The genre: Contemporary fiction, romance-ish

The gist: A marriage on the rocks gets a second chance thanks to the help of a magic phone.

The review: Far-fetched but charming 💛

Georgie and Neal fell in love in college, got married, had two kids, and somewhere along the way lost sight of what made their relationship work.

Just when things seem irreparably bad, Georgie finds that her old landline phone at her mother’s house can magically get a hold of Neal in the 1990s, when they were first falling for each other. These calls help her remember her love for her now-husband, and ultimately save their marriage with a little time-traveling weirdness.

As a kid who grew up with landlines and VCRs, I like the idea of finding some elusive magic in analog technology. Because, like, there was something different and more special about a long landline phone chat—where you stood or sat or paced twirling the cord in your fingers, solely focused on the conversation because you were literally tethered to it—than the constant access we have to each other now.

I love Rainbow Rowell’s characters and writing. Their charm and endearment make this wild plot point work.

The rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5

Neal didn’t take Georgie’s breath away. Maybe the opposite. But that was okay—that was really good, actually, to be near someone who filled your lungs with air.

—Rainbow Rowell, Landline