Book Review: The Girl He Knows by Kristi Rose

The premise behind The Girl He Knows (TGHK for short) is a common theme in books and movies: two good friends agreeing to a "no strings attached" relationship and one of them falls in love with the other. Yes, there are some twists in TGHK but it basically follows that theme. So what is special about TGHK?

For one, this tried and tested no-strings-attached formula works. Still does, at least for me. I guess that's because these things actually happen and because at one point in our lives we found ourselves falling in love (or at least crushing on) with our close friend. Tell me I'm wrong. I know I have! And I'm a sucker for love stories between friends because I think friendship is a great foundation for any relationship. :)

But it also helps that The Girl He Knows is a fun but realistic story with interesting characters. Paisley (I love her name) is not your usual happy and carefree girl. Instead, she's broken and struggling to bounce back from her divorce. She married at a young age and got divorced just after a few years and as a result, she lost her self-esteem and fighter attitude.

Hank, on the other hand, is this great military man who's the exact opposite of the man Paisley has dated. He's sweet, thoughtful, and a true friend to Paisley. He's always there for Paisley and anyone who reads the book will immediately realize that Hank loves Paisley. Of course, Paisley is clueless to that.

Kristi Rose did a good job with characterization. Aside from Paisley and Hank, the supporting characters were also good. Both Paisley and Hank have fun-loving friends and interesting families. I loved Gigi (Paisley's best friend, Hank's sister), she reminded me of my old friends.

I loved that the pacing of the story is just right -- not slow, not too fast. There was just enough time to develop the characters and the plot. It didn't feel too hurried, but I guess that's also because Paisley and Hank were friends, almost like family, since they were kids. There were some parts where I felt a little bit frustrated with Paisley because of her self-deprecation tendencies and her obliviousness to Hank's feelings. But I try to think where she's coming from and I realize, it's not as easy as it seems when you've gone through what she went through. That said, it's a good thing that this novel is not just about two friends having sex and falling in love but also about one woman's journey to healing and self-actualization. Time and time again, we hear people saying that you must love yourself first before loving somebody else. And that's the lesson I took away from this book. You can't be part of a whole unless you're whole yourself. If that makes any sense.

For a debut novel, Kristi Rose's The Girl He Knows is an enjoyable read, perfect whether you're relaxing on the beach or curled up in bed on a rainy day. I enjoyed it a lot and I think you will, too. :)

Note: This was an early review for The Girl He Knows. But I'm also part of Jen Halligan PR's blog tour for TGHK on August, so you should watch out for more TGHK-related posts next month. :)

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