Genre: Contemporary
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Endings and beginnings sit so close to each other that it’s sometimes impossible to tell which is which.Nothing lasts forever, and no one gets that more than Tessa. After her mother died, it’s all she can do to keep her friends, her boyfriend, her happiness from slipping away. And then there’s her dad. He’s stuck in his own daze, and it’s so hard to feel like a family when their house no longer seems like a home.Her father’s solution? An impromptu road trip that lands them in a small coastal town at Tessa’s grandmother’s. Despite all the warmth and beauty there, Tessa can’t help but feel even more lost.Enter Henry Lark. He understands the relationships that matter. And more importantly, he understands her. A secret stands between them, but Tessa’s willing to do anything to bring them together—because Henry may just be her one chance at forever.
This was my first Caletti book and I'd been hearing wonders about her writing, so I was eager to start! The gorgeous cover helped too, and going into it, I was in love with the gorgeous writing and how quick the beginning was. I'll admit, it was a bit too fast, but I still enjoyed it.
But once she met Henry, things just went down from there.
At first I thought it would just be a rushed romance--and I've dealt with that so many times, I didn't think it would bother me that much. But it did. She felt a connection with him, was obsessed with him, tried to, basically, stalk him, after their first "fated" meeting. And she straddled him and forced a kiss on him at...I think their third meeting. When he didn't really show that much interest (or at least, not as much as I'd expect for a kiss on the third meeting.) And sometimes the things they said were so utterly cheesy and cliche.
But that really wasn't the bad point for me. While I got that it made it more realistic, I hated how Tessa acted so desperately to make friends with these three people, trying to force her way into the group. And when they didn't let her in, she just settled on insulting them behind their backs to their friend and her obsession, Henry and her grandmother.
Basically when things didn't go her way, she judged them on that one reason. She acted spoiled and I thought her to be assumptive and just a little bit deluded, thinking she knew someone after only a few meetings. And every time she would act self conscious or insecure, the writing made it feel more like she was just fishing for compliments instead.
I was so very close to DNFing this, but I continued on for the plant. The mystery of what the plant was and the history behind it. But we learn what it is a little over half way into the story and after that...I didn't have much motivation to read it.
So I sort of skimmed the rest. (Before you all yell at me, I did read 75% of it and only skipped a bit to 80% then read from there.) The giant twist did surprise me, though! I was shocked, and while the way Tessa reacted was normal, I felt a little irritated by how drastic her reaction was. Then again, I've never felt that kind of betrayal.
I'll admit, I was sort of in a book slump (or, at least, it was the second book I'd almost DNF'd that week.) but unless you've read and loved several of Caletti's works, I can't really say I'd recommend it, though I do think you should give it a try if it sounds like something you'd love!
But once she met Henry, things just went down from there.
At first I thought it would just be a rushed romance--and I've dealt with that so many times, I didn't think it would bother me that much. But it did. She felt a connection with him, was obsessed with him, tried to, basically, stalk him, after their first "fated" meeting. And she straddled him and forced a kiss on him at...I think their third meeting. When he didn't really show that much interest (or at least, not as much as I'd expect for a kiss on the third meeting.) And sometimes the things they said were so utterly cheesy and cliche.
But that really wasn't the bad point for me. While I got that it made it more realistic, I hated how Tessa acted so desperately to make friends with these three people, trying to force her way into the group. And when they didn't let her in, she just settled on insulting them behind their backs to their friend and her obsession, Henry and her grandmother.
Basically when things didn't go her way, she judged them on that one reason. She acted spoiled and I thought her to be assumptive and just a little bit deluded, thinking she knew someone after only a few meetings. And every time she would act self conscious or insecure, the writing made it feel more like she was just fishing for compliments instead.
I was so very close to DNFing this, but I continued on for the plant. The mystery of what the plant was and the history behind it. But we learn what it is a little over half way into the story and after that...I didn't have much motivation to read it.
So I sort of skimmed the rest. (Before you all yell at me, I did read 75% of it and only skipped a bit to 80% then read from there.) The giant twist did surprise me, though! I was shocked, and while the way Tessa reacted was normal, I felt a little irritated by how drastic her reaction was. Then again, I've never felt that kind of betrayal.
I'll admit, I was sort of in a book slump (or, at least, it was the second book I'd almost DNF'd that week.) but unless you've read and loved several of Caletti's works, I can't really say I'd recommend it, though I do think you should give it a try if it sounds like something you'd love!
