Review: The Rest of Us by Jessica Lott

The Rest of Us by Jessica Lott

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 

Pages: 304 

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  As a college student, Terry fell madly and destructively in love with Rhinehart, her famous poetry professor, tumbling into a relationship from which she never fully recovered. Now, fifteen years later, she’s single, still living in the same walk-up she moved into after college, and languishing as a photographer’s assistant, having long abandoned her own art. But when she stumbles upon Rhinehart’s obituary online, she finds herself taking stock of the ways her life has not lived up to her youthful expectations and grows disproportionately distraught at the thought that she’ll never see him again.

She is shocked when a few weeks later she bumps into Rhinehart himself: very much alive, married, and Christmas shopping at Bloomingdale’s. What ensues is an intense and beautiful friendship, an unexpected second act that pushes Terry to finally reckon with the consequences of their past and the depth of her own aspirations—and to begin to come back alive as an artist and a woman. 


Kritters Thoughts:  A different take on the college student dates college professor, in that most of this story occurs many years after the college student has graduated and made a life of her own in New York City.  Through some interesting circumstances she runs into said professor and drama ensues.  

I don't tend to even pick up a book that has this student/teacher relationship, but I thought from the summary that this one would be different with most of the story happening years later - it did, but I still didn't love it.  The whole book felt a little artsy and awkward and with books and movies, awkward and artsy just aren't my thing.  One of the things that I absolutely adored were the descriptions of New York City.  The author spent a good amount of time helping the reader feel the vibe of the city and how it affected the characters.  

I think many readers would love this book, it just wasn't up my alley.  I am glad I took a chance on a semi genre that I don't tend to read.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 47 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.