Reviewed by Leigha on
I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Contemporary romances, particularly focused on celebrities, are more miss than hit for me. Plus, I had read some less than positive reviews about this book. I’m glad I took a chance on it!
The book balances between the two narrators, Vaughn and Oakley. Vaughn may have an unusual home life, but she deals with everyday issues. What do I want to be when I grow up? What am I passionate about? I appreciate the novel not giving Vaughn all the answers by the end of the novel. It’s refreshing to read about a protagonist learning about herself without having defined everything about herself. On the other hand, Oakley knows exactly what he wants to do, but he’s struggling to do it. His resolution may be more defined than Vaughn’s ending, but his change of heart didn’t feel overly rushed or out of character.
Their romance develops along side their character growth. Oakley falling in love is probably the highlight of the novel. He struggles at times with expressing his emotions, but you really see him learn to channel it into more constructive ways (like his music) than destructive ways (like partying). Vaughn’s feelings are not as direct as Oakley’s feelings, but she is the more private of the two. Some of the drama is contrived, but it’s not overly dramatic.
tl;dr A well-written character-driven book focused on the experience of falling in love.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 13 September, 2018: Finished reading
- 13 September, 2018: Reviewed