Eight Perfect Hours

Eight Perfect Hours is a charming, yet sometimes frustrating book about a budding romance between two characters who fate keeps bringing together.

Noelle and Sam spend eight hours in a car together when they find themselves stranded on a motorway on a snowy night. Noelle senses an instant connection, but Sam does not seem to feel the same way. Noelle goes about her life, but she continues to encounter Sam in the most unexpected places and situations. Noelle and the reader are left to wonder if these encounters are caused by fate or coincidence and if Noelle and Sam are somehow meant to be in each other's lives.

The story is told by Noelle, a woman in her early thirties who is discontent with her life. She desires more out of life, but she is bound by a sense of responsibility to her family. Her life was greatly affected by the death of her best friend when they were in college and by her mother's stroke several years prior to the action of the novel. There is a lot of inner monologue from Noelle that can sometimes be a bit annoying. She dwells on the negative quite a bit and does not seem to really want to get out of the rut she is in. She is waiting for someone else to give her permission to live her life as she wants and to be happy rather than finding her own happiness. In this way, she can frustrating as a character.

Sam, the love interest of the book, is a more likeable character. While he does some things that make him seem cold and distant, the reasons for his actions are clear and understandable. He too has experienced things that have affected him, but he seems better adjusted than Noelle. The evolution of their relationship is interesting and engaging, making the book a pleasant read.

The plot of the book revolves heavily around the idea of fate or coincidence. The two main characters are repeatedly brought together in random situations. My only complaint is that the situations start to feel forced and unbelievable, but maybe they are supposed to seem somewhat magical. Though it frustrated me at times, it did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book. It is not perfect, but it is still a good read. I would recommend it to fans of stories that are based around the concept of fate and chance encounters.