I believe everyone has a movie that they know is bad but they still love it. It may even be one of their favorites. Like, the movie may be complete garbage: full of bad accents, shitty characters, predictable plot lines, and tropes galore but they’ll still watch it 5 times a year because it makes them happy. Does that sound familiar to any of you? It 100% does for me. That movie for me is Leap Year. I’m not sure how many people like that movie, but it is one of my favorites and I recently read a book that reminded me of it so I thought why not recommend a book based on Leap Year??
So here I am, doing a Post Credits to Pages post, a series I came up with in which I recommend a book based on a movie. I usually try to make it a similar genre and setting, though my focus is to find a book that fits the atmosphere of the movie. If the movie makes you want to get up and dance with all the characters, I want to try to find a book that will make you want to do that as well, or at least give you the same feeling. Previously, I have done a Mamma Mia 2 Post Script to Pages post, so if you want to check out what book I suggested based on Mamma Mia 2 then click here.
Now, for those of you who happen to be reading this and don’t know the wonderful shitty rom-com that is Leap Year, wtf is wrong with you?? Literally everything about this movie brings me joy. Leap Year follows Anna (Amy Adams), who goes to Ireland with the intent to propose to her long-term boyfriend (Adam Scott) on leap day which is apparently a tradition in Ireland for some reason. (I never said this movie doesn’t have any flaws.) Her plans go awry when a massive storm puts her in Dingle, where she hires this hot Irish guy (Matthew Goode) to drive her across Ireland to her boyfriend in Dublin. Romance and bonding and shenanigans ensue and it’s absolutely beautiful.
A couple of months ago I listened to an audiobook that almost immediately made me think of Leap Year. That book was Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch. From the setting in Ireland to the warm fuzzies this book gave me (for various reasons), I feel like Love & Luck is pretty much the YA book version of Leap Year.
Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind.
Goodreads
So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism.
And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.
That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way.
If the summary isn’t enough to convince you of the similarities and that you need to read this book, here are some of my reasons why you should read Love & Luck if you like Leap Year.
A transportive Ireland setting. If you’re like me, any book or movie that is able to transport you to the setting and make you wish you were there experiencing all of the sounds, smells, and sights being described or shown to you is a good one. Both Leap Year and Love & Luck dive into the magic of Ireland, pulling from different Irish folktales, traditions, and legends to immerse the watcher or reader in the gorgeous landscape. If you’re unconvinced of the beauty that is Ireland, here is a picture that I took at the Cliffs of Moher, which just so happens to be one of the setting of Love & Luck!
A road trip with tons of unplanned pit stops. Both stories are based around a road trip across that neither of the main characters really want to do. In Love & Luck, Addie ends up joining her brother and his online friend on a road trip they’re taking to a major music festival. Along the way she makes them stop at various Irish landmarks to perform a variety of tasks given to her by an Ireland travel guidebook she found. With Leap Year, the entire movie is a bunch of misadventures due to road trip car troubles. You get to see a lot of beautiful views of Ireland from these pit stops, which just add to the magic and the romance. Ugh I love it so much!! Also, both Leap Year and Love & Luck involve shitty cars and car difficulties, which are always fun to read about.
An “unexpected” (Irish) romance. I think this just says it all. I will say that Love & Luck focuses mainly on Addie getting over a heartbreak and building her relationship with her brother, which is so nice to read about! There is a bit of a background romance happening throughout the book though and I basically squealed when the two got together! I guess misadventures and getting into trouble with Irish boys is a great way to start a relationship lol.
So how ‘bout it? Want to take a road trip across Ireland and possibly find romance along the way? I know I do.
Dog-Eared Pages 
Pingback: “It Feels Like Spring” Reads | Dog-Eared Pages