Sam@WLABB
Written on Apr 15, 2020
Announcing Trouble was such a hit for me, and I jumped at the chance to get back into this world. I was always curious as to why Mai and Anthony didn't work out in the last book, and therefore, was interested in getting the full story. I must say, I was surprised by some of the things I learned about these two, and I really loved getting to see them get their HEA.
Anthony was known to be the go-with-flow fun party boy. He didn't take his grades too seriously, and didn't seem to have any concrete post graduation plans. It seemed as though losing his father had a huge impact on Anthony and the way he thought about many things, such as relationships and his future. It was really his journey, that gripped me and didn't let go. I felt those tears welling up almost every time he started to unpack his baggage. I also loved learning about all these different sides of Anthony, which he kept hidden. He was a lot more complex, than I had anticipated, and it was a treat peeling back those layers.
Mai also carried some baggage. She hadn't always been *this* Mai, the merit scholar winning valedictorian with the five-year-plus plan. It was a combination of things, which resulted in this version of her, but I discovered it was partially driven by fear. That aspect of her story sort of broke my heart, but it made me more happy to know she had Anthony in her corner.
Now that I got all the big emotional stuff out of the way, I have to talk about how fun this book was. Mai and Anthony were a great pairing. They had chemistry and sparks, and the banter between them was noteworthy. I thought the dates were fantastic, and they were also used well. The dates let us learn about and understand Mai and Anthony, while also allowing these two to grow closer.
I cannot forget to mention how much I enjoyed myself on the trail. Anthony inserted himself back into Mai's life by volunteering for the same service project as her, rehabbing a desert trail. I live in the northeast, and am not well acquainted with the desert. Therefore, I found my time out there quite interesting, and I like that Dominy really worked some of the location into the story.
Overall: This book had it all! It had great characters, swoony romance, fabulous banter, emotional depth, and even a grand gesture, which combined to yield a perfect escape for me.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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