Review: True Love Story by Willow Aster

True Love Story
Willow Aster
Publication date: February 17th 2012 by Willow Aster
Rating: ★★★☆☆

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Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.

Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn't so simple.

Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough.

True Love Story begins five years into Sparrow and Ian's relationship - or lack of thereof, really. Sparrow is flying back home to a wedding when she bumps into Ian at the airport, and it takes all of her self-control not to jump him or punch him in the face.

Things only get worse when she gets to her seat only to find out that Ian is sitting beside her on the plane, and that she'll have to deal with his company, good looks, and the feelings she still has for him for the duration of the flight.

As we read, we learn about how Sparrow and Ian met five years ago, about the instant connection they both felt towards each other. We get to see their relationship develop into something else, and how they keep falling more and more in love with each other until the story goes along.

That is, until Ian breaks Sparrow's heart.

The way the plot was written - beginning five years after Sparrow and Ian meeting and then taking us back to everything that happened between them - actually made me like this book more than I actually did, if that makes sense. The story itself didn't really grasp my attention, but the way it was presented made True Love Story more enjoyable than I thought it would be.

Most of the characters weren't all that relatable or likable to me, and Sparrow and Ian's relationship came out as little bit shallow - with the entire insta-love thing they had going on, and later with what Ian did to screw everything up.

And Ian's cheesiness was just... no. There's only so much sweet we can take before it starts giving us a toothache, okay?

As realistic as this book managed to be, what Ian did to Sparrow and how she forgave him for it all after a life of misery a few years later was also a big no-no for me. Maybe it's because I would have never ever done the same thing Sparrow did, so I can't really understand how she could.

I cannot stress enough that the way this was plotted and shaped was my favorite part of it all, and it was still a pretty good story to read and submerge myself into. It dealt with second chances and learning to forgive those who hurt us, and it gave the characters a happy ending after all the messed up things they did and went through.

And really, who doesn't like happy endings?