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A review by jamieb_19
86 Love by Lauren Kohout

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hailey loves her group of friends and playing with them on their co-ed soccer team, the Cherry Stems. What she doesn’t love is how unsupportive her boyfriend, Gage, is. He doesn’t like that she plays on a co-ed team, and he doesn’t like the fact she needs two part-time jobs to make ends meet while she’s pursuing her dream of being a fantasy author. Her friends think she should dump him, but her mind’s convinced her she won’t find anyone better. But someone better may be closer than she thinks. Avery, her best friend since high school and teammate, and Hailey have been circling each other for years but never had their timing right. If Hailey can manage to get away from Gage, she may find that her “person" has always been right there just waiting for his chance.
 
I found Hailey to be a very relatable and down-to-earth character. She’s the kind of person you can see yourself being friends with. It was easy to see why all her friends liked having her around and only wanted the best for her. That’s how I felt too. When we first meet her, she’s in an awful relationship. Gage was a piece of trash, and I couldn’t wait for her to get away from him. She didn’t have an easy go of it (be sure to check the content warnings at the start), but she was a fighter. Even more than the eventual love story between her and Avery, I enjoyed seeing her find her way back to herself after she escapes Gage’s clutches. 
 
Avery was a total sweetheart. He was so supportive and patient when it came to Hailey. It was clear to everyone except Hailey how he felt about her. I love how all their friends banded together to try and push them together. Their group chats were very entertaining! I would have loved to have seen more of them falling for each other, but they were so sweet once they finally do get together. Hailey’s HEA was hard-earned, but it made it extra satisfying to see her finally get it! 
 
There was a whole host of fun side characters who I imagine will feature in future books and I look forward to reading about them!
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