[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
After 17 years of homeschool and life on the road with her mom’s band, Jade is ready to try something different. The band has hit the big time and is going on tour, but Jade wants to experience a “normal” teenage summer. So she moves in with her mom’s older sister and her family in California, gets a job at the local pool, and hopes to make some friends since she’ll be staying in one place for a couple months.
Jade’s Aunt Julie is the antithesis of her mom. Jade’s mom was a teenager when she had her, so she’s young. She lives the nomadic lifestyle of a musician. Her parenting style is pretty “free range.” In some ways, Jade is more like the parent in their relationship. Aunt Julie, on the other hand, is pretty over protective. While she has the best of intentions, she can be overbearing – especially to someone used to the freedoms Jade usually has. So, rather than fight her aunt, Jade sneaks out when she needs some space. She knows her own mind and trusts her own boundaries.
Jade never expected to meet a guy like Quentin. She wants to play things cool around him, but he’s charming and handsome. Before she knows it, she’s falling for him. But Quentin has secrets he’s reluctant to share. How can she really trust him when he won’t tell her the truth?
Review
This was a delight from start to finish. The relationship between Jade and Quentin is one of my favorite sorts of romances in YA literature. Less brooding, more banter! They’re flirty and funny, and I loved them.
For me, the big “reveal”/climax wasn’t as big as I was expecting. This was more a fun relationship story than a big, angsty teen drama. And while I enjoy those, too, I also love light, fun relationship stories like this. This was a perfect summer romance story for me.
In addition to the main romantic story line, this is also a story of family. Jade and her mom. Her mom and Aunt Julie. Aunt Julie and her husband. Jade and her dad. This touches on a lot of relationships, some more deeply than others. I would have liked to see some of them developed and explored even more, but that wasn’t the story this book set out to tell.
I really enjoyed spending time with Jade and Quentin. I enjoyed the relatively light tone of this. It was a perfect summer read for me!