some examples include Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us, and Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue. While it is great to see teens finding joy in the hobby, many in this corner of the internet are finding an issue with recommendations and their repetition. For those looking for an underrated, undiscussed romance book I would recommend Landline, by Rainbow Rowell.
Landline follows married couple Georgie and Neal, who are going through a rough patch in their marriage. The tension between them worsens when Georgie informs her husband at the last minute that she won’t be able to see his family for Christmas due to a work commitment. Once he and their two daughters leave for the holiday, Georgie visits her mother and finds her old landline phone. After plugging in the phone, she picks up the receiver to find that the person on the other line is the Neal she knew twenty years prior to the present day. As current Georgie continues to speak with past Neal, she has to decide if she wants to fix her relationship with him or give up on him.
Now, before going into this book, it is important for people to avoid expecting Landline to be pure fluff and escapism. Of course, there are romantic moments, but the story is not constantly swoon-worthy or full of an excessive amount of tropes. It’s better to think of this story as a realistic character study of their relationship. To add, the characters themselves are not representative of typical heroes and heroines often found within the genre. Neal and Georgie are average-looking, normal people with unique flaws that might make them both unlikable at certain times. Therefore, the grounded nature of their issues and the way in which each character responds to their problem makes the narrative that much more impactful.
Landline is an easy-to-read novel with interesting characters and humor incorporated throughout. Also, while it is set during Christmas, you can read this book at any time of the year for the holiday does not interrupt the overall experience. If you’re looking for a new read, check out this novel. You won’t regret it.