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A review by betwixt_the_pages
It Had to Be You by Lizzy Charles
4.0
James Parson has a problem. His military dad is going to yank him out of his expensive boarding school if James doesn’t prove he’s no longer hooking up, pulling pranks, and charming his way out of consequences. What better way to show he’s now responsible than becoming the committed boyfriend of a U.S. diplomat’s daughter?
Level-headed, book-smart Edelweiss may have traveled the world thanks to her dad’s job, but when it comes to friends and boys, she knows exactly nothing. Newly enrolled in boarding school, Edel is now on a mission to learn it all. James says he’ll help her experience the ultimate high school life—if she’ll be his fake girlfriend. And fake is perfect, because he’s exactly the kind of player she’d never date.
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains red-hot romance, all the feels, and a soul-mate bad boy.
Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: super cute, endearing romance; absolutely love the "fake to real" relationship trope; not sure I buy that they "love" each other after such a short amount of time, but I'm willing to overlook this; Edel's character arc is well-rounded and entertaining
Huge thanks to Lizzy Charles, Entangled Teen Crush, Chapter by Chapter Book Tours, and Netgalley for sending me a free digital galley of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
"I'll never get elected to the student council if we're caught like this."
He pauses, whipping his head around. "Student council? You're joking, right? I'd have pegged you for a cheerleader."
"I don't jump."
There's just something about contemporaries that, recently, have me falling head over feet to get through. I don't know if it's that I can "turn off my brain" and just enjoy the journey, or something else entirely...either way, contemporaries have been calling my name a LOT lately. It's a good thing I've got a ton of them on standby for such occasions, I suppose?
Regardless--this was SUCH a cute, entertaining contemporary. I sat down expecting it to be just like all the rest...and instead found myself sucked straight into the story. There's something adorable about Edel that I couldn't look past, and something searingly steamy about the "fake to real" relationship.
"Great job out there," Edelweiss says when I reach her.
"You still have no clue what I'm doing on the field, do you?"
"You catch the football and run. What else is there to know?"
The character arcs are also entertaining and enlightening. I really enjoyed that we got front seats to both James' and Edels' changes over the course of just a few short months. Many of the side characters also step into their own, and I loved seeing how they each brought something new and unique to the table. Learning the intricacies of familial relationships--the the rules of boarding school--right next to Edel was a great way to bridge the gap between characters and readers, in my opinion. The fact we got to watch her interact with and react to the varying situations that crop up only helped to more vibrantly paint her across the page. This was, in fact, true of all the characters; due to this, they all were bright sparks of personality woven into the pages.
In the end, I had a ton of fun (as I usually do!) stepping out of the chaos of my own life and into the chaos of someone else's for a little while. Lizzy Charles wrote these characters with intricate, vibrant personalities--and made me care for each of them as individuals. The plot, while not inundated with action, was fast-paced and entertaining all the same, and I cannot wait to pick up another Lizzy Charles novel in the future! I definitely recommend this to lovers of boarding school settings, bad boys struggling to change, and "fake to real" relationships. Care to redefine relationships? Pick up this book!