Sam@WLABB
Written on Mar 12, 2019
Who?
• Lily - The straight-A high achiever working towards early admission to Harvard and securing her position as class valedictorian.
• Stone - The school's football hero and all around popular guy, who had sworn off women after a messy breakup.
What?
After she was hospitalized for a stress related illness, Lily's dad made a deal with her to make Saturday a day to do anything BUT schoolwork. He enrolled Lily in ballroom dancing classes at the school, which happens to be owned and run by Stone's family. Good timing and an opportunity pairs Stone and Lily together and friendship follows, but will their relationship be able to withstand the weight of Stone's secret?
Why?
I am such a sucker for the nerdy girl-sporty/popular guy pairing, and this one was done really well. One thing that stood out was that there was no making over Lily. She was pretty much her true self throughout the book, she just infused a little more fun into her life.
You know why Lily didn't get any sort of make over? Because she was fabulous to start with. She may have liked to fly under the radar, but had a lot going for her. Lily was super smart, but she also had a great sense of humor, as illustrated with her endless supply of witty t-shirts, and very generous with her time and kind, as shown via her peer tutoring. I loved how she wanted to help people see the best side of themselves, and worked hard to achieve this. She was just a very positive force, and I adored her for it. She also grew and healed a lot over the course of the book, and I was happy with the choices she made for herself.
Stone was so much more than a BMOC jock, but he made it a habit to keep those parts of himself hidden. He was a wonderful friend and brother. His adoration for his sister was absolutely precious. In fact, his dedication to his entire family was a beautiful thing, and it endeared him to me. I easily forgave him for a certain transgression, because it was done with the intention of saving his family's business, and his heart was in the right place. Gosh, he was quiet swoony. There were a so many times I wanted to high five or pat him on the back, because he said or did the exact right thing. He wore his heart on his sleeve and it was a HUGE and wonderful heart at that.
Stone plus Lily were too cute for words. The interactions between them were so fun and sweet, and I loved how much they encouraged each other. They were able to see through all the armor and the pretense to the real Stone and the real Lily, and that made me ship them even more.
As a former dance mom, who dedicated a LOT of time to my daughter's dancing, I was super excited to see ballroom dance play such a big role in this story. I loved how it bonded Lily and Stone to each other, how it helped Lily keep her mother's memory alive, how it brought the community together, how it gave Lily confidence, and how it helped her reconnect with her dad. It was great the way Harris utilized dance in this story, and I really enjoyed seeing the characters in action as well.
Other notable things:
• Siblings - The relationship between Stone and Angela was so wonderful. The love they had for each other was really sweet and touching.
• Angela - What a wonderful character! I loved her zest for life, love for her family, and fierce friendship. And, she was a master of movie references too. Lots to love about this girl. (And, I hope Rachel Harris sees it in her heart to write a book for Angela and Chase - I'm just saying.)
• Female friendship - Lily may not have had many friends, but the ones she had were high quality. Both Angela and Sydney the the type of friends people strive for. They were steadfast and supportive and there when Lily needed them most.
Overall: A fun, sweet, and swoony romance showing that not only do opposites attract, they also belong together.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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