My Heart Goes Bang

by Keris Stainton

Ella, Lou, Issey, Liane and Paige are determined to make the most of this second year at uni. They want to have fun, but they want to focus on work. There's no time for relationships. Except with each other. And even that's not guaranteed. Gemma and Lou have always been close, but there's tension between Issey and Liane, and none of them even knows Paige all that well.

But when Ella finds a magazine article with a list of men they should date before they're 21 (someone who's been on telly? Check; someone who's got tattoos? Check;) they vow to complete the list before finishing university and set about it with a lot more enthusiasm than they do their studies ... but will any of them end up with a full house? And when a secret from their first year comes out, it looks as if some of them might not be completing university, never mind the list ...

My Heart Goes Bang is about lectures, essays, hangovers, and flatmates; it's about found families, finding yourself, and falling in love with people you never expected to fall in love with.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Lesbian, Queer, New Adult

312 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2018

About the author

My mum always claimed that when she lived in America for a year, my dad wrote to her every day and, in one of his letters, proposed. My dad denied this. But when she got home they got married anyway. In 1966 they emigrated to Canada. They'd wanted to go to New Zealand, but it was full.

I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which, by all accounts, is very cold. And also hot. But when I was four months old, my parents moved back to the UK.

When I was 18 I moved to London and worked in the music industry (eventually). A few years later I moved back up north. Now I live in Lancashire (which is lovely, particularly when it's not raining... which is about two weeks a year) with my two sons and two guinea pigs. All four are cute and hairy.

Reviews

[Lucy Powrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. From start to finish, I was hooked.

It tells the story of a group of girls moving into their university house for their second year. It’s awkwardly hilarious, and honest and relatable.

I want to convince everyone to read it!

[Lauren James]

The Bold Type in a British university, this group of housemates decide to try to complete a bucket list of the different types of people you have to date at uni - with varying degrees of success. Funny and relatable, and sex-positive.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

But in the meantime:
- I loved the cast diversity & the women supporting women
- I feel this is a “it’s not you, it’s me” book, so maybe I’ll come back to it
- honestly I still get the characters mixed up and I don’t know who is who because we are introduced to them all very quickly?
- fun, but not enough

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Marie Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up after hearing Keris talk at the diversity panel at YALC this year as it sounded like something I'd really enjoy, and I was right - I loved it!

This book is set as the 5 girls - Ella, Lou, Issey, Liane and Paige - move into a house together for second year of university and it follows their year as they become closer friends, whilst dealing with their own personal battles and secrets, friendships, relationships and just general uni life.

This book was a great lighthearted read that was super cute and fun to read. Not only is there LGBTQ+ rep, but the book is very sex positive and all 5 girls the book focuses on are very loveable and talk openly about sexuality and sex which is great. The book focuses particularly on a "fuck it list" - a list of people someone should sleep with - someone with tattoos, someone who can't speak the same language as you, someone twice your age, etc. This makes the book quite a lighthearted and funny book, but also in places deals with more serious issues.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quick read which has loveable characters and just a fun plot. This was my first Keris Stainton book I've read and I can't wait to read more!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

*slams fist on the table* publishers why are you not producing more books focusing on female friendship and queer girls in university because i, for one, am HERE for it

This follows 5 girls who move into a house together in their second year of uni and everything that comes with your second year of uni. All of the characters were so distinct and unique to me and given equal amount of page time - Keris Stainton really juggled that well which isn't easy to do!

This gave me all the uni feels - I am currently in my third year of uni and have many complicated feelings towards it but this kind of reminded me of all the good stuff and really took me back to my second year - I too moved into a house not knowing the girls super well but we all became so close by the end of it. I loved the focus on the female friendships in this, the girls all have different and unique relationships with one another which I loved, and even though there are a couple of romances their friendship felt like the most important relationship explored.

There was also a wonderful slow burn friends-to-lovers f/f romance in here that had me all 😭 💖. I struggle a lot of romances in books but this one was so good! We have multiple queer main characters, with one identifying as pansexual, and the other two realising they are bi throughout this book.

One thing I will say is there was a conversation about bi vs pansexuality and i don't know how I feel about it? I feel like some more deeper discussion and clarification was needed as it came across a bit iffy to me.

Overall I had a lot of fun reading this and it was super quick to get through as well!

[Stacey | prettybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought My Heart Goes Bang for London Pride and it turned out to be one of my favourite books of the year. It now sits on my favourites shelf next to  Freshers , and I'd absolutely love to see more books set at university. Ella, Lou, Issey, Liane and Paige are ready for their second year at the University of Liverpool and their new student house.

Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.

[ThatBookGal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think maybe I'm too old for this book, maybe if I read it whilst at uni, I would have enjoyed it more?! I just found the group of girls bland, and I couldn't really relate especially to any of them. Their unending obsession with getting laid, whilst its great that this is promoting positivity, was just irritating because it was literally all they talked about. I felt like there were certain points of the story that were totally rushed past, and others that lingered unnecessarily. It was a brief snapshot of life at a British university, but that's pretty much it. Ultimately, a quick, pleasant read, but totally forgettable.

[Nadine]

Ladies, gents and everything in between - we have reached a new record in the DNF world. After a whole 16 pages I decided to DNF this book.

Although I only managed 16 pages I can tell you that 90% of this book is about these 5 friends doing shots. Honestly about 10 out of those 16 pages were about them doing shots. Yes shots are great, but I'd rather be doing them than reading about them in great detail thanks.

Now, this was not enough to make me DNF this book so I decided to skim and read a few random pages. I kid you not 2/3 involved shots. Of course this is by chance and I'm sure there is far more to this story.

Overall, I really didn't click with this book and the writing style. I feel like Keris Stainton was almost trying too hard to make her characters relatable and just fell short.

I'm sure that many people will love this book (as proven by it's very high goodreads rating), but it's not for me.

[Janay Brazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's start with the book cover. I love the colour. It just screams summertime to me.

It was this beautiful orange that caught my eye when I first came across it online.

I also love the font used for the title. I'm also not usually a fan of covers that use photographs but I think it works with this one. I know it's not all about the cover but it's also nice to appreciate it when a book has a cover as lovely as this one.

The storyline was a really interesting one for me. I liked the idea of reading a story about a group of characters at university. I have a university degree but I studied from home with the Open University, so I didn't get the full experience the way these girls did.

I think this is a fun story, great for university students to read.

Because this book is set at university, it does come with a small-print message on the back cover saying 'for older readers'. I definitely agree with this and I think anyone of college/university age is the best audience for this. They are the ones who are going to relate to the experiences and the plot the most.

There are five female characters that this book focuses on: Ella, Issey, Liane, Lou, Paige. It was a lot of people to keep track of and I did find myself becoming a bit confused as to who was who at times. I had to flick back through the book to remind myself of who was having which problem. The only one I really remembered was Ella had a brother.

I think I remembered more about Ella and connected with her the most because she was the character who was most like me.

My favourite characters were Ella, because of the above, Nick and Ella's brother, Dylan. My favourite scene (mild spoiler) in the whole book was when Dylan turned up, just because of how the other girls reacted to him.

I loved the flow of this story and the tempo at which everything occurred. I really liked how the chapters were split up further, into months, to make the time frame clearer.

Keris Stainton has such an addictive writing style.

I've only read two books by her but both times I have devoured the whole thing very quickly. The writing just has a great feeling about it, with a good pace that makes you just keep reading and reading. It's very hard to put down.

This was a pretty fun read, with so much going on, and a lot of themes were covered.

If you are starting university this autumn, or if you're already there, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

Or if you are looking for a book that focuses on friendship, relationships, romance, LGBTQ+, family, financial problems, education... Like I said, there are a lot of themes that are appealing to a lot of people so I definitely recommend this book.

[Kushmir]

This was so much fun to reread! I wish uni was really 90% clubbing and drinking with friends and 10% actually doing work. These group of friends have infectious chemistry and I loved how fleshed out each felt in the story.

[lucy 🌀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

God I absolutely adored this 😭

[Anna McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this glorious book, and I hardly ever write reviews on here, but I just couldn't keep quiet about this one. Reading this marked the first time in a long time that I couldn't physically put a book down, I was enraptured from the first ten pages and fell head over heels for these characters. We follow five girls starting their second year at uni. They live together and have vowed to not let relationships and commitments fuck with their plans, but of course, this doesn't quite pan out in the way they expect. I am about to go into my second year in which I'll be living in a shared house, and honestly I would happily move in with this gorgeous, giggly gang of girls. Sisterhood is something I cherish deeply, and I love seeing it represented in YA, too often I see girls tearing each other down or letting insecurities get the better of their friendship, but there's none of that here. Just loyalty, love and a lot of laughter. If you've read and loved Giant Days, you'll devour this, it's like a warm hug from an old friend. Absolutely lovely and refreshing and just what I felt like reading! Please seek it out when it comes out later this month!

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A fun read.
Stainton's bio says that she 'has been writing stories for as long as she can remember, but she didn't write a novel until 2004'. My guess is she writes fanfiction, and I suspect that this book started its life as a One Direction Uni AU.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be a YA novel but, as a distinctly non-YA reader, I thoroughly enjoyed. The balance of relationships between the housemates (Ella, Lou, Issey, Liane and Paige) is wonderfully drawn and each character just screams off the page. They are in the second year of University and in their first house share together with all that it entails. On the whole they rub along together well but each has her own secrets that they are shielding from everyone.

There really doesn't seem to be any overarching plot here, it is simply the tale of what happens to 5 girls over 1 year and how the decisions each makes affects both their own lives and that of others. Some of the characters at first feel a little stereotypical (eg., Ella as the sensible one) but as the first few chapters pass by you quickly realise that they are stereotypes because they are true and if you look at your own circle of friends (both then and now) that there was someone that filled similar roles.

There is some sex in the book (but not graphically described) and there is a lot of swearing - honestly, with as realistic as this story feels there would have to be. A house of 5 girls and nobody swears on a daily basis would be unbelievable. So, if you have issues with language this may not be the book for you - or for you to gift to that YA in your life.

What this book did for me was show that friendship can be the most wonderful thing and that the ability to be honest with each other just cements it. Yes, they bicker, yes they each do things that irritate the others but they do have each other's backs. That said you do get the impression that once University is over most of them will go their separate ways and fall out of contact with the others.

There is no real ending to the book. Their second year ends and the girls are all scattering back to family in various parts of the country. This leaves the reader to decide how things progress for each character - I am sure no two people will come up with the same future for the girls.

A genuinely fun book full of humour that leaves you feeling positive and like you just got a good old hug.

I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK FROM READERS FIRST IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

[Hâf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was FULL of uni memories for me, it was such a beautifully nostalgic read. And that’s actually kind of heartbreaking to think I finished my second year five years ago! Where does the time go?
But anyway, the book is written in third person with equal amount of focus on each of the five girls. The beginning was slightly confusing but I soon learnt the names and personalities of each of the girls and thoroughly began to enjoy the novel.
The main characters reminded me of my own best friends at uni, who are still a huge part of my life. There’s the girl with the crazy ex, the friend you’re convinced is secretly gay or bi but hasn’t officially come out, the timid goody two shoes (or in my case, that’s me..), the confident ‘looks like she has life sorted’ gal and there’s the wild party chick who’s always the first to suggest vodka shots and a night out!
This book is bursting with women supporting women, which is exactly what young girls need to be reading and for the notion to be seen as a powerful and positive thing.
For me, a girl who struggled through her uni years, I felt very connected to the character Ella. All of the characters were relatable in some way or another but Ella felt like a carbon copy of my uni days. I’m convinced that most young women who experienced university would find their character in this novel.
It’s a fun, mostly light-hearted read that sheds some light on the various struggles young girls experience whilst away at university. And I would definitely recommend picking up a copy and giving it a read.

[Raychul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows the lives of five girls sharing a house in their second year of University. They find a list of people you should have sex with before they are 21 and decide to compete for who can tick the most people off the list. The story alternates between each character, giving us a chance to see how each unique personality deals with the trials and tribulations of being a young adult finding your place in the world.

This book has some important themes throughout, including sexuality, drugs and money issues. Themes that are important for young readers to feel comfortable reading and talking about.

I found myself initially getting confused between the characters because they were all introduced in quick succession. I started out making notes next to each name to refer back to which helped.

As a bisexual myself, I found it refreshing to read a book where your sexuality isn't assumed to be straight. When the girls are getting to know each other, they ask each other if they are into boys, girls or both without making a big deal out of it. This theme continues throughout with some characters questioning and exploring their sexuality.

At times parts of the story seemed a bit whimsical and far fetched, where everyone seemed to be a bit too nice and forgiving, but I still really enjoyed it on the whole.

One of my favourite book series is The Summers of the Sisterhood and this book reminded me so much of that. I would recommend to all teenagers learning to find their place in the world, and all adults learning to raise children with love.

[Natalie Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh this was just as brilliant as everyone's been telling me! I especially loved how distinct the five different main characters were from the very beginning - no mean feat! Also provided several literal lols.

[Jessikah Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dynamic friendship group at university and lots of fun! I really enjoyed this.

[strawberrymoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

i mean keris never fails to write amazing books, with loveable characters that i fell in love with just a few pages in! i’m a sucker for books with little plot like just give me a group of friends bubbling through life and im there!

💕💕💕

[CherryCarrot · Rating 1 out of 5]

My issues with this book can really be boiled down to this:
1. Too many characters, resulting in zero investment, and a distinct lack of emotional engagement and punk
2. The hook in the blurb (the list) actually turning out to be pretty irrelevant to the story
3. Lazy, sloppy writing and plotting

This sounds a little scathing, so I'll elaborate below and explain a little, and I will also say that these comments are a reflection on the book only and not necessarily the author (I have read another book by Keris Stainton which I quite enjoyed, and was much better executed, which shows she can plot, characterise and write).

So, point one: MHGB stars five main characters, and much as I like books with ensemble casts, this shifting focus meant I never invested in any of the characters, and, because the book covers several months, often things I thought were going to happen and be interesting and dramatic ended up being glossed over, and therefore falling flat. An example: Lou reporting jealous ex Kyle for harrassment. This was a potentially interesting and relevant plotline, but we see so little of it, and we don't get to engage with Lou's feelings of horror and fear and shame because they are covered in about half a page! Her decision to report Kyle should feel brave and momentous, with the reader rooting for her, but we don't get to see her doing it, don't see or hear about Kyle's reaction, and don't really see how Lou feels afterwards. All the juicy scenes - the ones that are interesting to a reader - are omitted. It is such lazy writing to tell rather than show. What, therefore, was the point of that plotline? What did it add? I don't even know if this experience changed Lou as a character, or whether she learned anything from it, because I never felt I knew Lou in the first place. Lou herself could in fact be quite easily removed from the book and it would be better for it, because that might mean we got more pages to flesh out the other characters a little. They all come across as so empty and sketchy, and not like real people.

Other plotlines that were mentioned briefly and never came to much, or, in fact, anything: Liane's feelings about her parents, her dead friend Zack, Issey's family (why introduce them at all?), Dylan (what was the point of him, apart from the quite fun scene where he meets the girls?), Ella's stepfather's death (we don't meet him and we don't care about him and it seems to have so little impact on Ella...).

I got the feeling I was meant to invest in Ella's romance with Nick (which, on a positive note, is good to have in contrast as the book that focuses almost entirely on casual hook ups, which it presents as the norm - something else I'm not sure about, as plenty of 19 year olds don't have huge numbers of sexual partners, if at all) - but, again, we see so little of Nick that this never comes alive. The relationship between Issey and Liane felt slightly better done, and I felt like the book probably ought to have been about them. Paige had the potential to be interesting, but her role in the book went nowhere.

My second issue is the Fuck It List. It sounds like a fun hook on the blurb. It could create lots of fun plotlines. But it doesn't become part of the story until about a fifth of the way in (the first fifth instead is full of boring details about the house share). We never get much info about the guys/girls the girls "tick off". It feels wasted, somehow, just another thing I know next to nothing about despite having read the book.

Three, the writing is ultra simple, which combined with a dull plot in which so little happened (instead we get details about street names which mean nothing to anyone who doesn't know Liverpool, scenes with the girls' families who we never see again, details about what they eat for dinner) makes the book underdeliver. It reads like an unedited first draft in place. And I've already mentioned the show don't tell, which happens quite a lot, mostly because of the five POVs and the months passing.

I liked the premise of MHGB. I wanted to like it. But I had zero emotional engagement to this one and felt it was so poorly put together. My opinion only, of course!

[kory. · Rating 3 out of 5]

the potential

content/trigger warnings; ableism, alcohol, mentions of loss of loved one, mentions of divorce, fatphobia, misogyny, sexual harassment, stalking, revenge porn, blackmail, unsolicited naked photos, taking of nude photos without consent, gendered slurs, kissing, lesbophobia, loved one with cancer, death of a loved one, slut shaming, asthma attack,

rep; paige (mc) is fat and pan. liane (mc) is black and questioning her sexuality. issey (mc) is questioning her sexuality.

this had the potential to be so amazing. college setting (fuck you with "college ya" it's new adult thanks ever so), female friendship, a somewhat diverse group, and a lighthearted and fun overall plot with a handful of serious topics scattered throughout.

but the college setting was just for the convenience of the living arangments and access to alcohol. the girls aren't really distinguishable. paige and ella were the only two who stood out for me. the others i had a hard time remembering what their personal plots and backstories etc. were. and the fun overall plot wasn't really a thing when it came down to it, and the sprinkling of heavy topics didn't get the time and depth they deserved.

basically, i wanted more from this because it could've been so fucking good.

other notes: ella saying issey "outed" her by posting on instagram about her brother being famous is annoying, and it's extra fucking annoying that she claims she wasn't making that comparison when issey starts to say it's not the same thing. you don't get to use language that invokes a very specific thing and then claim you didn't mean it like that when called out. people need to just stop saying they were outed because someone shared their secrets or whatever.

i'm not too pleased with how paige explains pansexuality. the first thing she says is "gender is irrelevant" which isn't awful, but she follows it up with "i'm more interested in people than genitals" which equates gender to genitals. and later she touches on bi, saying "some people think bi suggests a binary, but if you believe gender is a spectrum, then bi doesn't really work" but also says "i mean, it works for some people, that's how they identify and that's fine. but it didn't feel right to me. and pan does. so." which i guess is okay? it's not saying bi is binary, rather some people think the word indicates one, but that there are people who believe gender is a spectrum and identify as bi. would i have preferred it if it was left at the more personal "bi didn't feel right for me and pan does"? yeah. but everyone feels the need to dip their toes into this "discourse" when they have a pan character.

one moment that had me laughing because of how relatable it is was ella closing her eyes and taking a breath when doing the recycling because she realized her roommates weren't crushing boxes, taking plastic bags out of cereal boxes, rinsing yogurt containers, or emptying food first. that is 100000% me and i feel super called out.

[Becky (Blogs of a Bookaholic) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was lightweight and fun, but ultimately forgettable. Having read so many rave reviews I was hoping for a little bit more, BUT, I am not a big contemporary reader so this could be an 'it's not me, it's you' situation.

My Heart Goes Bang follows 5 friends in their second year of university living in the same house as each other. One night getting drunk on their rooftop (which is super cool but come on guys, no one can afford that on a student budget) they come across a magazine that recommends a list of men everyone should sleep with before they settle down:

1.) Someone with a tattoo 2.) A waiter 3.) A Greek waiter 4.) Someone off a reality show 5.) A man who once went to jail 6.) A Cab Driver 7.) Another girl 8.) A friend's brother 9.) Someone in a band
10.) Your teacher or boss 11.) Someone twice your age 12.) Someone twice your age 13.) Your best friend 14.) Someone who doesn't speak English

OBVIOUSLY, this list is a terrible idea, but it is exactly what I could imagine a set of uni students doing when they are looking for new adventures and experiences, certainly the ones I knew anyway!

There are some cute friendship moments, romances are formed, sexuality is explored and questioned, there's also bi and pan rep. However, what I loved most about this novel was that it was completely non-judgemental and talked about sex in a very positive way. Many of the characters enjoy one night stands and no one is judged for their preferences, no one is labeled with the S word. This book promotes that it is okay to explore and enjoy for the sake of enjoyment and that's so important in this modern age when we are quick to judge others.

Overall, My Heart Goes Bang is a quick and fun read, and it was great to read a novel set at university. Consider this a call out for more New Adult books!

[Holly ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is about five girls in their second year of university who have a list of men to date in order to disregard relationships and focus on their studies, however unsurprisingly this is not how the story unfolds.

Keris Stainton has written a novel that is short, but packs in a lot. I found it difficult to put this book down and found myself attached to the characters - even swooning over one in particular...

The friendships between the girls and the relationships they have are both realistic and relatable and a core reason why this book is so enjoyable. There was also a number of topics dealt with in a respectable manner in merely 300 pages, this including sexuality, financial struggles of university and harassment.

The only problem being that it sometimes was hard to follow all of the plot strands with each individual character and I found myself rereading segments in order to identify whose perspective was being explored. Although once I had grasped each individual story line and personality this problem receded.

It's lovely to find a well written and enjoyable YA novel set during university; one I would highly recommend.

[Kelly Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fun summer read.

The cover for a start looks super summery and was what initially drew me to the book when I saw it. It certainly stands out.

The book itself is YA, not a genre that I would ordinarily go for, but the idea of the story seemed like a fun summer read, which it was.

It is based on five girls, Ella, Lou, Liane, Issey, and Paige, who are starting their second year of uni and follows them through that year. All five girls had their own and very different personalities that blended well as a group. Of them all, it was Ella who I was drawn to most a character as she is the one that could relate to the most.

It was a fun read, as I didn't attend uni myself it was fun to see it through these characters perspectives. Each of the girls has their own issues to deal with and we see those progress throughout the story as well.

A story about friendships, relationships, LGBTQ+, family, education, finances and much more.

I enjoyed this book, the story was fun but it didn't grip me and I wouldn't be in a rush to read it again. This book is perfect for those starting at uni, at uni or of that age.

[Neep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Major pluses:
+ Sex positive
+ Girl friendships
+ A whole host of different issues dealt with
+ Ambiguous sexualities all around

Minuses:
- The Fuck It List is a great name, if only it could've been the book title! Can't think why the publishers didn't go for that one...
- Towards the end there was too many issues - like a soap opera - and it felt like a couple of the girls were being overshadowed as a result. Lou and Paige seemed like the most interesting characters at the start of the book but because their issues (being stalked and money problems, respectively) didn't end with a romantic happy ever after like the other girls, it felt like they'd been brushed to the side because of their lack of dramatic resolution to their problems.
- I'm not sure if it's really a minus because I'm glad no one did, but I was sure someone was going to have sex with Ella's brother the second 'have sex with your friend's brother' appeared on the list, especially after finding out he was in a band and half the household fancied him already!

In summation, this was a good, fun book. UKYA at its best. Also the blurb on here is wrong, not least because it calls Ella 'Gemma', presumably because it's from an earlier draft of the book.

[Deama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this.

This follows and switches between five girls: Ella, Lou, Liane, Issey, and Paige. They're all living together whilst in uni and one day come across a list, basically a Fuck It list about which guys to sleep with before they turn twenty-one and they start a competition to see who can complete the list first. So it comes with new revelations, and problems, but also good times.

I think what I liked about it most was the memorable characters and the dialogue between all the girls. The sentences don't feel stilted at all, the conversations flow perfectly. And switching between all five girls was fun, I never was stuck on just one character who I always wanted it to go back to but was invested in all of their POV's.

I'm also glad that not everyone got their happy clichéd ending. Ella and Nick were just adorable. Liane, Issey, Lou, and Paige, I loved them all. These very varied group of girls had enough information about them to allow me to know them and I liked that. And if there's any possible second book, can I just beg for a Dylan and Lou story please! And more of Ella's and Dylan's cute sibling relationship.

Thanks to ReadersFirst for the copy!

[Kell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed the level of LGBT representation in this book. Three of the five main characters were not straight, and all at different times in their journeys, and their feelings were well written and researched.
I also loved the ending, a very hopeful finish. The characters are not all in the ideal places, emotionally and financially, but there was a definite sense of "it will get better", and the love and support between the girls was wonderful to read.
The characters were all very individual, with their own lives and histories and personalities, and it would be difficult to pick a main character, which is nice in an ensemble cast. They all had different journeys through the book as well, and their different goals and paths were presented as all equally valid and fulfilling, and you end with a sense that they have all either achieved their goals or are well on the way.
A lovely, heartwarming, positive book!

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five girls move into their own place for their second year of uni and we follow their adventures. The girls create a list of guys to date before they turn 21 and it leads to some interesting revelations.

This was a good story. There's not a huge amount of drama in it but the story flows well. I liked how each chapter was a month. The ending was perfect for the story and I enjoyed it. There was some funny moments and some really sad ones. It touched on some current real issues especially the story with Lou's ex.

I think Ella was my favourite character out of all of them but there wasn't anyone I didn't like in this. Paige was the most interesting and I loved the story between Issy and Liane.

[Daniel Boland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be honest and say I really wasn't sure I'd like this book.
This book is about five girls all starting the second year at university, moving into a shared house as opposed to the first year halls.
Five girls making new friends, having new experiences and presumably making more friends along the way.
This book certainly starts out with the stereotypical university ways with plenty based around sex and alcohol, but it quite an amusing read.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got into this book, and although it wouldn't be top of my list to read, i'd definitely read from cover to cover, and most definitely recommend as a good read.
It'll be interesting to see where things go from the first day / night in the new house and surviving the obvious hangover of day two!