Review: Face Time (Love in the Digital Age #1) – S.J. Pajonas

Face Time by S.J. Pajonas
Series: Love in the Digital Age #1
Published by Onigri Press on 25 April 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Author

After the best first date ever, Lee thought Laura was funny, intelligent, and impulsive; a whirlwind of bright laughter and happiness. Laura loved Lee's sweet smile and the way he expertly filled in every awkward pause. He held her hand and then pulled her in for the most perfect kiss she’s had in years. What could possibly be wrong? Just the 7000 miles that separates them the next day.

Even though Lee has gone home to Seoul, Laura can't stop thinking about him. What starts as an innocent text thanking him for their dinner date becomes something much more: someone either of them can't live without. But Laura's got a live-in mother going through a midlife crisis, and Lee's stressful traveling schedule means they'll be apart for some time. Life, family, and a complicated past also get in the way, and they're both going to need actual face time to figure it out.

*I received a free ARC of Face Time in exchange of an honest review*

Face Time is a very sweet, albeit a little improbable, contemporary romance novel. Laura and Lee meet by chance in the bar where she usually goes with friends every Thursday night, only this Thursday, she’s been stood up. Lee is only in New York for a couple of days on business, but they hit it off straight away. They go out for dinner on the next evening, and after sharing the hottest of first kisses ever, they say goodbye after having exchanged all important information.

The way they stay in touch is by text messages and face time, and even with Lee in South Korea and Laura in New York, they are able to talk several times per week, and they soon realize they have many things in common. They both have very difficult families, and can’t even trust their own mothers. Especially Laura, who traveled across Asia after college, has a lot of hidden secrets from that time of her life, and as the two of them grow closer, she figures she needs to tell him everything – all the sleeping around, becoming pregnant, and terminating the pregnancy – even if it happened ten years ago. Laura’s latest boyfriend actually left her over that, when her mommy dearest told him.

Lee is of Korean heritage, and his mom wants him to marry someone from their community. When he has finally been able to detach himself from Sandra, daughter of his parents friends, he finally realizes he doesn’t want someone like her. He is all for Laura, her adventurous mind and quirky humor. I didn’t mind so much that Face Time featured a long distance relationship, especially because Laura and Lee met before they started talking online and knew there was an actual attraction between them, however, the plot was a little bit convoluted at times, especially with both of their mothers.

I enjoyed how both Lee and Laura came to realize the reason why their past relationships had never worked, and that this helped them see that their relationship just might be worth the trouble it was to keep in touch through face time and text messages, and planning to see each other again soon. I also loved that they were so supportive of each other – they both needed to have someone on their side, as apart from a few good friends, they really didn’t have anyone they could count on to always have their backs. And I think that the fact that people can see each other when they use face time helps to get to know each other better.

If you are looking for a different kind of contemporary romance, Face Time just might be the book for you! Sometimes, their whole messages are included in between the narration, and it’s cute – because that’s how a lot of people stay in touch these days, even if they don’t live across the world from each other. I will definitely check out the next book in the Love in the Digital Age series, because I got to travel to several places, and they were all vividly described through the eyes of the character that was actually there. Written in dual point of view, the readers get to know both Lee and Laura quite well, even if the book is not very long.

 The kiss goes all in, a deep inhale followed by the kind of release that makes my eyes roll back in my head.

The hidden gems are all out in the open thanks to the internet, and anything that was once a weel-kept secret is now a whore for attention.

Laura pulls her hair out of the elastic its tied in and runs her fingers through her long, dark hair a few times. “Well, I love romance. It’s a dying art. You should be with someone who will appreciate your gestures, Lee.”

He lives in Seoul. Fuck, he lives in Seoul. I pause and examine myself in the mirror. Why do I fall for the unavailable ones?

 

 

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