Sunday 9 February 2014

(Review) Fine-Tuning Hanna - Tiina Walsh

Title: Fine-Tuning Hanna
Author: Tiina Walsh
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 377 pages
Source: Author / Smashwords
Genre: Chick Lit (Romance)
Publisher: Createspace
Date Published: Oct. 30, 2013

Amazon | Smashwords

Summary (from Goodreads)
Would saying the magic words 'I love you' in time have stopped it all going so wrong for Hanna? Or was some other power at play? Finnish piano-tuner Hanna Suvanto loves her new life and friends in Dublin. And the icing on the cake is meeting Ireland's premium bachelor, the personal development guru, Sebastian O'Reilly. But their whirlwind romance hits a serious obstacle when Hanna's stay is unexpectedly cut short. Sebastian seems strangely unconcerned about her departure - and then Hanna makes a shocking discovery about the man she thought she knew. Heartbroken and disillusioned with love, she returns to Finland, resolving to rebuild her life. Back in Ireland, Sebastian can't get Hanna out of his mind. Surely there is more to her abrupt departure than meets the eye?

Review:

I ran out of luck with winning this book as a giveaway, but the author was super kind to give me a copy as a Valentines gift of sorts. I didn't receive any compensation for this book, I'm really glad for this opportunity because I rarely read outside of Young Adult and this book did not disappoint me.  

I'll just dive straight into the things that I'm crazy about this book. First off, it's not your run of the mill romance chick lit. Our main character, Hanna, is a successful piano-tuner of Finnish descent who's life path somehow crosses with the dashing Sebastian O'Reilly. When I say it's not your run of the mill chick lit, I really do mean it. The dimensions of the characters, their conversations and thought processes aren't in any way predictable or traditional. Even some of the issues that the book delves into weren't just highly-glossed realities but actual cases that people go through. I am really impressed with the multitude of issues I have been subjected to while reading this book, and to think that these are all possible realities many women go through every day is a feeling that I rarely encounter. 

Speaking of writing, the emotions were captured really well with carefully-crafted words that I couldn't help but just feel for Hanna and her plight. The considerable about of jargon used (both for the piano-tuning and the motivational aspects) were enough to let me know this is one author who knows what she's writing about. The use of Finnish and Celtic language and culture in some parts were spot-on, and did not give off any cloud of pretentiousness. If anything, it added a new layer of authenticity to the book. 

Lastly, what attracted me the most was the cover. It's not tacky as I would've expected many chick lit titles to have, and really captured Hanna's personality to the tee. All in all, this is one great book I wouldn't mind keeping at the top of the re-read stack. 

Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚

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