The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E. Smith (Goodreads Author)

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 26,304 ratings · 3,760 reviews

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the...more

Hardcover, 236 pages

Published January 2nd 2012 by Poppy/Little Brown

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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

2012 YA Contemporaries

2nd out of 239 books — 1,794 voters

YA Novels of 2012

47th out of 1,156 books — 8,361 voters

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Jan 11, 2012 Lora rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who are looking to meet Anna and the French Kiss's boring stepsister

Shelves: g-ya-realistic, fluffier-than-my-birman-cat

Honestly, for having a name like The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and a synopsis promising a British boy named Oliver, this book is pretty damn disappointing. Although it does deliver on the British boy front (who, frankly, really isn't even that great), it doesn't deliver much else.

SPLFS starts off with Hadley Sullivan missing her flight to London at JFK. Granted, Hadley would rather see her dentist than attend her father's wedding to a woman she's never even met, but her fath...more Honestly, for having a name like The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and a synopsis promising a British boy named Oliver, this book is pretty damn disappointing. Although it does deliver on the British boy front (who, frankly, really isn't even that great), it doesn't deliver much else.

SPLFS starts off with Hadley Sullivan missing her flight to London at JFK. Granted, Hadley would rather see her dentist than attend her father's wedding to a woman she's never even met, but her father is counting on her to make it on time.
Reluctantly, she gets a later flight --- one that leads to a whole lotta lurve.

It amazes me how such a short story can feel so slow and long-winded; at times it was like dredging through sludge. The characters and cluster of scenes that take place over the course of twenty-four hours are equally boring and uneventful.
SPLFS can be summed up as follows: A missed flight, a "fated" flight, a wedding, (view spoiler) and a wedding reception. The End. Not much else happens. It's really all about Hadley reconciling with her father and coming to terms with the fact that, despite how much she may want it, her parents are never getting back together. And, you know, "love" at first sight in a crowded airport.

And let's talk about this love interest, shall we? He's tall, lanky, and floppy haired; you know, the standard by which all boys are messured nowadays. But even he can't seem to breathe any life into a story this boring. Seriously, my jaw still hurts from all the yawning I did while reading this. I know I must seem a little bitter, but can you really blame me for hoping that maybe, just maybe, this could turn out to be as cute and pleasantly fluffy as Anna and the French Kiss? Perhaps my expectations were too high; nevertheless, I'm sure that with better written characters, a more intriguing plot, and a more believable romance, this could've been something great.

But in the end, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is nothing to write home about.(less)

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Feb 28, 2013 Aleeeeeza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, 2012-read

*3.5 stars*

it's cute, it's fluffy, and if you go into it expecting anything else...joke's on you! really. it's true that from the summary you think there're gonna be a few more swoony moments and a little less of family drama, but all the same, it's a great relaxing read i would recommend to fans of freshly-written contemps.

and of course, i have to add--it really helped that i imagined oliver as this:

suh-woon or what?!

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Jan 12, 2012 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: just-another-book-crush, cover-lust, contemporary-fiction, wake-me-up-next-year, own-a-dtb, ya, totally-saw-that-coming

...and that's why Lisa reads the vanillas and I stick with urban fantasy. This is such a Lisa book. My books have guns and bombs and spells gone wrong. Not airports and divorced parents. Yawn.

EDIT: Okay, so in the end, this was SO not a Lisa book. See? What do I know? If you want to read a real Lisa book, read Catching Jordan, but first make sure to check out her amazing review HERE.

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Jan 09, 2012 Lisa O. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-neurons-involved, ebook, swoooooon, ya-lit

This is my second book of the year and the second I read during a sleepless night. The similarity ends there, unfortunately. While Split kept me up because it was so good I just HAD to finish it, this one... well, it was only insomnia. And to think I was so eager to read it. See, I'm all for vanilla romance, it's light, relaxing and cute.
But this book did not even remotely relax me.

The premise is interesting. Hadley, on her way to London to attend her much dreaded father's wedding, misses her f...more

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May 09, 2012 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bea-2011, signed-books, books-i-own

This books is so utterly FABULOUS! It’s one my favorite love stories and it happens in a mere twenty four hour period. Don’t worry about the instalove thing happening here. That’s something that I can’t stand and TSPoLaFS (did you like how I shortened the titles there, whew it’s a long one) does not have instalove. It has a progressive, genuine building of a relationship that is sweet and endearing.

Both characters are very relatable and I loved their scenes together. They just play off of each o...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Giselle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, contemporary

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Now this is what I call a plain ol' romantic love story that has everything you want and more. It's definitely perfect for this time of year when you can cuddle up near a fire and just let your heart be filled. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight will leave you breathless and just when you think you can't take any more sweetness, you find out the reason behind this mouthful of a title and you're swept off your feet y...more

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Jan 15, 2012 oliviasbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to oliviasbooks by: Alexa

Shelves: ya-contemporary, young-adult-fiction, beautiful-writing, high-expectations, read-2012, problem-focused, lacks-fluff-or-hope

The Fermentation Process of Mayonnaise .That would have been one of several other possible title versions for theyoung adult novel by Jennifer E. Smith. Its connection to the plot would have been only slightly less tangible than that of the ultimately chosen one. For both are simply examples of the fake summer research topics Yale University student Oliver wittily invents on the spot to impress the girl in the airplane seat next to his.

The big difference between the saucy title and the lovey-do...more The Fermentation Process of Mayonnaise .That would have been one of several other possible title versions for the young adult novel by Jennifer E. Smith. Its connection to the plot would have been only slightly less tangible than that of the ultimately chosen one. For both are simply examples of the fake summer research topics Yale University student Oliver wittily invents on the spot to impress the girl in the airplane seat next to his.

The big difference between the saucy title and the lovey-dovey one would not have been my lack of determination to have a go, since I had already enjoyed two of the author’s rather uniquely written books (The Comeback Season almost made it into my favorites list of 2011), which both are more of the problem-oriented sort and hesitatingly serve a bit of romance on the side. The big difference would have been the direction of my expectations and thus the depth of my disappointment.

It is true: After discussing the book and my personal reception of it with my friends over at the the Street Corner Bookers I am sure: The title – cute and original as it is - is to blame. For the title made me remember and desperately wish for a remake of an almost 40-years-old German young adult novel I have read and savored several times in spite of its ugly cover and its boring title: David und Dorothee.

The equally slim volume, which is narrated in switching first person points of view, shows two lonely teenagers on the verge of leaving their old lives behind stranded for a long night at Frankfurt Airport. The seventeen-years old girl has just missed her flight to Vancouver, where she will spend an exchange year. Her taxi has splashed a young guy whose mournful eyes remind her of the David in her illustrated childhood Bible at home. After silently passing him a few times on the escalators, she donates a pair of knitted socks to him. He is fifteen and still deciding if his plan to hike North and sign on as a helper on a cargo ship will really solve his problems. After some futile attempts to impress the older girl he relaxes into being just himself and into opening up to the complete stranger. We never learn his true name. But we learn both his and Dorothee's deepest secrets and fears, we observe them playing running games, trying out arcade games, inventing stories, singing, playing the guitar, dancing the Sirtaki with an old, Greek cleaner, eating nostalgic food, getting a little tender and silently counting the hours. When she boards the plane taking only the blue, floating ball from the arcade hall with her, which he spontaneously told her to keep as a reminder of the night, your heart aches. You so wish until the last minute for one of them handing over an address slip or a promise. Both of them hesitate but decide for themselves it would destroy the perfect night's magic. So you feverishly calculate how probable it is for them to maybe find each other again a year later.

When I put The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight on my wishlist, I hoped for a similarly bittersweet wave of emotions. But there was none – not even the tug of an out-going tide. I wouldn't even call the boy-girl part of the plot cute or sweet. There was no perceptible love-on-first-sight. Oliver represented to Hadley a welcome – because passably attractive - distraction from her looming boredom, her inconveniently wandering thoughts (the dreaded wedding of her dad and her yet unknown stepmother) and her fear of confined spaces. Her sudden urge to stay with him at the European-Non-European fork at Heathrow's imigration control happened like something entirely random and unexpected, because there was no tell-tale admiration, no built-up-I'll-be-losing-him agony that would have prepared the reader for Hadley's change of mind and demeanor.

Even later, when they meet again, the relationship between the two stays sparse and a little morbid. The hero and heroine in You Are Here act quite similarly, but the road-trip story does concentrates more on the joined unraveling of family problems than on the – certainly not unwelcome – subtle romance. The title and the cover underline the main focus and make the reader expect the right thing, whereas in The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight the reader expects romance and gets no real love-story but some strange divorce drama that results in family peace, but nonetheless remains kind of unresolved. Am I right to conclude, that Hadley's dad was the one with the love on first sight, which in his book allowed him to leave his wife and his daughter without much ado and without seeking out his daughter for a real conversation before having her adorn his his wedding reception as the only stranger in the midst of his newly acquired friends and family? I know – from personal experience – that a separation does not have to be preceded by life-changing catastrophes or long-hidden secrets. But still, I came to despise "The Professor" and his surfacial, happy-go-lucky behavior more and more the longer I had to face his presence.

What made me press the 3-star-button, you'd like to know? Well, the writing is still exceptionally good. And the disappointing title might even not have been the poor author's idea in the first place. Maybe she pleaded for The Fermentation Process of Mayonnaise , but had to give in to the marketing department in the end. Who knows?
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Jan 02, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I've been dying to get my hands on this book from the moment I read the blurb on it. It does not disappoint. This is such a sweet and heartbreaking story at the same time. The story is sweet, in the scenes with Oliver, and heartbreaking in the ones with Hadley's dad and family drama.

Hadley is flying from Connecticut to London to attend her father's wedding. She ends up missing her flight by four minutes and is bumped to the next one. This makes things very tight, because now she'll be landing a...more I've been dying to get my hands on this book from the moment I read the blurb on it. It does not disappoint. This is such a sweet and heartbreaking story at the same time. The story is sweet, in the scenes with Oliver, and heartbreaking in the ones with Hadley's dad and family drama.

Hadley is flying from Connecticut to London to attend her father's wedding. She ends up missing her flight by four minutes and is bumped to the next one. This makes things very tight, because now she'll be landing at 10am and the wedding is at 12pm. Hadley didn't want to fly in at all. This wedding is the last place she wants to be because she's still angry with her father for leaving her and her mother, two years earlier. She hasn't even seen her father for a year, and has refused to fly out and meet his fiancé before this. The only reason she is going is because her mother has forced her. While Hadley is waiting for the next flight, Oliver, a guy sitting by her gallantly helps her with her luggage while she's dropping everything, everywhere. She finds out he's on the same flight and they end up eating in the airport together, sparking up a connection. Hadley thinks that once they get on the plane they'll be sitting apart and this will be the last she talks to Oliver. But they end up sitting right next to each other, on the plane, and talk the whole time, (minus a few naps waking up on one or the other's shoulder!) forming a mutual attraction. They have a few moments like this one that makes your heart speed up:

The OCCUPIED lights are on above both bathroom doors, so Hadley and Oliver stand in the small square of space just outside. They're close enough that she can smell the fabric of his shirt, the whiskey still on his breath; not so close that they're touching exactly, but she can feel the hair on his arm tickle hers, and she's again seized by a sudden longing to reach for his hand. She lifts her chin to find that he's looking down at her with the same expression she saw on his face earlier, when she woke up with her head on his shoulder…..It occurs to her that-impossibly, improbably-he might be about to kiss her, and she inches just the tiniest bit closer, her heart skidding around in her chest. His hand brushes against hers, and Hadley feels it like a bolt of electricity, the shock of it moving straight up her spine. To her surprise, Oliver doesn't pull away; instead, he fits his hand into hers as if anchoring her there, then tugs gently, moving her closer.

I'll leave it right there, you can read the book if you want to know what happens next! This scene is before they get off the plane and then the real action starts! I won't tell you anymore but trust, there are some very swoon-worthy moments! I love the idea of meeting someone and instantly feeling a connection, being drawn to a person and talking the night away.

The parts with Hadley and her family were very heartbreaking and while her feelings change toward her father, I couldn't help but stay mad at him. What a selfish man! I didn't see anything in this story that justified his actions, and my heart ached for Hadley and her mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's a quick easy read. I started it at eleven and didn't end up going to sleep until I finished, I couldn't put it down! A definite recommend.

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Nov 11, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crushing-on-the-cover, fast-paced-and-engrossing, conflicted-thoughts

THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, is a cute, fluffy fast read. It's short, sweet, bitter - all lovingly packaged into one.

Hadley is headed to her fathers wedding, but when she misses her flight, she finds herself face to face with gangly, shy, sweet Oliver, who offers to help with her suitcase. At that moment, she feels a familiar flutter at the pit of her stomach. And when their lock eyes, for some reason, she doesn't like the thought of them going their separate ways. As they...more THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, is a cute, fluffy fast read. It's short, sweet, bitter - all lovingly packaged into one.

Hadley is headed to her fathers wedding, but when she misses her flight, she finds herself face to face with gangly, shy, sweet Oliver, who offers to help with her suitcase. At that moment, she feels a familiar flutter at the pit of her stomach. And when their lock eyes, for some reason, she doesn't like the thought of them going their separate ways. As they make their way into the plane, the two find themselves starting to open up more, tease one another and blush furiously than just the one time when the other finds themselves sitting a little too close, or brushing shoulders. I may not believe in love at first sight, but for some reason, I was able to watch this particular love story unfold without doubt or weariness.

It all started when Hadley' father received an opportunity to work at Oxford for a few months, the only problem? He never returned. And soon enough, her parents were having a divorce. She watched on as her mother fell apart. Hadley, without thought, took on the instant role of carer and kept them both together. But suddenly, one day, her mother wakes up a changed person. Fresh and at one with herself. But Hadley' pain is just beginning. And she's found herself angry ever since.

I didn't appreciate her mother forcing her to go to her father' wedding. No matter how much she may regret it in the future, it annoyed me that her mother expected her to see her father when she had every right to back off. I felt like that was her call to make. Hadley' father *sighs* I don't know. It's fluff, after all, so it was obvious that our protagonist was going to soften up to him. It didn't mean that I had to like it though. If it was me? I couldn't do it. I couldn't forgive a man who had upped and left me and my mother. For me, that would have been the end of it. I know people deal with these issues differently, but I hated how she warmed to him and his new life.

For some reason, the book struck a nerve with me. I found myself furious at the prospect of Hadley forgiving her father. I was so angry, that I was actually shocked at myself. I have no idea where it came from, but it lingered until the very end.

Being the way I am, I wanted the man to suffer a bit more before she even considered forgiving him. I mean, was he even sorry? I doubt it. It annoys me that he didn't even attempt to make up for what he did. As if Hadley coming to his wedding was supposed to make things magically ok.

But there are some truly beautiful moments in this book. Those sweet, endearing moments that Hadley shares with Oliver. Two characters, that I instantly knew I would like. It's been a while since I've effortlessly found myself warming to the protagonist and the love interest, it's a lovely feeling :) Then there are the moments where she is hurting so much, and reminiscing about the moments she still lingers on to, in a time where her father was very much a strong presence in her and her mothers life. And these are the moments that make the book more worthwhile and give it more of an edge. For those few moments, lies a book where it's not just all fluff, but very much ache-y. I think that's what I wanted for the book as a whole. For it to be a little more grittier.

Had it been, it would have been a 4 star read for me, without a doubt. Instead, I felt like the father got it way too easy, and it ended a little too perfectly. And that's what bothered me.

Is it predictable, yes. But if you want something funny, amusing and sweet to settle into, I'd definitely recommend this book.

Memorable quotes

To her surprise, he lowers his face so it's level with hers, then narrows his eyes and touches a finger lightly to her cheek. 'Eyelash,' he says, rubbing his thumb to get rid of it. 'What about my wish?' 'I made it for you,' he says with a smile so crooked it makes her heart dip. Is it possible she's only known him for ten hours?

For a long time they just stay there like that, as still as the statues in the garden. And when he gives her no sign - no gesture of welcome, no indication of need - Hadley swallows hard and comes to a decision. But just as she turns to walk away, she hears him behind her, the word like the opening of some door, like an ending and a beginning, like a wish. 'Wait,' he says, and so she does.

He looks at her and smiles. 'You're sort of dangerous, you know?' She stares at him. 'Me?' 'Yeah,' he says, sitting back. 'I'm way too honest with with you.'

The rain begins to fall as they stand there, a sideways drizzle that settles over them lightly. When she lifts her chin again, Hadley sees a drop land on top of Oliver's forehead and then slip down to the end of his nose, and without thinking, she moves her hand from his shoulders to wipe it away.

She shifts from one foot to the other, her heels sinking into the soft dirt. 'I should go,' she says, but her eyes say I'm trying, and her hands, trembling in an effort not to reach out, say Please. 'Right,' he says. 'Me too.' Neither of them moves, and Hadley realises she's holding her breath. Ask me to stay.

As he turns to cross the garden, Hadley's stomach churns. She closes her eyes against the flood of words that never reached her, all those things left unsaid. And when she opens them again, he's gone.

But now, standing here in the basement of a church with shaking hands and a hammering heart, she's struck by what this day actually means, by all that she'll lose and gain with it, by how much has already changed. And something inside her begins to hurt.

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Aug 03, 2012 Misty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, juvenile-ya, contemporary, read-in-2012, romanciful, review-copy-accepted

Alright, I have some catching up to do. And if Twitter and Tumblr and Pinterest would just leave me alone for five minutes*, I could do it...
Um. Yeah... So I'm going to kick off the catch-up with a VERY belated mini-review of The Statistical Probability ~~of the World's Longest Title~~ of Love at First Sight, which I read in Februaryand really should have talked about by now. Well, wrote about, I guess, because I actually did already talk about it.

Anyway, I've mentioned a time or twelve that I'm a b...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Reynje rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, young-adult, contemp-or-realistic, swap

2.5 stars

After all, it’s one thing to run away when someone’s chasing you. It’s entirely another to be running all alone.

As something of a sceptic (well, okay, a romantic trapped in the body of a realist masquerading as a cynic), the title alone was enough to tell me that this book would be fighting an uphill battle with me. While I like the quirk factor of the phrase ”The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight”, I’ll admit that there’s a part of me that reads that line and scoffs. Zero...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Jasprit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-2012, read-in-2011, ya, romance, contemporary, realistic-fiction

3.5 stars

“Hadley presses her forehead against the window
of the taxi and once again finds herself smiling at the
thought of him. He’s like a song she can’t get out of her
head. Hard as she tries the melody of their meeting runs
through her mind on an endless loop each time as surprisingly
sweet as the last, like a lullaby like a hymn and she
doesn’t think she could ever get tired of hearing it”

The statistical probability of love at first sight was one of my highly anticipated books of the year and...more 3.5 stars

“Hadley presses her forehead against the window
of the taxi and once again finds herself smiling at the
thought of him. He’s like a song she can’t get out of her
head. Hard as she tries the melody of their meeting runs
through her mind on an endless loop each time as surprisingly
sweet as the last, like a lullaby like a hymn and she
doesn’t think she could ever get tired of hearing it”

The statistical probability of love at first sight was one of my highly anticipated books of the year and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy early on.

Hadley has been forced to attend her father’s wedding to a woman she’s never met before in England. Hadley’s spent a lot of time avoiding her dad after her parents broke up; she’s angry and frustrated at her dad for abandoning her and her mother and moving to another country. Her mother was completely heartbroken; Hadley and her mum had a tough time but supported each other through it. Now not long after her parents’ divorce Hadley has to attend his wedding. But Hadley misses her flight by just four minutes and has to wait 3 hours for the next flight out to England. She had a massive argument with her mum before leaving for the airport and her dad isn’t happy about her missing her flight. But maybe it was down to fate as at the airport she meets Oliver; and what started off as a trip that she had been dreading becomes a momentous and unforgettable 24 hour experience of her life.

Oliver and Hadley’s relationship was sweet; they automatically clicked and just understood where the other was coming from. This could have been because they found themselves in the same boat; both had complicated relationships with their dads, both travelling to London, and not for really happy occasions. Oliver was so sweet and understanding, he listened patiently whilst Hadley poured out her problems, distracting her from her claustrophobia and trying to cheer her up. He was just a shoulder you needed once in a while. The smallest of his gestures just tore though my heart and at times I just wanted to give him a big hug, I also loved how he wasn’t afraid to share his fears.

Despite relatively enjoying this book, a few things buggered up the book for me and for that reason I felt that I could only give this book 3.5 stars. The reason being Hadley’s parents. First I found Hadley’s mum infuriating at how she kept pushing Hadley to go to the wedding, considering the rough time she had after her husband left her. And then Hadley’s dad; I really wanted Hadley to do something; she had all this pent up anger about him abandoning her and her mum and re-marrying so quickly and the way she was going on about it I thought she would, but it just seemed that she forgave him too quickly.

Overall The statistical probability of love at first sight was a cute poignant read, but I’m just disappointed that I’d set my hopes too high as this book did fall some way short of my expectations.
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May 12, 2013 Nathaly Alvarez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: escritores-favoritos, favorites, increibles, leido-en-2013, me-hizo-llorar, nada-es-lo-que-parece, reseñados

Esta lectura es como el chocolate: es adictivo, muy dulce y te deja sintiéndote simplemente feliz.

Después de perder su vuelo y estando en un completo mal humor, Hadley conoce a este chico, Oliver, quien es raramente atractivo y es dueño de una personalidad devastadora. Y ¿adivinen qué? ¡Están en el mismo vuelo!

Hadly está molesta con su padre por dejarlas a ella y a su madre. Ella es un tanto voluble pero es también adorable y realista, es fácil encariñarse con su personaje. Lo mismo pasa con Ol...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Maree rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Maree by: Emily

Shelves: ya-contemp, 2012-read, march-may-quarterly-ya-reading-chal

2.5 Stars

I really hoped I would love this book. The promise of this book was a sweet, fluffy romance which would make me forget I ever watched Red Eye (that’s about as scary as it gets for me in terms of movies). Unfortunately, I think Red Eye may have been just a tad more compelling, I mean at least I wanted to keep watching, if only to see what the psycho would do next. I really had to make myself read this book, but I’m not sure why, I mean it’s not like I wasn’t enjoying it. I guess what I’m...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: out-2012, chick-lit, contemporary, damn-gorgeous-males, young-adult, realistic-fiction, ya-romance

3.75 of 5 stars

This book was one of my most anticipated book this year and I was glad that it was an enjoyable read. However I wasn't totally overcome by it than what I had expected it would do. The title could be a little bit deceiving 'cause the story wasn't very much actually about it. Though there were really those swoon-worthy bits between Hadley and Oliver that made me...well swoon, I find the story focused more on how Hadley dealt the conflicting feelings she had about her parent, especia...more 3.75 of 5 stars

This book was one of my most anticipated book this year and I was glad that it was an enjoyable read. However I wasn't totally overcome by it than what I had expected it would do. The title could be a little bit deceiving 'cause the story wasn't very much actually about it. Though there were really those swoon-worthy bits between Hadley and Oliver that made me...well swoon, I find the story focused more on how Hadley dealt the conflicting feelings she had about her parent, especially about her dad. Nonetheless, the things between Hadley and Oliver was really cute and sweet and though I don't really believe in love at first sight I love the thought of meeting someone and then having a great and undeniable connection between them. ^^

At first I thought Hadley was some spoiled, whinny, brat. The way she told her dislike about the idea of going to his dad's second marriage kind of annoyed me. I was like why don't she just get over it since her mom and dad are both happy and moving on. But as the story progressed and as I learn more about her I started to connect with her and understand her. Her feelings - bitterness, sadness, hurt and anger - was very well voiced out. It actually made me also mad at her Dad too. I find him really selfish. Asking Hadley to attend his marriage to a women she haven't even met before was just kind of anger-inducing. And even though at the last part he and her father already had a talk about it and finally forgave him, it wasn't enough for me to like and forgive him too. And no matter how nice Charlotte was I just can't seem to like her. I just want - even for a little part - to see their guilt for what they'd done, that they did something bad and had hurt other people. But I guess that's just the way it has to be - everyone just have to move on and be happy.

Oliver was a very entertaining character. He's cool and sweet that you wouldn't know that deep inside he's dealing with a more heart aching situation. I loved his jokes and his answers to Hadley's question were really filled with great humor. You would think that he was really open and cool on things but really he could also be a mysterious guy. I was shocked when I learned about his father and how his relationship with him had never been really good. But in the end I was happy that both him and Hadley were able to deal with those crappy things, move on and meet again! The last part was really charming and sweet. They were really a very cute couple and I just loved them. :))

Overall, this was a lovely read. Though I wasn't entirely happy with the thing about their parents, the narration between Hadley and Oliver's encounter was enough to make me really liked the book. A light and fun read! :))

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Bayli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: tbr-that-i-own, romance-young-adult

Aww! I loved it!

This is a young adult book. There isn't any "steamy" scenes in it. There isn't a lot of cursing or anything like that.

This book was just such a sweet, fun, and all around enjoyable read. I honestly didn't realize how quickly I was flipping through the pages.

So not only is it a sweet read, it's a quick one!

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Jan 02, 2012 Jude rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, favorites

and it was

lol, I have no idea how to explain yet. It was a simple story really, sweet, the beginning of a bigger one for Hadley and Oliver; but there were so many little details and things that just made the story so great and complete. I'm smiling like a fool right now, I seriously can't wait to re-read it. It's such a beautiful book that every time I glance at it I just get a bigger smile, and I'm sure it's going to be that way for a long time.

Oliver and Hadley were perfect. Not in a no fla...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Skyla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, insta-love-tastic, wedding

Find this review and more on my blog: http://happygolucky-skyla.blogspot.ca/

When I came into this book I had incredibly high hopes for something unbelieveably awesome. Even though I had read some pretty negative reviews I still had high hopes for it but I am sad to say I ended up a bit disappointed, I enjoyed it but not enough to rate it higher than 3 stars.

The third person POV was a bit offputting at times. It made things confusing at times and I felt a bit separated from the characters. First...more

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May 30, 2012 jo mo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, chick-lit, young-adult, family, 2-stars, reviews, made-into-movie

When she was little, Hadley used to sneak into Dad's office at home, which was lined with bookshelves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, all of them stacked with peeling paperbacks and hardcovers with cracked spines. She was only six the first time he found her sitting in his armchair with her stuffed elephant and a copy of A Christmas Carol, poring over it as intently as if she were considering it for her dissertation.

"What're you reading?" he'd asked, leaning against the doorframe a...more When she was little, Hadley used to sneak into Dad's office at home, which was lined with bookshelves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, all of them stacked with peeling paperbacks and hardcovers with cracked spines. She was only six the first time he found her sitting in his armchair with her stuffed elephant and a copy of A Christmas Carol, poring over it as intently as if she were considering it for her dissertation.

"What're you reading?" he'd asked, leaning against the doorframe and taking off his glasses.

"A story."

"Yeah?" he asked, trying not to smile. "What story?"

"It's about a girl and her elephant," Hadley informed him matter-of-factly.

"Is that right?"

"Yes," she said. "And they go on a trip together, on a bike, but then the elephant runs away, and she cries so hard that someone brings her a flower."

Dad crossed the room and in a single practiced motion lifted her from the chair--Hadley clinging desperately to the slender book--until, suddenly, she was sitting on his lap.

"What happens next?" he asked.

"The elephant finds her again."

"And then?"

"He gets a cupcake. And they live happily ever after."

"That sounds like a great story."

Hadley squeezed the fraying elephant on her lap. "It was."

"Do you want me to read you another one?" he asked, gently taking the book from her and flipping to the first page. "It's about Christmas."

She settled back into the soft flannel of his shirt, and he began to read.

It wasn't even the story itself that she loved; she didn't understand half the words and often felt lost in the winding sentences. It was the gruff sound of her father's voice, the funny accents he did for each character, the way he let her turn the pages. Every night after dinner they would read together in the stillness of the study. Sometimes Mom would come stand at the door with a dish towel in her hand and a half-smile on her face as she listened, but mostly it was just the two of them.

Even when she was old enough to read herself, they still tackled the classics together, moving from Anna Karenina to Pride and Prejudice to The Grapes of Wrath as if traveling across the globe itself, leaving holes in the bookshelves like missing teeth.

And later, when it started to become clear that she cared more about soccer practice and phone privileges than Jane Austen or Walt Whitman, when the hour turned into a half hour and every night turned into every other, it no longer mattered. The stories had become a part of her by then; they stuck to her bones like a good meal, bloomed inside of her like a garden. They were as deep and meaningful as any other trait Dad had passed along to her: her blue eyes, her straw-colored hair, the sprinkling of freckles across her nose.

Often he would come home with books for her, for Christmas or her birthday, or for no particular occasion at all, some of them early editions with beautiful gold trim, others used paperbacks bought for a dollar or two on a street corner. Mom always looked exasperated, especially when it was a new copy of one that he already had in his study.

"This house is about two dictionaries away from caving in," she'd say, "and you're buying duplicates?"

But Hadley understood. It wasn't that she was meant to read them all. Maybe someday she would, but for now, it was more the gesture itself. He was giving her the most important thing he could, the only way he knew how. He was a professor, a lover of stories, and he was buildng her a library in the same way other men might build their daughters houses.

kudos to angie who nudged me in the direction of the book(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Yearning To Read rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, best-lit-men, books-of-incredible, books-that-make-me-bawl, fiction, forever-favorites, i-didnt-die-because-i-have-this, intriguing-idea, laughing-out-loud, love-the-cover, powerful, surpassed-expectations, to-re-read, totally-crazy, young-adult, own, 12-and-up, reviewed, perfectly-titled

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Pages: 236
Release Date: January 2nd, 2012
Date Read: 2012, July 9th-10th
Received: Library - but I bought it the day after I read it!
Rating: 5/5 stars, Forever Favorite!
Recommended to: 12+

SUMMARY -
Flying to London may be most girls' dream, but not Hadley's. Not when she's flying out to be a bridesmaid in her own father's wedding. Even worse - she misses her flight by four minutes - ensuring she'll most likely be late. What she...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, must-read, can-t-wait, favorites, sweet-romance

If I'll dream tonight, I'll dream of this book.

I think I fell in love.. at first sight.. with this book.
I finished reading it with happy tears in my eyes. It made me sad, it made me happy, it made my heart race even though there wasn’t too much action, but the amount of emotions per page were definitely too many for my heart to handle them properly.

This book went from the ‘must read’ shelf to the ‘most beautiful romances’ shelf in a blink of an eye. I was caught up in this story without knowing...more

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May 31, 2012 Amy (Turn the Page) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I, like a lot of people, have been eagerly awaiting the release of Statistical Probability (I love the title but it is way too long to keep typing out so SP it is) for quite a while now. Early reviews were great - everyone seems to love this book - but I can't help but feel underwhelmed.

Statistical Probability is a sweet little story. It's not to cutesy, there are certain plot points that add some gravity and depth and, despite the title, it's not really about two people falling in love over a 2...more I, like a lot of people, have been eagerly awaiting the release of Statistical Probability (I love the title but it is way too long to keep typing out so SP it is) for quite a while now. Early reviews were great - everyone seems to love this book - but I can't help but feel underwhelmed.

Statistical Probability is a sweet little story. It's not to cutesy, there are certain plot points that add some gravity and depth and, despite the title, it's not really about two people falling in love over a 24 hour period. Rather, for me anyway, it is about two characters, who by chance meet, and feel a connection, an instant attraction, with the possibility of something more.
It's a short book, only 215 pages and with large font at that, and I was surprised and a little disappointed when the plane journey was over and Oliver and Hadley were already going their separate ways by page 93!

The two main characters are easy to like, particularly Oliver, who is cute, charming and had me chuckling at some of random things he came out with. Hadley is a little stubborn and self-absorbed but not unlikable - her hurt and anger over her father were well handled and, in many ways, well justified. The scenes between Oliver and Hadley really stole the book. They had some lovely moments but there was the potential for so much more.

Personally, I think much of the second half of the book wasn't needed. Too much time was spent on Hadley and her father, but there wasn't sufficient time to really explore their relationship and the bitterness and hurt between them properly. The ending to this particular plot line was to cutesy and a little contrived and I think Smith could have achieved some softening of Hadley's character towards her father as a result of her time with Oliver, without showing the actual wedding. While I quite liked the idea of Oliver and Hadley having several 'chance' encounters throughout 24 hours, I feel Statistical Probability would have been a stronger, ultimately more satisfying read, had Smith completely focused on the two main characters, given us much more of the two of them together and ended with that great customs scene at Heathrow.

If you're a fan of the genre, or merely looking for a simple, frothy read that will make you smile, you should definitely pick up Statistical Probability. It feels a little bit like of one of those old-fashioned romance movies. I think both teenager and adult readers will enjoy this one.(less)

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Jan 21, 2012 Melannie :) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, completely-contemp-challenge-2012

Well I was very excited for this book, and maybe that was my mistake and it's totally my fault for setting my expectations high. I don't want to say I'm dissapointed because it wasn't terrible, it was just not as great as I hoped.

TSPoLaFS is a quick read. Hadley is going to London to her dad's wedding. He left she and her mom for another woman and Hadley hadn't forgiven him. So it's only obvious she's not happy to be going to witness her dad's especial day.

I don't really get why Hadley is so mad...more Well I was very excited for this book, and maybe that was my mistake and it's totally my fault for setting my expectations high. I don't want to say I'm dissapointed because it wasn't terrible, it was just not as great as I hoped.

TSPoLaFS is a quick read. Hadley is going to London to her dad's wedding. He left she and her mom for another woman and Hadley hadn't forgiven him. So it's only obvious she's not happy to be going to witness her dad's especial day.

I don't really get why Hadley is so mad at her dad because my parents are not divorced and if they one day decide to do it I would support them because that's what they want. But Hadley's 17 years old and she didn't expect that at all, so I'm sympathetic. So anyway, pissed off Hadley misses her flight and thanks to that, she gets to meet this incredible boy at the airport. His name's Oliver and he's charming and British, that's recipe for love there I tell you.

I liked Oliver when I read the book, but now that I think back, he wasn't really that memorable and I've come to wonder if I'm just too easy. Give me a British boy that has nice manners and is sociable and I'm instantly babbling about him on my blog, but then I forget his name the next day. I hope that doesn't happen with Oliver but somehow I don't think he'd be the exception.\

So anyway, the story is cool and the author really convinced me that Hadley and Oliver could have something especial. But if by now I've learned something about my reading tastes is that I really like to know everything about the characters I read about, I wanna be part of their lives and I want to know what happens to them. So I was not happy with only a 24-hour glimpse at Hadley and Oliver's lives. Their story got my interest and I would like to know more about them.

I also have to confess that the part when Hadley is not with Oliver, all that time she's at the wedding, and how she was mad at her dad and all those stories about her childhood...

I kind of skipped most of those parts. Yeah I know shame on me, but the only thing I cared was the romance, and I swear I'm not like that all the time, it was just different with this book, the other part of the story (teenage angst/divorce) just didn't clicked with me, but I'm sure there's someone out there who might call it her favorite part.

To sum up, the story is quick, the main characters are interesting and the romance is cute. There's LOTS of family drama and there's growing up too. And major kudos for the last couple of pages, those were REALLY CUTE. I think I sighed out loud.(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya, contemporary

It’s funny how life can change in four minutes, or at least how Hadley’s did. In The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, Hadley is four minutes late for the plane to her father’s wedding in London. Yet, this is NOT the tragedy it seems, because she’s put on the next flight out in seat 18A. Seat 18C is taken by a charming British boy named Oliver.
Read the rest of my review here

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Jan 21, 2012 Sarah (saz101) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, romance, 2012-releases, wow-i-read-a-non-fantasy

I loved The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight... at first sight. Sweet, fun, funny, and heartbreaking, the intensity of emotion Hadley’s story provoked took me by surprise. I expected to fall in love. I didn’t expect to rant and rave* and scream and cry.

Hadley has just missed her flight. Missed it by only four minutes. Maybe it’s fate trying to give her a way out, because the last thing she wants to do is get on a plane to London where she’ll be forced to watch her Dad marry the wo...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Idunsses rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-adult

“Eyelash,” he says, rubbing his thumb to get rid of it.
“What about my wish?”
“I made it for you,” he says with a smile so crooked it makes her heart dip.

description

Ah, this novel was such a joy to read, and I was filled with a wonderful feeling of warmth after turning the final page. Even though it’s very short, only 200 or so pages, it is overflowing with such an amazing vocabulary, perfectly describing all the emotions (or “all the things”, as John Green said, when he recommended this book in one of h...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Aishwarya Rao rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have so many thoughts in my head. I just dont think I can describe how much I loved this book.
Lets start of on why I'm writing this review
The moment I finsihed this book, or more like when I was towards the end I signed into goodreads immidiately to write this review. I had this craving to express how this boook made me feel.
It's been one of my firsts in many ways
It was the first book that made me cry and laugh at the same time.
It was the first book where I didn't judge the character for falli...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Mith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rom-com-chick-lit, young-adult, slice-of-life, absolutely-spiffing

Ah! Such a perfect, perfect feel-good book! I'm not a big believer of love at first sight but Hadley and Oliver almost convinced me!

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a cute, little YA love story of two teens, Hadley and Oliver who meet at an airport due to Hadley missing her flight by just four minutes. Those four minutes change her life.

I went in this book with very little expectations, ready to file it away as yet another cheesy, predictable, written-for-the-money-using-ve...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Inspired Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

This one is going be short and sweet... kinda like the book.

The Statistical Probability of Love at first site was not at all what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it. With a title like that I was expecting the story to be the instant overwhelming attraction, imprinting kind of unrealistic love (or perhaps lust is a better word) but it didn't happen like I expected.

It's a cute book that made me smile but it was also deeper and filled with more issues than I thought it would be while remainin...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, son-i-am-disappoint

Oh, gosh... I wanted to like it, I really did.

This book is just not my cup of tea. Any GoodReaders in Aus who would like my copy? First to comment gets the book. (Hope you like it more than I did!)

EDIT: Does no one want this novel? It would like a good home! *sigh* maybe the library will take it.

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The YA Book Club: The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight	80	153	Apr 08, 2013 10:52pm
Class of 2014: Book Review	7	13	Mar 27, 2013 05:03pm
Young Adult Conte...: #12: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (Dec 10-16)	80	177	Mar 09, 2013 07:54pm
SPOILER Who thought that Oliver was Charlotte's son even before you read the book?	10	178	Mar 05, 2013 07:29pm
Book-a-holics: I Finished!! Now What?	13	19	Feb 24, 2013 04:13pm
Book-a-holics: Chapters 13-18 (End) - TSPOLAFS	10	16	Feb 23, 2013 10:12pm

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About Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

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“Love is the strangest, most illogical thing in the world.” — 402 people liked it

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