This story was very sweet, cute, funny. Caution to my smutty friends- this doesn't qualify, no smut at all.

My only real problem with this story (other than the characters having the same name and the POV switches) was the heroine Charlie's denial of how she really felt about hero Charlie. One rich guy screwed her over, so now she's afraid of all men screwing her over, he was rich, so all rich guys must be the same?

I did like that she finally got counseling though. We don't see that nearly often enough with our screwed up characters in books, the mighty peen usually cures all, so this was quite refreshing. ( )

So, the other day I was thinking, wouldn't it be fun if two Charlies met and fell in love? There must be a book out there about this, and I really feel like reading it.
A simple Google search and a NetGalley request later, I had Naturally, Charlie in my hands (or, more accurately, on my e-reader).

I really really liked this story. I read it in one sitting. The writing is very elegant and keeps you engaged the whole time. The dialogue is smart and funny, and I loved both characters.

At first, I was a bit worried about the story being from both their point of views. When I read stories like these, especially if it's 1st person perspective - I expect to be able to see that these are different characters, different personalities, and having never read anything by this author I didn't know if they could pull it off.

But I wasn't disappointed, both Charlies are delightful characters.
She is an interesting girl. Jim sure did a number on her, but she is much stronger than she gives herself credit. At times she annoyed the hell out of me with her insecurities, but I knew that in the end she would have to deal with all those issues herself.
He is just the right amount of cocky, but also has a sensitive side. His voice is very peculiar and it really suits his character, he is a writer and you can tell that he has a way with words. It's obvious that the author enjoyed writing him, which I always appreciate.

While I thought the romance was really sweet, I much preferred the friendship aspect of their relationship because it felt more realistic, although I thought it was based on false pretenses, both of them really wanted to be more than friends from the very beginning - and then they sort of settled for friendship.

On a side note, I really loved the whole fate/destiny discussion. I couldn't agree more with Charlie about it.

Overall, this did not disappoint. That not-quite-sex scene was almost like poetry, it was so beautiful. The pace is good and you never get bored. I would definitely recommend this love story to all romance readers.

**Free copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

Wikipedia states that fate implies no choice, but that destiny is participating in achieving an outcome that is related to itself. An argument can be made that this book is full of fate and destiny. I don’t know what to say about this book. I don’t know if I just liked it or if I loved it. I found many similarities between my life and Girl Charlie's.

It’s every girl’s dream to be in a crowded room and make eye contact with that one special person. You know the ONE. The one who can fulfill you and make all of your dreams come true. The one who completes you.

As the book blurb states, Naturally, Charlie is the tale of two Charlies. Yes, this can be rather confusing while reading the book, but it’s totally worth it. Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow has trust issues. She feels responsible for something she had no control over and she’s betrayed in one of the worst ways possible. Charles “Charlie” Adams is simply trying to live the life he wants, without all the false pretenses. Charlie Boy is from a life of privilege, where money is the only thing that really matters. Unlike his parents and his friends, Charlie Boy realizes that money can’t give you two of the most important things in the world, which are love and happiness.

Naturally, Charlie is one of those books where once you pick it up, you aren’t going to want to put down. While reading the book I thought, “yes, they get their happy ending”. Then I realized that I was only about forty percent of the way through the book. NOT a good thing with romances.

The two Charlies initially first laid eyes on each other on a crowded subway in New York City. Each was mesmerized by the other. Instead of taking this opportunity to formally meet, they each went their separate ways. As chance would have it, they run into each other again at a nightclub. Girl Charlie is there with her friend Rachel. This time however, they get to speak to one and other. Charlie Boy immediately spots Girl Charlie. But by the time he makes his way to her, she runs off to the ladies room. Boy Charlie decides to wait for her with Rachel. Boy Charlie wants to get to know and spend time with Girl Charlie, but unbeknownst to him, Rachel is sending Charlie Girl signals to tell her to leave. Girl Charlie rushes out of the club, leaving Boy Charlie to think that she isn’t interested in him. Boy Charlie and Rachel go on two dates with each other before he realizes there isn’t anything between them.

As fate would have it, Girl Charlie and Charlie Boy run into each other as Girl Charlie is on her way to the funeral of her ex-fiance and Boy Charlie is on his way to the funeral of his Great-Aunt Grace. Boy Charlie suggests that they attend the funerals together as friends and as a support system for each other. This leads to them becoming friends and more.

Naturally, Charlie is a real sweet romance full of fate and destiny, that is both touching and heartbreaking. In my opinion, Charlie Boy takes romance to a whole new level. One where you don’t even know that it’s romance. Charlie Boy seriously “courted” Girl Charlie, without her knowing. I don’t know if he realized it or not, but he did. I love the fact that the MOST important thing to the Charlies was their friendship. And I loved that their friendship turned into love before either of them knew it.

This wasn’t one of those books where I wanted to slap one of the characters because they kept sabotaging any chance at a happy ending. For me, there were emotional roller coaster moments. The climax of the book was something that I didn’t see coming. Boy Charlie decided to let destiny determine the future for him and Girl Charlie.

Another thing I liked about this book was that it gave you closure. You didn’t have to guess, assume, or envision how life for the Charlies turn out in the end. I love it when authors write Epilogues for their books. Even though this Epilogue did give me the closure I was looking for, I found myself getting confused going between the present, the past, and the future.

If you are a hopeless romantic like me, I DEFINITELY recommend you read this book.

My review of this book was made possible by receiving it through NetGalley. ( )