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adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved him and I always had, even when I was too dumb to realize it.
This was such a cute friends-to-lovers, coming-of-age story. Jacob and Matt have been best friends for most of their lives. They’re practically inseparable, but now that high school is done and they are set to go to different colleges in the fall, they’re facing the reality that things are going to be very different for them. Matt suggests a cross-country road trip as one last hurrah before they have to face their new reality, and Jacob agrees. But Matt’s been keeping a few secrets from Jacob, like the fact that he’s gay and has been pining over Jacob for a few years. He’s also not been completely honest about the true reason for this road trip.
The story was a bit angstier than I was expecting based on the blurb, but that’s not a bad thing! My heart hurt for Matt a lot during this story. He was sarcastic and closed off a lot of the time, but they were defense mechanisms after continually being let down by the people who were supposed to be there for him. I loved seeing how different he was with Jacob, though. Jacob was the one person he could be completely true with. I thought all the pining was done very well. Matt was down bad for Jacob, but never said anything because he assumed Jacob was straight.
Jacob’s bi-awakening was sweet. He clearly loved Matt, and as he began to reflect on some of their history, it made sense that he’d realize it probably wasn’t always platonic love. They were cute as they experimented together and got used to this new dynamic in their relationship. Everything was tinged with a little sadness, though, because of all the uncertainty looming at the end of their road trip. Even though I had guessed what was going to happen, it still hit me in the feels, and my heart hurt for Matt. But Jacob’s family was wonderful, and the way they stepped in for Matt warmed my heart.
A few other random bits I enjoyed - I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face from Alpha Tau when I started the book. I wasn’t aware it was interconnected, so that was fun to see. And I also loved the art that was included throughout. What a fun little touch!