My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
BOOK REVIEW
JULIA WHELAN
My Oxford Year
Ella Duran arrives at Oxford intent to complete her studies with a great English professor while also helping with a political star’s campaign back in Washington, DC. Only, things hit a snag when the professor she expected is no longer teaching her literature course but instead a local boy who has already proven himself a jerk to her.
“If you don’t open yourself up, how can you ever be surprised by life? And if you’re not surprised, what’s the bloody point?”
Jamie is a fantastic hero who on the surface appears to be one thing, but below there is so much life, so much intelligence, humor, and depth. He challenges Ella to be more than what she thinks, who she thinks, and his way of making her look at things, at him, at poetry, makes her just as fascinating to read because she is clearly on a journey of self-discovery and as a reader, I was left with the wonder of wanting to join her there.
I just lived years of my life in those eyes.
This is a brilliant, fascinating read filled with so many perceptive, quotable gems that I found myself reaching for a pen to make notations quite frequently. These words and sentences made me feel something, and made me think so much more.
An amazing, beautiful, heart-wrecking book filled with incredible insights and fascinating character studies that bring so many of life’s questions to the forefront. What it means to feel and think and believe we are capable of far more than we expect.
With intelligent characters, beautiful descriptions, and unforgettable interactions and emotions, My Oxford Year and author Julia Whelan takes readers on an epic journey of self-discovery. This is a fun, humorous, heartbreaking, highly emotional, in-depth story that will make you think as well as touch your heart. It’s a fast-paced read, but it stays with you long after you finish the last page.
Highly, highly recommend reading this one! It’s utterly brilliant and such a beautiful, powerful love story.
LOVED IT!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.
MY OXFORD YEAR
Author: Julia Whelan
Genre: Fiction | Romance | Contemporary
Imprint: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 352 (Trade Paperback)
ISBN: 9780062740656
Pub Date: Apr. 24, 2018 (Trade Paperback)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.
When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.
Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, life-long actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and Creative Writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master. When not writing her own books, you can find her reading other people’s out loud into a microphone.
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