*** Journaling takes a lot of discipline. Or neurosis. ***

I absolutely enjoyed this. Written "journal" style ... it reminded me a little of another favorite; [book:The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1|52085140]. The latter is set in late 1800 England, so there is a historical flair/feel to the writing. Here too, while contemporary (1991 to start), our MC is a writer, and with a French background, so this isn't your traditional, straight-forward journal writing (at least mine is much more bland). A love of language, metaphor and similes, descriptive explanations ... it overflows. There is a lot of dialog (which I always have to question in a journal ... I don't, or a least very rarely, include actual dialog. As much as one would like to remember word for word, it's generally just am attempt at recalling what was said. Peter does say at one point "It is difficult, of course, for human beings besides Vivienne to remember past dialogue."  Because YES, we get some of Peter's journal too (a shift about 3/4 of the way through the book)

This didn't have an audiobook, so I read this with my eyes (included in KindleUnlimited)... and that makes highlighting sections, making notes, much easier (than with audio). I highlighted SO much! Funny statements, profound thoughts, connections ...

Speaking of connections ... in today's tech age, with internet and email and text and social media, it can be challenging to be taken back, not TOO long ago (the 90s) when an old fashioned telephone and answering machine was the norm (long distance too), writing letters home when at college. But ironically enough, in 1991, I was in MY second year of college. I remember the phone in the hallway my first year in the dorms, a single phone in the house my roommates and I were renting the second year. I recall writing letters home, as phone calls were long distance (even in the same state). I did NOT have any cute/young professors though, but some of the other college life brought back memories. 

I always note tense in my reviews ... here, it switched between present (I'm writing this right now  ..) and some past tense, when writing about past events. All 1st person, as one would expect in a journal.   The Table of Contents was lacking ... just divided into the main large sections. If you were looking for a particular "chapter" (date) you'd have to flip through until you found it (which, being dates, are chronological, but I still like a TOC. I can see indicating each journal entry as a chapter would have been a lot, but still would have provided some interest at a glance - ie, when she would write every day vs going weeks or longer between entries).

For a limited label, one would call this a romance. But it's so much more. Vivienne's personal struggles and growth, the family dynamics, are profound. Peter's too.

This was one where I fell in love with the characters. I cared about them, felt their pain and their joy. Reading was a delight, just so many little thoughts or turns of phrase that would make me laugh or smile or bring tears to my eyes.  I love the personal connection that I was this exact age, in a similar college situation ... that journal writing has been a part of me since my youth. I'm not nearly as profound, and no one but me would find my entries worth reading (yes, even you Progeny, I think there would be way too much that you'd absolutely lose interest). This was still a story, pulling me in, and while the assumption is, as with most romances, of course they will get together in the end ... I was never sure. 

There was the most minor mentions of sex, but this was PG.