Ella and Roly have bright futures ahead of them when they meet as teenagers and strike up an unlikely friendship. She has her career in academia all mapped out, and his star is in the ascendant as member of a manufactured boy band.
But ten years later, neither is where they expected to be. A chronic illness forced Ella to abandon her studies and put her dreams on hold, while Roly got kicked out of the band and lost everything – all his money, his career in music, even the underwear-model girlfriend.
When they cross paths again they’re both ready to start over, and they rekindle their friendship as they each try to get back what they lost.
But Ella didn’t tell Roly what really happened the last time they met. And if he finds out, will it be the end of their new beginning? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
The Reboot was full of unexpected surprises. Given the quirky banter between Ella and Roly, I expected an uber-sweet friendship that blossoms into potentially more, but it was so much more than that. Both characters appear to be such polar opposites of one another, yet they’re both lost when it comes to their futures. Ella had been derailed due to chronic illness, and Roly really loses himself when fame propels him into hitting rock bottom.
What to do when you’re at the bottom? You climb your way back up, and misery loves company! I love the way they team up to try to achieve their goals, both commiserating in what had once been, trying to capture those bygone days. But in trying to do that, neither knows for sure if getting back to those so-called glory years is the right decision, or if the changes that have been pushing from all corners is the right path to go by. It often takes strong events to change the course of someone’s life. Maybe it really was all meant to be.
I appreciated how this story is told from both Ella and Roly’s perspectives. The reader gets to see how they view one another, and at the same time we get a better feel for the types of lifestyles they’re accustomed to, what they’ve lived through, and the ideals and opinions on life that makes each character tick. I also liked how balanced it is, where there isn’t someone who is more in the wrong than the other. Usually there’s a clear-cut protagonist and antagonist, but with The Reboot, they share the protagonist role but in different ways, their various parts making up the whole.
I think my favorite parts were the dialogue. As mentioned before, there were amazing moments of banter, feeling like true conversations overheard while sitting in a diner, or at a park, or as a guest in someone’s home. I could easily picture myself sitting in on Ella and Roly’s conversations, true to who they are as characters. I wanted this friendship to succeed despite their differences, against the odds--because they really were so good together. This was a wonderful, five-star read!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Clodagh Murphy lives in Dublin, Ireland and loves writing sassy, sexy romantic comedies. She has worked as a bar waitress, cleaner, secretary, editorial assistant, mystery shopper and movie extra. But she always dreamed of being an author, and after more jobs than she cares to remember, she now writes full-time. For more information about her books or to sign up to her newsletter, visit her website.
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