"The Lonely Hearts Club" by Elizabeth Eulberg (Debut Author)

With Valentine's Day less than a week away, I decided to kick off the blog with a nice, fluffy romp I just finished reading. This type of novel isn't my usual cup of tea, I know. I initially picked the book up because I noticed the title getting a lot of attention at work and wanted to see what all of the hype was about.

The Lonely Hearts Club was a really sweet, lighthearted book. Reading it was a fun, engrossing way to pass the time. As a reader, I found myself sucked into Penny Lane's life, unwilling to stop reading and deny myself the pleasure of seeing what happened next. TLHC wasn't at all what I had been expecting, and I truly found myself caring about the characters who were sharing their lives with me.

In short, the novel is about a couple of teenage girls who decide to swear off dating because they're tired of the way guys treat them. They form The Lonely Hearts Club and their idea begins spreading through the school. Throughout it all, the girls explore the depths of friendship and learn to become strong individuals who can ultimately allow guys into their lives while still respecting themselves and not changing who they are for "some boy." The novel was like a nice, refreshing glass of lemonade on a clear, sunny day (certainly lighter than a lot of what I've been reading lately!).

But be warned! By the time I hit the last page, I had The Beatles stuck in my head due to the integral part their music played in the book. Even the name of TLHC stems from a Beatles song/album ("Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"). On top of that, the book jacket is designed to look like a feminine version of the cover image of the album Abbey Road, which is kind of awesome.

While we're talking about the design side of things, the book was really nice to hold in my hands. It's definitely worth reading a physical copy for this one. The final page of some of the chapters consisted of a lovely gray page rarely seen in books, then was followed by a Beatles quote. The quotes reminded me of Penny Lane's journal and the importance of Beatle quotes in her life. Plus, as I said earlier, I loved the cover. Cover art always interests me. I'd love to design a book cover someday myself. ^_^

All in all, reading this book was time well spent. I recommend giving this book a go. :)