Contemporary Mini Reviews: Wanderlost by Jen Malone & Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Hello, friends! Today, I’m sharing some contemporary book love with two spoiler-free mini-reviews of my latest reads. ☀❤ Both of these books are super wonderful and soft, and they were perfect summer reads (but you can still read it anytime and be happy!)

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

True to its title, Wanderlost sparked the wanderlust in my heart. ✨ I have always wanted to travel to Europe and reading through Aubree’s point-of-view was a breath of fresh air and gave me a much-needed sneak peek into a traveler’s paradise. ✈ I found Aubree to be an extremely relatable character. She’s comforted by things that are familiar to her, so being placed in a new country forced her not-so-daring heart into an uncomfortable situation. 💖

Spoiler-free Summary: Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.

The writing of this book flowed very well, making it easy to follow and imagine all the picturesque scenery. I really enjoyed watching Aubree grow more confident in herself and become more adventurous. 🌸 The romance in this book was also very light-hearted and cute. It definitely wasn’t the sole focal point of the story which I appreciated a lot.

I would give this book 4/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was such a fun read and reminded me so much of The Lizzie McGuire Movie. The story was filled with self-discovery, cutesy romance, and sisterly bonding. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone! 

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Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

This book was actually such a great summertime read. ☀ It appealed so much to my California girl heart because it’s set on the beach and the male lead is an ex-surfer. The romance in this book was so fun, and the main characters had the cutest playful banter. 😍 At the same time, they also had such touching and deep conversations. The book was also filled with wonderful friendship and family developments that touched my heart.

Spoiler-free Summary: Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is a whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

This book definitely isn’t the most realistic with its whole You Got Mail! theme, but it was still an extremely enjoyable read. It’s the type of summer experience and cutesy romance that would make a cute movie. (Netflix, where ya at? 👀) It had a great balance of playfulness and seriousness. 🌊

I give this book 4/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I would 100% reread it again! I’m really excited to read more of Jenn Bennett’s books, and I would highly recommend this book to all my friends! 

Want to Buy This Book?

If you purchase the paperback or hardback version from Book Depository, I make a small commission which helps keeps my blog running. 🛍️ They have free shipping worldwide, so talk about a win-win solution!

Have you read either of these books? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments! 💕