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The Last Time We Were Us
A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend recently released from juvie, and the small-town lies that have kept them apart. A teen romance debut with a dark edge.
Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are getting invited to all the best parties, and with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.
Local teen convict released early.
Jason Sullivan wasn’t supposed to come back from juvie. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd. Before he attacked Innis’s older brother, leaving Skip’s face burned and their town in shock.
“Everything is not what you think.”
Liz always found it hard to believe what they said about Jason, but all of Bonneville thinks he’s dangerous. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything. But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out?
“You’re the one person who believes in me.”
Leah Konen’s southern romance swelters with passion as it explores the devastating crush of lies, the delicate balance of power and perception, and one girl’s journey to find herself while uncovering the secrets of so many others.
Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are getting invited to all the best parties, and with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.
Local teen convict released early.
Jason Sullivan wasn’t supposed to come back from juvie. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd. Before he attacked Innis’s older brother, leaving Skip’s face burned and their town in shock.
“Everything is not what you think.”
Liz always found it hard to believe what they said about Jason, but all of Bonneville thinks he’s dangerous. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything. But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out?
“You’re the one person who believes in me.”
Leah Konen’s southern romance swelters with passion as it explores the devastating crush of lies, the delicate balance of power and perception, and one girl’s journey to find herself while uncovering the secrets of so many others.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2016
40 people are currently reading
4292 people want to read
About the author
Leah Konen
14 books870 followersLeah Konen is the author of The Last Room on the Left, Keep Your Friends Close, You Should Have Told Me, The Perfect Escape, All the Broken People, and several young adult novels, including Love and Other Train Wrecks and The Romantics. Her books have been featured in Vogue, Rolling Stone, Marie Claire, Reader’s Digest and The NY Post, among others. She lives in Brooklyn and the Catskills with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
March 13, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a YA contemporary romance with a bit of mystery.
I felt quite sorry for Liz in this story as she felt in the dark over what had happened with Jason and Skip, in the dark over her own relationship with Innes, and constantly bullied by her mother and sister to be perfect.
The storyline in this was about Liz meeting Jason again after his time in juvie, and trying to find out what had really happened the night Skip was injured. We did have a bit of a love triangle between Liz, Jason and Liz’s boyfriend Innes, but it seemed like Liz knew who she really wanted to be with.
I did find the pace in this a little slow, and it seemed to take a long time to find out what had really happened.
The ending to this was pretty good, and we did get a bit of a twist at the end.
6 out of 10
“You’re the one who ruined his brother’s life.”
This was a YA contemporary romance with a bit of mystery.
I felt quite sorry for Liz in this story as she felt in the dark over what had happened with Jason and Skip, in the dark over her own relationship with Innes, and constantly bullied by her mother and sister to be perfect.
The storyline in this was about Liz meeting Jason again after his time in juvie, and trying to find out what had really happened the night Skip was injured. We did have a bit of a love triangle between Liz, Jason and Liz’s boyfriend Innes, but it seemed like Liz knew who she really wanted to be with.
I did find the pace in this a little slow, and it seemed to take a long time to find out what had really happened.
The ending to this was pretty good, and we did get a bit of a twist at the end.
6 out of 10
May 7, 2016
2 stars might be too high.
The synopsis sounded like something I would devour. BFFs to more, but it's forbidden and it's set in the south? Count. Me. In. Sadly, it was quite disappointing.
Right off the bat, I didn't like Liz. She's whiny and bratty and painfully self-absorbed. She seemed to let everyone make her decisions for her and by the end of the book, when there should be some growth, it felt like she was just being rude instead of standing up for herself. The secondary characters weren't anything special. I wanted to see swoons from these southern boys, but I didn't get any.
The big reveal about what happened was pretty lackluster and the interesting thing that happened at the end was too little to late. I kept reading because I was expecting some spark or something to change everything. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
The synopsis sounded like something I would devour. BFFs to more, but it's forbidden and it's set in the south? Count. Me. In. Sadly, it was quite disappointing.
Right off the bat, I didn't like Liz. She's whiny and bratty and painfully self-absorbed. She seemed to let everyone make her decisions for her and by the end of the book, when there should be some growth, it felt like she was just being rude instead of standing up for herself. The secondary characters weren't anything special. I wanted to see swoons from these southern boys, but I didn't get any.
The big reveal about what happened was pretty lackluster and the interesting thing that happened at the end was too little to late. I kept reading because I was expecting some spark or something to change everything. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
April 6, 2016
"...childhood best friend..." - DONE. I need this. Reuniting + friends to more = my fav tropes ever.
Initial Impressions 3/18/16 + Full Review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 4/6/16:: So we know that best-friends-to-more is one of my favorite tropes and it’s something that immediately attracted me to THE LAST TIME WE WERE US. Add in a reuniting factor and I was so hooked. This book had so much potential and I feel like it just… fell flat. I really, really wanted to love it and I really tried but this book and I just didn’t connect.
I actually didn’t really realize how many thing bothered me until I had finished and I sat down to write some thoughts. The more I thought about the book, the more I felt like it was just full of unnecessary drama. The characters were absolutely horrible to each other, thinking they had each other’s best interests at heart. Liz’s family was terrible. Her mom only cared about their reputation and what the neighbors/friends thought and didn’t seem to care about what was actually good for Liz. She thought she was protecting her but when it really came down to it, looking good always seemed to be more important. She didn’t take the time to think of how Liz might feel about things and was so obsessed with status that she ended up shoving Liz toward the popular boy even without even a question if they were right for each other. Liz’s sister was pretty much the same way. It felt only marginally more acceptable since she was getting married and focused on the wedding, plus she was still young after all (I felt like her mom should know better) but it was still incredibly irritating. Then Liz’s friend MacKenzie was obsessed with being popular, hooking up with the popular boys, and making moves in order to improve her social status instead of following her heart. She often encouraged Liz to do the same because it was what she wanted and didn’t think about what Liz wanted. AND THEN LIZ EXCUSES THEM ALL. Excuse me? They made your tough decisions even harder and gave you tons of crap and then you say it’s all okay because they were doing what they thought was best? Maybe they really believed they were but good friends and supportive family members should at least try to listen to someone’s side of the story and understand their feelings. Liz’s friends and family didn’t ever try to listen to Liz and see things from her side. Any objections were immediately shut down. It was just so hard to watch.
The romance was far from swoon-worthy. Firstly, it was best-friends-to-more. How did this not feel swoony at all??? I think in part it was the estrangement. Even before Jason was away in juvie for two years, he ended up ditching Liz when they were thirteen. They were best friends as kids and then he got accepted by the popular kids (this again??) and he was too cool for Liz, so they never really had those flirty romantic vibes going on. The book starts with Jason being back and then all of a sudden BAM. They have such strong feelings! Wait… They used to be best friends (just friends). They never had a romantic or even flirty past. And then it’s super normal that they’re essentially in love? I missed the awkward back and forth, the cute wanting-to-say-something-but-can’t, the banter, the jokes, the sly touches, the subtle hints… All the things I usually love in friends-to-more and it wasn’t there at all. There was no build up to the romance so I really didn’t feel any chemistry at all. I liked Jason, sure. He was a nice kid, a good character, and you knew there was more to his story… But it just wasn’t swoony because there was no good foundation. Also, I have no problem whatsoever with physicality in YA because it’s a perfectly natural part of adolescence… but because I felt like Liz and Jason’s romantic feelings came out of nowhere, I also felt like they got physical way too quickly and it just wasn’t romantic at all. It felt forced and I didn’t feel like the actual relationship developed naturally.
Then there’s this whole story line with Liz trying to get Innis to call her his girlfriend — and she is genuinely interested, although maybe not for the right reasons (it’s not like it’s just a ploy, although Kensie’s pushing doesn’t help) — and so it’s not really a love triangle but it kind of is? There’s this little overlap and it just bothered me because the relationship with Innis really didn’t feel necessary. I would have much rather spent that time with Liz and Jason, watching THEIR relationship grow instead of watching Liz struggle with Innis and spending so much time on something that you knew wasn’t meant to be.
To top it all off, the book ended with some One Tree Hill-level drama and I actually laughed out loud when I thought of the comparison (which I really am sorry for laughing — it was not a laughing moment) but things just escalated so far that it started to just go into teen soap territory. It just started to get really unrealistic for me and that really sort of pushed me even more toward an overall feeling of disappointment in the way the book turned out.
The pros? Jason. Jason’s dad (loved him). It was a quick read. I didn’t feel frustrated until I started writing my thoughts down? Lyla’s sort of redemption. Hmm I think that’s it. It wasn’t a bad book but really, it just didn’t work on so many levels for me. Especially when the main points of why I was attracted to the book didn’t work out, it was just a let down for me.
Initial Impressions 3/18/16 + Full Review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 4/6/16:: So we know that best-friends-to-more is one of my favorite tropes and it’s something that immediately attracted me to THE LAST TIME WE WERE US. Add in a reuniting factor and I was so hooked. This book had so much potential and I feel like it just… fell flat. I really, really wanted to love it and I really tried but this book and I just didn’t connect.
I actually didn’t really realize how many thing bothered me until I had finished and I sat down to write some thoughts. The more I thought about the book, the more I felt like it was just full of unnecessary drama. The characters were absolutely horrible to each other, thinking they had each other’s best interests at heart. Liz’s family was terrible. Her mom only cared about their reputation and what the neighbors/friends thought and didn’t seem to care about what was actually good for Liz. She thought she was protecting her but when it really came down to it, looking good always seemed to be more important. She didn’t take the time to think of how Liz might feel about things and was so obsessed with status that she ended up shoving Liz toward the popular boy even without even a question if they were right for each other. Liz’s sister was pretty much the same way. It felt only marginally more acceptable since she was getting married and focused on the wedding, plus she was still young after all (I felt like her mom should know better) but it was still incredibly irritating. Then Liz’s friend MacKenzie was obsessed with being popular, hooking up with the popular boys, and making moves in order to improve her social status instead of following her heart. She often encouraged Liz to do the same because it was what she wanted and didn’t think about what Liz wanted. AND THEN LIZ EXCUSES THEM ALL. Excuse me? They made your tough decisions even harder and gave you tons of crap and then you say it’s all okay because they were doing what they thought was best? Maybe they really believed they were but good friends and supportive family members should at least try to listen to someone’s side of the story and understand their feelings. Liz’s friends and family didn’t ever try to listen to Liz and see things from her side. Any objections were immediately shut down. It was just so hard to watch.
The romance was far from swoon-worthy. Firstly, it was best-friends-to-more. How did this not feel swoony at all??? I think in part it was the estrangement. Even before Jason was away in juvie for two years, he ended up ditching Liz when they were thirteen. They were best friends as kids and then he got accepted by the popular kids (this again??) and he was too cool for Liz, so they never really had those flirty romantic vibes going on. The book starts with Jason being back and then all of a sudden BAM. They have such strong feelings! Wait… They used to be best friends (just friends). They never had a romantic or even flirty past. And then it’s super normal that they’re essentially in love? I missed the awkward back and forth, the cute wanting-to-say-something-but-can’t, the banter, the jokes, the sly touches, the subtle hints… All the things I usually love in friends-to-more and it wasn’t there at all. There was no build up to the romance so I really didn’t feel any chemistry at all. I liked Jason, sure. He was a nice kid, a good character, and you knew there was more to his story… But it just wasn’t swoony because there was no good foundation. Also, I have no problem whatsoever with physicality in YA because it’s a perfectly natural part of adolescence… but because I felt like Liz and Jason’s romantic feelings came out of nowhere, I also felt like they got physical way too quickly and it just wasn’t romantic at all. It felt forced and I didn’t feel like the actual relationship developed naturally.
Then there’s this whole story line with Liz trying to get Innis to call her his girlfriend — and she is genuinely interested, although maybe not for the right reasons (it’s not like it’s just a ploy, although Kensie’s pushing doesn’t help) — and so it’s not really a love triangle but it kind of is? There’s this little overlap and it just bothered me because the relationship with Innis really didn’t feel necessary. I would have much rather spent that time with Liz and Jason, watching THEIR relationship grow instead of watching Liz struggle with Innis and spending so much time on something that you knew wasn’t meant to be.
To top it all off, the book ended with some One Tree Hill-level drama and I actually laughed out loud when I thought of the comparison (which I really am sorry for laughing — it was not a laughing moment) but things just escalated so far that it started to just go into teen soap territory. It just started to get really unrealistic for me and that really sort of pushed me even more toward an overall feeling of disappointment in the way the book turned out.
The pros? Jason. Jason’s dad (loved him). It was a quick read. I didn’t feel frustrated until I started writing my thoughts down? Lyla’s sort of redemption. Hmm I think that’s it. It wasn’t a bad book but really, it just didn’t work on so many levels for me. Especially when the main points of why I was attracted to the book didn’t work out, it was just a let down for me.
April 7, 2016
This book just felt like an utter waste of time. It's overly dramatic and quite frankly it's just plain silly. And redundant. This book could have been 50 pages long, yet this Southern drama is drawn out until it mercifully and excruciatingly ends. All I can think is why did I waste my time on this?
Liz's childhood best friend, Jason, goes to jail during their junior year of high school on an assault charge. Months later he is released, and even though everyone tells Liz to stay away from him, she just can't help herself and rekindles a budding friendship that turns into more.
My first problem starts with the main character, Liz. In her small, southern town gossip gets around. Others' opinions and scrutiny is so highly valued, yet Liz couldn't care less after caving to societal expectations for years. Jason hurts someone close to Liz's sister, and Liz couldn't care less. Her parents tell her to stay away from Jason, yet Liz doesn't listen. Jason says things are more complicated than they seem, and Liz instantly believes him even after he ditched and ignored her for years once he became popular at school. But of course Liz is so forgiving and hardly even mentions it.
The obsession with popularity is another issue brought up, and although I see what Konen was trying to tell readers, I ultimately think she didn't take it far enough. Enter Mr. Popularity, Innis, who Liz spends the summer charming until he falls in love with her. Of course just as they make if official gf-bf she likes Jason now! Good grief, this main character is irritating. She doesn't know what she wants and ends up stringing along both guys. She is a judgmental liar who only ever takes her own desires into account. She doesn't realize how her actions affect others, and worse, she doesn't care.
The romance was revolting and had no development at all. I am tired of the trope childhood friends who lose touch and then fall in love years later. It just felt stale and lackluster. If you're going to center a story around a romance, please DEVELOP the romance. There are hints of forbidden love as everyone treats Jason like an outcast. The ending really angered me because it felt like such a cheap way for people to "forgive" Jason and accept their relationship.
Overall I'd suggest you not waste your time with this novel.
Liz's childhood best friend, Jason, goes to jail during their junior year of high school on an assault charge. Months later he is released, and even though everyone tells Liz to stay away from him, she just can't help herself and rekindles a budding friendship that turns into more.
My first problem starts with the main character, Liz. In her small, southern town gossip gets around. Others' opinions and scrutiny is so highly valued, yet Liz couldn't care less after caving to societal expectations for years. Jason hurts someone close to Liz's sister, and Liz couldn't care less. Her parents tell her to stay away from Jason, yet Liz doesn't listen. Jason says things are more complicated than they seem, and Liz instantly believes him even after he ditched and ignored her for years once he became popular at school. But of course Liz is so forgiving and hardly even mentions it.
The obsession with popularity is another issue brought up, and although I see what Konen was trying to tell readers, I ultimately think she didn't take it far enough. Enter Mr. Popularity, Innis, who Liz spends the summer charming until he falls in love with her. Of course just as they make if official gf-bf she likes Jason now! Good grief, this main character is irritating. She doesn't know what she wants and ends up stringing along both guys. She is a judgmental liar who only ever takes her own desires into account. She doesn't realize how her actions affect others, and worse, she doesn't care.
The romance was revolting and had no development at all. I am tired of the trope childhood friends who lose touch and then fall in love years later. It just felt stale and lackluster. If you're going to center a story around a romance, please DEVELOP the romance. There are hints of forbidden love as everyone treats Jason like an outcast. The ending really angered me because it felt like such a cheap way for people to "forgive" Jason and accept their relationship.
Overall I'd suggest you not waste your time with this novel.
June 19, 2016
3.5/5 stars but rounding it up to a 4 star because it had a great message at the end of the story!
After Jason Sullivan gets out of juvie early, Liz is thrust into a whirlwind of decisions. Does she trust her once best friend and forget what the town thinks of him, or does she side with the town and outcast Jason just like everyone else has?
Through most of the book I was cringing at the words and actions from her sister and mother. They were rude, judge mental, unforgiving, and close minded. I also couldn't stand how having sex at the age of 16 was portrayed as something important and 'not a big deal'. Call me mom, prude, unrealistic, whatever, but listen to me young readers ... don't let anyone pressure you to do something you don't want to do. Know that your body is to be respected. It is ok not to have sex with your high school boyfriend. It is something special and you should wait. :)
NOW, let's talk about the good stuff. I loved our main character. She wasn't flawless. She had faults. But she was the perfect combination of level headed, emotional, laid back, forgiving, and determined. She taught the reader that giving someone a second chance is important, especially if you've spent your whole life with said person. But most importantly, it is crucial to not get caught up in what other people are saying. It's ok to care about what other people think of you in doses. It is not ok for you to solely focus on what people may think about you or say about you when it is destructive and full of hate. Liz saw that the community around her was focusing more on acting out of hate and judgement instead of love and forgiveness.
Jason Sullivan was another great character. He was remorseful, determined, protective, loving, and loyal. His character had my two favorite quotes in the book. "Turns out I love you more than I hate him" YAYYY for love over hate! "It's not where you start, it's where you end up". SOOO TRUE.
So friends, remember that your body is to be respected. Looks aren't everything. Forgiveness is powerful. Live a life of love over hate.
Xoxo,
Hope
After Jason Sullivan gets out of juvie early, Liz is thrust into a whirlwind of decisions. Does she trust her once best friend and forget what the town thinks of him, or does she side with the town and outcast Jason just like everyone else has?
Through most of the book I was cringing at the words and actions from her sister and mother. They were rude, judge mental, unforgiving, and close minded. I also couldn't stand how having sex at the age of 16 was portrayed as something important and 'not a big deal'. Call me mom, prude, unrealistic, whatever, but listen to me young readers ... don't let anyone pressure you to do something you don't want to do. Know that your body is to be respected. It is ok not to have sex with your high school boyfriend. It is something special and you should wait. :)
NOW, let's talk about the good stuff. I loved our main character. She wasn't flawless. She had faults. But she was the perfect combination of level headed, emotional, laid back, forgiving, and determined. She taught the reader that giving someone a second chance is important, especially if you've spent your whole life with said person. But most importantly, it is crucial to not get caught up in what other people are saying. It's ok to care about what other people think of you in doses. It is not ok for you to solely focus on what people may think about you or say about you when it is destructive and full of hate. Liz saw that the community around her was focusing more on acting out of hate and judgement instead of love and forgiveness.
Jason Sullivan was another great character. He was remorseful, determined, protective, loving, and loyal. His character had my two favorite quotes in the book. "Turns out I love you more than I hate him" YAYYY for love over hate! "It's not where you start, it's where you end up". SOOO TRUE.
So friends, remember that your body is to be respected. Looks aren't everything. Forgiveness is powerful. Live a life of love over hate.
Xoxo,
Hope
Read
December 18, 2015hmmmm.... I devoured this one but the ending was just lacking something. felt rushed. still digesting.
February 10, 2018
A really cute but dark contemporary!
September 23, 2022
After reading some angsty things the past few days, I decided to go for something light like this YA for a change. So when I chose this one, I didn't have any idea what this book was all about except the one from the blurb.. and that it's one of those friends-to-lovers stories that I love. So, in short, I got into this blind. Unfortunately, not even halfway through the book, I found myself struggling to continue reading it and had to put it down several times... ugh! I'm not too fond of DNF-ing books, so I will pick this one up again and finish it.
This book had so much potential, and I wanted to like it. I tried, but it was utterly dull and flat. Sorry for the lack of a better word or term, but that's basically what I thought of this book. There are plenty of things that couldn't work for me. I found the heroine whiny and a pushover. And there's no chemistry at all between Liz and Jason. All the things I usually enjoy about friends-to-lovers stories weren't there at all.
And to top it all off, the book wrapped up extremely fast and felt like all the issues here weren't resolved at all. It left me with a massive headache! It was too freaking dramatic and nowhere near as many emotions as it should have had. I'd wish I'd read some reviews first because I would've saved myself the time and not read it.
October 26, 2016
To see full review click here.
I think I can tell I’ve been blogging for awhile. Used to I was slightly horrified when I had to DNF something. After all, I had to pay money for the book. I should feel some financial guilt and sometimes I do, but I have gotten to the point where I’ve read so many of these things if it’s crap or I don’t feel it I’m not going to bother and that was my feeling with The Last Time We Were Us. Sixty pages of this sucker read and I was like, “Okay, bye bye.”
As always with DNF reviews, I try to at least give you some content on why I didn’t have the stomach to finish it. With this one it was the main character who was already showing signs of being a real insipid twit. I guess it didn’t help that the first thing she does when we’re introduce is try to buy a beer using a fake ID which coincidently causes her to have a remeet with her old best friend who had to do time in juvie and as the description of the book shows is most likely the love interest.
I wasn’t endeared to this ship by the meeting, and it didn’t help that the hero was described as having greasy hair.
Greasy hair?
Is that supposed to be attractive? Because it makes me want to give the hero a bottle of Herbal Essence to give that crud out of his hair.
Whatever. The meet up was bad. But after that brief scene that the two characters have together, they didn’t interact for the rest of the book that I read and based on how the main character kept whining, I really didn’t care to read further.
Liz was just someone I would not be friends with. As previously mentioned she’s whiney, is willing to commit a misdemeanor/felony (not sure what it would be considered under North Carolina law) for a guy, and just seemed like pretty much a self-involved person. And because of that.
Book is going into the giveaway bin.
I think I can tell I’ve been blogging for awhile. Used to I was slightly horrified when I had to DNF something. After all, I had to pay money for the book. I should feel some financial guilt and sometimes I do, but I have gotten to the point where I’ve read so many of these things if it’s crap or I don’t feel it I’m not going to bother and that was my feeling with The Last Time We Were Us. Sixty pages of this sucker read and I was like, “Okay, bye bye.”
As always with DNF reviews, I try to at least give you some content on why I didn’t have the stomach to finish it. With this one it was the main character who was already showing signs of being a real insipid twit. I guess it didn’t help that the first thing she does when we’re introduce is try to buy a beer using a fake ID which coincidently causes her to have a remeet with her old best friend who had to do time in juvie and as the description of the book shows is most likely the love interest.
I wasn’t endeared to this ship by the meeting, and it didn’t help that the hero was described as having greasy hair.
Greasy hair?
Is that supposed to be attractive? Because it makes me want to give the hero a bottle of Herbal Essence to give that crud out of his hair.
Whatever. The meet up was bad. But after that brief scene that the two characters have together, they didn’t interact for the rest of the book that I read and based on how the main character kept whining, I really didn’t care to read further.
Liz was just someone I would not be friends with. As previously mentioned she’s whiney, is willing to commit a misdemeanor/felony (not sure what it would be considered under North Carolina law) for a guy, and just seemed like pretty much a self-involved person. And because of that.
Book is going into the giveaway bin.
Read
December 29, 2015This was a page turner for sure, but it wasn't the story I was expecting, exactly.
Liz (in stereotypical teenage fashion) is so heavily influenced by other people's opinions, she can't make up her own mind about anything, which made championing her, difficult. I didn't care if she conformed or rebelled, I just wanted her do something of her own choosing. When she finally does, the book is nearly over.
Jason was the most interesting character but even so, I only caught glimpses of who he was, most of which came in the form of flashbacks.
The ending, while being wrapped up, felt rushed. Overall, this one was heavy on the drama, and light on the mystery and romance.
I'm including the following spoiler because I was asked by several people if this has a love triangle. If you click the link, you will be spoiled. Proceed accordingly.
Liz (in stereotypical teenage fashion) is so heavily influenced by other people's opinions, she can't make up her own mind about anything, which made championing her, difficult. I didn't care if she conformed or rebelled, I just wanted her do something of her own choosing. When she finally does, the book is nearly over.
Jason was the most interesting character but even so, I only caught glimpses of who he was, most of which came in the form of flashbacks.
The ending, while being wrapped up, felt rushed. Overall, this one was heavy on the drama, and light on the mystery and romance.
I'm including the following spoiler because I was asked by several people if this has a love triangle. If you click the link, you will be spoiled. Proceed accordingly.
January 24, 2016
Bleh.
Such potential, such a pretty cover, good voice, and yet.. big disappointment.
Plot was all over the place. I didn't connect with the characters. Story felt forced.
I had the weird sense that everything was a lie, like in thrillers..
Until it ended and then I realized that was it.
The chapters seem to end in the midst of things, abruptly.
Somehow though, it kept me engaged enough until the end.
I guess that's the only good thing I can say about it.
Such potential, such a pretty cover, good voice, and yet.. big disappointment.
Plot was all over the place. I didn't connect with the characters. Story felt forced.
I had the weird sense that everything was a lie, like in thrillers..
Until it ended and then I realized that was it.
The chapters seem to end in the midst of things, abruptly.
Somehow though, it kept me engaged enough until the end.
I guess that's the only good thing I can say about it.
May 7, 2016
Books where character make extremely bad choices turn me into a judgmental, prudish reader which leads to bad ratings. I'm not even going to bother explaining all my thoughts. I'm sure you can find other reviews with similar opinion.
June 28, 2016
Sometimes you read books you connect with, and sometimes you read books that end up not being your cup of tea. This book was not my cup of tea. No matter how hard I tried to like, I couldn't get into it. I didn't connect with the story or any of the characters. Since I didn't connect with the characters, I found myself not really for some of them. Unfortunately that includes the main character Liz.
For much of the story Liz was a character I had a hard time with. She makes a lot of really stupid choices without any thought of consequences, which really bothered me. I wasn't expecting her to not, not make some stupid choices, as everyone does, however it was her lack of not caring who it effected, including herself, that I didn't like. Thankfully she does have consequences for her choices by the end of the book. I did like her more towards the end of the book, because she started to take ownership of herself, where for much of the book she didn't, but by the end it was too late. I wish I had seen more of that ownership earlier on.
Romance wise, there are relationships in this book that I had issues with. I won't elaborate much, because of the spoilers, but I will say that some things didn't seem healthy, and some things were just irritating with the love interests. There was a lot missing from the romantic relationships. I feel like I need to include, that when it comes to contemps, I am picky with the way romantic relationships are written.
Story wise, I don't know what it was, but this book and I didn't hit it off at all. There are times when I find that if I don't like the overall story, I like the characters or if I don't like the story, I like the characters, but in this case I had a hard time liking any of it. I feel really bad for saying that. The over all story felt rushed, and at times incomplete, as was the case with the ending. Although the ending could change since I read an ARC. Over all I felt like there was a lot of potential for this story, but it fell flat for me. There was a dynamic to the story that was missing, and unfortunately not even the dark, edgy romance or the suspenseful twist could save this story.
*This book does contain some sex scenes & some violence
For much of the story Liz was a character I had a hard time with. She makes a lot of really stupid choices without any thought of consequences, which really bothered me. I wasn't expecting her to not, not make some stupid choices, as everyone does, however it was her lack of not caring who it effected, including herself, that I didn't like. Thankfully she does have consequences for her choices by the end of the book. I did like her more towards the end of the book, because she started to take ownership of herself, where for much of the book she didn't, but by the end it was too late. I wish I had seen more of that ownership earlier on.
Romance wise, there are relationships in this book that I had issues with. I won't elaborate much, because of the spoilers, but I will say that some things didn't seem healthy, and some things were just irritating with the love interests. There was a lot missing from the romantic relationships. I feel like I need to include, that when it comes to contemps, I am picky with the way romantic relationships are written.
Story wise, I don't know what it was, but this book and I didn't hit it off at all. There are times when I find that if I don't like the overall story, I like the characters or if I don't like the story, I like the characters, but in this case I had a hard time liking any of it. I feel really bad for saying that. The over all story felt rushed, and at times incomplete, as was the case with the ending. Although the ending could change since I read an ARC. Over all I felt like there was a lot of potential for this story, but it fell flat for me. There was a dynamic to the story that was missing, and unfortunately not even the dark, edgy romance or the suspenseful twist could save this story.
*This book does contain some sex scenes & some violence
June 28, 2017
”Jason was my friend once. Beyond everything else, he was my friend.”
Oh dear. I would say ‘God bless the South,’ but that’s about all I can say about this mess of a book.
Liz and Jason were friends once. Before he attacked the town golden boy’s oldest brother, leaving him scarred. Before he was sent off to juvenile hall to serve his time. Before everything went down the toilet.
After Jason is released from juvie. After he takes a job at a local gas station, where Liz crosses paths with him once again. After she’s been told over and over to not associated with that no-good boy anymore. After he’s triggered childhood memories that Liz can’t forget. After he’s convinced here that there was more going on the night of the attack than anybody ever realized.
Honestly, if the premise was as any good as what I wrote above, I would have liked this book a lot more. Instead, what I got was a whole lot of wedding drama (Lizs’ older sister is getting married, which seems to be the main and only plot point of this novel), a whole lot of unnecessary Southern drama, and a problem that could have easily been condensed but was dragged out considerably longer than necessary.
Bless this book’s heart (and if you’re Southern, you’ll know what I mean).
Oh dear. I would say ‘God bless the South,’ but that’s about all I can say about this mess of a book.
Liz and Jason were friends once. Before he attacked the town golden boy’s oldest brother, leaving him scarred. Before he was sent off to juvenile hall to serve his time. Before everything went down the toilet.
”I remember us sitting in front of the TV, Wyle E. Coyote’s anvils zipping across the screen, electric Orange Cheetos flecks on our fingers, awash in the kind of joy only ids seem to have access to. As soon as the memory comes, I push it back down where it belongs. Bury it deep.”And then there’s the after.
After Jason is released from juvie. After he takes a job at a local gas station, where Liz crosses paths with him once again. After she’s been told over and over to not associated with that no-good boy anymore. After he’s triggered childhood memories that Liz can’t forget. After he’s convinced here that there was more going on the night of the attack than anybody ever realized.
”I know nostalgia’s a trick of the mind, I know it makes things seem better than they were, but I couldn’t help feeling that what Jason and I shared was truer than any friendship I’d had in my life. We had this history, one that ran so much deeper than watching cartoons and playing cops and robbers. We were like living journals, all of our good and bad memories locked up in each other’s minds.”But how can she reconcile the before and the after?
Honestly, if the premise was as any good as what I wrote above, I would have liked this book a lot more. Instead, what I got was a whole lot of wedding drama (Lizs’ older sister is getting married, which seems to be the main and only plot point of this novel), a whole lot of unnecessary Southern drama, and a problem that could have easily been condensed but was dragged out considerably longer than necessary.
Bless this book’s heart (and if you’re Southern, you’ll know what I mean).
July 11, 2016
Contemporary (along with fantasy fantasy) is my main jam and I'm always here for complexity, layered characters and lots of emotions. The Last Time We Were Us is a teen romance story that covers a lot of topics such as reputation in a small town, exploring female sexuality (and pointing out slutshaming which is very common when girls explore their sexuality but not when guys do it), inner beauty vs the beauty that's constructed by society and more. There were moments which I enjoyed quite a lot, but there were more parts that were underdeveloped or awkward to read and fell a little flat for me personally, hence I didn't feel as connected to the story as expected. However, I appreciated the messages the book was trying to convey. Funny though, I was actually more invested in a how the side ship would play out, because that was the main catalyst to the story. I have slightly mixed feelings about it but I did like the ending parts of the book as a whole.
Overall rating: 2.3 out of 5.0
Thank you to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for an ARC. My thoughts are my own and in no way did this review copy affect my thoughts.
This review was originally published on my blog.
Overall rating: 2.3 out of 5.0
Thank you to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for an ARC. My thoughts are my own and in no way did this review copy affect my thoughts.
This review was originally published on my blog.
September 19, 2016
Liz and Jason grew up next door to each other and were best friends. They did everything together, but as they grew up, Jason became popular and Liz, well, wasn't. He ended up going to juvie for committing a crime and since then, she has forgotten all about her former best friend. Now Liz is what you would call a "cool girl" at school. She is even dating Innis, the hottest guy at school, and the only time she thinks of Jason is when she looks next door at his abandoned house. This all changes when Jason is let out of juvie early and shows up back in her life. He wants to be friends again, but how could Liz be friends with him after all he did? Plus, her parents despise him and so does her older sister. But no one can deny all the memories they share together as former best friends. She wants to forget about him, but she can't. Leah Konen's The Last Time We Were Us is an entertaining beach read for young adults. Although it has its flaws, I was genuinely interested in Liz's journey.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
May 14, 2016
The Last Time We Were Us had a rocky start for me. For the first 20% of the book, I was bored and almost wanted to put the book down. It just wasn’t holding my interest, and I wanted to give up. However, as I read on, the plot became better and better. And although this is just a “meh” book, I didn’t anymore want to give up on it.
This is the type of book that is mostly just in between, but it has some good parts and a few bad parts occasionally. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I never really hated it anyway. What I really love about this book is despite the fact that it has more than 300 pages, it still was a breeze to read and I managed to fly through it in a day. There are actually some pretty great quotes too!
The Last Time We Were Us and I didn’t hit it off, but I still didn’t hate it overall. It’s a light and short read, and it kept me busy for a while. I guess this book just sn’t for me.
This is the type of book that is mostly just in between, but it has some good parts and a few bad parts occasionally. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I never really hated it anyway. What I really love about this book is despite the fact that it has more than 300 pages, it still was a breeze to read and I managed to fly through it in a day. There are actually some pretty great quotes too!
The Last Time We Were Us and I didn’t hit it off, but I still didn’t hate it overall. It’s a light and short read, and it kept me busy for a while. I guess this book just sn’t for me.
May 20, 2016
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 2.5 stars! This book wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination because I did feel the need to see how things played out and read the book in its entirety as opposed to calling it quits. However, my inability to connect with the characters definitely played a major role in my lower rating, which is quite a shame because after I read the book synopsis, I felt like this book had enough of my favorite tropes to really be a read I would enjoy and I couldn't have downloaded it any faster.
♥ Review: I've said it before and yet I'll say it again: writing reviews for books that I feel/felt generally indifferent about is such a difficult task. It's easier to flail about books that I love and even easier to write a review when I'm impassioned by all the things I didn't like about it, but neither was the case with The Last Time We Were Us. So, it's likely this review will be brief, and I think I actually mean it this time. (As I tend to say that on occasion, and then my wordiness gets the better of me.) I think my major issue with the book is that for it to be 368 pages, I don't feel like very much happened. There was quite a bit of redundancy in regards to our protagonist waffling about her feelings for both guys and fighting with her friends and family about the decisions she made concerning both boys. While I can't deny that I made quick work of the book, reading it all in a couple of hours, parts of the story seemed to drag on and on, and I really only continued to see who she would pick in the end. Another problem I had was something that I briefly mentioned earlier, and that was my inability to connect with the characters of this book. Liz, as with typical teenagers, was heavily influenced by others and her hopes of popularity, and was happy to let others dictate her life choices. That is until a particular guy reemerged in her life, and then she dug her heels in and started making decisions for herself. It was okay and relatable up until a certain point, but then it became repetitious and a little aggravating. Furthermore, it was harder to root for either love interest because I didn't see why she'd like them besides the fact that she had years of friendship with one and that the other was Mr. Popular that everyone else wanted so maybe it was a challenge for her. I felt like both were entirely too secretive and brooding, and maybe that was just her type, but it made it rather boring for me. More than that, I felt like every character in this story was outright selfish and had a lot of growing up to do, even the adults who were supposed to be parenting these kids. There was a little growth from everyone, but ultimately, I felt like it was too little too late.
I will note that there were some pretty great quotes, most having to do with girl sexuality. However, those bright moments weren't enough to pull this rating up by much. I feel like had the overall story and characters been given more depth instead of filling the pages with unnecessary drama after a certain point, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more.
♥ Teaser Quote:
I spent a summer trying to figure out what was right, weighing the words of everyone else, cursing myself for my inability to be what others expected of me, when there was only one answer, really.
Lizzie or Liz, it doesn't matter—I can only ever be me. I can only ever follow my own heart.
But it was so achingly wonderful to know that when I do, the people who really matter, they'll be right there beside me, even if I make a mistake or two in the process.
~quote taken from the eARC of The Last Time We Were Us at 98%
♥ Rec It? Maybe. I didn't hate it, but I didn't necessarily love-or really even like it all that much either. While there were some pretty great quotes sprinkled throughout, I struggled to get through certain parts of the book. As for other readers, I think there's a lot of wiggle room for people to fall to either side of the spectrum between like and dislike. So, it's my suggestion that if your interest is piqued by the summary, either borrow it from the library or wait until it goes on sale before you purchase.
♥ A very special thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
*Disclaimer: An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
This review was originally posted on The Book Hookup here.
June 11, 2020
This was such a meh read for me.
I'm normally all for books about normal people and their normal life but The Last Time We Were Us felt like it was trying to do that while refusing to do that. Not much happens but instead of being comfortable with that this book screamed of forced, manufactured drama.
The main conflict is that the love interest was arrested for committing a crime so for no apparent reason what so ever he just alludes to being innocent without outright saying it so we can get a big, unsatisfying reveal.
I don't know. I didn't like this, didn't dislike it, it just made me wish I was reading something better.
I'm normally all for books about normal people and their normal life but The Last Time We Were Us felt like it was trying to do that while refusing to do that. Not much happens but instead of being comfortable with that this book screamed of forced, manufactured drama.
The main conflict is that the love interest was arrested for committing a crime so for no apparent reason what so ever he just alludes to being innocent without outright saying it so we can get a big, unsatisfying reveal.
I don't know. I didn't like this, didn't dislike it, it just made me wish I was reading something better.
March 8, 2017
I wasn't sure what to give this book. It had me feeling so many things. I guess it helped that there was a happy ending. The people in this town were absolutely awful. I just wanted to punch so many people. Thankfully by the end some of them became better people. If it wasn't for that and the happy ending I'm not sure this would have gotten anything higher than a 1.
June 6, 2016
Review
I wanted to LOVE this book. I mean first there is that cover, then a Southern setting and of course a reformed bad boy in the mix. I mean I should love this on right??? Yeah not really. I liked it fine but definitely didn't love it.
Liz is finally getting everything she wants which includes hanging with the popular crowd, specifically Innis Taylor. When her former best friend Jason get released from juvie early things start to get complicated. Liz never believed everything she heard about the incident but with everyone up in arms over how dangerous he is she tries to stay away. Still she can't help seeing him which could cost her everything she finally has.
Let's start with the positives shall we?
Liz and Jason. When they were together I really liked them. They were sweet and I loved they were once friends and were able to recapture that.
Ending. I like it because there was a little bit of something I wasn't expecting towards the end along with the predictable happy ending as well.
Quick Read. While it started a tiny bit slow I found it to really pick and move along rather nicely and I was able to finish it in a couple of days.
Now the not so positive -
Lack of Southern Charm. I love a book set in the south. I love the atmosphere and the southern quirks that pop up. That was not the case here. I felt no charm whatsoever. Everyone was focused so much on appearances to the point that it was unhealthy. Liz's mom was so concerned about her relationship with Innis, who was from a powerful family, she never actually listened to what her daughter wanted or was feeling. Which kind of goes into my next point . . .
Awful Friends and Family. God Liz's friends and family left a lot to be desired. Her best friend was kind of terrible throughout most of the book. She had some bright spots but not until the end. Her mom and sister were so obnoxious. I have no idea how she dealt with them.
Overall it was a fine read with some good and some bad but just missing that special something to make me love it.This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
I wanted to LOVE this book. I mean first there is that cover, then a Southern setting and of course a reformed bad boy in the mix. I mean I should love this on right??? Yeah not really. I liked it fine but definitely didn't love it.
Liz is finally getting everything she wants which includes hanging with the popular crowd, specifically Innis Taylor. When her former best friend Jason get released from juvie early things start to get complicated. Liz never believed everything she heard about the incident but with everyone up in arms over how dangerous he is she tries to stay away. Still she can't help seeing him which could cost her everything she finally has.
Let's start with the positives shall we?
Liz and Jason. When they were together I really liked them. They were sweet and I loved they were once friends and were able to recapture that.
Ending. I like it because there was a little bit of something I wasn't expecting towards the end along with the predictable happy ending as well.
Quick Read. While it started a tiny bit slow I found it to really pick and move along rather nicely and I was able to finish it in a couple of days.
Now the not so positive -
Lack of Southern Charm. I love a book set in the south. I love the atmosphere and the southern quirks that pop up. That was not the case here. I felt no charm whatsoever. Everyone was focused so much on appearances to the point that it was unhealthy. Liz's mom was so concerned about her relationship with Innis, who was from a powerful family, she never actually listened to what her daughter wanted or was feeling. Which kind of goes into my next point . . .
Awful Friends and Family. God Liz's friends and family left a lot to be desired. Her best friend was kind of terrible throughout most of the book. She had some bright spots but not until the end. Her mom and sister were so obnoxious. I have no idea how she dealt with them.
Overall it was a fine read with some good and some bad but just missing that special something to make me love it.This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
May 25, 2016
Lizzie Grant and Jason were best friends from childhood until Jason dumped Liz for the popular crowd in middle school. Fast forward a little later, Jason is sent to juvie after being blamed for a tragic event that permanently scarred another boy. His father has become a pariah and any mention of Jason in town is not favourable.
Less than two years later finds Liz "courting" one of the most popular guys in school and she finds herself getting what she thought she always wanted. (It's definitely what her mother always wanted, what a shallow narrow minded woman, I was not a fan). And then Jason returns to town and she feels the same pull towards him as she did growing up to be best friends however everyone from her family and friends "forbid" him from seeing him.
While I wasn't in favour of all the choices Liz made, I do have to admit that a lot of what she did, I likely would have done a lot of the same things she did, rebellious as it was. Teen love is all consuming. Your head (and everyone else's) tells you one thing but your heart tells you differently so I found her to be quite realistic and had some admiration for her loyalty even though she did occasionally appear to be a spoiled brat.
I was a little disappointed in the final reveal. I was eagerly awaiting a climax that never came.
All in all, I did like this book, read it in a little over a day, and would give it a 3 1/2.
Less than two years later finds Liz "courting" one of the most popular guys in school and she finds herself getting what she thought she always wanted. (It's definitely what her mother always wanted, what a shallow narrow minded woman, I was not a fan). And then Jason returns to town and she feels the same pull towards him as she did growing up to be best friends however everyone from her family and friends "forbid" him from seeing him.
While I wasn't in favour of all the choices Liz made, I do have to admit that a lot of what she did, I likely would have done a lot of the same things she did, rebellious as it was. Teen love is all consuming. Your head (and everyone else's) tells you one thing but your heart tells you differently so I found her to be quite realistic and had some admiration for her loyalty even though she did occasionally appear to be a spoiled brat.
I was a little disappointed in the final reveal. I was eagerly awaiting a climax that never came.
All in all, I did like this book, read it in a little over a day, and would give it a 3 1/2.
May 14, 2016
For a book where SO much could happen... I cant believe how little did.
The first scene is promising. Underage girl is in the process of buying alcohol with a fake ID. When she looks at the server, it's actually her childhood friend whom is supposed to be in prison for burning the face of her sisters (at the time) boyfriend (now ex boyfriend). Meanwhile she is in a sorta relationship by the town IT boy who is sitting outside in the car waiting for her - for said alcohol. Did I mention this guy is the younger brother of her sisters ex boyfriend?
I mean come on! That sounds like a cup of drama!
Unfortunately, after that, it's so boring... the main character is just so dull, and the characters surrounding her are unbelievably dull-er.
There's no action, there's no pull, no chemistry, there's not even good banter.
The first scene is promising. Underage girl is in the process of buying alcohol with a fake ID. When she looks at the server, it's actually her childhood friend whom is supposed to be in prison for burning the face of her sisters (at the time) boyfriend (now ex boyfriend). Meanwhile she is in a sorta relationship by the town IT boy who is sitting outside in the car waiting for her - for said alcohol. Did I mention this guy is the younger brother of her sisters ex boyfriend?
I mean come on! That sounds like a cup of drama!
Unfortunately, after that, it's so boring... the main character is just so dull, and the characters surrounding her are unbelievably dull-er.
There's no action, there's no pull, no chemistry, there's not even good banter.
August 28, 2016
This was a pretty good romance story between best friends but with complications. The story started out slow at first but by the end I was flying through the pages ☺️ For characters, I honestly fell in love with Jason, with his personality and attitude, I just fell in love. ❤️
May 26, 2019
This was a super quick, light read that is perfect for the start of summer. Leah Konen has been on my TBR list for ages and I am glad that I finally picked up one of her books to give it a go. The Last Time We Were Us was exactly what I was looking for in a summer romance, the fuzzy feelings, the drama and tension, and just enough plot twists to have me not wanting to put the book down.
So I have to disclaimer that there is a love triangle, if you want to call it that. But it is one of those triangles where you know who Liz is gonna end up with. Sorta like Twilight, you know Bella will never end up with Jacob...the same can be said for Liz and one of her love interests. That being said, Liz is heavily influenced by other peoples' opinions. And over the course of the novel her attitude goes from fickle to finding her own voice and not caring what others think. Liz has a complicated home life, let's just say she would be the black sheep of the family. Her sister is a snob and full-of-herself, her mom is only concerned with keeping up appearances, and her dad is just the passive, comic relief.
In contrast, I adored Jason. He was all rough edges and a squish, big heart. His resilience and determination were giving me all the feels. While his home life is equally as complicated as Liz's, he has a whole other slew of problems. The romance itself was all the dang feels. I loved it and was cheering and swooning. What can be better than a friends-to-lovers troupe, I mean really?!
But there was a lot of unnecessary side drama occurring that I thought really took away from the main plot line. The hidden secrets Jason holds, which lead up to an anti-climatic conclusion, left me feeling very empty. Why even have that drama when it seems to amount to nothing? The timing of everything felt a little rushed too. At one point, Liz is seeing both Innis and Jason, and that just felt wrong. I would have liked her to have an introspective moment to figure out what the heck she actually wanted. Her relationship with Jason also felt rushed, I would have liked more of a build up there as well. Overall, I enjoyed the story though and would read more of Leah Konen's work.
So I have to disclaimer that there is a love triangle, if you want to call it that. But it is one of those triangles where you know who Liz is gonna end up with. Sorta like Twilight, you know Bella will never end up with Jacob...the same can be said for Liz and one of her love interests. That being said, Liz is heavily influenced by other peoples' opinions. And over the course of the novel her attitude goes from fickle to finding her own voice and not caring what others think. Liz has a complicated home life, let's just say she would be the black sheep of the family. Her sister is a snob and full-of-herself, her mom is only concerned with keeping up appearances, and her dad is just the passive, comic relief.
In contrast, I adored Jason. He was all rough edges and a squish, big heart. His resilience and determination were giving me all the feels. While his home life is equally as complicated as Liz's, he has a whole other slew of problems. The romance itself was all the dang feels. I loved it and was cheering and swooning. What can be better than a friends-to-lovers troupe, I mean really?!
But there was a lot of unnecessary side drama occurring that I thought really took away from the main plot line. The hidden secrets Jason holds, which lead up to an anti-climatic conclusion, left me feeling very empty. Why even have that drama when it seems to amount to nothing? The timing of everything felt a little rushed too. At one point, Liz is seeing both Innis and Jason, and that just felt wrong. I would have liked her to have an introspective moment to figure out what the heck she actually wanted. Her relationship with Jason also felt rushed, I would have liked more of a build up there as well. Overall, I enjoyed the story though and would read more of Leah Konen's work.
May 2, 2017
Very quick and easy read, but nothing amazing. I liked the message this book was trying to send, it just wasn't detailed enough.
The characters were pretty average. Liz was sometimes annoying, but sometimes I appreciated some things she did.
Jason was also pretty average, I mean I automatically sympathized for him as I knew it wasn't all true. I liked his father though, a pretty cool chap. I appreciated his love for colour, because colour makes everything better haha
Innis, he's the typical rich spoiled brat, who when he doesn't get what he wants, he turns into a toddler who is having a tantrum. He was sweet at some points yeah, but he needs to work on his drunken, and heartbroken self.
The romance was dull, no tension, and not enough detail. It felt like a couple that was married for 30 years. You love eachother, but its not as exciting as it once was.
Everything felt quite rushed, and there wasn't a lot of development of much.
The characters were pretty average. Liz was sometimes annoying, but sometimes I appreciated some things she did.
Jason was also pretty average, I mean I automatically sympathized for him as I knew it wasn't all true. I liked his father though, a pretty cool chap. I appreciated his love for colour, because colour makes everything better haha
Innis, he's the typical rich spoiled brat, who when he doesn't get what he wants, he turns into a toddler who is having a tantrum. He was sweet at some points yeah, but he needs to work on his drunken, and heartbroken self.
The romance was dull, no tension, and not enough detail. It felt like a couple that was married for 30 years. You love eachother, but its not as exciting as it once was.
Everything felt quite rushed, and there wasn't a lot of development of much.
November 12, 2020
actually 2.5 stars
the first few chapter i read it, i absolutely hate it, again, thanks to the main female character. she was so spoiled, narcissistic, painfully shallow and an idiot. she said, 'i know that by the standards of the world-or of North Carolina high school, at least- I am pretty.' did she seriously just said that?!?!?! SERIOUSLY?! and she was not the only one who was like that. literally every character here was that shallow and spoiled. i had such a hard time reading it.
i meant, seriously. the beginning was awfully so bad, a total trash. and it was like the author couldn't decide whether to make this book a sweet and innocent young adult contemporary or a feisty and steamy adult novel, and that was super annoying.
but then, after much, and i meant so MUCH, character development, she got better and i found that i could enjoy the story more. it was not as cliche and predictable as i thought and even kind of entertaining read.
the first few chapter i read it, i absolutely hate it, again, thanks to the main female character. she was so spoiled, narcissistic, painfully shallow and an idiot. she said, 'i know that by the standards of the world-or of North Carolina high school, at least- I am pretty.' did she seriously just said that?!?!?! SERIOUSLY?! and she was not the only one who was like that. literally every character here was that shallow and spoiled. i had such a hard time reading it.
i meant, seriously. the beginning was awfully so bad, a total trash. and it was like the author couldn't decide whether to make this book a sweet and innocent young adult contemporary or a feisty and steamy adult novel, and that was super annoying.
but then, after much, and i meant so MUCH, character development, she got better and i found that i could enjoy the story more. it was not as cliche and predictable as i thought and even kind of entertaining read.
May 20, 2016
This review was originally posted on The Book Hookup
here
.
*Disclaimer: An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 2.5 stars! This book wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination because I did feel the need to see how things played out and read the book in its entirety as opposed to calling it quits. However, my inability to connect with the characters definitely played a major role in my lower rating, which is quite a shame because after I read the book synopsis, I felt like this book had enough of my favorite tropes to really be a read I would enjoy and I couldn't have downloaded it any faster.
Christina's Review:
*Disclaimer: An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 2.5 stars! This book wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination because I did feel the need to see how things played out and read the book in its entirety as opposed to calling it quits. However, my inability to connect with the characters definitely played a major role in my lower rating, which is quite a shame because after I read the book synopsis, I felt like this book had enough of my favorite tropes to really be a read I would enjoy and I couldn't have downloaded it any faster.
♥ Review: I've said it before and yet I'll say it again: writing reviews for books that I feel/felt generally indifferent about is such a difficult task. It's easier to flail about books that I love and even easier to write a review when I'm impassioned by all the things I didn't like about it, but neither was the case with The Last Time We Were Us. So, it's likely this review will be brief, and I think I actually mean it this time. (As I tend to say that on occasion, and then my wordiness gets the better of me.) I think my major issue with the book is that for it to be 368 pages, I don't feel like very much happened. There was quite a bit of redundancy in regards to our protagonist waffling about her feelings for both guys and fighting with her friends and family about the decisions she made concerning both boys. While I can't deny that I made quick work of the book, reading it all in a couple of hours, parts of the story seemed to drag on and on, and I really only continued to see who she would pick in the end. Another problem I had was something that I briefly mentioned earlier, and that was my inability to connect with the characters of this book. Liz, as with typical teenagers, was heavily influenced by others and her hopes of popularity, and was happy to let others dictate her life choices. That is until a particular guy reemerged in her life, and then she dug her heels in and started making decisions for herself. It was okay and relatable up until a certain point, but then it became repetitious and a little aggravating. Furthermore, it was harder to root for either love interest because I didn't see why she'd like them besides the fact that she had years of friendship with one and that the other was Mr. Popular that everyone else wanted so maybe it was a challenge for her. I felt like both were entirely too secretive and brooding, and maybe that was just her type, but it made it rather boring for me. More than that, I felt like every character in this story was outright selfish and had a lot of growing up to do, even the adults who were supposed to be parenting these kids. There was a little growth from everyone, but ultimately, I felt like it was too little too late.
I will note that there were some pretty great quotes, most having to do with girl sexuality. However, those bright moments weren't enough to pull this rating up by much. I feel like had the overall story and characters been given more depth instead of filling the pages with unnecessary drama after a certain point, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more.
♥ Teaser Quote:
I spent a summer trying to figure out what was right, weighing the words of everyone else, cursing myself for my inability to be what others expected of me, when there was only one answer, really.
Lizzie or Liz, it doesn't matter—I can only ever be me. I can only ever follow my own heart.
But it was so achingly wonderful to know that when I do, the people who really matter, they'll be right there beside me, even if I make a mistake or two in the process.
~quote taken from the eARC of The Last Time We Were Us at 98%
♥ Rec It? Maybe. I didn't hate it, but I didn't necessarily love-or really even like it all that much either. While there were some pretty great quotes sprinkled throughout, I struggled to get through certain parts of the book. As for other readers, I think there's a lot of wiggle room for people to fall to either side of the spectrum between like and dislike. So, it's my suggestion that if your interest is piqued by the summary, either borrow it from the library or wait until it goes on sale before you purchase.
♥ A very special thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this title.
May 3, 2019
I breezed through this book in less than a day. The writing was easy and simple and I really liked the main character. I feel like I connected with Liz so I had to keep reading. Plot twist endings always get me good too!
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