Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra

SYNOPSIS

The March sisters—reliable Meg, independent Jo, stylish Amy, and shy Beth—have grown up to pursue their separate dreams. When Jo followed her ambitions to New York City, she never thought her career in journalism would come crashing down, leaving her struggling to stay afloat in a gig economy as a prep cook and secret food blogger.

Meg appears to have the life she always planned—the handsome husband, the adorable toddlers, the house in a charming subdivision. But sometimes getting everything you’ve ever wanted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When their mother’s illness forces the sisters home to North Carolina for the holidays, they’ll rediscover what really matters.

One thing’s for sure—they’ll need the strength of family and the power of sisterhood to remake their lives and reimagine their dreams. 

Synopsis from Goodreads

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PERSONAL REVIEW

As a huge fan of Little Women, I was so excited to read this contemporary rendition of the story. While their children hood remains relatively the same, the love meeting the current March sisters as they struggle to figure out what they want from their lives. With some slight character name changes (totally fair), we are along for the ride as Meg and Jo March each work towards their respective goals for the future. 

Yaaaasssssss Hot Eric! 
While I can totally appreciate that Alcott had originally created Professor Bhaer as a subtle "f*** you" to everyone who demanded that Jo be married by the end of the series (seriously, it's awesome. Everyone's pressuring her to marry off Jo, so Alcott creates an old, German profession? Amazing!) I loved that Kantra slightly reworked his character to become "Arm-Porn Guy". Eric is kind, a brilliant chef, still older (but the arm tats keep him young) and a solid match for Jo. I really enjoyed their relationship and felt it developed beautifully. 

Meg Needs to Talk 
In the classic Little Women way, Jo is having adventures while Meg attempts to be the perfect mom. I found myself often frustrated by Meg as she is so clearly struggling throughout the book to juggle her responsibilities and never asks for help from her husband...but then I realized what a relatable characteristic this is. Isn't there an old saying that the things we dislike in others are usually the things we dislike about ourselves? Well, I definitely started to see myself in Meg and I was so happy for her when she finally started talking to John instead of trying to handle everything herself. I do wish that there had been more conversations between them because it seems like there was still a lot left unsaid, but overall, it seems like Meg's life was finally on track by the end. 

Ummm, Daddy March Sucks 
So this is a really hard one because clearly he's a war vet and is struggling to deal with his own trauma from that time. But also, this guy sucks! I couldn't believe how babied he is by everyone in his family, from Aunt Phree to Jo herself. He's such a wishy-washy character and bails on his family every time they need him. I honestly cheered for Abigail at the end of the book (and I really hope she took his name of the bank accounts - he can figure out how to get his own money instead of using theirs for "the greater good"). Wow, feels good to get that off my chest. I hate him. 

Overall, I was so happy with this book! Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down and I was so excited to get to the end and find out that Kantra is currently working on Beth and Amy! No date on that book, but at least I can keep rereading Meg and Jo in the meantime :). I'd highly recommend this book to those who love Little Women, to anyone interested in a contemporary retelling of a classic novel, or to people who just want a solid story about chasing your dreams and the bonds of family. 

FINAL RATING: 4.5/5

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