Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde

2 stars

Love in the Present Tense tells the story of the unlikely friendship between 25 year old Mitch and the irrepressible Leonard, whose mother Pearl disappears without explanation when he is just five years old. The book starts well; the opening is strong and dramatic, yet subtly so. However, it quickly goes downhill from there. There’s nothing about Love in the Present Tense that is astounding bad, but that’s just it - there is nothing new or original about it, nothing that makes it stand out, and it quickly descends into a tangle of clichés which makes it an ideal candidate for a Five afternoon movie. It’s sickly sweet, sentimental and saccharine, but lack substance, or any attempt at a plot. Instead, it ambles quite happily to each new episode, making for a rather average and dull affair. Leonard is a fantastic character - he’s wonderfully intuitive for his age and his star optimism is nothing short of inspirational. However, although the relationship between him and Mitch is portrayed well and handled with great sensitivity, Mitch on his own is… well, lacklustre, and his affair with the mayor‘s wife is simply implausible. Love in the Present Tense is okay for a light read, but due to its trite subject matter, and Hyde’s sloppy and sometimes over dwelling prose, it’s nothing to get excited about.