Mixed feelings
I really liked this book. The story was super cute and I loved all the memories from the previous books brought to us as “story telling”. Chase really is the sweetest boy ever and that brings me to the first point of why I just liked this book, not loved it. He is so sweet, such a gentleman, super adorable that I honestly don’t think Dani deserves him. OMG, that kid can do SO MUCH better than the self-absorbed, clueless, immature, coward, good for nothing neighbor of his. The book ended and I still don’t know how, just how on earth has he fallen in love with her. She had never done ANYTHING at all for his benefit! On the contrary, all she did was break his heart and, not satisfied, pulverized it. She doesn’t even care to ask him about how he’s doing, his plans and what he wants. What she knows about him is through observation, his sister and her brother, who really is his true best friend. I am not convinced that she cares for him. At all. If she did, she would have begged for his forgiveness, not hide away and pretend nothing happened. She is the oldest of the kids, but acts like a baby. And to be honest, I hope he forgets about her and marries a good woman who really appreciates and respects him. One who really shows she’s interested.
Now for the second point of why I didn’t love this book: call me old-fashioned, but I was deeply disturbed by the amount of alcohol those kids were drinking with their parents’ permission. Because it’s one thing when they sneak out to do it, we all know how teenagers can be. But when I read the parents offering beer to their kids, repeatedly I must add, all I could think of was “Where is CPS?” What’s next, a cigarette?? In my family there would never be a scenario in which grandparents and parents are all eating dinner together with the 15 year-olds drinking beer with them. There’s even a scene where Dani is drinking beer and thinking “I really like the taste of this”. Meanwhile what I was thinking was “that’s a teenager on a path to drug addiction, or at least alcoholism”. I know many will think I am exaggerating, but as a public school teacher I have seen a lot! Issues like that should not be taken lightly. And it’s contradictory even. The parents want their sons to become professional athletes and they are giving them alcohol?? Because it’s cool? Well, it’s not! Particularly with big goals like that. I did not appreciate this praise for alcohol. Not where kids are involved.
With all that, giving this book 2.5 stars is actually a lot! I really wanted to love it, because I did love all the other books in this series. However, I’m afraid that when you don’t want the main couple to be together, there’s not even a point in recommending this book or going forward to the next one. Unfortunately.