Astrid Inside/Out by Louise McBain is a romance about finding your true self while pursuing your happily ever after.
Astrid Dibello has always been the ugly duckling, the smart one. Her older sister, Claire, has always been the pretty one. Astrid has never minded growing up with the strong, Roman nose passed down through generations of her proud Italian family. Her mother on the other hand has been trying to get Astrid to agree to plastic surgery since she was a teenager. Astrid has always felt at home in her body and has gone about her life as a nature blogger in the Washington DC area with confidence and ease.
After breaking her nose and suffering a concussion while capturing a shoplifter, Astrid wakes up in the hospital with her mother at her side and a bandage on her nose. The most talented plastic surgeon on the East Coast has repaired the break but Astrid is left with the perfect nose. The same perfect nose her sister Claire has, making them look like identical twins. Astrid can’t help but wonder who’s the person in the mirror now? It’s even more confusing when everyone around her starts treating her differently. Is this how being beautiful changes things?
Astrid’s girlfriend takes one look at her new nose and dumps her for becoming part of the “plastic culture”. Astrid might have been devastated, but their relationship was on its last legs. Astrid runs into her childhood crush while she’s out communing with nature. Simone was one of Claire’s best friends in high school. The daughter of an Italian diplomat, she’s permanently relocated to Washington DC to open her own restaurant. Astrid and Simone instantly connect, and their easy friendship grows into a sweet romance. When Astrid finds out Simone had once been in love with Claire, she can’t help but wonder if Simone is in love with the woman she’s become, or because she now looks like Claire.
To discover the truth, Astrid needs to look at who she is on the inside and determine if her beauty is more than skin deep.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
From page one, I felt at home in this story. McBain does a nice job creating its world and populating it with relatable characters. Astrid couldn’t feel more familiar, and the confusion she experiences over the sudden change in her appearance is the perfect jumping off point to address personal insecurities and society’s obsession with outward appearances. Astrid and Simone fit so well together. Their romance develops in an easy fashion. It’s joyful and relatively angst free. Everything about this romance fits and highlighting caring for the environment is a bonus.
Cons And Heads Up
Not one.
The Conclusion
Astrid Inside/Out is a charming, sweet romance. I normally eat angsty romance for breakfast, but this book was very satisfying and left me content. The romance certainly highlights the adage, “Beauty. Is in the eye of the beholder,” without being preachy. There are little moments throughout the book that made me want to say, “Awwww,” but the spicy scenes certainly caught my attention, too. This book is perfect for those rainy Saturday afternoons when you choose curling up with a good book over dealing with the outside world. It will definitely leave you smiling.
Excerpt from Astrid Inside/Out by Louise McBain
Astrid turned and saw two of the high school girls approaching the counter. One of them was holding a tiny, lace tank top and the other was on her cell phone. The third girl, the tallest of the three, was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s the tall girl?” Tara hissed through clenched teeth. Astrid arched her back and saw the tall girl creeping slowly along the other side of the store. Back facing the register, her hands were on the front side of her body and not visible at all.
“On it,” Astrid said, and dropped to a crouch.
Claire’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I’m defending Tara’s bottom…line,” Astrid quipped and army crawled in the direction of the front door.
“Astrid, no,” Tara said, but it was too late.
The next thirty seconds happened very quickly. The tall girl saw Astrid coming and made a run for it. Throwing open the heavy plate-glass front door, she hit Astrid squarely in the face. Pain, like nothing she’d felt before, shattered her consciousness. Astrid heard someone scream, and then passed out cold.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781642472653
Publisher: Bella Books
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