Our Year in Love and Parties

by Karen Hattrup

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 stars

Tucker had been crushing on Erika the summer they worked together at the Cave, and found that there was still a spark after their separation. They were reunited at a Farewell Cave party, and I had the pleasure of seeing their relationship morph and change over the course of one year and four parties, and I loved every second of it.

I am actually shedding tears of joy as I write this review, because I ADORED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! It was just so beautiful. It made me feel a truckload of emotions, and I really wanted to hug it multiple times as I compulsively perused Erika and Tucker's story.

I really enjoyed the format of this book. It took place over a year - Tucker's senior year of high school and Erika's sophomore year of college. I didn't spend every day of that year with them, but rather, I was treated to "snapshots", where the important bits of their lives were fed to me, while they attend various parties. You would think it would leave me with holes, but Hattrup deftly filled in all the important details that occurred outside of the day in question, while keeping me wholly in the moment.

The storytelling was fantastic, but it was the characters, who really stood out in this story. I was such a fan of both Erika and Tucker, and could not help rooting for them both apart and together. When Erika met Tucker, she was a social pariah, and although time had passed, she was still dealing with those residual feelings of shame, disappointment, and mistrust. She had isolated herself during her first year of college, and knew she wanted more from this new year and for herself. I loved the arc Hattrup gave her, and cheered for with every step she took in the right direction. She had to make peace with what happened to her in high school in order for her to be able to move forward, and those baby steps helped her to trust again and to forgive herself for what happened.

I liked Erika very much, but oh, I loved Tucker. If only I was 17, I would be hoping to meet a wonderful soft boy just like him. He had the biggest and most beautiful heart, and it showed through so many of the things he did, but he was constantly at odds with this side of himself, because his father did not approve. He mocked his sensitive son, who was a bit nerdy, but I loved him, and liked the subtle approach Hattrup took while dealing with the issues of toxic masculinity and rape culture. Tucker's path to self acceptance was not an easy one, but I believed his relationship with Erika played a huge role in him getting there.

Can we talk about these two together. The banter, the tension, the push and pull -- I loved it all, even if the will-they-won't-they drove me batty. In the end, they shared a friendship for the ages, that though, far from perfect, was nonetheless, perfection. They experienced their ups and downs, but they always cared for each other, and this bond transcended the typical romance, venturing into them being each other's "person" territory. One thing I would consider a gift, though, would be an epilogue or a novella followup to this book, because the ending, though full of hope, was a bit too open for me.

So many things were perfection for me in this book. There was family, friendship, and fun galore. I mean, this book was so good, that I was able to overlook all the Harry Potter references. Those who know me will realize what a big deal that was, and it was because Erika and Tucker's story stole my heart. Every party I attended with them was a gift, and I am so elated I got to share this year with them.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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