Finding Mr. Better-Than-You

by Shani Petroff

[Sam@WLABB]

Cam was so excited to be starting her senior year, but things didn't look like they would be going her way. First, her guidance counselor tried to dash her hopes of getting into Columbia, and then her boyfriend of three years publicly dumped her. Feeling lost, crushed, and dejected, Cam turned to her friends for help in finding a replacement boyfriend in order to make this a year to remember, but instead, what she found was a deeper understanding of herself and the value of friendship.

I think it's important to read this book with the proper expectations. This was not a romance. Well, at least, it wasn't a traditional type of romance. This was a friend-mance, which celebrated friends, old and new, and I rather enjoyed it.

Cam had been dating Marc since the beginning of high school. She supported him in his activities, and his friends became her friends. She was applying to the same college as him, and she even tricked her way into one of his classes. When he broke up with her, Cam felt a bit lost, and for good reason. At some point, Cam made the decision to give up parts of herself as she became Cam+Marc. She just never realized it until after the breakup.

Not only had she eschewed her own activities and interests, she also began to hold back parts of her personality. She became less daring and outgoing, because she thought this was who Marc wanted her to be. However, once she was on her own again, the old Cam started to re-emerge, and this Cam was someone people wanted to know better. She was trying new things, going new places, and making new friends. She thought she needed a boyfriend in order to have the best senior year ever, but really, all she needed was her friends and to be herself.

The friendships were probably my favorite element of this book. Cam had three very close friends, who were wonderful and supportive. They seemed to come without being called, and it was easy to see that this friendship was built on a strong foundation. Cam also made a bunch of new friends, most notably, she became close friends with a group of cheerleaders, who she had originally written off. These women ended up being some of her biggest champions, and I am such a fan of seeing unlikely relationships form.

Overall: This was a fun and humorous story of self re-discovery and fostering friendship, which put a smile on my face.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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