A fun, romantic read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti!Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life.
But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.
And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.
Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future.
In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.
My Review:
This book was one that I read through one day, and now I am writing this review on the same day that I read this book during. I feel like it's fitting that this was a one day read for me, considering that this book takes place during two different one night long periods - one in the past, and one in the present. I loved this book, and it was the perfect book to read in the summer, since it had a very summery feel to it. It was a cute and fluffy book, with great characters.
I loved the relationship between Ella and Matt, even though they did have their challenges. Matt made mistakes, the main one being that he disappeared with his family and didn't contact Ella at all. Despite this, I thought he was a genuinely sweet and nice guy, which I loved. They had immediate chemistry during the story of the first night that they met, and I was just waiting for something to happen between them. When he came back in the present timeline, Ella had trust issues to work through with him after what he had put her through, but she clearly still liked him, and the chemistry between the two of them was still there and was still absolutely adorable. I ship the two of them together so much.
There was another romance on the side that also got some focus in this book, since it was between two of Ella's friends, Meg and Jake. I had more trouble getting behind this romance and supporting it for a while, since it seemed so unhealthy, and it seemed to be hurting Meg too much. The two of them were constantly going back and forth between on again and off again, and they also had these passionate fights. The thing was, though, Jake always came back to Meg after he had short relationships with other girls, because he really cared about her, and she took him back every time, even when he really didn't deserve it, because she loved him. So, by the end, I was able to better understand these two, even if at the beginning, I thought I would never support their relationship.
Another great thing about this book was the focus on friendship. Meg is Ella's best friend, and I liked seeing how much they were supportive of each other and understood each other. They were both protective of the other when it came to boys, and didn't want to see each other get hurt. Meg understood when one of the things from the night of saying yes would make Ella uncomfortable, and she remedied it, and Ella knew what things she shouldn't mention, usually in regards to the relationship between Meg and Jake when they were off again. There is a scene in the present timeline near the end that I thought was very important and kind of cathartic for the two of them, but I won't say any more about it since I don't want to spoil it.
If you like YA fluffy and cute contemporary, read this book.
Katie
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