Laura's Review of Charlotte's Bed by S.J. Stava

Synopsis

At thirty, Charlotte is sick of the single life. Sick of online matchmaking, sick of bad first (AND second) dates, and sick of the dreaded "I can't believe you're not married yet!" pitying stares. So when her boyfriend proposes – who just happens to be a Dean at the university where she works – she's thrilled to bid her singledom adieu. At the start of the new semester, she seems to have it all: a great job, great friends, and now. . . a great fiancé.

So what’s the catch? An annoyingly handsome new teaching assistant and the opportunity to direct the school’s fall production. Still can’t see the downside? Neither can Charlotte until suddenly, what she thought she wanted, might not be enough anymore.

How do you choose between the life you've always imagined and the love you've suddenly discovered?

What I Loved

          This was a really fun easy read that swoops right in and steals your heart.  Charlotte was easy to love; a girl that had a bad childhood but grew up semi-normal and made a home for herself, a life full of friends and a Professor of Performing Arts.  On so many levels she’s a very relatable character which made it so easy to become emotionally engrossed in her story. 

          I loved her inner monologue throughout the book, especially when she meets Mason because I can totally say when it comes to embarrassing yourself in front of hot men, I’ve definitely been there! Even though it was obvious that Richard was the wrong person for Charlotte to be with, it was easy to understand why she was so determined to make things work. 

          When it comes to Mason, the relationship between him and Charlotte was pretty hot from the very beginning. It was great to watch them fall for each other but not really speak it for a while.  That to me was more realistic and easier to latch onto because in so many books the characters two days in are confessing their love for each other, when it reality two days in you’re still wondering if you even like the person.  There wasn't much to hate about Mason, someone who was going to become a doctor but gave it all up to follow his dream to become an actor.  Not to mention he’s smoking hot with a great sense of humor and of course is head over heels in love with Charlotte.

Not So Much

          This is going to be a short section because this was a great a book.  The only negative aspect for me is that in the beginning it was kind of slow and became repetitious.  I like how the author built the foundation of Charlotte by going back to her past, showing the reader important instances of her life that make her who she is today.  But after a while it became a little annoying, and by about Chapter 22 I felt like the constant going back to the past was stalling the plot rather than adding to the overall story.  It began to slow things down for me and I kind of wanted to skip over it after awhile.

To Sum It All Up!

           I really enjoyed this book, it was so refreshing to read a story that was written so well with so many details a great plot and awesome character development.  There were times when I laughed, there were times when my heart broke while reading and I love when I can get that emotionally involved in a story.  I loved that even though Charlotte is the Professor, and Mason the TA, at times it was Mason that showed the emotional maturity that Charlotte lacked.  I couldn’t stand Richard, he was made me so mad at times and I loved that because it meant I was really engrossed in the story.  What added to the plot wasn’t just the main characters but it was Charlotte’s friends as well they lead to some comedic moments and to me represented what real true friendships are.   I love that in so many ways Charlotte was a very independent, smart woman but just wanted to fit into this perception of what she thought her future should be.  This was a great story about following your dreams and your heart even if it is the road less taken and more uncertain.