Lillie Value
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Rule #1 - Never fall for a summer boy.REVIEW
Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oar’s Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but she’s totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.
And then there’s Levi Keller, the cute artist who’s spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Levi’s from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she can’t stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule she’s always had - to never fall for a summer boy?
This was NOT turning out to be the summer Babe was expecting. She had planned to laze her days away on the beach with her besties eating tacos, but one mistake, and she was ousted from the group. To add to her misery, her ex-girlfriend was back in town after unceremoniously cutting Babe out of her life. All seemed lost, until a silver lining, in the form of a summer boy, appeared.
I am going to tell you right now - I was rooting for the summer boy from the very beginning. Levi was such a sweet little cinnamon roll, and it was easy to see that he made Babe something she hadn't really been in quite a while - happy. He was honest and a straight shooter, and he didn't leave her questioning everything she did or said. Their relationship was delightfully healthy.
It was easy to understand Babe's reluctance to open her heart to Levi, though. She was nursing quite a few wounds due to abandonment. Her mother left, her girlfriend left, and her best friends (kinda, sorta) left. How was she supposed to allow herself to fall for a boy, who was scheduled to leave at the end of the summer?
Alas, my heart didn't care, because these two shared a great friendship and a meaningful connection. And his friendship came without expectations, UNLIKE some of her "friends".
A big part of Babe's story was the conflict with Penny and Chad. I guess it's part of growing up, but it's also sad to see a long friendship run its course. It was definitely hard for Babe, and Vale did a wonderful job capturing those emotions. I felt for Babe and raged against her friends. I suppose I should commend the author for inciting these emotions in me, because I sort of felt like I went through the stages of grief during the demise of this friendship.
Aside from the romance, which was the star of this book for me, I also loved:
- What a fantastic little seaside town Vale brought us to. I loved exploring Oars Rest, and thought the author did a wonderful job pulling me into this local.
- Babe's mom and friends sort of sucked, but she was not without support. There were many fine inhabitants of Oars Rest, who gave their love to Babe. Her boss at Busy's was a sort of surrogate father to her, and she found an honest friendship in Lorcan and Lucy, who were both amazing. Sometimes found-families are just better.
- Sandcastle competitions for the win
- Baked goods. Lots and lots of amazing sounding baked goods. Oh, and seafood too.
- She lived in a lighthouse!
- End of summer traditions
It was a summer of many ups and downs for Babe, where she learned a lot about life and about herself.
* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
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Babe needs a hug for being abandoned like that -- though I understand when friendships run their course. Levi sounds utterly adorable!
ReplyDeleteLevi was a great LI, and things got a lot better for Babe, when she expanded her inner circle, finally embracing those that were always really there for her.
Delete"Sometimes found-families are just better." This is sooo true! Also, the sand castle competitions were awesome. My husband and I always compete when we go to the beach (much to our children's amusement). I thought this was a lovely summer book, and I enjoyed watching Babe grow past friendships/relationships, and learn how to let new people into her heart. Summer boy, for the win! ;)
ReplyDeleteLindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
I agree, a great summer read, and I was all about the summer boy.
DeleteThis sounds like such a solid YA contemporary. And you already have me with the heart-eyes for Levi. What a sweetheart! With Babe experiencing the loss of so many relationships in her life, it's understandable that she'd be wary of someone new.
ReplyDeleteLevi wasn't perfect, but he was a great fit for Babe, and I was happy she gave him a chance. I think it's important to see these types of stories too, where friendships change as we grow and change. It's a little sad, but it's also a door to something new.
DeleteThis book sounds so good! I need to make a note of it so I can read it this summer. I think it would be a great beach read. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI think it totally fits the beach read category. It was fun, but also a little emotional and overall, very uplifting.
DeleteAhhh.....I love summer books and summer romances. There is just something magical about a summer romance. I will have to add this to my summer list.
ReplyDeleteAnd the setting will make you want to seek out Oars Rest. A great summer read.
DeleteThis sounds like a perfect summer read. I think the demise of the friendship would have had me feeling exactly the same way, and yay that this book features a "found" family. Those kind of stories always get to me.
ReplyDeleteWith traditional families not so much the norm these days, books featuring found families are important. I am glad Vale gave Babe those wonderful people too.
DeleteThis book has been everywhere!!! I love the sound of it and that covee gets me every time.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure there are multiple tours for this right now, and if you like the cover, you will love all the food talk in the book
DeleteThis sounds like something that I would enjoy. Summer romances are fun and this one has the added drama of the friendship issues.
ReplyDeleteIt had that nice balance of sweet and adorable and fun and happy and sad. I like a little drama, but I never want it to overshadow the good parts, and Vale gave me a story that hit all the right marks for me.
DeleteI always love the small town setting for a romance. I think I read a few of them last summer! And then I know exactly what you mean about the healthy kind of friendships compared to those that seem to come with expectations >.> Always have to be careful about that! Baked goods in books make me so happy (and hungry)
ReplyDeleteI think it's good that authors take on toxic friendships, because I feel like when I was younger, I didn't recognize them, and it's too easy to stay in unhealthy situations when you are a teen too. Maybe today's teens are more savvy than I was, though, because more of these things are spoken about more freely.
DeleteI am sorry another one I missed. I love the review of this one. A little seaside town how dreamy but the friendship...I totally have to check this one out tho. Great review Sam!
ReplyDeleteMary
This was adorable, and I am looking forward to reading more from Vale.
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