3.97 AVERAGE

inkdrinkershorde's profile picture

inkdrinkershorde's review

4.0

This is such an amazing book! It gave me all the feels. Heartbreak, adrenaline, hilarity, and down right Southern Charm. It also addresses the topic of domestic abuse. This book is so important because it helps to highlight the warning signs but also shows that you can still get your happily even after.
bandherbooks's profile picture

bandherbooks's review

4.0

Star soccer player Peyton's boyfriend Reed shoves her down concrete stairs after she confronts about the steroids she found in his gym bag. The fall causes a bad injury to Peyton's knee, requiring a trip to the ER, surgery, and a chance she may never play soccer again. No one but Peyton's mother believes her normally loving, protective boyfriend could do such a thing.

Deciding not to press charges after Reed somehow passes a urinalysis test, Peyton's mother sends her to live with her uncle and twin cousins when Reed's scary, stalking behavior continues to increase.

A new school means Peyton can hopefully focus on rehabbing her knee without telling anyone about how it actually happened. Too bad she has the awfully distracting Owen, a super hot MMA fighter and fellow student at her new school, helping with her rehab.

Owen also has a secret, and while they try their best to be "just friends," their irresistible attraction leads to major drama.

I at turns loved this story and got mad at it. I loved Peyton's immediate break up with Reed, her insistence on keeping Reed away from her, and her mother's loyalty. A lot of readers apparently found Peyton whiny and childish, but I found her relatable and even mature beyond her years (for a teen). I was fine with her conflict over desiring Owen's hot body (and come one, his personality) but also of not getting involved with another fighter.

Owen toed the line between being perfect and 'unbelievable,' often crossing more into unbelievable territory. I wish there was a little more exploration of his character and backstory, but. But, hubba hubba, I'd want to be with him too.

My irritation with this story was the CONSTANT fighting throughout the story. Between Peyton's twin football playing, giant cousins, Owen, Reed, and the other testosterone-filled boys, hell even Peyton threatening a female rival, there was at least the rumbling of a fight every chapter. I found Peyton's "annoyance" with the fighting a bit trite, especially for someone who had just been massively injured by a "fight." I appreciated Owen's moral code, which was explained early on, but found his decision at the end a bit maddening.

That said, this is a riveting read and one that does address the domestic violence in an otherwise sensitive way. There is a great author's note at the end detailing Garcia's own experiences and a list of resources for those who need them, or just want to know about their options. You are not in this alone.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC!

hannasbookhaven's review

4.0

3.5 stars!
hazel_kopp's profile picture

hazel_kopp's review

3.0

Meh. Good, but not great.

jat1842's review

4.0

I read a lot and because of this I tend to switch in and out of genre's so I do not get burned out. I do not really like the YA genre much but this book caught my eye. As an ex-soccer player, I thought I would give this one a try and am so very glad I did. I found myself caught up in this world. I could imagine the High School drama and felt it was very realistic.

Garcia gives you a strong heroine in Peyton who you WANT to root for. Peyton is a strong character, who just wants to heal and get back to playing soccer. She doesn't back down even when being threatened.

Reading and liking this book, I may give something else in this genre a chance.

mxckensi's review

4.0

3.5/5 stars. This read and felt like a Wattpad book. It was a little cheesy, but Wattpad books are still fun. It felt nostalgic to read this book although I've never read it before. It was nice to travel back to simpler times.

kschmaltz's review

4.0

As much as I liked this book, I still had problems. For one Peyton most definitely has PTSD but was never treated or even went to see a Social Worker or psychologist. Second, she didn’t get any help in coping with Reed. Besides that, I quite enjoyed the book. At times it was very YA soap operay and I laughed out loud. This book discusses a very important topic in a very accessible way. Overall it was a pretty good book and I enjoyed reading it.

taralynnbie's review

5.0

audiobook
ame_lepage's profile picture

ame_lepage's review

4.0

I really liked this book. It discusses many important subjects and I thought they were talked about beautifully. The characters are awesome but still flawed.
Some things were predictable and sometimes the pace of the story seemed off but I still really enjoyed it.

readingaway84's review

5.0

I loved this! Peyton went through so much trouble and pain at the beginning of the book that I couldn't wait for her to get to her happily ever after. My favorite part of this novel was the characters. I really enjoyed Peyton, Cameron, Christian, Hawk, Owen, Grace, and all of the others. It is definitely worth the read!