REVIEW: Love Buzz by Neely Tubati Alexander

Love Buzz by Neely Tubati AlexanderTorturously counting down the hours until she is free to return home to Seattle again, Bridesmaid Serena is questioning how she ended up involved in her cousins Corals’ wedding party given the distance between them that’s grown over the years. Until of course, she meets Julian and as a twist of fate discovers that he too is from her own town enjoying the Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Returning home solo, Serena’s chance meeting provides a big pivot for her to question her life choices, determining happiness isn’t something that is bestowed upon us, but rather something we need to hunt down and cling to with both hands.

Filled with some deliciously flirty banter, and a huge leaning towards self-discovery rather than straight up romance, Love Buzz succeeds in weaving classic relatable meltdowns, self-deprecating humour, microscopic analysis of choices and pathways with the overarching thematic intention of Know Thyself.

Bookended with Serena and Julian, the mid section was a tad awkward and whilst there was so much to cling to in their deep instantaneous connection, the grit lied in the existential crisis elements; something most women experience as they head face first into their ‘should’ third decade.

And as Serena begins to live through her heart and for herself, there is a powerful sense that she no longer needs to be careful with what she wishes for. Whilst a bit slow and with some strange random character perspective shifts, this was a great debut and certainly has many high notes that will sing to those who need a catalyst to make some huge change in their lives.

Book Info:

Publication: 2nd May 2023 | Harper Perennial |

A wretched maid of honor. A hangover from hell. Raucous Mardi Gras crowds. There isn’t much Serena Khan is enjoying about this four-day New Orleans destination bachelorette party for her semi-estranged cousin, the bride-to-be—until sparks fly with a handsome stranger, who, like her, is also from Seattle. After their conversation is cut short, Serena is overwhelmed by the desire to find the charming man with the brooding eyebrows, but her list of clues is pretty short:

His name is Julian.
He lives on Chamber Hill.
He works at a tech company.
He loves Lil Wayne and Nirvana.

The need to find him is, for Serena, both irresistible and totally irrational. In a few short weeks, her college alumni magazine is featuring her in a “Life at Thirty” feature, cementing her as a success story. She will have officially achieved the safe, stable life her late mother insisted upon. Julian is not part of the plan.

As she combs Seattle for her New Orleans flame, stripping away the perfectly curated life that would have made her mother proud, Serena must decide if the pursuit of real passion is worth it—and fast, before she destroys the life she always thought she wanted.