My Oxford Year

This one? Pure comfort. Like a warm drink on a rainy day or a soft blanket wrapped around your heart. The Oxford Year is cute, fluffy, and full of that delicious “American girl goes to England and accidentally falls into feelings” trope—and I ate it up. No regrets. Until it is not. Then it gets the Jojo Moyes „Me Before You“ Vibes. And then the funny story turned sad really fast. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Julia Whelan herself (because apparently being a talented writer and a dreamy narrator is just something she does), and let me tell you—her voice brings it to life in such a unique, grounded way. Total bonus points there. The story itself is easy to love: smart American girl Ella heads to Oxford with political dreams and a don’t-look-at-me-I’m-focused mindset… until she meets a very charming local boy with secrets of his own. You think you know where it’s going—and in some ways, you do—but then- you really don‘t. There were couple of things that truly stuck with me: the way Jamie talks with his mom and their line they have. The relationship between father and son- which had a beautiful climax and made me cry. A solid 5 Star book.

Die erste Hälfte des Buches hat mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen. Wunderbare Beschreibungen von Oxford, lebendige Charaktere und eine schöne Geschichte. In der zweiten Hälfte ging es dann um Jamies Geheimnis (SPOILER): eine schwere Krankheit. Ab hier wurde das Buch dann sehr ernst und auch emotionaler. Trotzdem gut geschrieben. Allerdings werde ich als Leser gerne vorgewarnt (z.B. auf dem Klappentext), bevor ich ein Buch mit einem solchen Inhalt lese.

Ella and Jamie are honestly so sweet together. I really didn’t expect Jamie to be sick, that completely caught me off guard. I felt so sorry for Ella, though. She didn’t deserve to be lied to, even if Jamie had his reasons. That said, I do think they got together very quickly and almost a bit forcefully. Yes, they had wanted to be together for a long time, but making it official so soon after she found out about his illness? That felt rushed to me. What I really appreciated, though, was the moment Ella realized that her plans weren’t actually what she wanted anymore. Sometimes life just turns out differently than we imagined. I’m usually not a fan of open endings, but here I actually liked that we don’t find out when Jamie dies. It made the story feel more real somehow. If you’re a fan of emotional reads with a touch of charm and wit, this book is a must-have for your collection. Dive in and let this unforgettable journey stay with you long after the last page.