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Genre: romcom
Content: makeouts, grief & complications from past loss (present), anxiety (on page)
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Oh my gosh. Dana Lecheminant has created magic with this friend group. I am so invested in each of their stories and I just love the way they are so present in each other's lives. The cameos of Liam and Kasey from Moonstruck were fun, plus I loved getting to know a little bit more about Derek and Cole, and the tiniest bit about Freya.
Also, let me say that after I read Thunderstruck next, I will definitely be going back to read the Sun City series and finish the Wonderboys series because I'm LOVING all of the crossovers, even though I'm unfamiliar with those other characters. Dana's created her own interconnected universe and it's awesome!
Now back to Lovestruck. Bonnie is an actress starring in a movie adaptation of author Henry McAllister's book. Henry, aka Hank, is essentially a recluse at the time that the movie starts being filmed in the small town where he lives. When Hank is forced to meet with the director of the movie, he ends up running into Bonnie and the paparazzi catches it and starts some rumors. Hank feels strangely protective of Bonnie and after initially saying no, he ends up agreeing to be her fake boyfriend. The problem? Hank has some severe anxiety stemming from a traumatic loss of the only person he's ever loved.
You guys. HANK IS SO PRECIOUS. I love this little baby! He is hurt and scared and he is so adorable with the way he befriends Heather the spider. I love how he faced IMMENSE fears to help Bonnie and the way that he admitted to his feelings being real before kissing her.
I like Bonnie too. She's got her own issues stemming from childhood neglect but she recognizes all of the effort that Hank is putting into helping her, and she's so genuine in her gratitude.
I was so happy with the way the book wrapped up, and I immediately started into Thunderstruck so you can expect that review pretty soon too! :D
Favorite Quotes:
•Wait, are there actual kissing rules? Is movie kissing different from real life kissing? Why am I suddenly unable to think about anything except kissing?
•"You are worth loving, Bonnie. No matter what the world thinks, that is unequivocally true."
•Hank makes me want to trust him. To
get close to him. To hope.
•"Are you ready to face the wedding guests? If you're next to me, they're going to be giving you a lot of attention." To my complete surprise, Hank leans in until our noses brush, stealing my breath. "As long as I have your attention, I'll be fine."
•"How do you see me?" she whispers back. …. I smile. "It's impossible not to see you, Bonnie."
•"I know it's been a while since I dated, but I'm pretty sure running away from your date isn't a sign that things are going well."
•Life is wasted if it's lived in fear.
•Bonnie looks almost furious, and I hate how attractive it makes her. Well, I don't hate it, but I probably shouldn't be this tempted to grab her and kiss her until she can't breathe.
That's something better saved for later, when we don't have an audience.
But it will be happening later.
•Though she can take care of herself, Bonnie deserves a man who will fight for her, and I intend to be that man.
•Apparently I didn't need to shut myself off from the world. I just needed someone who could shut the world out for me. "I changed," I whisper. "Because of you. That first time we met, when you hugged me, something inside me healed. You brought me back to life, Bonnie."
•”I don't make decisions lightly, and when I do, it takes a lot to change my mind. So believe me when I say that if given the choice between having you in my life and going back to the quiet I lived in before I met you, I would choose you. Every. Single. Day."
•Just because the sun has set on something spectacular, it doesn't mean I won't find equal beauty in the sunrise.
•"You look at me like you've found something you thought you'd lost. Like you were living in black and white and now you're seeing color. Like the sun has come out after a month of rain."