The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

I read all kinds of books, as you will discover the more that I write, and some of my favorites are actually young adult books.  They're fun and overall, they're usually hopeful.  They're also very quick reads for me, so I generally look at thrift stores and libraries for them.  About a week ago, I was running around with my boyfriend, I found The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.  I didn't actually read it until Friday.  It only took me a couple of hours, but I really enjoyed it.

The story is pretty straightforward.  Hadley is off to England to see her father remarried, but she missed her flight by four minutes. The airline puts her on the next flight to London.  While she is waiting for her flight, she meets Oliver, a British college student who is flying home for a family event.  They share some dinner,  and discover that they are sitting next to each other on the plane after boarding.  They spend the hours of the flight getting to know one another, and their connection is deep and fairly instant.  We don't learn a lot about Oliver, but it's really Hadley's story.  When they arrive in London, Hadley is off to her father's wedding, and Oliver is off to his event--yes, I'm being vague on purpose.  After talking to her father, meeting her new stepmother, Charlotte, and dashing across London, Hadley's life view changes, and she realizes that things aren't always as they seem.

One of the biggest things that I love about this book is that the emotions are so real.  Hadley's father went away for a semester, met someone else, and left her mother.  And Hadley is angry about it.  She's not okay with it, and she's not apologetic about how she feels.  Only with talking to Oliver, meeting Charlotte, and reconnecting with her father does she start to come to terms with what's happened.  By the end of the book, which is only twenty four hours after it starts, Hadley herself is much more open to the things that happen around the world. 

Now, I don't know if I believe in love at first sight.  Relationships may have an initial spark, but they still take a lot of work.  Remember for yourself that no matter how good the spark is, if you don't work on your relationship, it will fail.  Don't stay because of that spark.  Family relationships take work as well.  Family loves you, but that doesn't mean they like you.  Be your best person.

What do you think.  Is love at first sight real?