ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 3.5 stars ✰
➳ despite me occasionally losing my mind, i really enjoyed this 💌
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "we know that whatever the future holds, we'll face it like we have everything else in our friendship; by turning every risk into a chance. every kiss into a promise. every ending into a beginning." ₊⊹
this was such a cute ya romance and perfect for the summer! before i go any further, i do want to mention that this book has a heavy miscommunication trope. i know many people dislike that (myself included), but this book really surprised me. was i frustrated for more than half the book? yes. but at the same time, i was so invested and could not put this down. it was fast paced, the romance was so cute, AND it has a taylor swift title, so i highly recommend this.
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "light shines through him, and he creates color for me. it's the way he's exactly himself. the way he lets me be exactly who i am. no armor, no fake smiles. and i'm his favorite person. and he's mine." ₊⊹
‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴ plot
it's senior sunrise and ethan and natalia haven't seen each other since junior prom where they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more. after ghosting each other all summer, ethan is desparate to fix their relationship, but new problems arise that keep them from confessing their true feelings. during the sunrise, the senior class has a tradition of writing letters to themselves. as natalia tries to retrieve her own letter, the wind scatters 7 of the letters across the beach. now ethan and natalia must work together to get the letters back while mending their relationship along the way.
this story had me hooked within the first few chapters. dual pov, the tension, the jealousy, THE ANGST, the pining - it was all so heartfelt, frustrating, and so entertaining. but as much as i loved ethan and natalia, they couldn't communicate to save their lives. honestly, it was kind of realistic for teenagers, but it was still annoying to read. if they sat down and talked to each other for 10 minutes, this book would have been 20 pages. anyways, i actually connected to these characters so much. once you find out their reasons for the lack of communication, it makes it so much easier to understand their actions. and the ending, UGHHHH so cute.
‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴ characters
⋆⋅𓍢ִ natalia 🎨 ‧₊˚.
this girl drove me absolutely insane but i still loved her. she constantly tries to be perfect to protect herself from being seen and struggles with self-acceptance. after learning more about her, my frustration eased into understanding because i know what it's like when anxiety leads you to assume the worst. the miscommunication was still incredibly annoying, but nobody's perfect and her character development was amazing.
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "because unless i'm perfect, i don't like the real me." ₊⊹
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "what do i want? am i allowed to want something if it's selfish? what if what i want hurts everyone around me? and worst of all: what if i want the wrong thing?" ₊⊹
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "if i belong anywhere in the world, it's with ethan forrester." ₊⊹
⋆⋅𓍢ִ ethan ✉ ‧₊˚.
i think it's safe to say i fell in love with ethan. within the first few pages we learn he's smart, likes reading, has a great personality, and is flirty, so what's not to love? 🤭 just like natalia though, he needs to work on communication. but like i said before, learning about their struggles made it easier to understand. ethan struggles with self-image and regret. he went from being bullied to being the center of attention once his dad gained fame. the same kids who bullied him now put him on a pedestal and he feels like he has to live up to this idea they created of him. he hates what fame did to his dad and fears popularity will do the same to him. it was all just so sad and i love him. ☹🫶
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "i don't want to be the kind of person who has to live up to everyone else's opinion of me. who even are you, then, if you're constantly giving pieces of yourself away?" ₊⊹
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "since it's getting more intolerable by the hour being me, maybe i should really try being him." ₊⊹
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "i'm only me when i'm with her." ₊⊹
⋆⋅𓍢ִ natalia + ethan 💌 ‧₊˚.
when they actually get it together, their relationship is so precious. they're best friends and nothing could change that. even when their relationship was rocky, they understood each other with just one look. too bad they couldn't see how obviously in love they were the whole time. anyways, the way they brought out the best in each other was everything to me and their love for each other was so pure. and the way they talked about each other in their povs, omg i could cry.
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "because no one makes me feel more myself than him. and no matter what he feels for me, i can no longer deny that i feel everything for him." ₊⊹
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "i'm so in love with you. it's like...i do nothing but love you." ₊⊹
side characters
the side characters in this book were amazing. i loved rainn and sienna so much and thank god for them getting natalia and ethan to realize they're in love with each other. prashant was hilarious and i loved how each character had their own personality, even if they weren't the main focus. + i loved this quote from rainn, it's giving you are in love by taylor swift:
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "you two have always had this...snow globe thing. like, your own magical world. everyone else can see it, but you're so deep in it, you can't. i'm just shaking the snow for you." ₊⊹
➳ final thoughts: perfect ya summer romance for those who love second chance romance and don't mind the chaos that comes with miscommunication. this book has a special place in my heart because it was my very first arc and i'm so grateful i was able to read this early!
➳ i think this is my longest review yet 🫢
⋆⋅𓍢ִ ˖ ᡣ𐭩 playlist (taylor's version)
⊹ i wish you would
⊹ message in a bottle
⊹ you are in love
⊹ wildest dreams
⊹ i almost do
⊹ i'm only me when i'm with you
⊹ that's when
⊹ mine
┆.𖥔 ݁ ˖ "for now, all we do is hold each other and breathe. because we've waited so long for this. we've waited so long for us." ₊⊹
thank you netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
happy reading!
love, hannah 💌