Today I’m on the tour for this fabulous book, Virtual Strangers. Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Zaffre Books for having me on the tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
The Book: Two people. One desk. A million Zoom calls. What could go wrong?
When Ada and Fraser find themselves freelancing from the same café together every day, they strike up a mutually beneficial friendship. Fraser saves her the best biscuits and Ada protects the best table when he’s running late.
As they work side-by-side Ada can’t help but notice how attractive Fraser is, and how well they get along. But then Ada signs up to an Agatha Christie fan fiction site and she starts chatting with a guy online. His interests are the same as hers, and the anonymity helps them both be more honest and open. As Ada’s messages with the mystery man become deeper and more honest, she thinks she’s falling for him.
Ada is torn between Fraser and Myster-E – but can you have real feelings for someone when you’re virtual strangers?
A modern You’ve Got Mail meets When Harry Met Sally.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtual-Strangers-Sam-Canning/dp/1838779221
US – https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Strangers-Sam-Canning-ebook/dp/B0BJTRL9JM
The Review: I’m going to start this by stating I love this book! I was intrigued by the blurb and the reference in it to You’ve Got Mail (in my opinion, a most excellent film!) and I’m glad I was. I loved this from the first few pages. I read the first four or five and had to put it down for something but those pages stayed with me. It’s not often a book I’ve read so little of, sticks in my head that much but this one did. If enjoyed the films referenced above you’ll love this book.
Ok, now for an explanation of the above. I don’t often gush that much about a book in the opening lines of a review but this one deserves it. It’s funny, witty, sarcastic, so accurate about life and dating, has a character with cheekbones that put me in mind of a certain Marvel actor, interestingly a Marvel reference, lots of Agatha Christie/Poirot/Marple references and plenty of coffee and biscuits. Honestly what more does a book need?
I loved the interactions between Ada and Fraser, but also the online conversations between Ada and Myster-E. Sometimes it’s easier to be open and honest with someone when you aren’t talking to them face to face, something about the anonymity of it makes it less awkward to have a really frank and profound conversation. Life is a mystery that we all have to navigate and sometimes it helps to have someone else agree with you on how it can be both strange or magical or, occasionally, both.
I’m someone who reads that a book is funny and usually can’t see why, but this one had me laughing out loud at times. There’s a scene with Ada and her mother one morning and it was both funny and embarrassing at the same time. That scene is a perfect example of why this book is brilliant, it’s got humour, sarcasm and reality all thrown together. It has Ada trying to negotiate an unexpected turn of events while not at her best, and this is exactly what life (and love) are like.
This book is a ray of sunshine. It’s light, fun and exactly what I was needing at the moment. It would be a perfect read for any time of year. There’s plenty of references to coffee and white wine so either would be an ideal accompaniment, not forgetting the biscuits! This is another one for my re-read pile, and I’m beyond excited to see what this author does next.
The Author:
Sam Canning is a Northern Irish born writer based in Edinburgh. Virtual Strangers is her debut novel. In her spare time, she can be found roaming the city to find the weirdest things she can and desperately trying to keep her one and only plant Stanley alive.
Social Media Links – Twitter: @yesshescan
BookLoverWorm 
Sounds brilliant!
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It is! One of the best books I’ve read in ages.
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