Alex, Approximately is a sweet, enemies-to-lovers story where the characters unknowingly already care for each other.
At the beginning of the summer, Bailey moves across the country to a small town in Northern California. Her online friend Alex lives here, but because of a tragic event that happened in her past, she’s afraid of telling him that she moved into town. Instead, she tries to find him first; if he seems like a cool guy in real life, she’ll reveal herself to him.
After starting a summer job that her dad makes her get, she begins to be tormented by Porter, one of the security guards there. He’s probably tormenting her because he’s attracted to her. At the same time, Bailey finds that she can’t act normal around him because she’s attracted to him as well. Over the summer, she finds herself drawing closer to Porter and drifting away from her online friend Alex. Although if you read the synopsis, you know that Alex and Porter are the same person. Eventually, they find out the truth.
What I Loved
I loved Alex, Approximately and devoured it in two days. When I couldn’t read the book, I kept thinking about the characters. Both Bailey and Porter had previous hurt in their lives (which we do find out about) and it affects their relationship in a realistic way. They’re three-dimensional characters who have a variety of interests, friends, and family relationships. Bailey (oh my) acts like a teenager sometimes, getting upset and doing stupid things. I love how she develops as a person.
The setting was great as well. I’ve been to Northern California a few times before, and I could just picture this little town near the redwoods and the ocean. The museum where they worked at was another setting that stood out in my mind.
What Could Have Been Better
Bailey doesn’t hear from her mom the whole summer. She lives with her dad, but wouldn’t a teenager at least want to hear from her mom every once in a while? Other than this, there wasn’t really anything I could think of.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a cute contemporary romance to read this summer, Alex, Approximately would be a good choice. It has beaches, summer jobs, great characters, and a sunny (well, sometimes foggy, this is Northern California) setting. I’m glad that I read it and definitely recommend it to others.