e-ARC, 288 pages
Release Date: June 2, 2015Published by: Feiwel and FriendsStand-aloneSource: Netgalley (This book was given to me by the publishers and the Netgalley. This in no way shaped my opinion on the book. A huge thank you to both the publisher and Netgalley.)For fans of: Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, Diversity, Summer Lovin,A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.
It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.
Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber’s mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.
*MY THOUGHTS*
“But pessimism and reality are usually mistaken for each other.”
pg. 7
Carly’s parents have been deported and her brother are doing everything in their power to work to get them back. For Carly this means going to school all day, working all night, and out of all her earnings only keeping a few dollars here and there. And then comes Arden. He basically had everything a teenage boy could want. Including an older sister he could have fun with. But then she dies and it’s all his father’s fault. And then something happens that brings the two of them together…. And after that, they find out so much about themselves and they’re inseparable.
“Find something that matters to you. Even when it’s gone.”
pg. 45
This was way different from Banks’ Syrena series. Like really different. The only thing that is the same is her writing style. The witty banter between the two MC’s are the same and still made me laugh out loud. What I wasn’t expecting was the way she handled these super serious situations. With me being so used to laughing from her words, I was not expecting to be hanging onto her words to think about racism,, deportation, or mental illness. All the diversity in this book was another thing that made me really like this book. There were so many different ways that it was expressed and it was so refreshing to read about those things. There’s not too many of them in books so I try to read them all when I can.
“I like the idea of feeling small. Sometimes life can seem bigger than you, you know?”
pg. 116
Even though her words still pulled me into the story, the plot kinda confused me. I get that it was short, so it would have to move fast, but it went TOO fast. They had their “meeting” (which was kinda mean btw) and it brought them together. Carly definitely couldn’t stand him after it. But for some reason Arden latched onto her. And he wouldn’t leave her alone. It seemed kinda weird. She hated him but he still wasn’t taking no for an answer. But I mean come on…. After that “milk” incident there’s no way a teenage boy would’ve been ok with that. I guess it just wasn’t believable. And then there was the fact that it had alternating POV’s but there weren’t names that went along with the chapters. At the beginning it kind of confused me, but it took me a while to get it down.
“If I felt truly free, then I wouldn’t have to do things to prove that I am.”
pg. 160
It was a good read with real life issues and I really liked it. Anna Banks is one author to look out for. She knows how to deal with paranormal romance and contemporary romance. This is one author you should add to your shelves.
