You’ll grab my attention when I read that a book plays a part in a story. The Night Bus brought two random people together because one saw the other reading a book. I love the power of books. Today I want to tell you all about this book and what I thought.
A big thank you to Netgalley and MIRA for providing me with an eARC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way!
One book. Two strangers. An unforgettable journey as they rewrite the ending.
Daisy Douglas has spent her life behind the scenes: at work, in her relationships, and now, in planning a wedding she isn’t sure she even wants. As an entertainment journalist, she can spot the start of a story a mile away. So when her routine 4 a.m. bus ride to the newsroom takes a surprising turn, she notices.
For months, the same man has boarded at the same stop, reading the same tattered copy of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando over and over as if his life depends on it. When a broken-down bus and a shared walk through the quiet early-morning London streets finally throws them together, Tom reveals the heartbreaking truth as to why he can’t be without his novel.
Determined to help him find the answer to the riddle hidden in its pages, Daisy joins Tom on his strange literary quest—one that leads them to places neither of them ever expected. But as their friendship deepens, she starts to wonder if what they’re both looking for might not be in the book after all.
Review
When I picked up The Night Bus, I wasn’t expecting to get such on emotional story on top of the adventure of these two characters getting to know each other. This book is definitely more than just a romance and it’s one I see myself thinking about often. Daisy sees a man on her 4 a.m. bus ride for month reading the book Orlando over and over again. One day things happen and they start to talk.
Things have happened in Tom’s life and he’s hoping to find his second chances in the pages of Orlando, so as a journalist, Daisy decides to help Tom find the answers he’s looking for. The two of them riding the bus together, searching for answers, while also getting to know each other had me smiling quite a bit. Besides their time together we get to know Tom’s dad, stepmom, and half sister. Daisy is engaged to a man who gave me red flag signals from the start and who she wasn’t so sure about.
While I’m not always a fan of two characters finding each other while one is still in a committed relationship, I understood where this one was going. Daisy’s past wasn’t as simple as it seemed and she may have ended up in a place she didn’t want because of not being able to really choose something for herself. This whole book is her journey and reading about her saying “no, thank you” for the first time made me smile! Also, Tom and Daisy confessing their feelings (both of them were trying to deny) had me tearing up and then again when I read the epilogue.
The Night Bus is an emotional roller coaster, but I had the best time. I will definitely be reading this author’s next book!
When I’m out and about, I love seeing other people read and I can’t say that I’m not curious about what they’re reading. Will you approach someone if you see them reading your favorite book? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
