Review: The Key to Everything by Paula Stokes

The Key to Everything
by Paula Stokes

January 2, 2018

328 pages

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Goodreads Summary:

College senior Oakland Fuller has always believed in signs and soulmates, so when both a therapist and a fortuneteller say that her repeated relationship failures are due to unresolved feelings for her high school boyfriend, Seth, Oakland tries desperately to get back in touch with him. Problem: Seth isn’t responding to her online messages.

To rescue Oakland from a pathetic Christmas break of sitting in front of the computer, her best friend Morgan books the two of them on a guided excursion of Thailand. When the girls meet a pair of American soldiers in Bangkok, Oakland takes Morgan’s advice and engages in a little harmless holiday hooking up. Sergeant Tyson Banks is the perfect mix of sexy and fun. Two weeks with him might just turn out to be the best relationship Oakland has ever had.

Until the day she spots someone familiar across a crowded temple complex—it’s Seth! Somehow the boy she’s been trying to reconnect with is in Bangkok too. If that’s not a sign, then what is?

Filed with friendship, romance, and gorgeous faraway settings, The Key to Everything is a book for anyone who's ever dreamed of finding love when (or where) they least expected it.
 

Review

I love me some romance and adventure so of course I couldn't say no to a story that has both. While I did have some issues with the characters The Key to Everything was an adventure with beautiful sceneries and sexy bits.

First and foremost I love the details to Oakland and Morgan's trip. This is the one part of a book where you can tell the author has done her research well. The sights and terrains held such careful and definitive details I can see them in my mind and picture them in real life. The beautiful descriptions does make one yearn to visit Thailand.

The pacing in The Key to Everything was on the slow side. Although I loved travelling through the foreign country and learning of the traditions I also found at times I was impatient and just wanted the main story to go on. Part of the frustration might have been due to all the missed encounters between Oakland and Seth. I'm not a fan of such trope and while that's completely a personal preference it did affect my enjoyment of the story a little. Especially given some of Oakland's actions (more in the next paragraph).

In regards to the characters, I found I couldn't connect to them as much as I wanted to. I tried really hard to like Oakland but she was too much of a flimsy character for me. I didn't like her hesitancies and hated her poor decisions even more. But I also appreciated her honesty to her friends and love interests. She stuck to her beliefs and saw things through.

In the end while I couldn't relate to the main character and fully get on board with her way of thinking The Key to Everything was still a fun travel and love story I'm sure many people will enjoy.
 

*I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.