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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
What I Loved
My favourite part about this book is that it’s super Canadian. It makes me realize just how many books takes place in the US. It’s really nice to be able to relate to a book like this. Which is why we don’t only need diverse characters but diverse settings as well. I found it really helped me to get into this story, especially since it revolved around hockey. It’s not something I would have thought to pick up but I loved it when I did.
I love the idea of the team in this book. These guys really have each others backs and I love it. That’s how my group of friends always acted growing up so it was cool to see it happen in a book. The team was an extra important part in this book because they formed their own team of people to challenge themselves. I thought the idea was really cool and it was executed really well.
What I Didn't Like
There's nothing specific that I didn't love. The reason it didn't get five stars is because I just don't like contemporary books as much. So really a 4 star contemporary book is basically the same as a five star book from another genre. I could also point out that some parts of this book were a little typical for a YA contemporary. That's not always a bad thing but it lowered my rating a teeny bit.
Who I'd Recommend To
I’d recommend this book for any who love a short and sweet romance story. Everything about this book is adorable and I think those in high school and looking at what to do afterwards will connect with these characters a lot more.
My favourite part about this book is that it’s super Canadian. It makes me realize just how many books takes place in the US. It’s really nice to be able to relate to a book like this. Which is why we don’t only need diverse characters but diverse settings as well. I found it really helped me to get into this story, especially since it revolved around hockey. It’s not something I would have thought to pick up but I loved it when I did.
I love the idea of the team in this book. These guys really have each others backs and I love it. That’s how my group of friends always acted growing up so it was cool to see it happen in a book. The team was an extra important part in this book because they formed their own team of people to challenge themselves. I thought the idea was really cool and it was executed really well.
What I Didn't Like
There's nothing specific that I didn't love. The reason it didn't get five stars is because I just don't like contemporary books as much. So really a 4 star contemporary book is basically the same as a five star book from another genre. I could also point out that some parts of this book were a little typical for a YA contemporary. That's not always a bad thing but it lowered my rating a teeny bit.
Who I'd Recommend To
I’d recommend this book for any who love a short and sweet romance story. Everything about this book is adorable and I think those in high school and looking at what to do afterwards will connect with these characters a lot more.
This is book two in the series and i liked it better than the first. This was sweet and cute and a perfect read for my summer of swoon.
*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *
What can I say? I loved this book. It is a quick read of fun, sweet, swoony YA romance which just happens to be my favorite kind of book. Throw in a sexy hockey player and this book was exactly what I needed to read on a Monday morning.
Claudia is a smart, reserved girl who gets volunteered (or volun-told, more like) to tutor Chris Winslow, a "dumb jock". I absolutely loved their connection from the moment they met. Chris has more depth to him than just hockey, and he's not so dumb after all. He just needed someone who believed in him enough to make him try.
This book has new friendships and sisterhoods of awesomeness which I totally adored. I love when an MC isn't stuck on a guy for the whole book and actually socializes with friends. There was a lot of high school life stuff in the story but no lame DRAMA! And I LOVED IT. The story flowed well and took you along for a fun ride, one where you never once wanted to scream at Claudia for being over-the-top stupid like in most books.
Claudia and Chris had great chemistry together and their dialogue often made me smile. The only problem I had with the book was the lack of stating which character was speaking during the POV shifts. If I had to stop reading and start again at a new chapter, it took me a second to figure out who was speaking. Other than that, this was a great book and now I want to read the first one in the series.
What can I say? I loved this book. It is a quick read of fun, sweet, swoony YA romance which just happens to be my favorite kind of book. Throw in a sexy hockey player and this book was exactly what I needed to read on a Monday morning.
Claudia is a smart, reserved girl who gets volunteered (or volun-told, more like) to tutor Chris Winslow, a "dumb jock". I absolutely loved their connection from the moment they met. Chris has more depth to him than just hockey, and he's not so dumb after all. He just needed someone who believed in him enough to make him try.
This book has new friendships and sisterhoods of awesomeness which I totally adored. I love when an MC isn't stuck on a guy for the whole book and actually socializes with friends. There was a lot of high school life stuff in the story but no lame DRAMA! And I LOVED IT. The story flowed well and took you along for a fun ride, one where you never once wanted to scream at Claudia for being over-the-top stupid like in most books.
Claudia and Chris had great chemistry together and their dialogue often made me smile. The only problem I had with the book was the lack of stating which character was speaking during the POV shifts. If I had to stop reading and start again at a new chapter, it took me a second to figure out who was speaking. Other than that, this was a great book and now I want to read the first one in the series.
Totally cute teen romance. I liked how they brought out the best in each other. Chris making Claudia see there is more to life than studying and that it is ok to have fun too. Claudia getting Chris to take things more seriously and really try rather than coasting by. Chris was awesome all the time. Claudia was cool most of the time (except when she makes her stupid mistake). I mean you can see it coming a mile off but it was annoying because she is supposed to be smart and Chris was never anything but open, honest & caring with her so for her to make the choice she did really bugged me.
https://celebrityreaders.com/2016/03/02/playing-defense-by-cate-cameron
4 stars -- I received a copy of this book through NetGalley!
This was a quintessential YA book....it wasn't just a romance, it had a lot of exploring the growth of both characters in it as well. And I actually really enjoyed the kind of blunt look it took on the issues that might face some teens, and that the environment in the high school wasn't so stereotypical and over the top. There were social circles, but it wasn't all Mean Girls all the time...I appreciated that Claudia wasn't horribly teased and ridiculed, but more like ignored I guess. And while there were mentions of parties after the hockey games, they weren't some lavish affairs like we see in so many teen movies.
I also appreciated the way the characters talked about sex -- it felt reasonable and realistic. It wasn't a topic that was avoided, but it wasn't the whole focus either if that makes sense. Chris wasn't some manwhore, but he also wasn't a virginal saint. His views were reasonable for a teenage boy -- definitely a fan, but not to the exclusion of all else. I'm not sure I'm making any sense, I just read the part where they were discussing it and I was impressed that it didn't fall into the usual tropes.
I really liked both Claudia and Chris. They each had their challenges to go through (and not just the ones from the sisterhood). I felt like these could be real kids in high school...Claudia dealing with the pressure of high achieving academics and Chris dealing with his own sense of worth and fear of failure. And I liked how they were with each other. You could really feel what was drawing them together, even if they didn't have a lot in common.
I think my favourite part was the sisterhood of awesomeness. I didn't expect all these other secondary characters to play such a role, but I enjoyed the discoveries they were making with each other, and watching them try to grow and become more than they were.
I was a bit dismayed with Claudia's mother. She was honestly horrific. She was so prejudiced, and narrowly focused on what *she* wanted for Claudia's life. I kind of would have liked to see Claudia stand up to her a bit more and for her mother to at least see some of Claudia's side, but I guess it's kind of realistic that she may not...it's a more realistic outcome, but in that case I was hoping for a more storybook resolution, kwim?
This book had me laughing, crying, and feeling all the feels (from dismay to hope). And I didn't even realize it was a Canadian author or would be set in Canada before I started reading, so that was a bit of a bonus to me. Will definitely be checking out the first book in this series to read about Tyler and Karen's story.
4 stars -- I received a copy of this book through NetGalley!
This was a quintessential YA book....it wasn't just a romance, it had a lot of exploring the growth of both characters in it as well. And I actually really enjoyed the kind of blunt look it took on the issues that might face some teens, and that the environment in the high school wasn't so stereotypical and over the top. There were social circles, but it wasn't all Mean Girls all the time...I appreciated that Claudia wasn't horribly teased and ridiculed, but more like ignored I guess. And while there were mentions of parties after the hockey games, they weren't some lavish affairs like we see in so many teen movies.
I also appreciated the way the characters talked about sex -- it felt reasonable and realistic. It wasn't a topic that was avoided, but it wasn't the whole focus either if that makes sense. Chris wasn't some manwhore, but he also wasn't a virginal saint. His views were reasonable for a teenage boy -- definitely a fan, but not to the exclusion of all else. I'm not sure I'm making any sense, I just read the part where they were discussing it and I was impressed that it didn't fall into the usual tropes.
I really liked both Claudia and Chris. They each had their challenges to go through (and not just the ones from the sisterhood). I felt like these could be real kids in high school...Claudia dealing with the pressure of high achieving academics and Chris dealing with his own sense of worth and fear of failure. And I liked how they were with each other. You could really feel what was drawing them together, even if they didn't have a lot in common.
I think my favourite part was the sisterhood of awesomeness. I didn't expect all these other secondary characters to play such a role, but I enjoyed the discoveries they were making with each other, and watching them try to grow and become more than they were.
I was a bit dismayed with Claudia's mother. She was honestly horrific. She was so prejudiced, and narrowly focused on what *she* wanted for Claudia's life. I kind of would have liked to see Claudia stand up to her a bit more and for her mother to at least see some of Claudia's side, but I guess it's kind of realistic that she may not...it's a more realistic outcome, but in that case I was hoping for a more storybook resolution, kwim?
This book had me laughing, crying, and feeling all the feels (from dismay to hope). And I didn't even realize it was a Canadian author or would be set in Canada before I started reading, so that was a bit of a bonus to me. Will definitely be checking out the first book in this series to read about Tyler and Karen's story.
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
There is also an interview with Cate Cameron (the author) in the post!I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
You don't need to have read the first book in the series, as each book is about a different couple (with guys from the same team). You know the drill.
What I liked:
- I read this in a day. I read it before work. I read it walking from my car to the office building. I read it during my lunch break. I stayed at my desk after work to read when everyone else went for drinks. I read it walking back to my car. I read it while cycling at the gym. I think it's pretty clear this book had a solid grip on me!
- Claudia was, at first, a very serious aspiring bioengineer, but she showed a fun side once given the opportunity. I could relate to her studiousness and insecurities.
- Even the people standing in her way are doing it from a place of caring, not maliciousness.
- But I still didn't like Annalise. Or Dr. Waring. I could understand what they were doing and why, but they annoyed the hell out of me. The thoughts Claudia had about them were completely realistic, which I believe because I've had similar thoughts in similar situations.
- Chris was not your typical jock in contemporary romance. In jock love interest books that I've read, the guy tends to be a player and arrogant. Chris was genuinely warm and caring and conscientious. Instead, his weakness was more that he didn't believe in himself, as he was very self-deprecating. But he was also super sexy and the scenes from Claudia's point of view definitely got to me. :D
- Claudia and Chris actually talked to each other! Sure, they were nervous about opening up at times, but there wasn't this whole miscommunication thing going on the entire book.
- It had positive messages about feminism, sex and consent!
- Some of the secondary characters were just the bomb. Karen. Oliver. The English teacher.
- I almost cried towards the end...while on an exercise bike in the gym.
What I didn't like:
- The interactions with Karen and Oliver were so much fun in the beginning, but then these characters seem to take a back seat later on, which was a little disappointing.
- While both Claudia and Chris grew a lot in the story, I feel like Claudia benefited the most, while I would have liked if Chris was allowed a bit more.
My FAVOURITE thing about this book as it wasn't really about the drama of coming from different worlds. No, the focus was instead on growing as people, being the most awesome version of yourself possible. If you're going to change, do it for you. In fact, this message was so powerful that they inspired me to really push myself at the gym last night while finishing the book! (I ended up cycling twice as long as I usually do...and not dying.)
Now who wants to join my Sisterhood of Awesomeness?
Quotes
But this was the library. This was my ice rink, and we'd be playing my game here.
He was like a playful lion...it was so tempting to wrestle and snuggle with him, but there was still a chance he could go bad and maul you with no warning.
"It's more like the secret you. Like, you're crust on the surface, but underneath you're a marshmallow."
"Shhhh!" she said quickly. She didn't seem to be joking. "Somebody might hear."
I wanted to do math on Chris's body, tracing equations on his abs, calculating the angle of his shoulders and the rate of change in the pressure of his lips. And when I was done with mathing him, I could move on to chemistry, and physics. Maybe even a little biology.
First things first: I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
The book comes out March 14th. And you should really check it out, if you want something fun and easy to read. Even if you haven't read the first book, it's totally fine. It's the same setting, just different characters.
I was super close to giving this a 5 star rating but ended up giving it a 4.5. But I didn't really feel the ending of the book. I don't even know what it was but it fell a bit rushed to me.
But apart from that, the book was really great.
The story is about Claudia and Chris. She's really school oriented. She has all her goals set for her life. She is pretty comfortable when it comes to math but not so much when it comes to people. Chris is more focused on hockey and playing pranks than doing stuff for school. They go to the same school but their paths only cross when she is starting to tutor him. She needs it for her college application, he needs it to stay in the hockey team. And the fun starts.
I'm a sucker for tutor storylines in books. I think that stems from my deep love of Nathan/Haley on One Tree Hill. But let's not get off track here.
I loved both characters. Claudia and Chris. I also loved the side characters, Tyler and Karen (I really need to read the first book, cause I'm really interested in their story and I just really loved Karen in this book). Annalise. I loved her in the beginning. Cause she was me. Nose in a book, shutting out the real world. I just didn't like how things went as soon as Claudia made friends with Karen and the sisterhood started. Claudia went out of her comfort zone and Annalise turned into Claudia's mother. I loved Oliver a lot, though. Also the english teacher (I'm still mad though and I will always be)
When it comes to relationships in the book, I really loved the friendships the most. Claudia and Oliver. And later Oliver and Chris. I LOVED the friendship between Claudia and Karen. Or Tyler and Chris. Or just the whole sisterhood (cause I loved the idea behind it).
I also really loved the transition between Claudia and Chris. The 'we go to the same school but we're pretty much strangers' who turned into 'you are actually a great person, let's be friends' and finally turned into 'let's explore all the feelings we have for each other'. What I loved was that these two actually talked to each other. Their was no drama about these two missunderstanding each other. They talked things out. Yes, after some things happened towards the end, things got a bit frustrating. But they were still super cute.
The story overall got major brownie points for not using typical highschool drama stuff. There wasn't a bad boy that needed to see the light and change his ways. There wasn't a mean girl that was bitchy to everyone for no apparent reason. There was no love triangle. I mean we had the disapproving parents (or well mother) but I was okay with that, even though I had to tune her out most of the times to not get super frustrated.
Like I said, the ending felt a bit rushed.
I need to know things. How did Claudia do in the math contest? Did she do good? Did she and Annalise work things out?! Those are things I need to know before a book like this ends!!!!
The book comes out March 14th. And you should really check it out, if you want something fun and easy to read. Even if you haven't read the first book, it's totally fine. It's the same setting, just different characters.
I was super close to giving this a 5 star rating but ended up giving it a 4.5. But I didn't really feel the ending of the book. I don't even know what it was but it fell a bit rushed to me.
But apart from that, the book was really great.
The story is about Claudia and Chris. She's really school oriented. She has all her goals set for her life. She is pretty comfortable when it comes to math but not so much when it comes to people. Chris is more focused on hockey and playing pranks than doing stuff for school. They go to the same school but their paths only cross when she is starting to tutor him. She needs it for her college application, he needs it to stay in the hockey team. And the fun starts.
I'm a sucker for tutor storylines in books. I think that stems from my deep love of Nathan/Haley on One Tree Hill. But let's not get off track here.
I loved both characters. Claudia and Chris. I also loved the side characters, Tyler and Karen (I really need to read the first book, cause I'm really interested in their story and I just really loved Karen in this book). Annalise. I loved her in the beginning. Cause she was me. Nose in a book, shutting out the real world. I just didn't like how things went as soon as Claudia made friends with Karen and the sisterhood started. Claudia went out of her comfort zone and Annalise turned into Claudia's mother. I loved Oliver a lot, though. Also the english teacher (I'm still mad though and I will always be)
When it comes to relationships in the book, I really loved the friendships the most. Claudia and Oliver. And later Oliver and Chris. I LOVED the friendship between Claudia and Karen. Or Tyler and Chris. Or just the whole sisterhood (cause I loved the idea behind it).
I also really loved the transition between Claudia and Chris. The 'we go to the same school but we're pretty much strangers' who turned into 'you are actually a great person, let's be friends' and finally turned into 'let's explore all the feelings we have for each other'. What I loved was that these two actually talked to each other. Their was no drama about these two missunderstanding each other. They talked things out. Yes, after some things happened towards the end, things got a bit frustrating. But they were still super cute.
The story overall got major brownie points for not using typical highschool drama stuff. There wasn't a bad boy that needed to see the light and change his ways. There wasn't a mean girl that was bitchy to everyone for no apparent reason. There was no love triangle. I mean we had the disapproving parents (or well mother) but I was okay with that, even though I had to tune her out most of the times to not get super frustrated.
Like I said, the ending felt a bit rushed.
I need to know things. How did Claudia do in the math contest? Did she do good? Did she and Annalise work things out?! Those are things I need to know before a book like this ends!!!!
LE Sigh!
In one word? AWESOME!
Playing Defense ticks every box when it comes to cute&fluffy. It was an easy and extremely enjoyable read, two interesting MCs, good support cast, many cute and funny moments, loads to swoon and hot Hockey boys. What's more to want? But Playing Defense offered much more than that. While lighthearted there are some interesting issues highlighted. And while it's defo a cute and swooney romance the two MCs do some considerable growth because of each other.
I loved Center Ice, in fact it was one of the novels the set me on the Entangled-Crush path. So I knew that I like Cameron's witty and fun writing. I was not disappointed, in fact I feel that Cameron did an even better job in this one. She managed subtly to add even more depth.
The story line was swoony, just like one would expect. There are naturally some problems, but also a lot of funny and very defining moments. I adore Chris and Dia's story. Love the friendships they both formed. My favorite part was the Sisterhood of Awesomeness. It's inspiring but also so much fun- and the interactions of the characters was the best.
On a sidenote I love how Cameron handled the smexy-stuff. It's fab, that she showed that the characters can be all headover heels, totally taken by each other, without being explicit- yet they discuss things and respect each other. It's definitely one of the things that gives it depth.
Let's just put it out there: This is awesome not just because we got super hotties and swooney cute stuff- but mostly because of the character building. In my opinion the character building makes this fabulous.
I love both Chris and Claudia. Love most of the support cast. But more than that it was amazing how two very different people, both kinda stuck but ok, help each other to become more authentic and to overcome their fears. The character growth is exhilarating and is what made me happy sigh on many occasions. Best thing ever.
I hope that we get to revisit the group of friend in the next installment of the series! Because now I am totally invested in them and I have a few questions that weren't answered.
Sadly, I also had a little issue with the character building. One being the mother. I got that she was anxious and all. But can you say extreme? She is supposed to be this intelligent person but I just couldn't believe her prejudice.. or her rudeness.
Then there is Annalise. I got that she was jealous, but she obviously just didn't want Claudia to be happy.. Or at least that's how it comes across. There was never an explanation for her behaviour nor were we told if Claudia and her worked things out. It's kind of like her character was created to cause friction, she was a baddie, because there was a need for one. Full stop. Which is nearly painful, when set in contrast to all the other characters.
While this does work as a stand-alone. DON'T miss out on Karen and Tyler's story. Trust me, read both.
A fabulous addition to a good series.
An absolute must read for lovers of the genre.
I can't wait for the next installment that is due to be published in May!
In one word? AWESOME!
Playing Defense ticks every box when it comes to cute&fluffy. It was an easy and extremely enjoyable read, two interesting MCs, good support cast, many cute and funny moments, loads to swoon and hot Hockey boys. What's more to want? But Playing Defense offered much more than that. While lighthearted there are some interesting issues highlighted. And while it's defo a cute and swooney romance the two MCs do some considerable growth because of each other.
I loved Center Ice, in fact it was one of the novels the set me on the Entangled-Crush path. So I knew that I like Cameron's witty and fun writing. I was not disappointed, in fact I feel that Cameron did an even better job in this one. She managed subtly to add even more depth.
The story line was swoony, just like one would expect. There are naturally some problems, but also a lot of funny and very defining moments. I adore Chris and Dia's story. Love the friendships they both formed. My favorite part was the Sisterhood of Awesomeness. It's inspiring but also so much fun- and the interactions of the characters was the best.
On a sidenote I love how Cameron handled the smexy-stuff. It's fab, that she showed that the characters can be all headover heels, totally taken by each other, without being explicit- yet they discuss things and respect each other. It's definitely one of the things that gives it depth.
Let's just put it out there: This is awesome not just because we got super hotties and swooney cute stuff- but mostly because of the character building. In my opinion the character building makes this fabulous.
I love both Chris and Claudia. Love most of the support cast. But more than that it was amazing how two very different people, both kinda stuck but ok, help each other to become more authentic and to overcome their fears. The character growth is exhilarating and is what made me happy sigh on many occasions. Best thing ever.
I hope that we get to revisit the group of friend in the next installment of the series! Because now I am totally invested in them and I have a few questions that weren't answered.
Sadly, I also had a little issue with the character building. One being the mother. I got that she was anxious and all. But can you say extreme? She is supposed to be this intelligent person but I just couldn't believe her prejudice.. or her rudeness.
Then there is Annalise. I got that she was jealous, but she obviously just didn't want Claudia to be happy.. Or at least that's how it comes across. There was never an explanation for her behaviour nor were we told if Claudia and her worked things out. It's kind of like her character was created to cause friction, she was a baddie, because there was a need for one. Full stop. Which is nearly painful, when set in contrast to all the other characters.
While this does work as a stand-alone. DON'T miss out on Karen and Tyler's story. Trust me, read both.
A fabulous addition to a good series.
An absolute must read for lovers of the genre.
I can't wait for the next installment that is due to be published in May!
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
PLAYING Defense is good example of a YA contemporary romance who was cute, not very long and easy to read.
Claudia, a super smart senior working hard to get the perfect application for college. Then she has to tutor chris a guy who knows how to have fun. Chris is a super cute, super hot icehockey player who lives for fun pranks and his sport.
Claudia and Chris are the perfect couple of opposites attract. They have nothing in common, until this new “club” they makes, gets them to be friends and later their friendship turns into something else, something more. They fall in love. But then opposites meets and fall in love it is not all roses and pink clouds, and Claudia and chris also meets their problems.
It was overall a good read and i will recommend it to people who is looking for a light, easy and cute YA love story.
PLAYING Defense is good example of a YA contemporary romance who was cute, not very long and easy to read.
Claudia, a super smart senior working hard to get the perfect application for college. Then she has to tutor chris a guy who knows how to have fun. Chris is a super cute, super hot icehockey player who lives for fun pranks and his sport.
Claudia and Chris are the perfect couple of opposites attract. They have nothing in common, until this new “club” they makes, gets them to be friends and later their friendship turns into something else, something more. They fall in love. But then opposites meets and fall in love it is not all roses and pink clouds, and Claudia and chris also meets their problems.
It was overall a good read and i will recommend it to people who is looking for a light, easy and cute YA love story.
Read full review HERE
Entangled Crush books never fail to put a smile on my face. I’m a fan of these books to be honest, the romance is just the cutest thing, and Playing Defense was no exception.
The writing was good, it flowed well, and these two characters read like their age, and that’s always a plus. The plot is nothing that hasn’t been done well: popular jock and timid smart girl. Right? But the execution was a bit different from what I’ve seen before. Both characters were great and go through a good transformation during this book, mainly Claudia.
I really liked Chris, I felt that he was a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t academically smart, but he was smart – he just didn’t care. He had a carefree spirit and was fun and nice. He made a good contrast with academic-focused Claudia, who always wondered what it would be like to do some stuff, but never felt brave enough to do them. I really liked how they balanced each other out, Claudia helped Chris to focus more on school and to actually try to do stuff, while Chris loosened up Claudia a bit, and taught her how to have fun.
Their romance was beyond wonderful. I really liked reading confident Chris succumbing to anything – ANYTHING – that Claudia wanted. He was like a puppy in love, and it was so adorable.
The problems they faced made me seriously sad. I just wanted them to be ok again, because they were so cute and awesome together. And YES, AWESOME was a highly used world on this book and now I can’t think of it without associating it with the book.
Either way, if you’re looking for a cute YA romance, with great characters and a bit of hockey, give this book a chance.
Entangled Crush books never fail to put a smile on my face. I’m a fan of these books to be honest, the romance is just the cutest thing, and Playing Defense was no exception.
The writing was good, it flowed well, and these two characters read like their age, and that’s always a plus. The plot is nothing that hasn’t been done well: popular jock and timid smart girl. Right? But the execution was a bit different from what I’ve seen before. Both characters were great and go through a good transformation during this book, mainly Claudia.
I really liked Chris, I felt that he was a breath of fresh air. He wasn’t academically smart, but he was smart – he just didn’t care. He had a carefree spirit and was fun and nice. He made a good contrast with academic-focused Claudia, who always wondered what it would be like to do some stuff, but never felt brave enough to do them. I really liked how they balanced each other out, Claudia helped Chris to focus more on school and to actually try to do stuff, while Chris loosened up Claudia a bit, and taught her how to have fun.
Their romance was beyond wonderful. I really liked reading confident Chris succumbing to anything – ANYTHING – that Claudia wanted. He was like a puppy in love, and it was so adorable.
The problems they faced made me seriously sad. I just wanted them to be ok again, because they were so cute and awesome together. And YES, AWESOME was a highly used world on this book and now I can’t think of it without associating it with the book.
Either way, if you’re looking for a cute YA romance, with great characters and a bit of hockey, give this book a chance.