Review: 'Won't Last Long' by Heidi Joy Tretheway (2013)

Can two people who are totally wrong for each other ever be right?

She's a feisty, sly marketing exec intent on hiding her small-town roots. He’s a laid-back engineer with a shaggy mutt and a pushy ex.

When Joshua asks Melina out, she asks what kind of car he drives. She’ll do drinks, not dinner. She’s always in control. But with Joshua’s easy confidence and sharp wit, Melina is soon breaking the dating rules she made for herself.

Opposites attract—but friends think Melina and Joshua can’t possibly last. When crisis throws their world off its axis, Melina must confront her childhood family, the people she’s come to care about, and the destruction of her pristine image.

I’m also a reviewer for Chick Lit Club (click here to visit the website, a definite must for any chick lit fan!), which is how I got into touch with author Heidi Joy Tretheway about reviewing her novel ‘Won’t Last Long.’ I liked the cover of the book from the first moment I saw it (it makes me long for summer and going on holiday) and the blurb also interested me. There’s nothing like a good love story, so I was quite curious to find out more about Joshua and Melina!

Melina and Josh are complete opposites from one another. Joshua is a laid-back guy; an engineer who works with pacemakers, likes to play basketball games with his friends followed by a couple of beers, and keeps himself busy by working on his old car. Melina is a true perfectionist; she works as a senior account manager at an advertising firm and she has worked very hard to be where she is now, she believes in first impressions, and tries everything to hide her small-town background. Even though Joshua’s friends are warning him that he and Melina are too different, he can’t get her out of his mind and asks her out on a date. They say opposites attract, but might this relationship be doomed to fail from the start...?

In a nutshell, ‘Won’t Last Long’ is about two people who are complete opposites of one another, but decide to start dating to see whether their differences will mix well together or whether the relationship will end in disaster. The two characters at the core of this story are Melina and Joshua. I liked Joshua from the start; he seemed like a genuine good guy who has been through a lot and now wants to settle down. The first time he sees Melina, he is immediately interested and wants to find out more about her. Personally, I did not particularly like Melina at the start of the novel. I thought she was a bit shallow, and not the girl for a guy like Joshua. However, as the story progressed (in my opinion, it started off a bit slow), the reader gets to know more about Melina and Joshua , about their personalities and their backgrounds, and I felt myself warming to both characters, wanting to read more about both of them, and the development of their relationship.

Next to Melina and Joshua, there’s a good mix of characters in the novel, including the lovely Momo, an older lady who reminded me of my own grandmother and really added something special to the story. A relationship is always influenced by the people around you, and this is also something that is included and focused upon in the novel. Heidi Joy Tretheway gives the reader a realistic and enjoyable account of a relationship between two completely different people, including the bumps in the road and the effort it takes to stay on that road together. ‘Won’t Last Long’ is a light read, perfect for a sunny day or a road trip, centred around the question whether opposites really attract, or whether it’s the basic recipe for something that won't last long.

Rating:8/10