It Had to Be You
Eliza Jane Brazier
Berkley Pub
July 16th, 2024
It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier is part fantasy, part thriller, and part romance. Readers might think about the similarity to the movie “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
“The main characters, Eva and Jonathan are both impulsive, driven by their backstory trauma. They react without thinking, but do not realize the consequences of their actions because they act quickly. They are both instinctive, invisible, and they are manipulative when they need to be. I think they are both deranged. Both are traumatized by what happened in their past.Eva can read people. She is funnier, more efficient. Jonathan is a control-freak and intimidating. He is more nervous and anxious.”
The book opens with contract killers Eva and Jonathan meeting on a train going from Florence to Paris. They both act on their physical attraction yet go their separate ways until six months later they meet at Versailles Hall of Mirrors. Unfortunately, both have been hired to kill each other. Because they end up refusing to execute the orders, they are chased by hit men. Readers wonder if they will be able to stay together and live their lives peacefully.
Their relationship was very complex. “They meet each other by chance. The title comes into play because it could not be anyone else. They were perfect for each other. They are both vulnerable and lonely. Eva is annoyed with him, thinking he ghosted her. Once they reconnect, they are never apart. They are both at a crossroads in their life. They recognize that they have a lot of personality traits in common which turns into something very special. It was obvious from the beginning they like each other but their emotions and life got in the way. They used their competitiveness as a shield. At times they thought they were being honest with each other. They are both lying to themselves, and it comes across in the relationship. Once they reconnect, they are never apart.”
People do not get one deranged character, but two. Alternating between the viewpoints of Jonathan and Eva, readers get to know the characters and even though they are assassins will actually root for them. The twists and turns in the story make for a fast read.
