Love Off the Record by Samantha Markum is a romantic comedy to rival the best beach books. Although the book is mostly cotton candy fluff with palpable romantic tension, it gives a serious nod to all readers who have insecurities (all of us, am I right?), especially those who are weight conscious or who struggle with body image issues.
Nathaniel Wellborn III (aka Three) and Éowyn Evans (aka Wyn) are freshmen at Ohio State University. Competitive adversaries, the pair share the ambition of securing the next position as a reporter for the college newspaper, Torch, on their way to someday being editor-in-chief.
Preferring investigative journalism with a slant towards scandal, Three has “the look of East Coast old money, though really he’s just Midwest old money” (5). While most people on staff find him charming, well-spoken, and intelligent, Wyn decides that he is a “plotting poisonous snake.” A champion moper, Wyn is not the type of person whose failures fuel her to do better. Instead, her “flops just take the wind out of her sails” (32). Because Wyn prefers to report on human interest stories, the two clash repeatedly, constantly bantering and bickering as each tries to one-up the other.
When her feelings become tangled and twisted and because she lacks a strong peer group, Wyn allows herself to be convinced to try the new campus dating app, Buckonnect. Soon, she’s flirting and conversing with an anonymous match, hoping to defy the stereotype that “fat people are undesirable and sexless” (25). This topic supplies a point of fixation for Wyn, who refuses “to treat her body like a worst-case scenario” (14). Although she cares for and loves her body, she admits that she’s not always the most confident in it, so the two remain anonymous and a mystery. As the novel continues, the reader suspects a love triangle and watches it unfold.
From the sidelines, readers not only chuckle often at the humorous situations in which the characters get immersed but also benefit from Markum’s wisdom. For example, Markum shares insight about how therapy can help some people to find the best version of themselves. The novel also exposes how journalistic writing can shine light on certain problems, and once illuminated, these issues aren’t so easily ignored–suggesting that the truth may be impossible to intimidate away.
- Donna