Tag: friendship

REVIEW: The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope by Sam Maggs

REVIEW: The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope by Sam Maggs

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Marvel Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Nadia Van Dyne – the Unstoppable Wasp – was stolen from her father, Hank Pym, before she was born. Her mother was kidnapped while pregnant and killed, and Nadia was raised in the Red Room. But now she’s free. She’s with her step-mother, Janet Van Dyne, and she runs a science lab called G.I.R.L. – Genius In action Research Labs. Nadia runs the lab out of Pym Laboratories and hopes it will convince SHIELD to recognize and encourage more female scientists.

Nadia’s training, her personality, and her bipolar disorder make her pretty driven. And when she’s struggling, she can take on too many things at once and become a workaholic. To help, she takes her meds, goes to therapy, and her friends keep an eye on her. Also to help, Janet gives her a virtual assistant – VERA.

VERA reminds Nadia to get enough sleep and take her meds. It also helps her do research and track her projects. She even gets to meet VERA’s creator, Margaret Hoff. But despite all of her productivity, Nadia is soon feeling estranged from all of her friends and lost in projects that the others don’t think she should be working on. Nadia’s family is concerned about her, but she doesn’t seem to recognize that she might be in trouble.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this one. There are things I loved and others things I struggled with. My only connection to Wasp before this was the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is not the same timeline/universe, so I had a lot of catching up to do when I started reading this. That added to the lag I felt early on as I tried to find the rhythm of this. Other readers more familiar with Nadia won’t have that issue.

Other places I struggled:

  • VERA, the crux of the plot, was barely present in the first third of the story. While this made for some great character development time, I kept wondering where the plot was.
  • There’s some name dropping early on that didn’t feel essential to the narrative. I get anchoring the book in the larger universe – and characters like Janet and Bobbie and a fun surprise at the end do that. It makes sense that a Marvel author would want to play with the larger palette of Marvel characters, but when a name seems to be there just to be there, I was distracted.
  • I was also distracted by the use of the words “boys” and “girls” when talking about adults in the story. For example, there was one scene in my review copy where Nadia and Margaret are together doing something and the book refers to them together as the “girls.” Nadia is 16; Margaret is at least 23 or 24. I couldn’t find her exact age, but she started her company at 22, and it’s been doing business for at least a little while.  In a story about empowering women and girls, it was jarring to see this pair referred to as “girls” when one of them is an adult.
  • The previous things probably sound minor in the scheme of things, but the one piece that almost drove me to giving up on the book was the intrusive inclusion of “Nadia’s Neat Science Facts” throughout the story.  These are not footnotes (which the book also has, but uses pretty well), but instead they are first person interludes of science information. I found that they interrupted the flow of the story almost every time they were used. And some didn’t even seem necessary at all to explain the science going on in the story. I wish they had been included at the beginning or end of chapters instead, where there’s a natural break, rather then interrupt the narrative of the book.

But it wasn’t not all a struggle. There were also things I loved:

  • I thoroughly enjoy found family stories, and this is a great one.
  • Nadia’s squad has some diversity in race, in sexual orientation (two of the girls are dating), and one team member has cerebral palsy.
  • The action descriptions, especially in the fight scenes, are outstanding. I read a lot of superhero stories, and often the fight scenes lose me, and I skim past them. They get wordy and drag down the story. This was NOT the case in this book. I could actually visualize the scene from the writing. The author did an exceptionally good job with this in my opinion.
  • The mental health and therapy pieces are woven in naturally. Medication and education about her bipolar disorder are normalized, everyday parts of Nadia’s life.
  • Once the VERA story takes off, I enjoyed the book. I didn’t click readily with the team in this because of some of the dynamics in play because of the story, but I did enjoy seeing Nadia and her crew working together.

I might check out a sequel if the storyline sounds compelling. Sadly, I didn’t really click with any of the characters enough here for them to draw me back no matter what, so the plot will be a big factor.

If you enjoy the Unstoppable Wasp already, or if you like superhero stories or STEM stories featuring young women, consider giving this one a go.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

BONUS REVIEW: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Dial Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Bea Schumacher, plus-sized fashion blogger with over 600,000 Instagram followers went viral thanks to a blog post about the most recent season of Main Squeeze, a reality dating show. Bea called out the show’s lack of diversity, especially the fact that the women were all rail thin when two-thirds of the women in the country wear a size 14 or larger. When the show’s ratings tanked, the producer was fired and his assistant, a woman, was promoted.

And the new producer, Lauren, knows exactly how she wants to improve the show. One of the cornerstones of her plan is to get Bea as their star for the spring season.

Bea is nursing a broken heart. And she’s all too aware of the cruelty of the world, especially on the internet. Putting herself center stage on Main Squeeze would open her up to scathing, hurtful and vile responses online. But this opportunity would also help build her notoriety. She knows she won’t find love, but she’s willing to go through the motions so America can see that everyone – no matter their body type – deserves a chance at love.

Review

This is a jam-packed contemporary romance with a lot to say about love, self-acceptance, and diversity. It plays out just like a reality dating show, so The Bachelor fans will feel right at home. There are great interludes with tweets and group chats and news articles that help tell the story and also serve as something of a palate cleanser between scenes from the show. Chris Evans even gets to steal the spotlight a few times! It’s delightful.

There’s so much to enjoy here. I can think of so many characters and scenes I adored. Bea’s family and the show’s trip to their home in Ohio was pivotal – and hilarious! There are many laugh-out-loud moments, and some swoon-worthy ones, too. Aside from Bea and some of her suitors, Allison, Bea’s stylist from the show was my favorite character. In the crazy reality TV world, she was a constant delight and source of support for Bea.

One of the significant threads of the book is Bea’s weight – how she feels about her body, the hoops she jumps through to live her life as a plus-sized woman, and the fact that total strangers feel entitled to comment on her body. There are some gross, rude moments in this. And some offensive ones. Sadly, there are also triggering ones. And every awful bit is true. These things are really said – often by total strangers, usually men – to women online. The author does a great job of working that reality into Bea’s experience. They don’t overshadow the larger love story, but they inform it at key moments.

I was thrilled with the ending, although I was frustrated at times with the love story as it played out on the show. The reading experience was just like watching a reality dating show on TV. I had my favorite suitors, and I didn’t like anything or anyone who made Bea’s journey to love difficult.

There’s a lot to enjoy here – romance, reality TV, social commentary on issues like body image/body confidence/weight, family, friendship, fashion, etc. There are lots of examples of diversity in the story, both in race and in sexual identity (lesbian, bisexual, asexual, gender nonconforming). I felt like the author did a good job weaving these pieces naturally into the story. They never felt forced. The real world reflected in the novel. If you enjoy reality TV and/or contemporary romance, be sure to check this one out! (Language, sex, LGBTQ+, TW: Rape threat/online harassment, verbal abuse/harassment)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

REVIEW: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

REVIEW: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Comfort Zone, Aubrey’s bakery, is her life. It’s popular with the locals and with out-of-towners who stop in on their way somewhere else or place orders. In fact, the shop is doing well enough that Aubrey is planning an expansion and a move to a new location.

Landon was only in town because of a blown tire. He had been travelling to do a restaurant review before leaving the country for a month for work. Now he has no review, and he’s in this tiny town for the night. He essentially does two things during his short stay – hook up with Aubrey after a couple drinks in her friend’s bar and buy a chocolate cake from a local bakery.

Instead of getting Aubrey’s shop special chocolate cake, her teen sales girl sold Landon a specialty cake for a kid’s birthday party. Landon was NOT a fan. He never met the baker, but he needed a replacement review. He felt he had a duty to warn customers, so he blazed the baker and Comfort Zone. And Aubrey’s business dried up.

Landon doesn’t find out about the cake mix up until it is too late to change anything. Out of guilt and a sense of responsibility, he invites Aubrey to be a guest on a cooking show he’s producing.

No one can know about their personal connection. They’re both professionals. They can keep their distance. But Landon will have to be on set for his job. And they are sharing a villa during the taping.  And their connection is electric whenever they get close to one another. How will this ever work?

Review

This was great! I loved the characters in this. Their predicament was intriguing. Their chemistry was fierce. There’s terrific back-and-forth, will-they-or-won’t-they tension for ages. And I loved the resolution.

Fans of Hallmark movies should check this out. While there’s more heat here than you will find in a Hallmark movie, the layout of the story will feel familiar. It follows similar beats. The fall-apart moment near the end is just what you would expect if you’ve watched as many Hallmark movies as I have. But the characters and the resolution help this stand out from the crowd. I loved how this one wrapped up.

The food descriptions in the book will leave your mouth watering. There’s only one recipe in the book, which is a shame for those who like to try new recipes. Everything in this sounded amazing.

Don’t miss this yummy contemporary romance with excellent characters. The setting is great; the family and friends we get to meet are fantastic as well. I loved the strong women in this book! Be sure to check it out. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed

REVIEW: Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Diana has been looking forward to an event where women leaders from around the world travel to Themyscira to share art and wisdom and weaponry with one another. It’s the one time Diana’s best friend, Princess Sakina, comes to visit. They get to spend one thrilling week together exploring the festival.

But instead of getting a week with her best friend, Diana finds a boy on the island – something that is NOT allowed. Augustus manipulates Diana into trusting him while he lies to her about Sakina’s family. But the truth is even worse. He’s been sent to the island by a demon who holds all of Augustus’ people hostage. Either Augustus brings Diana back, or all of his people die.

Diana and Sakina are on their own to decide how to deal with the threat as all of the woman on the island are in an enchanted sleep. What can three pre-teens do against a deadly demon?

Review

Young Wonder Woman is getting a lot of attention lately in the world of books. Young readers will be fascinated by Diana before she gains and understands her full powers. The various books that have come out lately – Diana, Princess of the Amazons; Wonder Woman Warbringer; and the many iterations of the DC Super Hero Girls – don’t seem to be connected to one another, but they all explore this idea of a young Diana figuring out who she is. (This is NOT a graphic novel, but a traditional middle grade novel.)

I enjoyed the team up with Sakina in this book. Sakina had the background knowledge they needed while Diana had the tactical knowledge, physical skills, and determination. The story is very suspenseful. There’s one challenge after another after another, even before they confront the demon. It made for a stressful yet compelling reading experience. I think kids will love it!

My review copy included a two chapter teaser for book 2 – Diana and the Underworld Odyssey. I was hooked after those two chapters and now I have to read the sequel! Hand this to Rick Riordan/mythology fans because I think the challenges here will appeal to them. Wonder Woman fans shouldn’t miss this one either!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

REVIEW: Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Chloe feels like she’s in quicksand while everyone else’s life clicks along.

Take her best friend for instance. Annie’s written a screenplay – inspired by Chloe and her hot boss – that’s been turned into a major movie (Waiting for Tom Hanks – ♥♥♥♥). She’s fallen in love with an actual movie star, and they’re getting married. Chloe doesn’t understand half of what Annie does for her job, but it has her winging her way to one coast or the other on a regular basis.

In contrast, Chloe still lives in their home town in Ohio. She works in a coffee shop and rents a garage apartment from Annie’s uncle. She dropped out of college, so now she is taking classes online so she can do something with her life besides pour coffee. And she’s got her dad in an assisted living facility for his Alzheimer’s.

It feels like at this point in her life, she should have more to show for her time and energy. She’s run ragged taking care of everything and everyone. And she has no time for romance even if everyone is convinced she and Nick belong together like in some rom-com. Rom-coms aren’t real. And Chloe is all about real life. In fact, she sometimes has more of it than she feels she can handle.

Review

I loved this! Chloe is a character I could really identify with. She feels very real. She’s carrying real burdens. Yet she tries to maintain a sunny disposition. She’s so aware of her own pain in some ways, it makes her aware of the pain of others. And she wants to be the spot of sunshine for those folks on their dark days.

Yet while there are ways Chloe is super self-aware, there are other places where she doesn’t see her own limits. She is so self-protective, she feels she has to do everything – perfectly – all on her own. She’s afraid if she stops being so helpful and accommodating that people will abandon her. Or, if she asks someone else to do something, they will not follow through. And she has good reason for feeling that way!

But all of this personal stuff going on for Chloe never bogs down the story. This is FUNNY! I laughed so much in this one. The characters are a hoot! And Chloe and Nick’s chemistry is terrific. He’s a fascinating contrast for her in some ways – and he’s refreshing in his thoughtfulness and stability.

Fans of book one – Waiting for Tom Hanks – should absolutely check this out and get Chloe and Nick’s full story plus an epilogue of sorts for Annie and Drew as Chloe and Nick’s story plays out. I don’t think you have to read these books in order to enjoy them, but it helps as they build on one another. Fans of romantic comedies – both the movie ones and the book ones – should not miss this story! This book releases next week, July 7, 2020.  (Language, mostly off-page sex, LGBTQ+ – Bisexual character(s) as well as gay and lesbian characters/relationships)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin

BONUS REVIEW: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It’s Joy’s birthday, but she’s struggling to be excited about it. The memories of last year’s birthday – which started out so well, but ended so tragically – are unavoidable. For the last year, her parents have watched her carefully. No one really mentions Lukas. Joy can’t even think about him in the past tense. She talks to him in her head. How could she let go of her best friend – someone who might have been something more?

Joy and Lukas used to make scavenger hunts for each other for their birthdays, which were only a couple days apart. She has the first clue for last year’s hunt. It’s been in her desk for 365 days. But maybe it’s time to see where the note leads – to see if any of his clues are left. To see if there’s a hint that he heard her last words to him or not.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this book. It’s very well written. But I didn’t love it. I can positively recommend it to the right readers, but I don’t think I was the right reader, if that makes sense.

The authors did a nice job here of balancing what could have been an extremely sad story with some sweet friendship moments and some chuckles. It’s still a sad story. You know all the way through that Lukas – who tells the story of writing and placing his clues – is going to die. You don’t know how until the end, but it’s an ever-present weight on the story. Personally, that anxiety and wondering was a distraction at times from Joy’s journey through the scavenger hunt.

My heart broke for Joy. She comes across as still pretty numb and emotionally flat in her grief. And she doesn’t talk about Lukas or her loss, although she obviously thinks about him a lot. She holds back her tears so often. The stakes on the scavenger hunt are also big. Joy wants to have this last experience with Lukas, but the chances of finding all of his clues after a year are slim. What will she do if she can’t find them? I thought the authors did a terrific job of dealing with this issue in the book.

Because of the seriousness of the story and the crush components between Joy’s last words to Lukas and Lukas’ thoughts of kissing her and declaring his feelings, I would push the age for this up to an older middle grade range – 10 to 14 instead of the traditional 8-12. As I think back to my students, my 5th and 6th graders would have gravitated to this more than my 3rd and 4th graders on the whole.

Readers who want to be moved by their books, who love friendship stories, or who enjoy middle grade stories that wrestle with mature topics like grief and loss should not miss this one. As I said, it is very well written. It just wasn’t a good fit for me as a reader. My personal rating for this is a 3.5, but my official rating is a 4 to reflect the quality of the book outside of my reaction to it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Queen's Peril by E. K. Johnston

REVIEW: Queen’s Peril by E. K. Johnston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Padmé Naberrie became queen of Naboo, she surrendered her name and her former identity – for the length of her service – for the good of her office. She was Queen Amidala to everyone, even her family. But behind the closed doors of her quarters, with only her handmaidens around, she could be Padmé again, at least a little.

The handmaiden group Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka developed was new for the monarchy. Actually, Panaka had proposed just a double, a body guard. The queen had the vision for a larger group. And together the girls developed a system that would both protect the queen and use all of their individual skills to help her excel in her new role.

And the girls will need their protection systems well-honed and the kinks all worked out if they are going to survive the threat to Naboo and to Queen Amidala’s throne that is on the way.

Review

This was great! While I liked Queen’s Shadow (♥♥♥♥), which is a companion novel with these characters that takes place later in the timeline, I thought this was better.

This is an origin story. It begins with Padmé waiting for the results of the election. It showcases the recruitment of each of her handmaidens and the development of their security team. This was my favorite part of the novel.

By the midway point, events on Naboo have caught up to the story of The Phantom Menace. Since I’ve seen the movie, I appreciated how the author left the movie moments out of most of the story. She made enough references to tie the two together, but this fills in some great context and behind the scenes information. Since I have seen the movie, I don’t know how this storytelling choice will play out for those who have NOT seen the movie. (Would someone pick up this book without having seen the movies? I don’t know.)

As soon as I finished this, I had to watch The Phantom Menace for a refresher. I don’t think there is anything in the book that changed the movie in a significant way, but I did enjoy having some “insider information” about what was going on. This also makes me want to go back and re-read Queen’s Shadow now that I know more about the various handmaidens. (This might sound weird, but I also appreciated how the author wove menstruation into the story considering most of it focused on teenage girls. There’s been discussion in YA circles about how you rarely see periods acknowledged even though half the population have them, unless the book is specifically about menstruation in the first place – like Go With the Flow (♥♥♥♥) or Revenge of the Red Club.)

This is not as quiet of a story as Queen’s Shadow. The tie-ins with The Phantom Menace brought more action to the story – battles, holding camps on Naboo with executions and torture (off page), etc. Readers who are looking for Jedi and light saber battles won’t find as much to enjoy here as they might in a different line of Star Wars novels. But those looking for a richer character-based story and more on Padmé and her bodyguards should definitely check this out. (Violence: executions, torture – off page. LGBTQ+: F/F relationships)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

REVIEW: Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem by Kate DiCamillo

REVIEW: Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem by Kate DiCamillo

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Stella’s second grade teacher instructs her students about metaphors and starts a unit on poetry with the class. When Stella struggles to think of a good metaphor for an assignment, she visits her friend Mercy Watson.

Sitting on the couch, leaning on Mercy, Stella writes a lovely poem. She can’t wait to share it with her teacher. She makes the mistake, though, of sharing it with Horace Broom, a know-it-all boy in her class.

When Horace and Stella get into a loud argument in class, their teacher sends them both to the principal. This was NOT how Stella thought her day would go.

Review

This is a sweet story about friendship and poetry. I adored Stella. She’s bright and creative. She’s not afraid to ask questions when she doesn’t understand something. She’s also not afraid to stand up for herself which she does with Horace.

Many readers will know a person like Horace. But Horace isn’t all bad. While he doesn’t believe a pig would live in a house or sit on a couch, he’s not cruel or mocking to Stella. And he shows the beginnings of self-awareness, which is a great character trait.

The poetry pieces are light and engaging. Stella’s skill at finding metaphors and her curious nature make poetry sound like something fun rather than something intimidating. This would be a great read aloud, even in upper elementary classrooms, for poetry units and discussions about figurative language, word choice in writing, etc. (Middle school students who loved Mercy Watson as kids might also get a kick out of this book as an introduction to a unit on poetry or writing.)

This is book 5 in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series, a companion/spin off from the Mercy Watson series. Readers do not need to read these in order, but anyone who discovers either series through this delightful book should be sure to check out the rest. The whole collection is quite fun.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington

REVIEW: The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Lexington was around 5 an EF5 tornado blew her into the Lexington, Nebraska zoo. An elephant named Nyah protected Lex from the storm. Her family never came to claim her leaving everyone to assume they had been killed in the devastating storm. Lex had no memory of her name or her life before the tornado. So one of the zoo employees took her in and became her guardian, raising her at the zoo. He named her Lexington after the town and the zoo.

Lex loves her life at the zoo. Roger takes great care of her. Her best friend, Fisher, lives there, too, as his dad is the zookeeper. Lex even does school at the zoo with Fisher’s mom. And best of all, Nyah is at the zoo.

Lex’s connection with Nyah is special. She communicates with Lex through a deep rumble and in images directly in Lex’s mind when she gets close enough. They had this connection that night of the storm, and it’s still there now, seven years later.

And Nyah’s message for Lex this time is urgent. The images she sees send Lex into the woods outside the zoo where she meets a ghost on a quest to find lost treasure.

Review

This unusual book – a contemporary story which takes place at a zoo but also has a ghost and elephant telepathy – was an unexpected delight!

As I first dug into the story, I read it with an eyebrow raised. Magical elephants? A ghost? It’s an odd story at first and those magical pieces were not what I was expecting.

But Lex is an endearing character. I loved her. My heart broke for her in her loss and in the harassment from other kids that sends her running for the zoo more than once. I was intrigued by the quest the ghost sends Lex on. The pacing of the treasure hunt was great.

By the end, I couldn’t read fast enough to see how the mystery would wrap up and what would happen with Lex. And I think the ending is perfect. This is intriguing, entertaining, and heart-warming – and so satisfying!

Give this to fans of elephants/elephant stories. I think readers who adored The One and Only Ivan might enjoy this. This would also be good for readers who enjoy magical elements in their books. This would make for a great book club book or a family/classroom read aloud.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

REVIEW: Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ]

Summary

It hit her in the middle of her speech. Rachel Walls, valedictorian, looked around at her graduating class and realized most of the people in front of her probably had no idea who she was.

Rachel’s high school years were focused. Determined. Disciplined. But what did she have to show for them besides this moment as valedictorian and her admission to her dream college? She has one friend at school. She knows her classmates from their social media accounts and hallway chatter and gossip, not from real life.

When her best friend leaves for a summer music program, Rachel’s “social life” dries up. Her big weekend plans include decluttering her room. That’s where she finds her grandmother’s book A Season of Yes! It looks and smells ancient, but the underlined passages catch Rachel’s eye.

What if, instead of isolation and self-preservation, Rachel started to say yes to the opportunities in front of her?

Yes to a party.
Yes to a friend.
Yes to a dip in the pool.
Yes to a roller coaster.
Yes to flirting.
Yes to Clayton Carville.

Review

This was cute and fun. I liked Rachel and her family and friends. I thought the identity crisis was perfect – Rachel’s ready for college, there are unknowns ahead. Graduation kicks off a season of reflection. And in this case, Rachel is second guessing her choices in life so far.

It’s also not uncommon for college students to try on a new identity. That’s what Rachel does here – she tries on the identity of a person who says yes. And it’s mostly good for her. She rediscovers an old friend. She has a couple small adventures. And she gets to explore some romantic possibilities.

The downside is that in her haste to say yes and change things up, Rachel forgets about wisdom and discernment. And that leads to trouble. And as in most great young adult literature, she starts to learn from it.

I enjoyed the journey with Rachel and her friends. Fans of contemporary YA, contemporary YA romance, and fans of love triangle stories should check this one out. (Language, underage drinking)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥