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Lou's relationship with Ethan was instalove, and Ambrose was gross so this was the least romantic romance novel I've read in awhile. Two stars for the two great and fun adults featured though and their awesome wedding planning skills.
I grew up reading Sarah Dessen. I almost always love her books. This book was really no exception, even though it was not quite as great as I was expecting. I did enjoy it. I love how she gives her characters such complex histories and how she weaves family and friend relationships throughout. This book was fun and an easy, beachy read, though there were definitely some heavier moments.
Overall, I liked this book. Louna was a little grating at times (particularly toward the end), but her mother, William, Jilly, and especially Ambrose were wonderful characters who kept me very entertained. The banter between all of the characters was absolutely hilarious. Her history with Ethan had that magical summer romance feel that was lovely. I know it seems unrealistic to fall in love in one night, but it was very well written here.
I think my main complaints about this novel would be the under-tone (and sometimes blatant appearance of) negativity towards other girls. I also am not sure if I truly buy into the ending. I do like that it is pretty open ended, but it seemed a little haphazard to me.
3.5 stars for this one! Not my favorite Sarah Dessen, but it was very entertaining and I loved reading about weddings and wedding planning. The side characters really won me over as well.
Overall, I liked this book. Louna was a little grating at times (particularly toward the end), but her mother, William, Jilly, and especially Ambrose were wonderful characters who kept me very entertained. The banter between all of the characters was absolutely hilarious. Her history with Ethan had that magical summer romance feel that was lovely. I know it seems unrealistic to fall in love in one night, but it was very well written here.
I think my main complaints about this novel would be the under-tone (and sometimes blatant appearance of) negativity towards other girls. I also am not sure if I truly buy into the ending. I do like that it is pretty open ended, but it seemed a little haphazard to me.
Spoiler
I also think that Louna and Ambrose would have been marvelous friends, but I'm not convinced of their romance. I never felt that kind of chemistry between them. I honestly thought they should have stayed platonic... but that's just me!3.5 stars for this one! Not my favorite Sarah Dessen, but it was very entertaining and I loved reading about weddings and wedding planning. The side characters really won me over as well.
I truly love every book Sarah Dessen has written. Which might make me biased. But I loved this book. There is something about the storylines and characters she writes that I just can't get enough of. This book is no exception.
I really loved the main character Louna and her story. She was smart and cynical (for good reason) and incredibly witty. And I loved her dynamic with Ambrose, the goofy, kind rich-boy. It was refreshing to see a rich character that did not live up to pompous rich-boy stereotype, while being from a wealthy family did come up a few times in the story (who has never been to a dollar store before??!), it did not define him. His quirky views and complete self-confidence is what I will remember about him.
I really liked the story line about school shootings. I feel like while we hear a lot about shooters in schools these days, we move on so quickly to the next story often without thinking of the lasting impact of the victims and their families. You hear their name in the days after the event and then we move on to the trial (if the shooter survives) and then it disappears from the news as do the stories of the victims. This was a nice tribute to those that have been taken too soon and their impact on the people in their lives.
I can't wait for her next book. She has some amazing novels for those who have not had the pleasure of reading one of her works. I recommend them all, and this one is great!
I really loved the main character Louna and her story. She was smart and cynical (for good reason) and incredibly witty. And I loved her dynamic with Ambrose, the goofy, kind rich-boy. It was refreshing to see a rich character that did not live up to pompous rich-boy stereotype, while being from a wealthy family did come up a few times in the story (who has never been to a dollar store before??!), it did not define him. His quirky views and complete self-confidence is what I will remember about him.
I really liked the story line about school shootings. I feel like while we hear a lot about shooters in schools these days, we move on so quickly to the next story often without thinking of the lasting impact of the victims and their families. You hear their name in the days after the event and then we move on to the trial (if the shooter survives) and then it disappears from the news as do the stories of the victims. This was a nice tribute to those that have been taken too soon and their impact on the people in their lives.
I can't wait for her next book. She has some amazing novels for those who have not had the pleasure of reading one of her works. I recommend them all, and this one is great!
The perfect book by the perfect author. Heavier than I expected but nonetheless the perfect sappy love story that Sarah Dessen knows how to craft. I absolutely cannot wait for her next book.
Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.
A fun, easy read and a lovely teenage romance.
A fun, easy read and a lovely teenage romance.
Dessen was one of my favourite authors in high school, and there are several titles of her's that I still consider some of my favourite YA contemporaries. Interestingly, I felt the best part of this book was not the romance (which I was pretty meh on, honestly) however the side characters (Deborah and William in particular) and the whole plot surrounding the weddings were really, really fun. It was nice to see parental figures who are good influences mostly and try to be great parents and are very present in their child's lives, which I feel like we don't see enough of.
So while not my favourite Dessen book, I really enjoyed lots of it, and I will still continue to read whatever she writes.
So while not my favourite Dessen book, I really enjoyed lots of it, and I will still continue to read whatever she writes.
Classic Sarah Dessen never lets me down when I need my fill of teenage fluff. While the book does follow a similar pattern to some of her other books, it's a pattern that I enjoy every time. This one was a little heavier than some of the others, but I still really enjoyed it.
Okay, don't judge me. I know I'm not much of a romance reader, but I have been in a contemporary mood of late and I was drawn to this book because I have worked in the wedding industry and I can say that yes, this book is fairly accurate to that aspect.
As for the rest of it.... the lead characters were fine, it was the romantic interests that bugged the hell out of me. Our MC had a boyfriend before the story began so he's not in the picture any more. However when he was he was a literal perfect angel with NO flaws. I know she's romanticizing him in her head but
Of course once the story gets going we meet her new love interest and boy is he annoying. He's supposed to be. He's clearly got ADHD or something going on. We also meet him the first two times when he is ruining things for his family, including frustrating his sister to tears (and we never learn why he did that). As he begins his slow burn hate-to-love relationship with our MC you see him slide away from his bad behavior, becoming instead an at least tolerable, insightful person... and I hate it. You can't just make him more desirable as the book goes on and call it her falling for him. You start him out being an ass, and he should keep being an ass. Granted, he does do one more ass-holish thing in the middle of the book, so there's that, but overall I DID NOT like him as an LI because I could not forget and forgive all the shitty things he did, like our lead clearly does.
So yes. Overall I liked a book about the wedding industry and the leads were fine and engaging, but the LI and route the romance took made me cringe all day long. This is too bad because I love a slow burn and hate-to-love :(
As for the rest of it.... the lead characters were fine, it was the romantic interests that bugged the hell out of me. Our MC had a boyfriend before the story began
Spoiler
who was killed in a school shootingSpoiler
during the shooting he was killed because he was trying to talk the shooter down. Because perfect angelOf course once the story gets going we meet her new love interest and boy is he annoying. He's supposed to be. He's clearly got ADHD or something going on. We also meet him the first two times when he is ruining things for his family, including frustrating his sister to tears (and we never learn why he did that). As he begins his slow burn hate-to-love relationship with our MC you see him slide away from his bad behavior, becoming instead an at least tolerable, insightful person... and I hate it. You can't just make him more desirable as the book goes on and call it her falling for him. You start him out being an ass, and he should keep being an ass. Granted, he does do one more ass-holish thing in the middle of the book, so there's that, but overall I DID NOT like him as an LI because I could not forget and forgive all the shitty things he did, like our lead clearly does.
So yes. Overall I liked a book about the wedding industry and the leads were fine and engaging, but the LI and route the romance took made me cringe all day long. This is too bad because I love a slow burn and hate-to-love :(