Following her best friend’s passing, Chloe has been finding solace in the world through her VR headset, including going on virtual dates with the charming Blaine amongst the glittering skyline of Manhattan.
Everything seems to be perfect, except for the obvious, that Blaine is just an avatar she doesn’t know in the real world. As their chemistry grows, offering Chloe the escape she has been seeking, Blaine throws out the idea that Chloe should go to New York to find him. But going to New York will open more than just a search for the mysterious Blaine, as the city holds old wounds too with Chloe’s ex boyfriend Jimmy now living there. The memories of Jimmy, as well as of her friend Kerry, begin to come flooding back with each step closer Chloe takes toward New York City.
Deciding to go and find Blaine, Chloe finds herself reuniting with Jimmy and she is forced to ask herself the question of what it is that she really wants. (Synopsis courtesy of Bedford Square Publishers.)
I’ve read several of Anna Bell’s novels and I’ve enjoyed each one of them – Anna writes novels that instantly engage you, make you feel warm inside, and they’re also funny and modern!
Virtually Yours is Anna’s latest release which centres on Chloe, someone who is struggling with the loss of her best friend Kerry. Chloe is avoiding real life as best she can, instead immersing herself in the ‘metaverse’ where she’s ‘met’ a lovely, warm man called Blaine. Together (in avatar format at least) they’ve been exploring New York (where he lives) and Chloe has become quite accustomed to their online dates and the pair are getting closer all the time. However, one day the platform suddenly vanishes and with minimal information about ‘Blaine’, Chloe is resigned to the fact that she is unlikely to ever locate him in the real-world. With Chloe already having a ticket to fly to New York City (linked to her ex Jimmy's work transfer), she ultimately decides to throw caution to the wind, go over there and just see if Blaine is traceable, and if not, return to and enjoy a city she also briefly lived in years ago.
I loved this book! I was instantly transported to New York from the very beginning when Chloe and Blaine enjoy their virtual dates, with Blaine introducing Chloe to all the more recent ‘must-see’ locations since she last visited in-person years back. The opening chapters are also clever in that you don’t immediately know you’re reading about a virtual date at all, everything seems so real!
I very much warmed to Chloe and loved her adventures in New York, helped very much by the instant connection she makes with someone on the plane over to New York. Chloe’s journey felt very poignant, she’s someone that is stronger than she thinks. Whilst she may want to spend much of her time in bed, whilst she’s away she doesn’t. Through a mixture of cajoling, necessity and self-determination she does, in fact, get out there and maximises her time away. Even if this is largely driven by a mission to find Blaine, it becomes much more than this.
Whilst grief is a key factor for Chloe and the plot, this was covered in a real and sensitive way but without becoming too dark. Yes there were tears, but also laughter and positive reflection. It felt very much like a healing journey for Chloe, a journey that she so very much needed to take.
It’s many years since I’ve been to New York and it very much made me want to visit again and explore all these areas and places I’ve never heard of, as well as revisit the traditional tourist locations! In the meantime I feel like I’ve been back to New York in my head through reading this novel! Highly recommend this one, along with Anna’s other novels.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Listen to this book on Speechify!
No comments:
Post a Comment