Neal didn’t take Georgie’s breath away. Maybe the opposite. But that was okay – that was really good actually, to be near someone who filled your lungs with air.

Georgie McCool loves her husband, she really does, but when it’s a choice between work and a family Christmas, she chooses work. Her marriage was already shaky but could this be the final straw? Whilst the rest of her family is celebrating in Nebraska, she struggles to find the right time to speak to Neal, to fix what’s broken. Then she finds an old yellow phone at her parents’ house; a phone with a connection to the past.

Landline is a story about growing apart and the compromises of marriage. It’s easy to relate to the characters, although which such a large YA audience, I wonder if all her fans will feel the same. It is a much older feeling book. It’s about an established relationship with its wobbles and balancing work life and home life. And if there’s one thing Rainbow does well, it’s realistic relationships.

The time travel landline was perhaps a bit gimmicky; it’s a bit hard to believe Neal didn’t ask more questions. Unlike Eleanor & Park and Attachments, there wasn’t a sense of nostalgia connected to the past. Instead the past represents a time without baggage, a chance for Georgie to remember the good times and maybe fix what’s gone wrong since.

I felt a bit sorry for Seth. He seems like such an amazing friend and Neal gives him a hard time, not to mention Georgie starting to flake out on him workwise. They had such a huge opportunity and I understand her choices. They’ll have loads of Christmases together in future, there’s just one where she needs to work, to make a difference. I though Neal was a tad selfish but there is clearly a whole load of backstory there and I became a little more accepting of his decision later on.

Landline is published by Orion and will be available from 3rd July 2014 in hardback and ebook editions. Thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes only. Receipt of a book does not guarantee a review or endorsement. My reviews are my honest opinion and are not biased for the purpose of personal gain.