Field Notes on Love

This was a fun, quick read that I enjoyed far more than I was anticipating. I read the whole thing in a single afternoon!

Hugo has just been dumped by his girlfriend and as a consolation prize, she gives him the trip across America they were planning on taking together. The problem is, all the bookings are in her name and they're not transferrable. Itching to get away from his large, loving, but somewhat claustrophobic family, Hugo decides to find another person with the same name to travel with.

Mae is about to go to college but isn't looking forward to it much after not being accepted into the film programme she's been dreaming about for years. When the opportunity to travel across the country by train pretty much drops in her lap, she show more jumps at the chance to leave her life behind for a few days. Who knows? She might even find the inspiration for a new film out there.

This is a dual POV book and the two voices are quite distinct in that Hugo is English and Mae American. While they seem to understand each other perfectly well, their vernacular is distinct and I loved this about the book.

I also loved that Hugo is a sextuplet. His journey through the novel was my favourite because I felt like he grew the most. His conflict between wanting to find out who he is on his own, and the love and comfort he gets from being part of a large group of siblings really resonated with me.

Which is not to say that Mae's journey wasn't compelling too. She's a filmmaker struggling to find her voice, and obviously that's something I understand too.

The setting, mainly a cross-country train, is the perfect setting for a romance. There is something very romantic about the idea of being trapped in a small space with someone for a long period of time. Especially if that space is pretty private and maybe a little uncomfortable.

As I said, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh, breezy romance. It's the perfect summer read! show less

I loved this book! It was a fun RomCom, spanning a week. Mae and Hugo, strangers to each other, meet and take a train trip together from New York to California as an adventure before starting university. Both are dealing with their own issues and they are slightly naive and geeky, but they make the cutest couple imaginable. Mae knows exactly what she wants out of life. She is a budding film maker who is outspoken and quirky but is distraught that she hasn't been accepted into the university she wanted. Hugo is testing life as an individual rather than part of the famous Surrey sextuplets.

I adored both Mae and Hugo, and appreciated that the author gave them each a voice. Despite being an odd couple, they brought out the best in each show more other. I also loved their supportive families - Mae with her Nana and two dads and Hugo with his parents and five siblings. Armstrong brought the secondary characters alive, especially Mae's wonderful grandmother and Hugo's brothers and sisters. They all had me smiling throughout the novel.

Yes, there is insta-love in "Field Notes on Love", but somehow it just worked. There were also wonderful glimpses of the United States, a train ride that brought back memories of the one I took through the Canadian Rockies, interviews with strangers, tears and laughter. Overall, this novel is totally charming and a delightful love story. show less

I normally always like this books by this author and this book did not disappoint me. I really was so invested in this story and also the characters. I also really liked the duel POV for these characters. Also the concepts of traveling throughout america was a really fun troup that kept me engaged from page one. The characters themselves a budding film maker and a setuplet was such a awesome paring. It made me really happy this book. I read it rather fast and really enjoyed it. I loved how this book tackled alot of self discovery issues on both sides of the story. I really enjoyed this read and thought it was a prefect summer themed read!

This well-written and engaging romance kept me up until I finished it.

Mae doesn't let people get too close to her. She loves her dads and her nana unconditionally, but she only possesses one other passion and it's not for people. She is a filmmaker and she's very good. Unfortunately, one of the best film school, USC, has declined her as a student. She will be attending USC, just not be a part of the film department. Her determination reveals her personality. She continually ponders and creates film. Some she shows and some no one ever sees. Her summer boyfriend honestly tells what why her film failed to get her into USC, but she cannot understand the criticism.

Hugo's entire life has been one of fame. He is one of six sextuplets, and show more England has watched them all grow up. His girlfriend breaks up with him and tells him to take the train trip they planned across American without her because it would be good for him to be on his own. The tickets are all in her name, so he needs another Margaret Campbell who would be willing to go with him, so he places a request out on the Internet.

Mae and Hugo end up travelling across America together. He has a chance to be an individual and not a sextuplet even though he's never been really good at keeping up with himself and she gets to do something different--experience life! She decides to interview the passengers. Hugo ends up helping. They immediately feel comfortable with each other and enjoy spending time together even though their lives differ and they live in different countries. The novel follows their relationship as it grows and they find out who they are as individuals away from their families. They click well together.

This novel is for those weekends when you want a smart, page-turner romance. It's well-written and has a really nice message. It's also nice that it is a novel where there's no bad language or intimate scenes. I have nothing against either, but it's nice to see teens like these who truly exist in life but often not written about in YA literature. The side characters are a lot of fun. Hugo's interactions with his siblings are amusing and Mae's dads are good with Mae. I recommend it! show less

Though it has an intriguing setup and extremely entertaining secondary and background characters, the central romance in this romance fell a little flat; the two main characters were the least interesting in the book, and I wish this travel story had way more about the traveling!

So many smiles right now! I think I fell for Mae just as much as Hugo did.

This book had the cutest concept. When his girlfriend dumps him right before a planned train trip across the U.S., she tells him he should go on it. But there’s one problem. All the reservations are in her name. So begins Hugo’s search for another Margaret Campbell.

Mae’s looking for life experiences she can turn into film. I wanted so badly to watch her final film, that’s how invested I got in the process. Mae’s definitely the stronger character, perhaps because of her clear ambition, but we see Hugo begin to dream as well.

Perfect for anyone who’s ever thought of a cross-country train trip, and even those who haven’t.

Hugo is a sextuplet who yearns to break free from all the expectations he has lived with his whole life. He has a trip to America planned but his ex-girlfriend backs out and he needs someone with the same name to accompany him. In steps Mae, an aspiring film maker. Over the course of the trip they become friends, but are also challenged to step outside of the expectations they have been living with in order to keep hold of their budding relationship.