A Little Something Different

by Sandy Hall

ISBN: 9781250061454
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: August 26th 2014
Number of Pages: 272
Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship. 

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are ment to be together....

My Rating:  

What a sweet read!!! Aww I loved it :) This is also an interesting book, as we get 14 different points of view with none of them being the two love interests! You might be thinking, well then, how do you know what Gabe & Lea are thinking or wanting? Don't you worry, Ms. Hall does a fantastic job with her characters and you learn all you need.

Everyone around Gabe & Lea see that they have a spark and just want them to do something about it!! But Gabe has some mysterious issues stemming from the time he went absent a year before plus he is extremely shy, so things don't look good.

Characters we hear from:

1.     Maribel (Lea's roommate)

·     Always pushing Lea to talk to Gabe & her partner in crime in stalking Gabe

2.     Inga (creative writing professor)

·     Inga has this niche for matchmaking and her couple this year she has decided will be Lea & Gabe

         “They have a story. I’m telling you, there’s no way they don’t have a story. They have this chemistry that’s impossible to ignore. I don’t even know what it is. But I’m going to do whatever I can to get them together.”  

– A Little Something Different, 27-28

3.     A Bench out on the green

·     The weirdest point of view of them all. Not sure the purpose too much except for eavesdropping on Gabe’s & Lea’s private conversations.

4.     Sam (Gabe's brother)

·     Looking out for his younger brother & always encouraging him to tell Lea “his secret” and just ask her out!

5.     SQUIRREL! 

·     This little guy is just too cute :)

6.     Victor (creative writing classmate)

·     Very angry young man but he does serve an important role in getting these two lovebirds to connect.

7.     Bob (a bus driver)

·    An outsider who sees Gabe’s & Lea’s connection

8.     Casey (Gabe's friend)

·    Gives advice to Gabe about talking with Lea

9.     Maxine (a waitress)

·     This lady is 80 years old and still serving all the college kids at the diner. She also sees the connection between Lea & Gabe and helps do something about it.

·  "Maybe next time I’ll have to accidentally sit them all together. I’ve done that in the past and it always worked out. But my boss doesn’t like it much. Says I can’t go messing around, playing with table seatings like that. And to him I say, 'Ptooie! This ain’t Buckingham Palace!'”

– A Little Something Different, 20

10. Danny (Lea’s friend)

·     As a gay guy, he is absolutely certain that Gabe is playing for his team and isn't shy about vocalizing this to Lea

11. Pam (Inga's wife)

·     I think we only hear from Pam once, and it is to hear Inga talk about her matchmaking antics

12. Charlotte (a barista at Starbucks)

·    Thinks Gabe is a loser but warms up to him & Lea

13. Hillary (creative writing classmate)

·    Wants Gabe for herself and throws a wrench in Inga’s matchmaking scheme

14. Frank (Chinese-food delivery guy)

·     Lea & Gabe always order the same exact thing within hours of each other

·   “Seriously, these two need to get their acts together and order at the same time. I’m getting tired of driving out here twice in the same day." 

            – A Little Something Different, 90

I loved when Gabe wrote & read aloud his story concerning his shyness:

"I did lose some of my wariness and my fear as I matured, but I’ve never quite shaken my shyness. When I think about it, it’s like I would have never been able to grow out of it. It’s like the tree and the bicycle. I grew around it and it became part of me." 

– A Little Something Different, 82

Tree with Bicycle that Gabe references
Read about the real story here

"'…those two seriously need to get their acts together. I mean, how can it be so obvious to everyone around them and not to them?'"

– A Little Something Different, 181

So do these two ever end up finally owning up to their feelings for each other and get together?? Read and find out! ;)

I really want to encourage you to also read the interview with the author at the back of the book. She wrote this book in only 6 days!! She is also a Teen Librarian in NY. If you are a romance writer and are looking for feedback and a chance to get published, go take a look at Swoon Reads' website, "A teen romance imprint and community where writers and readers can share, read, rate, and discover swoonworthy manuscripts for publication."


*Classified as New Adult as the characters are in college.