Scan barcode
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4/5
This book was a lot of fun! From the romance to the Mama Mia references. The characters were funny and enjoyable. Loved the end of chapter scenes too!
This book was a lot of fun! From the romance to the Mama Mia references. The characters were funny and enjoyable. Loved the end of chapter scenes too!
danielmcgreevy's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
drakoulis's review
4.0
Robby Weber's debut is a funny and charming holiday rom-com in a small beach town of Florida!
The book is paying tribute to famous rom-coms, with multiple references of them and uses most of the classic tropes, including the most prominent one: a love triangle.
Harry is dealing with a lot this summer: after his grades plummetted last year when his boyfriend Grant moved away without even bothering to tell him in person and left him heartbroken, his last shot for getting accepted to his dream university for screenwriting, USC, is winning a screenwriting competition this summer. Problems: a) he hasn't finished his script, b) Grant is back in town, c) he befriends charming Logan, and might be feeling things for him.
Usually, I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, but in this case I make an exception, because it was obvious with whom Harry had the best chemistry and the healthiest relationship, thus I could read the scenes with the "other one" without rattling my teeth most of the time.
Robby portrays the insecurities and indecision of teenagers very accurately, who have to make life choices at such a young age without even knowing what exactly they want. He also captures the summer holiday vibe perfectly, with the surfing, the ocean, the beach club.
I loved the little ABBA cosplaying of the Kensington siblings (although I expected more ABBA in this book judging from the title to be honest), and the little sister Lottie was a scene stealer. I also liked Foster a lot. The best friend on the other side, Hailey, was the character I was invested the least.
All in all, this is a book that will make you smile and an exciting first novel by Robby Weber!
The book is paying tribute to famous rom-coms, with multiple references of them and uses most of the classic tropes, including the most prominent one: a love triangle.
Harry is dealing with a lot this summer: after his grades plummetted last year when his boyfriend Grant moved away without even bothering to tell him in person and left him heartbroken, his last shot for getting accepted to his dream university for screenwriting, USC, is winning a screenwriting competition this summer. Problems: a) he hasn't finished his script, b) Grant is back in town, c) he befriends charming Logan, and might be feeling things for him.
Usually, I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, but in this case I make an exception, because it was obvious with whom Harry had the best chemistry and the healthiest relationship, thus I could read the scenes with the "other one" without rattling my teeth most of the time.
Robby portrays the insecurities and indecision of teenagers very accurately, who have to make life choices at such a young age without even knowing what exactly they want. He also captures the summer holiday vibe perfectly, with the surfing, the ocean, the beach club.
I loved the little ABBA cosplaying of the Kensington siblings (although I expected more ABBA in this book judging from the title to be honest), and the little sister Lottie was a scene stealer. I also liked Foster a lot. The best friend on the other side, Hailey, was the character I was invested the least.
All in all, this is a book that will make you smile and an exciting first novel by Robby Weber!
pbraue13's review
3.0
I loved the rom com references and the way the love triangle trope was kind of subverted, but resulted in the characters ending in such nice places. Also the main character having a realistic depiction of anxiety was refreshing. But the plot felt a little bogged down by the script interludes for me and it somehow didn’t all stick the landing by the end all the way.
afox17's review
5.0
Oh wow, first off I loved this book. I started it two nights ago, but halfway through the first chapter, I realized that I was going to end up reading it straight through, so I have to hold off for the next morning. I have not laughed and cried at a book recently as much as this one. I love the characters, the plot, and Robby Weber’s writing.
The main character, Harry, is such a loveable mess, but he is so determined in what he wants to do with his life, that it is very admirable. I enjoyed all of his different pop culture references, namely his endless repertoire of rom-com. He found himself in the middle of a love triangle with two amazing boys, and it was well-written that at times I was rooting for them both. Grant, Harry's first boyfriend, was such an interesting character to read, and I can see why Harry fell for him. He is very flirty and has kind of a "frat-boy" aesthetic, while the other love interest, Logan, is practically the complete opposite. Logan is very nerdy, loves a horrible pun, awkward, but still very confident in himself. I enjoyed reading Harry's connection to both of these men, and the conversations felt very real and realistic. The other characters were also equally as loveable, such as Lottie, Milly, Hailey, and do not get me started on Foster. Foster deserves his own book, he was a scene-stealer to me and made me laugh the most.
I honestly do not think that there is a single thing that I hated/disliked about this book. It has everything; summer, friendship, humor, romance, ice cream, puns, and hot boys. I think that Robby Weber did an excellent job writing this book, and I am looking forward to his next novel. Robby captured a beautiful story about first loves, heartbreak, as well as change and acceptance. I can't wait to get my hands on my signed copy soon, and reread it all over again!
Thank you for the arc NetGalley and Inkyard Press!
The main character, Harry, is such a loveable mess, but he is so determined in what he wants to do with his life, that it is very admirable. I enjoyed all of his different pop culture references, namely his endless repertoire of rom-com. He found himself in the middle of a love triangle with two amazing boys, and it was well-written that at times I was rooting for them both. Grant, Harry's first boyfriend, was such an interesting character to read, and I can see why Harry fell for him. He is very flirty and has kind of a "frat-boy" aesthetic, while the other love interest, Logan, is practically the complete opposite. Logan is very nerdy, loves a horrible pun, awkward, but still very confident in himself. I enjoyed reading Harry's connection to both of these men, and the conversations felt very real and realistic. The other characters were also equally as loveable, such as Lottie, Milly, Hailey, and do not get me started on Foster. Foster deserves his own book, he was a scene-stealer to me and made me laugh the most.
I honestly do not think that there is a single thing that I hated/disliked about this book. It has everything; summer, friendship, humor, romance, ice cream, puns, and hot boys. I think that Robby Weber did an excellent job writing this book, and I am looking forward to his next novel. Robby captured a beautiful story about first loves, heartbreak, as well as change and acceptance. I can't wait to get my hands on my signed copy soon, and reread it all over again!
Thank you for the arc NetGalley and Inkyard Press!
lillanaa's review
3.0
This was... Generic, in the saddest way for me. I usually enjoy these fluffy easy romances, but this hit every story beat perfectly on time and I think I weirdly found myself enjoying the prospect of the superhero storyline laid out in Harry's screenplays more than the book itself. I wanted some kind of real twist that never came, which made the characters feel pretty flat. The only sort of interesting twist was , but even that hit the traditional romance tropes. I think I just wanted more here, unfortunately, and was hoping for something more unique.
Spoiler
Logan's aunt being sicktheboywithallthekeys's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ameserole's review
4.0
With June coming up, I've been in the mood for some LGBT books. So, it's safe to assume that I didn't hesitate one bit before jumping into If You Change Your Mind. Mostly because I never knew it existed until yesterday but also because it's a new author for me.
In this, you will meet Harry, Grant, and Logan. Harry just wants to escape Citrus Harbor but has to jump over one last hurdle before he can. Since he completely messed up his SATs, he has to focus on winning a writing competition so that his college application to USC stands out from all the rest. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned because he is still trying to nurse a broken heart and might be falling for a new guy too.
Even though I'm not a huge fan of love triangles, this somehow worked for me. I think it's because I could easily ship Harry with whoever. I wasn't on one person's team this time around and just wanted the kid to be happy. They were all still trying to figure things out so I couldn't really get mad at the mistakes they were making. I did get a little annoyed but that's bound to happen.
In the end, I'm so happy that I came across this book randomly. Not disappointed by anything that happened and secretly can't wait to get my hands on another one of Robby's books. Seriously, I volunteer as tribute.
In this, you will meet Harry, Grant, and Logan. Harry just wants to escape Citrus Harbor but has to jump over one last hurdle before he can. Since he completely messed up his SATs, he has to focus on winning a writing competition so that his college application to USC stands out from all the rest. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned because he is still trying to nurse a broken heart and might be falling for a new guy too.
Even though I'm not a huge fan of love triangles, this somehow worked for me. I think it's because I could easily ship Harry with whoever. I wasn't on one person's team this time around and just wanted the kid to be happy. They were all still trying to figure things out so I couldn't really get mad at the mistakes they were making. I did get a little annoyed but that's bound to happen.
In the end, I'm so happy that I came across this book randomly. Not disappointed by anything that happened and secretly can't wait to get my hands on another one of Robby's books. Seriously, I volunteer as tribute.
lisa_marie24's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0