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I Like That About Her #1
I Like That About Her
Life changes for Faith Cahill when she bumps into Chandler Reynolds, a new transfer student from California. Chandler is everything Faith isn’t. She’s kind, cheerful, and optimistic about everything. Faith tries to avoid Chandler, but something about her fascinates Faith. Chandler is just the friend Faith needs when her life seems to be headed for a downward spiral. Faith is returning to soccer after sitting the previous year out due to an injury. Her family has been torn apart by her father’s infidelity, which has caused her mother’s drinking problem to get completely out of hand.
When Faith and Chandler’s friendship turns into something more serious, Faith’s first instinct is to run. But she can’t. Chandler is everything Faith has ever wanted, even though she couldn’t admit it up until now. Faith will have to choose what’s most important to her. Pleasing her parents. Or true love.
When Faith and Chandler’s friendship turns into something more serious, Faith’s first instinct is to run. But she can’t. Chandler is everything Faith has ever wanted, even though she couldn’t admit it up until now. Faith will have to choose what’s most important to her. Pleasing her parents. Or true love.
- GenresLGBTYoung AdultLesbian
152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2017
78 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 15, 2018
A story of a high school student meeting a girl while in the midst of a family melt down. The English is at a 3rd grade reading level and would be ideal for someone learning the language with the warning that exclamation points are not obligatory when young people speak. The story is conventional enough with the pairing of the two main characters in classes and the required meet-ups to study together. Unfortunately this kind of treatment becomes forgettable to the serial reader.
What I liked and what distinguishes the book a little in my mind: For once the pastor is a relatively enlightened individual and is not put off by declarations of homosexuality. I think this is the only LGBT book I've read where this is so. I am not religious at all but do notice patterns. Also, there is no horrible behavior by the boys/men in the story. Another first. They all seem pretty chill and good representatives of their gender. Faith, the main character, has a twin brother and their interactions were pretty cool.
Alcoholism. There is more to alcoholism than whether or not Mom is going to be sleeping on the couch or if she has cleaned the kitchen. Living with an alcoholic is a terrible downward spiral damaging the sick individual as well as their family. I did not find this reflected enough in the story. The mother is almost removed from the story with the alcoholism used as a plot device. Mom only rears her ugly head near the end when her daughter's gayness is discovered and she freaks and lashes out with threats. So Mom arrives in time to be the crisis in the story but not how we would have expected.
Very little is told of the High School experience except that Faith does it all in school, playing multiple sports well enough to imply scholarships along with taking advanced placement courses. Note: The book is YA but still has a reference to the main characters having sex. There is little trauma except for mentioned/threatened 'take the gay away' camp.
What I liked and what distinguishes the book a little in my mind: For once the pastor is a relatively enlightened individual and is not put off by declarations of homosexuality. I think this is the only LGBT book I've read where this is so. I am not religious at all but do notice patterns. Also, there is no horrible behavior by the boys/men in the story. Another first. They all seem pretty chill and good representatives of their gender. Faith, the main character, has a twin brother and their interactions were pretty cool.
Alcoholism. There is more to alcoholism than whether or not Mom is going to be sleeping on the couch or if she has cleaned the kitchen. Living with an alcoholic is a terrible downward spiral damaging the sick individual as well as their family. I did not find this reflected enough in the story. The mother is almost removed from the story with the alcoholism used as a plot device. Mom only rears her ugly head near the end when her daughter's gayness is discovered and she freaks and lashes out with threats. So Mom arrives in time to be the crisis in the story but not how we would have expected.
Very little is told of the High School experience except that Faith does it all in school, playing multiple sports well enough to imply scholarships along with taking advanced placement courses. Note: The book is YA but still has a reference to the main characters having sex. There is little trauma except for mentioned/threatened 'take the gay away' camp.
April 25, 2021
This is practically a perfect story, with everything going Faith's way. I say perfect because she her brother and friend are the ones who encourage her to come out, her boyfriend is totally cool about them breaking up and accepting when Faith tells him she’s gay. That perfection ends when she comes out to her mother and then her father. Even her moment with Pastor Brian is perfect ‘cause the guy’s so accepting!
I don't understand why she thought breaking up with Chandler was good for Chandler but eh... teenagers are weirdos.
Overall, it's a breezy coming out story for (lucky girl) Chandler with her folks, and a struggle for Faith with hers - but definitely sweet when Chandler and Faith get back together.
I don't understand why she thought breaking up with Chandler was good for Chandler but eh... teenagers are weirdos.
Overall, it's a breezy coming out story for (lucky girl) Chandler with her folks, and a struggle for Faith with hers - but definitely sweet when Chandler and Faith get back together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2018
3.25 stars
March 24, 2018
Very sweet story
This was a very sweet story. Faith and Chandler and their coming of age love story. The fact that even in this day and age parents just don’t know how to deal with their gay child is a sad commentary of today’s society but the love story itself was very sweet and well developed.
This was a very sweet story. Faith and Chandler and their coming of age love story. The fact that even in this day and age parents just don’t know how to deal with their gay child is a sad commentary of today’s society but the love story itself was very sweet and well developed.
December 16, 2017
Great read i recommend it
I fell in love with all the characters... All very loving and understanding... I would like to see a sequel but then again when dont i.. Only if i love the story and i loved this one great writing too
I fell in love with all the characters... All very loving and understanding... I would like to see a sequel but then again when dont i.. Only if i love the story and i loved this one great writing too
October 17, 2018
With Aleks Mitchell you know what you are going to get- a sweet/ cute romance. She delivers again. Not a wonderful ending but good enough. I am pleased that the Aleks Mitchell books are getting longer and more character development is occurring.
Definitely a fan of the author
Definitely a fan of the author
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August 28, 2018DNF
Not much substance. Gave up about halfway through. Beyond just lacking substance, it was also in need of editing.
Not much substance. Gave up about halfway through. Beyond just lacking substance, it was also in need of editing.
January 7, 2020
YA
Sweet but completely sex Free boring Very predictable. Disney like resolution. Found after searching Butch femme which was never even alluded to. Ok for preteens
Sweet but completely sex Free boring Very predictable. Disney like resolution. Found after searching Butch femme which was never even alluded to. Ok for preteens
December 19, 2020
Spoiler in review - five stars because this author has solid potential
The plot and pacing were solid, but I felt like something was missing. I still enjoyed the book and I'll read the next one, but I think maybe things got resolved too easily. Maybe that's because the parents characters weren't very developed, so the dad doing an about face was a little weird. Like, maybe it would make more sense it if was established that dude had no spine. the mom's reaction was well written, but her growth arc felt rushed, like one little catalyst changed her mind about deeply held religious convictions? I didn't buy it. If I were an editor, I'd recommend switching around the car accident and the runaway attempt. Kids leaving a note and running off is scary, but even six year olds do it, and after the initial relief, the kid is usually still in trouble. I'd have her come out, have her mom react the same way, have the runaway situation, then have her mom come part way around. Let her back to school but ban her from dating maybe, maybe she has to do a conversation therapy thing after the school year in order for mom to pay for college. So they hide their time get back together, and they think they can get away with sneaking around, but then the car accident happens. Mom has a drinking problem, so let it be a drunk driver. The idea of losing your child to actual death is so terrifying, it will easily make you question anything. Particularly if it happened because they were trying to sneak around so they could be true to themselves.
Most romance books I enjoy follow a pattern, at around 50-60 % they overcome a seemingly impossible obstacle, things steadily improve, everything's about to come together fully, then at 80% everything that can go wrong does; in a crime novel the love interest gets kidnapped by the bad guy, in contemporary fic and romance, something unexpected (or sometimes a little expected) tears everyone and everything apart. Car accident is actually a tried and true way, and i wouldn't even call it overplayed because they really does happen all the time to tons of people. It's a terrifying experience for everyone involved, so you've got emotions raw, vulnerability, and the willingness to give anything if only your loved ones are okay. Even a bigoted fanatic might see their daughter's girlfriend reacting that way and their little grinch heart might grow a few sizes.
The plot and pacing were solid, but I felt like something was missing. I still enjoyed the book and I'll read the next one, but I think maybe things got resolved too easily. Maybe that's because the parents characters weren't very developed, so the dad doing an about face was a little weird. Like, maybe it would make more sense it if was established that dude had no spine. the mom's reaction was well written, but her growth arc felt rushed, like one little catalyst changed her mind about deeply held religious convictions? I didn't buy it. If I were an editor, I'd recommend switching around the car accident and the runaway attempt. Kids leaving a note and running off is scary, but even six year olds do it, and after the initial relief, the kid is usually still in trouble. I'd have her come out, have her mom react the same way, have the runaway situation, then have her mom come part way around. Let her back to school but ban her from dating maybe, maybe she has to do a conversation therapy thing after the school year in order for mom to pay for college. So they hide their time get back together, and they think they can get away with sneaking around, but then the car accident happens. Mom has a drinking problem, so let it be a drunk driver. The idea of losing your child to actual death is so terrifying, it will easily make you question anything. Particularly if it happened because they were trying to sneak around so they could be true to themselves.
Most romance books I enjoy follow a pattern, at around 50-60 % they overcome a seemingly impossible obstacle, things steadily improve, everything's about to come together fully, then at 80% everything that can go wrong does; in a crime novel the love interest gets kidnapped by the bad guy, in contemporary fic and romance, something unexpected (or sometimes a little expected) tears everyone and everything apart. Car accident is actually a tried and true way, and i wouldn't even call it overplayed because they really does happen all the time to tons of people. It's a terrifying experience for everyone involved, so you've got emotions raw, vulnerability, and the willingness to give anything if only your loved ones are okay. Even a bigoted fanatic might see their daughter's girlfriend reacting that way and their little grinch heart might grow a few sizes.
October 29, 2019
Tired, Terrible Tropes, but Dotted with Diamonds.
Tl;Dr summary: a fairly standard, formulaic and predictable story, but with some treasures that save it from being a completely forgettable book. The author shows promise, and I look forward to reading more.
If I hadn't read the last three pages, this book would have a 3 star rating. It's not bad, and there are no notable typos or other editing issues to note (which is itself notable and says more about how sad things have become in the literature world). The story itself was lackluster, though. It's a good, quick read but with a fairly common theme and mostly predictable outcomes. The tense was frustrating, with scaling past tense - that is, everything is written from the perspective of the action always being earlier that day ("Today was..."). Without any indication of dates, it's hard to tell if the previous scene was the day before or weeks before.
That is all the "bad" stuff - formulaic story, tried tropes, and troublesome tense. Which doesn't make it a bad book - just a "meh" one. What gives it any redemption, though, is Chandler (and, to a lesser extent, Chandler's father, Michael). Granted, they are kinda too perfect, but some of that is because of a biased narrator (for Chandler at least), but some of the scenes are truly exceptional. And sometimes, Faith is so frustrating that she feels more real than most of the characters. But the dialogue is what will need over. There are bits of truly beautiful dialogue in this book, which give me hope for book two (which is next on my reading queue). That and the small glimpses of other, secondary stories lurking in the background.
At the end of the day, I'll say this - it brought me to the brink of tears. That is why it's a four star book instead of three stars. For all its predictability, for all its well-tread tropes, there are still fragments of immense beauty.
I'll look forward to reading more by this author and hope they grow as an author.
Tl;Dr summary: a fairly standard, formulaic and predictable story, but with some treasures that save it from being a completely forgettable book. The author shows promise, and I look forward to reading more.
If I hadn't read the last three pages, this book would have a 3 star rating. It's not bad, and there are no notable typos or other editing issues to note (which is itself notable and says more about how sad things have become in the literature world). The story itself was lackluster, though. It's a good, quick read but with a fairly common theme and mostly predictable outcomes. The tense was frustrating, with scaling past tense - that is, everything is written from the perspective of the action always being earlier that day ("Today was..."). Without any indication of dates, it's hard to tell if the previous scene was the day before or weeks before.
That is all the "bad" stuff - formulaic story, tried tropes, and troublesome tense. Which doesn't make it a bad book - just a "meh" one. What gives it any redemption, though, is Chandler (and, to a lesser extent, Chandler's father, Michael). Granted, they are kinda too perfect, but some of that is because of a biased narrator (for Chandler at least), but some of the scenes are truly exceptional. And sometimes, Faith is so frustrating that she feels more real than most of the characters. But the dialogue is what will need over. There are bits of truly beautiful dialogue in this book, which give me hope for book two (which is next on my reading queue). That and the small glimpses of other, secondary stories lurking in the background.
At the end of the day, I'll say this - it brought me to the brink of tears. That is why it's a four star book instead of three stars. For all its predictability, for all its well-tread tropes, there are still fragments of immense beauty.
I'll look forward to reading more by this author and hope they grow as an author.
August 8, 2024
Faith is in school and meets a transfer student, Chandler. Two of the courses are constitutional law and statistics. Her mother wants her to become a lawyer but Faith doesn't want to be one.
Riley is Faith's best friend. Faith's parents are anti-gay. The two girls end up partners on a class project. Faith also auditions for the school play. Things become complicated when Faith develops feelings for Chandler.
Then it becomes a matter of who believes what with her father turnings against her, a pastor becoming involved and an attempt to run away due to the pressure she is under.
So the questions remains will Faith end up leaving her family or not? Will Chandler find a way to keep Faith as a girlfriend?
A pretty standard story with a satisfactory ending.
Riley is Faith's best friend. Faith's parents are anti-gay. The two girls end up partners on a class project. Faith also auditions for the school play. Things become complicated when Faith develops feelings for Chandler.
Then it becomes a matter of who believes what with her father turnings against her, a pastor becoming involved and an attempt to run away due to the pressure she is under.
So the questions remains will Faith end up leaving her family or not? Will Chandler find a way to keep Faith as a girlfriend?
A pretty standard story with a satisfactory ending.
January 25, 2018
It was a sweet but realistic love story. I've read quite a few lesbian romance stories . Some of them have too much sex in them . This story had a good balance. The author is really good at building up the storyline. I really enjoyed it.
It is a really sweet but realistic love story . I've read a lot of lesbian romance and some of t have too much sex in them. This author knows how to write a sweet love story .
It is a really sweet but realistic love story . I've read a lot of lesbian romance and some of t have too much sex in them. This author knows how to write a sweet love story .
January 16, 2021
Cute but tropey
Cute love story. Could use a bit more editing, the parents seemed like they changed on a dime, and could use an LGBT story where being LGBT isn't villainized by those not on the community in the book, though representation of coming out and the various realistic reactions are definitely valid. It's just sad to see "oh you're gay and that's the worst thing ever" in so much media.
Cute love story. Could use a bit more editing, the parents seemed like they changed on a dime, and could use an LGBT story where being LGBT isn't villainized by those not on the community in the book, though representation of coming out and the various realistic reactions are definitely valid. It's just sad to see "oh you're gay and that's the worst thing ever" in so much media.
February 26, 2021
A lovely coming out story nromance
What happens when you come out to yourself and your parents. It doesn't always workbas well as this hook, it's good that all the people in this persons life are supportive. It didn't happen as easily for some of us, but can eventually in the end. You have bevtrue to yourself is the message if this book.Ps it's a lively sweet romance as well.
What happens when you come out to yourself and your parents. It doesn't always workbas well as this hook, it's good that all the people in this persons life are supportive. It didn't happen as easily for some of us, but can eventually in the end. You have bevtrue to yourself is the message if this book.Ps it's a lively sweet romance as well.
January 16, 2018
This book was very well written. It hits on the angst of fist love, especially if that is a LGBTQ love. I really do not think people understand how hard it is to accept that you may be gay when all your life you are told it is wrong. I think Mitchell really did a fantastic job of introducing and confronting those issues with believable characters. I read this book in one sitting.
February 23, 2019
I think this is a great book that explains how much and how hard it can be for a gay person to come out to the people they care about.
I would definitely recommend this to for anyone who is struggling with their sexuality or if you are someone who wants to understand more about the life and meaning of someone being in the lgbtq+ community.
I would definitely recommend this to for anyone who is struggling with their sexuality or if you are someone who wants to understand more about the life and meaning of someone being in the lgbtq+ community.
March 19, 2021
Good Story
I enjoyed Faith and Chandlers journey; however it's a little more PG than what I usually read. The complete and utter lack sex was the reason for my rating but it was still a well written story.
I enjoyed Faith and Chandlers journey; however it's a little more PG than what I usually read. The complete and utter lack sex was the reason for my rating but it was still a well written story.
September 2, 2018
Amazing
Could not put the book down, the characters are amazing and the story line is beyond captivating from the first page
Could not put the book down, the characters are amazing and the story line is beyond captivating from the first page
January 1, 2019
Enjoyable
Good book kind of wish a lot young gays could have experienced like this when coming out the good and bad
Good book kind of wish a lot young gays could have experienced like this when coming out the good and bad
February 7, 2019
Great read
I had this book saved on my wish list forever. I kicked my butt for not reading it sooner! Such a good storyline and characters. I am about to start book 2.
I had this book saved on my wish list forever. I kicked my butt for not reading it sooner! Such a good storyline and characters. I am about to start book 2.
October 30, 2019
OK book, nice people generally, no real drama, just a teen female dealing with loving another. Nice but not particularly recommended.
February 9, 2020
A heart smiling book to read.
Loved the story and happy ending. Totally understand the struggles with coming out and the reactions and actions of family members.
Loved the story and happy ending. Totally understand the struggles with coming out and the reactions and actions of family members.
March 30, 2023
Great book!
This was a great book. Not just focused on coming out of the closet but more emphasis on the actual love story. Cheers to the author!
This was a great book. Not just focused on coming out of the closet but more emphasis on the actual love story. Cheers to the author!
July 13, 2020
Mehhh. It was alright. It was hard to see pass the glaring grammar issues.
February 4, 2022
i feel like this was the definition of stereotypical wlw relationships & it was incredibly rushed - especially since there’s more books
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January 15, 2019Sweet coming out story, first love
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