Member Reviews
I wanted to like this book but I felt that it was for a much younger demographic and I found it hard to get engaged in the storyline. I think it will appeal to the 20-something audience but this 50-something girl is probably not the best audience for this novel.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing this book, with my honest review below.
The Typo by Emily Kerr was an adorable story! Amy was a musician, now marketing manager for a struggling theater in Edinburgh when she mistakenly receives an email for another A Cameron from an art gallery asking for an application for a new exhibition. She tracks down Cameron, the A Cameron from the email who is sailing to Antarctica, and they start a pen pal turned romance relationship. None of the turn of events could have happened if Amy wasn’t in a low place, feeling abandoned by friends with not much of a life. This book was as much about her growing confidence and finding and feeling secure in herself as it was the romance.
There are a few twists that come up, not least which is Amy realizing she can’t continue lying about who she is with Cameron as she has portrayed herself as if she had continued down her musician path, but I loved her self realizations and growth throughout the novel. This will keep you entertained but, again, is really more about Amy’s development with the romance acting as a bit of a kicking off for that. I’d recommend it for lovers of women’s fiction in addition to light romance.
This book had so much potential - I think it's been slightly misbranded. I expected a romantic comedy, but really what the book delivered was less romance and more of a women's fiction, finding herself and exploring her ambitions and interests. If this had been the general promotion, I would have enjoyed it a lot more!
I loved exploring Amy's character development and her interactions with other characters. I think a lot of people can really relate to the difficulties of pushing out of your comfort zone, and I think it was beautifully written. I do feel that the romantic element was lacking in this, and I tended to skim read some of the emails. The ending felt quite hasty too, and I wish there had been a bit more inclusion of Cameron.
Overall, a really lovely read (and set in Scotland, what a treat!) but there is not a lot of romance.
Not your typical romance novel, but it's still worth reading. You'll find more about being brave, standing up for yourself and chasing your dreams than romance. But it's written well and is an easy read.
More in detail:
The situation that Amy finds herself in is very relatable if you're in your late twenties or early thirties: making friends getting harder, keeping in touch with old friends even more so. Especially when on top of aligning busy schedules being difficult, you feel like you're always the one reaching out and putting in more effort.
And it wasn't just the situation itself being relatable but the writing made it so easy to put myself in Amy's shoes. When she went to the bar with Meg, Jodie, and Cass, I was heartbroken for her -and so mad at her so-called friends I could have punched them, were they real people.
I also loved the vibes between Amy and Cameron. Their emails started out feeling like streams of consciousness with almost no filter which was quirky and interesting to read.
Then they turned into messages of almost-friends as they started getting interested in the other as a person and it was so fun to read.
I was just feeling a little bit frustrated with Amy faking being a musician as Cameron felt like the person who'd understand her reality and wouldn't be put off by it. And I was hoping all this faking would inspire Amy to pick up her violin again at least.
I was so so glad when she did. Although it took her getting wrapped up in bigger white lies to do it, her turn to Amy 2.0 as she said and making her become a reality made me feel proud of her. And relieved that this was the direction in which the book was going.
I loved that she decided to stop being a pushover and said no to the membership in the orchestra and how she not only regained her self confidence but also her social life. Her friendly affection towards Malcolm and Harry and her side quest to make them friends was especially heart warming. I loved seeing her character really come alive.
At the same time I was confused how she can be so great one moment yet still be stuck in the "Cameron knows the fake Amy and will not like me for myself" mindset. It just felt so silly it was getting frustrating and I was so glad when she finally gathered the courage and confessed in email. Also appreciated her attempt to call him first to tell him that way.
I did feel like she overreacted his email though. It was obviously a very different tone and length to his other letters and could be read as a little concerning... But this whole "I suddenly don't care about him anymore" spiel she did was a tad too much for me. Found myself rolling my eyes at her again.
After all that her sudden change of heart in the end almost made no sense. Or made it feel like she was so fake and overly dramatic before.
Overall I thought it was an interesting book that was easy to read. I enjoyed the emails of Amy and Cameron and the little adventure of Amy's to make the Cellar Bar opening happen.
I was a little disappointed in the romance aspect though. I felt like the book focused too much on Amy's character development and not their romance at all.
The Typo takes place in Edinburgh and centers on Amy, a marketing director for a floundering venue. Amy receives an email meant for Cameron, a photographer, tracks down his email, and forwards the email meant for him. They begin to chat back and forth. If there’s anything Yours Truly, Divine Rivals, The Neighbor Favor, and The Flatshare has taught me, it’s that I’m a sucker for epistolary love stories so I was so excited to pick this up. The added bonus was the setting of this book—Scotland. This had all the fixings to be something I loved but it really wasn’t a romantic comedy. The romance was basically a subplot to the overarching story of Amy coming back to herself after an incident shook her off course and stripped her of her self confidence.
This book had so much potential. I enjoyed the writing style and loved the premise. I also quite liked Amy’s development as a character and her efforts to become the person she made herself out to be to Cameron (and ultimately building the life that she wanted for herself). But I really wanted more interaction between Cameron and Amy and a Cameron POV as well. That said, if this wasn’t marketed as a romance, I probably would have enjoyed it more because I wouldn’t be expecting it. But because I expected a romantic comedy, it mostly fell flat for me.
Thanks very much to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There were many things that I really liked about The Typo, but I think that my favourite was seeing the way that Amy blossomed. I can't imagine the amount of bravery it takes to put yourself back out there after that kind of defeat but getting to take part in her journey towards conquering her self doubt was delightful. I would absolutely recommend this one. Especially if you can sympathize with the beast that is self doubt. Fear shouldn't' ever hold us back from achieving our dreams.
Thank you NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.
The description of this book really drew me in. I loved the pen pal aspect as a fun meet-cute. Yet this book left me kinda disappointed. It was just boring imo. And from the moment we meet Amy’s friends I HATED them (sure there’s growth). Obviously, people get busy in life as they find their partner and have children, but for your group of friends to meet up without you or plan trips specifically excluding you, yikes. those are bad friends. I will say I did like how the author perfectly described this weird time of your life post college where your friends are in all different stages and it can be hard to make new ones. Also, it's a time where the scale of success is so different for everyone your age and its hard not to feel like you’re falling behind.
I did like the twist at the end. But Cameron’s reply to her confession email was straight up lame considering he hadn’t been truthful either.
All in all, I’m glad Amy grew into herself, but I wish the book was more exciting.
I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Title: The Typo By Emily Kerr
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
Amy and Cameron, two complete strangers living thousands of miles apart, become unexpectedly connected when Amy receives an email intended for Cameron. While Cameron embarks on an adventurous expedition around Antarctica, Amy's life remains grounded in Edinburgh.
This story delves into themes of serendipity, adventure, and the power of human connection across geographical boundaries.
Unfortunately, I can't give this story a higher star rating, even though I really want to. While the premise was good, I felt that the relationship development was lacking. We didn't get to see the relationship form from the moment the two main characters actually meet face to face, which only happens at the end of the book. Instead, the story relies on a distant connection via email exchanges and a couple of phone calls.
Yes, some if not most of the development took place then and there, I couldn't help but feel that there was still a need for more, especially given the twist at the end from both sides.
Although the concept was promising, I believe the story could have been more fulfilling with better character development and interaction.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review the book.
To be completely honest, the book started out so slow that I had to force myself to continue. I could not understand where the story was going. I liked the premise of the book which is why I picked it, but ultimately, it was a letdown.
Amy (marketing manager for a failing theater) starts an email exchange with Cameron (globe-trotting wildlife photographer) under meet-cute circumstances. But Amy quickly discovers that it feels better to present an embellished, white-washed version of her life rather than the truth. Which, predictably, gets out of hand. The human ego is such a fragile thing, how far would we go until comfortable white lies turn into big insurmountable ones? Lucky for us, this is the kind of book where the main characters are not irredeemable. A lighter read, you will find yourself rooting for Amy to take the leap to turn her reality-based white lies into actual life changes. Cute mistaken identity-ish, long distance romance (romance-ish, because this is more a story about Amy's journey to become who she wants to be rather than a full-on romance, although the romance vibes are definitely there). It took me a while to really invest in Amy's journey but the story picked up as she became more confident in who she wanted to be and I'm glad I stuck with it. Closer to 3.5 stars than 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter, and Emily Kerr for an advanced reader copy of The Typo..
When Amy receives an email of an amazing opportunity that was sent to her in error, she makes sure to send it to the emails rightful owner, Cameron. With a simple forward of an email, both of their lives change.
“Cameron lives a life of adventure as he navigates an expedition around Antarctica whilst Amy’s life is firmly on solid ground in Edinburgh.”
The Typo follows Amy and Cameron’s relationship through email correspondence. The story is told from Amy’s perspective and focuses on her personal growth and self-love journey. This story is a great fit for those who are wanting a self-discovery journey with a love story woven in.
This is definitely a love story for the current age, I loved the romance intwined with the modern era of digital dating.
I really enjoy books where there is a secret pen pal of sorts so I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. I do wish the two main characters had gotten to meet in person sooner though. This book was charming and sweet, and I loved the kitties! I definitely expected more romance but that’s ok. It was enjoyable!
The Typo by Emily Kerr is a charming novel. I enjoyed reading about the two main characters conversing with each other through email, and watching Amy grow in confidence and strength to strength. A lovely little summer read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Based on the description, I felt as though this book had a ton of potential. However, it started out extremely slow and I never connected with the main character. The two love interest don’t end up meeting until the last chapter of the book with me wanting more resolve or spark but it just felt flat in my opinion.
I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author so was happy to take a chance on The Typo when it was offered to me. Amy receives an email destined for someone else, goes to the trouble of trying to find the other person and sends it on. Cameron is grateful that she did, as it was from a gallery offering him the chance to exhibit his photographs, and they begin corresponding. Amy is marketing manager at The Variety theatre in Edinburgh, and Cameron is the photographer on a cruise ship in the Antarctic. Thinking that they will never meet, Amy embellishes her life as she does not think it sounds that interesting. In reality, she gave up her promising career as a violinist after a bad review and has not played for two years. The theatre is not doing well and is in danger of closing down, so she might lose her job. Writing to Cameron, each of them encouraging the other to be braver, worrying about the lies she is telling, makes her re-evaluate her life and acts as an impetus for her to go back to what she loves most.
Apart from the emails between them, the story is told from Amy’s point of view. The characters are well drawn and believable – I particularly liked her elderly neighbour, and his two cats that spend half their time in Amy’s flat. The Edinburgh setting is vividly brought to life. I loved reading about Antarctica, though I wouldn’t fancy the cold conditions or the rough sea crossing, and found Cameron’s descriptions fascinating. Amy’s embellishment of her musical career was understandable; it’s only human to want to make yourself sound more interesting, and she assumed they would never meet in real life anyway. But what if it turned out that they wanted to? Novels written mostly in email form don’t always work, but this one does as the conversations flowed naturally. I liked both main characters, which helps a lot, and the epilogue rounded the story off nicely. Thanks to One More Chapter, HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
After Amy Cameron (a.cameron) accidentally receives an email intended for wildlife photographer Cameron (cameron.a), a friendship blossoms through email as Amy works to become the person she’s presented herself as to her new penpal.
This book was charming and full of heart, as well as home to a host of lovely characters (and some marvelous cats). This book primarily focuses on Amy’s journey– developing her life by finding new friends, creating an exciting new work venture, and tentatively picking up her dusty violin again. And while I understand why the publishing company is marketing this as a romance (there’s a lot of us romance readers out there, after all), THE TYPO is much more than that. I would argue it belongs in the Women’s Fiction genre, with the majority of the romance taking place in the last 91% of the book.
The biggest issue with the book for me is the dialogue. The author has a beautiful writing style, but a handful of the conversations felt… off. They were oddly formal and sprinkled with words not many people drop into normal conversation (especially in the context of these particular conversations). I was disappointed, mostly because these dialogues broke the immersion of reading.
I was also desperate for some chapters from Cameron’s POV. And, yes, this might have spoiled the author’s ~surprise~ at the end, it would have given the story and romance a much needed depth. I feel like I know nothing about Cameron as a person, nor how Amy and him could conceivably work as a couple.
All that said, THE TYPO was a fun and unique read!
ARC gifted by NetGalley. This was my first time reading a book by Emily Kerr. I really wanted to like this book. I thought the premise was cute. But I had a really hard time getting into it and had to DNF around the 20% mark. I never DNF books but like other reviewers I peaked at some reviews and wanted a little more out of this read. It was a very slow burn with no clear direction of the plot. I feel badly DNFing but I couldn’t connect to the characters and wish the book was dual perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK (One More Chapter) for an advanced reader copy, below is my honest review.
Amy receives an email that was meant for Cameron and decides to find him and forward him the email. The two begin correspondence even though they've never met and live thousands of miles away from one another. Both Amy and Cameron have not been completely honest with each other, but despite talking themselves up a bit in their exchanges, they both decide to pursue their dreams in order to try and be more like the person they are portraying themselves to be.
I enjoyed the depth of the main characters and learning about their journeys and decisions that lead them to be where they are in their lives. I enjoyed watching both Amy and Cameron overcome their insecurities and self-doubt and deciding that it was better to try and fail, than to be too afraid to try at all. I loved that the book included a playlist at the end of songs that matched the story! There were some amazing quotes in the book that will definitely stick with me for a while. "We're all flawed and trying our best to follow the right path. Getting stuff wrong doesn't make us bad. It makes us human." "Yes, we should take all the time to appreciate the blessings we already have, but we shouldn't let fear hold us back from striving for what our hearts desire."
This book is a must for anyone who loved You've Got Mail. There were definitely some hilarious laugh out loud moments, but I also loved how inspiring the book was too. It was very heart-felt and reflective and I am very glad to have been given the opportunity to receive a copy.
The Typo was a light hearted very slow going read. Normally I can finish a book of this length and type in 2-3 days. It was very cute but I did find myself getting a bored and was hoping that with one more chapter we would get a bit more excitement. I can say I did like the email communication throughout the book, I'm a sucker for emails and text convos. I do wish Amy and Cameron whpuld have met sooner in the book and had a relationship building arc in the 2nd half of the book.
Overall it was cute read and something I normally don't read so I appriciate NetGalley and HaperCollins/One More Chapter for an ARC copy of this book.