{"id":10749,"date":"2018-10-29T00:00:13","date_gmt":"2018-10-28T22:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=10749"},"modified":"2023-06-13T17:49:59","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T15:49:59","slug":"if-i-loved-you-less-tamsen-parker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/if-i-loved-you-less-tamsen-parker\/","title":{"rendered":"If I Loved You Less by Tamsen Parker: Audiobook Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"If<\/a>If I Loved You Less by Tamsen Parker<\/b><\/span> is a delightful contemporary reinterpretation of the classic Emma by Jane Austen. (Side note: if it doesn\u2019t make you want to book a vacation to Hawaii by the end, I don\u2019t know what will.<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Theodosia \u201cTheo\u201d Sullivan loves her life helping her dad run their surf shop in Hanalei Bay. When she\u2019s not busy giving surfing lessons or selling people rash guards and board wax, she\u2019s busy with her new self-appointed role as the local matchmaker. After all, she clearly has a knack for it since she helped her former nanny find love with a local gallery owner. <\/span><\/p>\n

When a sweet, naive mainlander arrives at the shop looking for a job, Theo has a new mission in life: helping Laurel find love. Steering her clear from the nice guy with no prospects who works at the local bakery is a no-brainer, especially when there are other, better choices in town for Laurel, no matter how sweet he might be. <\/span><\/p>\n

While Theo\u2019s best friend and owner of said bakery, Kini ‘Opunui, doesn\u2019t approve of her methods, she loves Theo all the same, doling out sublime pastries and tough love at the same time. Theo\u2019s tactics might work a little too well, however, when she realizes she may have driven Kini towards true love just as she discovers own her deep and abiding feelings for Kini.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Characters<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Readers will either love or hate Theo\u2019s meddling ways. Personally, I loved her because she goes through a tremendous amount of growth over the course of the story. While her intentions are good, her actions don\u2019t always reflect that, so she sometimes behaves in ways that are disappointing. Kini is particularly great at taking Theo to task gently, yet firmly, and guiding her to be a better person.<\/span><\/p>\n

If I Loved You Less is told entirely from Theo\u2019s perspective, in the third person. That means that we don\u2019t really get as much of Kini as we might like, especially since Theo spends a lot of time with Laurel as well as another new friend who comes along (okay, fine, I <\/i>didn\u2019t get as much of Kini as I <\/i>would have liked because I LOVED her). What we get of Kini is fabulous though, and I want to hang out in her kitchen forever. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Writing Style<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

As always, Tamsen Parker delivers engaging, often adorable dialogue, and a story that I was able to immediately sink into. Because it follows Theo so closely and all of her antics in and around Hanalei Bay, it\u2019s more chicklit than romance. The romance that\u2019s there is lovely and thoroughly enjoyable, it just doesn\u2019t happen to take up a lot of the pages in this book.<\/span><\/p>\n

If I Loved You Less is a pretty faithful retelling of Emma, however, so if you\u2019re a fan of that story, then you\u2019ll love this one. And if you don\u2019t like Emma, you probably won\u2019t like this one either.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Narration<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m beginning to suspect that, like Christine Smith and Ann McMan, and Nicola Victoria Vincent and Jenny Frame, Jill Smith and Tamsen Parker are a perfect pairing. I adored Jill Smith\u2019s narration for In Her Court<\/span><\/a>, and I loved this one no less (see what I did there?). She brings the characters and the book\u2019s overall tone to life in a way that makes me love it even more than the ebook did. And even though there are many characters in this story, I had no trouble following who was saying what because Smith differentiates them so well. I highly recommend getting the audio version if you\u2019re at all inclined towards listening to books over reading them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Theo\u2019s character growth and the dialogue were hands down my favourite elements. Also, after reading and loving Parker\u2019s scorching Fire on the Ice<\/span><\/a>, it was kind of neat to see her write a book with zero sex in it. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Cons<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

None for me. Like I said above, though, if you don\u2019t like the book Emma or meddlesome characters, this probably isn\u2019t the book for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"taras<\/a>The Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

If you like chicklit or contemporary retellings of classic novels, this is a story you won\u2019t want to miss. Yet again, Tamsen Parker delivered a fabulous f\/f novel, and I can\u2019t wait to see what she has for us next.<\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpt from <\/b><\/span>If I Loved You Less by Tamsen Parker<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

After doing her very good deeds for the day\u2014convincing her father they needed a part-time helper so Laurel had some employment and then sweet-talking Jasmine at the caf\u00e9 into giving Laurel another part-time job\u2014Theo stopped back by Queen\u2019s, where Kini was wiping off the long glass cases displaying her wares. After a full day, the cases were half-empty. And when Kini glanced over her shoulder and saw Theo coming in, they got emptier still.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without even asking, she walked around the counter and put a piece of haupia shortbread on a plate and poured a small cup of milk, placing them in front of Theo as she settled herself across the table where Theo had plopped. In return, Theo bussed Kini\u2019s soft cheek.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad would kill you if he knew how often you give me sweets.\u201d Theo\u2019s conspiratorial smile was met by Kini\u2019s own. It was funny that so often Kini thought\u2014and made it abundantly clear that she thought\u2014Theo\u2019s dad was too lax with her, too permissive. Spoiled<\/i>, she\u2019d call Theo and make that purse-lipped expression while she shook her head slightly. But when it came to baked goods, Kini was far more liberal than Theo\u2019s father.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a cookie or a malasada here a couple of times a week. After all the surf lessons you teach, the way you go out on your board most every morning, and all the running around town you do getting into everyone\u2019s business, I think you can handle a sweet or two. But don\u2019t tell your dad, okay? I value the respect he has for me and wouldn\u2019t want it undone by the fact that I ply you with sugar, butter, and gluten occasionally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Theo nodded, happily crunching on her shortbread. She didn\u2019t only come here for the baked goods, but Kini knew that. Kini knew everything. It was just one of those things that was true. Like the sun came up in the east and the ocean was salty, Kini knew everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get This Book On Amazon<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(this link works for Amazon UK, US and Canada)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Bits and Bobs<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n