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The Trouble with Hate Is...
…it’s easier.
…it’s safer.
…it’s often not hate at all.
The Granger and Drake families have been through everything together; the suicide of the eldest Granger son, the Drake patriarch’s cancer diagnosis, family holidays with only slight maiming, and more dance recitals than anyone would care to remember.
Leilani Granger can’t stand the person Casper Drake has become, and Casper doesn’t even recognise his best mate’s little sister anymore. Loving each other is second-nature, but they don’t know how not to hate each other either.
As they face losing Leilani’s only remaining brother and Casper’s best mate to his inner demons, old habits lead them back to each other for comfort.
But, after one night of a deeper connection than either of them were ready for, the lines between the emotional and the physical start to blur.
Leilani wasn’t the kind to lose herself in meaningless sex.
Casper’s been doing it for years.
It's the only time they can forget the storm clouds in their lives.
It’s the only time they can remember the sunshine.
It’s the only time hate doesn’t get in the way.
But, the trouble with hate is…it’s often not hate at all.
NB: Contains mature content. Not suitable for younger readers.
Please be aware that this story is set in Australia and therefore uses Australian English spelling and syntax.
…it’s safer.
…it’s often not hate at all.
The Granger and Drake families have been through everything together; the suicide of the eldest Granger son, the Drake patriarch’s cancer diagnosis, family holidays with only slight maiming, and more dance recitals than anyone would care to remember.
Leilani Granger can’t stand the person Casper Drake has become, and Casper doesn’t even recognise his best mate’s little sister anymore. Loving each other is second-nature, but they don’t know how not to hate each other either.
As they face losing Leilani’s only remaining brother and Casper’s best mate to his inner demons, old habits lead them back to each other for comfort.
But, after one night of a deeper connection than either of them were ready for, the lines between the emotional and the physical start to blur.
Leilani wasn’t the kind to lose herself in meaningless sex.
Casper’s been doing it for years.
It's the only time they can forget the storm clouds in their lives.
It’s the only time they can remember the sunshine.
It’s the only time hate doesn’t get in the way.
But, the trouble with hate is…it’s often not hate at all.
NB: Contains mature content. Not suitable for younger readers.
Please be aware that this story is set in Australia and therefore uses Australian English spelling and syntax.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 17, 2019
129 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Stevens
77 books368 followersWriter. Reader. Perpetual student. Nerd.
I started out writing fantasy. But, I like to write anything, honestly. These days, I mainly stick to YA and there's always at least a sprinkling of romance, if not a 'whoops, I dropped the whole packet in'. Almost all my books are set in my home state of South Australia, either in real or fictional places - gotta write what you know - with Netherfield being the only current exception.
Like most writers, I love to read. Although, time for reading at the moment is hard to come by. When I'm not too busy writing, I'm usually reading a number of authors. Some of my favourites are Rick Riordan, Jane Austen, Kate Forsyth, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Kasie West, John Flanagan, Terry Pratchett, Isobelle Carmody, Christina Benjamin, Emily Rodda, and many more.
I'm an avid fan of Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Red Dwarf, IT Crowd, and pretty much anything similar. I've recently discovered Richard Ayoade's Travel Man and it's brilliant. I love watching soccer (go Gunners) and thoroughly look forward to seeing Eurovision every year. Celebrity crushes include Anna Kendrick and Chris Evans, because they are wonderful.
I live in Adelaide with my husband and a menagerie of animals – a cat reliving her (sixth) youth, a cowardly Beagle-Cavalier who thinks he’s smaller than he is, one meeping guinea pig who thinks any plastic bag has his greens in, two chickens who are terrified of free-ranging, and a turtle with a penchant for sticking her head up her filter pipe.
I have a Master of Arts (Writing) from Swinburne University of Technology. I also have a Master of Arts (Editing and Publishing) at University of Southern Queensland and, am now working towards my PhD. I also hope to one day undertake a PhD in Creative Writing - perpetual student, am I.
I also organise the Sleeping Dragon Emerging Fantasy Writers’ Collective writing group. The group self-published their anthology Tales from the Sleeping Dragon in 2012.
You can also find me on:
Facebook
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If you'd like to keep up with all my shenanigans, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
NB: I'm usually happy to discuss review copies of my books. A track record of reviewing is preferable, but not completely necessary.
I started out writing fantasy. But, I like to write anything, honestly. These days, I mainly stick to YA and there's always at least a sprinkling of romance, if not a 'whoops, I dropped the whole packet in'. Almost all my books are set in my home state of South Australia, either in real or fictional places - gotta write what you know - with Netherfield being the only current exception.
Like most writers, I love to read. Although, time for reading at the moment is hard to come by. When I'm not too busy writing, I'm usually reading a number of authors. Some of my favourites are Rick Riordan, Jane Austen, Kate Forsyth, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Kasie West, John Flanagan, Terry Pratchett, Isobelle Carmody, Christina Benjamin, Emily Rodda, and many more.
I'm an avid fan of Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Red Dwarf, IT Crowd, and pretty much anything similar. I've recently discovered Richard Ayoade's Travel Man and it's brilliant. I love watching soccer (go Gunners) and thoroughly look forward to seeing Eurovision every year. Celebrity crushes include Anna Kendrick and Chris Evans, because they are wonderful.
I live in Adelaide with my husband and a menagerie of animals – a cat reliving her (sixth) youth, a cowardly Beagle-Cavalier who thinks he’s smaller than he is, one meeping guinea pig who thinks any plastic bag has his greens in, two chickens who are terrified of free-ranging, and a turtle with a penchant for sticking her head up her filter pipe.
I have a Master of Arts (Writing) from Swinburne University of Technology. I also have a Master of Arts (Editing and Publishing) at University of Southern Queensland and, am now working towards my PhD. I also hope to one day undertake a PhD in Creative Writing - perpetual student, am I.
I also organise the Sleeping Dragon Emerging Fantasy Writers’ Collective writing group. The group self-published their anthology Tales from the Sleeping Dragon in 2012.
You can also find me on:
Wattpad
If you'd like to keep up with all my shenanigans, you can sign up for my newsletter here.
NB: I'm usually happy to discuss review copies of my books. A track record of reviewing is preferable, but not completely necessary.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 17, 2018
I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review, so thank you so much for sending this my way! I'm sorry it took me so long to finally get to reading it!
3.5/5
I really liked the premise of this book! It reminds me a lot of a friendship that I have personally, except where I would be Lani and he would be Caspar, we are not next door neighbors. The relationship and back-and-forth bickering between those two reminds me a lot of my friendship with this person!
I liked how this book also dealt with some issues that we don't normally see (death in family, relationships, fears of the future, even struggles with family members) and not undermining these issues in any way. I personally don't see a lot of these situations in YA and those issues that are usually brought up are shown as people that figure it out by the end, and it was nice to see them struggle and figure it out in their own way.
My main complaint with this book was that the pacing was sometimes way off, and while some scenes went super quickly, others seemed to drag on for a longer time than necessary. I think that if there were a happy medium in how the pacing of this book was, I might have made this a four star read.
However, that being said, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a mature YA that deals with some serious topics. Just know that you'll be frustrated with the characters at first, because it's obvious that they care for each other and won't admit it, but it definitely goes in a direction that we are all looking for.
3.5/5
I really liked the premise of this book! It reminds me a lot of a friendship that I have personally, except where I would be Lani and he would be Caspar, we are not next door neighbors. The relationship and back-and-forth bickering between those two reminds me a lot of my friendship with this person!
I liked how this book also dealt with some issues that we don't normally see (death in family, relationships, fears of the future, even struggles with family members) and not undermining these issues in any way. I personally don't see a lot of these situations in YA and those issues that are usually brought up are shown as people that figure it out by the end, and it was nice to see them struggle and figure it out in their own way.
My main complaint with this book was that the pacing was sometimes way off, and while some scenes went super quickly, others seemed to drag on for a longer time than necessary. I think that if there were a happy medium in how the pacing of this book was, I might have made this a four star read.
However, that being said, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a mature YA that deals with some serious topics. Just know that you'll be frustrated with the characters at first, because it's obvious that they care for each other and won't admit it, but it definitely goes in a direction that we are all looking for.
April 2, 2018
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only. I LOVED this book! It was a story that I got into straight away and didn't want to put down-the kind when you see it is 12:30am but keep reading because there are only thirty pages left, even though you know you'll be up at 6:30!
There are two main characters who take turns telling the story-so you get a real sense of their thoughts. I found the characters engaging and the story fast paced and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the tension between the main characters (as alluded to in the title) and was excited to see the development of their relationship.
There were parts I was laughing out loud and also parts I was teary-through the sad parts and the happy! I don't get teary too often while reading so it definitely shows the power of the author's words.
I will definitely be reading this story again, and am interested in checking out more of the author's work knowing how much I enjoyed this.
There are two main characters who take turns telling the story-so you get a real sense of their thoughts. I found the characters engaging and the story fast paced and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the tension between the main characters (as alluded to in the title) and was excited to see the development of their relationship.
There were parts I was laughing out loud and also parts I was teary-through the sad parts and the happy! I don't get teary too often while reading so it definitely shows the power of the author's words.
I will definitely be reading this story again, and am interested in checking out more of the author's work knowing how much I enjoyed this.
April 3, 2018
i received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
i loved the characters in this book and how well they all connected through everything they had going on in their lives. i always said that it would be good for a YA book to touch on mental illness as its something people dont like to talk about. i myself suffer from one form of it and i liked the way it was brought across in this book. from the moment i picked it up i couldn't put it down, i almost called in sick at work just so i could stay home and read it
i loved the characters in this book and how well they all connected through everything they had going on in their lives. i always said that it would be good for a YA book to touch on mental illness as its something people dont like to talk about. i myself suffer from one form of it and i liked the way it was brought across in this book. from the moment i picked it up i couldn't put it down, i almost called in sick at work just so i could stay home and read it
October 10, 2019
I just love Elizabeths Stevens books, how she tackles an issue and how it affects everybody else, Johnny was a lovable big brother who always seemed to be happy but his mental illness drove him to do something unexpected, From there everyone around him changes and had to learned how to get by.
the depth of the main characters and how easily you get to connect and understand their feelings is great! I can't wait to read more from this Author.
the depth of the main characters and how easily you get to connect and understand their feelings is great! I can't wait to read more from this Author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2019
Part love story, part tragedy.
This book was heartbreaking. Dealing with issues such as suicide, alcoholism, cancer, and depression. It was also beautifully told and for the most part, handled these issues with care. As a parent, I can't say I would have made all the same parenting choices for a child in the depths of depression, but then again one never knows what they will do till they are in that position.
This book was heartbreaking. Dealing with issues such as suicide, alcoholism, cancer, and depression. It was also beautifully told and for the most part, handled these issues with care. As a parent, I can't say I would have made all the same parenting choices for a child in the depths of depression, but then again one never knows what they will do till they are in that position.
March 29, 2021
This book is top notch.....It gives us a glimpse about depression and how it affects those around it ......Spoiler time (Summary)the book tells us how the grangers and drakes are coping after johnny's death (he is the eldest granger brother fell victim to depression )and how even after 3 years all of them are still broken inside... The main characters; Leilani Granger(aka angel, lei or lani)and Casper Drake(aka cas)..As Brett, Lani's only remaining brother is spiralling down the same path as Jonny and both of them face losing him they go to each other for comfort and have sex one night ...they decide not to do it again even though it brings them happiness, but Lani comes back for that happiness and they keep doing it time and time again.But when one day his friends come to know and tell him he's in love with her he goes to her and tells her that they have to stop and in that fight she realises that she's in love with him and tries to tell him but recoils into the broken shell of her heart as she thinks he could never love her..2 months later...he finally realises that he in love with her but vice versa he doesn't think she could love him.One day he tells Brett about sleeping with his sister and gets beaten up ,after lani storms out of the room one of his friends (nick:he's the one who took Lani's virginity and almost got he's face smashed because of it )makes a comment which leads to Cas telling Brett that he loves Lani...Finally as usual to stop Brett from doing some reckless stunt he does it himself when he comes out of the pool they fight and tell each other about their feelings...the day they tell their parents, his and Lani's dad take him to another room ask him how serious he is about her and whether he will marry her one day ,he says yes and they are surprised they ask if jonny would be okay with it and he says yes and that he knew it was coming... he tells them how she was their rock and how he wasn't her rock when he should've been ....and that he would not let her go through that with brett again...in the other room everyone is able to hear all this and brett gives his sister a hug and apologizes to her and Cas...lani then tells us the difference between being in love with someone and loving them but it helped everyone ;Emma (Casper's twin)was slowly going back to her old self and Brett was trying hard not to disappoint everyone even though he never had, their moms now openly spoke about their future wedding all in all love made het life better....A few years later..They have this thing where they dance in the rain literally and figuratively so when one such night when it rains Cas asks Lani "Will you.dance with me, Angel?" She says she'd love to and they go and dance and as they danced he hoped it would be slightly different from the others and tells he wants to marry her she says she wants that too....he tells this time she can tell them this time as he got yelled at last time she ok "Only because I don't hate you." and he says I suppose I don't hate you either"and they dance and laugh together . The trouble with hate is.....THE END.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2021
I actually really like this book, though the pacing can be uneven, and the early years thoughts and speech are not really accurate as to how kids speak or think. So why the the three stars? Well, there’s a couple of reasons. Elizabeth Stevens tends to write books with female characters who are either virgins or have had only a couple of partners…and male characters who have had dozens. It’s offputting. Not the multiple partners. The fact that she seems to have a thing for inexperienced girls/women with very experienced boys/men. It’s a common trope in books and very overdone. I’d love to see more books with main characters who have had a similar number of partners (whether that’s none, one, or forty-five). Or at least switch it around and have the girl be the one who likes sexual adventure (without the slut-shaming, please) and a guy who’s virginal or less experienced.
My main issue, though, is how Lani’s brother Brett, and the love interest, Casper, have cock-blocked her throughout high school. They have spent years threatening guys from touching her/asking her out, and when Casper finds out she’s slept with people he punches one, and makes her tell him the name of the other one. It’s creepy. It’s often done in books, this overprotective vibe that is supposed to come across as either brotherly or romantic, but frankly, teaches girls and women that such obsessive behaviors are okay. They’re not. Ever. The type of behavior evidenced by Casper and Brett in regards to limiting the contact of Lani with males is abusive and should be recognized as such.
ETA: Having just reread this, I forgot how overwrought and almost embarrassing the end is. Some of Stevens other books are far better written. The thing with the dads at the end is also…weird. They’re basically telling Casper he’s shit and not worthy, and not built for love. Not cool, and also, once again, creepy. Dude. That is not how healthy relationships between parents and children work.
Eta2: I found another of her books where the main female character has had sex with more people than the make. So that’s good. But I do still think Stevens tense towards the manwhore/less experienced trope.
My main issue, though, is how Lani’s brother Brett, and the love interest, Casper, have cock-blocked her throughout high school. They have spent years threatening guys from touching her/asking her out, and when Casper finds out she’s slept with people he punches one, and makes her tell him the name of the other one. It’s creepy. It’s often done in books, this overprotective vibe that is supposed to come across as either brotherly or romantic, but frankly, teaches girls and women that such obsessive behaviors are okay. They’re not. Ever. The type of behavior evidenced by Casper and Brett in regards to limiting the contact of Lani with males is abusive and should be recognized as such.
ETA: Having just reread this, I forgot how overwrought and almost embarrassing the end is. Some of Stevens other books are far better written. The thing with the dads at the end is also…weird. They’re basically telling Casper he’s shit and not worthy, and not built for love. Not cool, and also, once again, creepy. Dude. That is not how healthy relationships between parents and children work.
Eta2: I found another of her books where the main female character has had sex with more people than the make. So that’s good. But I do still think Stevens tense towards the manwhore/less experienced trope.
August 17, 2023
This book comprised 2 stories kind of mashed together. A very stereotypical romance, and a story about 2 families falling apart after the death of a family member. They didn't really fit together all that well, and the mental health aspect wasn't as well dealt with as I would have liked.
The romance is full of (in my opinion) unhelpful tropes. The main character is Not like other girls! The love interest sleeps with all the girls! He doesn't respect her boundaries but its okay because he knows her better than she knows herself! The 'protectiveness' around Leilani's sex life is creepy and offensive but played off as a normal thing.
The family fallout from the suicide had some nicer resolution, including recognition that they weren't really helping each other with their coping mechanisms. But too often the significant depression of one of the characters was brushed off by both the teens and their parents, leaving me to wonder what they were doing.
There were some nice elements, but not great overall.
There isn't a content warning with the book and there really should be one. It includes descriptions of self harm, including a reasonably graphic scene of the aftermath of self harm in addition to the mention of the death by suicide of one of the characters.
The romance is full of (in my opinion) unhelpful tropes. The main character is Not like other girls! The love interest sleeps with all the girls! He doesn't respect her boundaries but its okay because he knows her better than she knows herself! The 'protectiveness' around Leilani's sex life is creepy and offensive but played off as a normal thing.
The family fallout from the suicide had some nicer resolution, including recognition that they weren't really helping each other with their coping mechanisms. But too often the significant depression of one of the characters was brushed off by both the teens and their parents, leaving me to wonder what they were doing.
There were some nice elements, but not great overall.
There isn't a content warning with the book and there really should be one. It includes descriptions of self harm, including a reasonably graphic scene of the aftermath of self harm in addition to the mention of the death by suicide of one of the characters.
August 20, 2022
I add books to my holds list on my library app, and then by the time they become available, I often don’t remember how I heard of the title or why I added it. This one was a terrible mistake.
This book has a few themes that the author really wants to make sure you don’t miss, so she thoughtfully repeats them not just in every chapter, but on every page. They are:
1. Casper’s beauty is rivaled only by his immorality.
2. Casper is a dancer.
3. Leilani hates Casper as much as she loves him.
4. Leilani and Casper were raised as family, are practically siblings, think of each other as siblings, are viewed by all who know them as siblings; but there’s nothing weird about the fact that they have very un-sibling-like desires for each other.
5. Brett has issues, but that’s not the point. The point is that Casper and Leilani are Very Concerned about Brett’s issues.
The writing is….weird. I actually gave the book much more of a chance than it deserved (read 60% of it), because the writing was so odd that for a while I thought it was some sort of writing experiment that might have a cool pay-off. I was pretty sure at around 30% that wasn’t the case, but then it was like being unable to look away from a train-wreck. I even thought I might finish it, just to see how such a mess could possibly end. But then the book next on my holds list became available 🤷♀️
This book has a few themes that the author really wants to make sure you don’t miss, so she thoughtfully repeats them not just in every chapter, but on every page. They are:
1. Casper’s beauty is rivaled only by his immorality.
2. Casper is a dancer.
3. Leilani hates Casper as much as she loves him.
4. Leilani and Casper were raised as family, are practically siblings, think of each other as siblings, are viewed by all who know them as siblings; but there’s nothing weird about the fact that they have very un-sibling-like desires for each other.
5. Brett has issues, but that’s not the point. The point is that Casper and Leilani are Very Concerned about Brett’s issues.
The writing is….weird. I actually gave the book much more of a chance than it deserved (read 60% of it), because the writing was so odd that for a while I thought it was some sort of writing experiment that might have a cool pay-off. I was pretty sure at around 30% that wasn’t the case, but then it was like being unable to look away from a train-wreck. I even thought I might finish it, just to see how such a mess could possibly end. But then the book next on my holds list became available 🤷♀️
July 24, 2018
The fine line between hate and love...
I'm surprised no one has commented or even rated this book yet...
However this book was a great read. I'm a sucker for YA books and this book definitely kept me interested. I loved the characters, they were real. They portrayed real life problems which we all go through. The story in itself was similar to the author's book Accidentally Perfect, which I loved, but in its own right it was also different. It's a good read with amazing characters, and I just love a good old British banter. If you've loved any of this author's other books you won't be disappointed with this one. The feels, the laughs, and the cries. They all made for a very good book.
I'm surprised no one has commented or even rated this book yet...
However this book was a great read. I'm a sucker for YA books and this book definitely kept me interested. I loved the characters, they were real. They portrayed real life problems which we all go through. The story in itself was similar to the author's book Accidentally Perfect, which I loved, but in its own right it was also different. It's a good read with amazing characters, and I just love a good old British banter. If you've loved any of this author's other books you won't be disappointed with this one. The feels, the laughs, and the cries. They all made for a very good book.
March 4, 2019
Soooo dramatic
There was a lot of heartbreak in this one. At times it felt like too much. But the witty and sexual banter between Lani and Cas made up for it. While I get Cas' reasoning for handling Brett the way he did, it was badly done. Just the whole family dynamic in dealing with Brett was poorly done. Who sees one of their family members struggling in a painful and obvious way and just carries on like nothing is happening? I know than in real life it happens more often than not but I'd like to believe it doesn't happen because it ticks me off. Moving on, I thought it was plainly obvious from the get-go that Cas and Lani belonged together. That much passion only stems from one of two things and more often than not, it's really only the one thing.
There was a lot of heartbreak in this one. At times it felt like too much. But the witty and sexual banter between Lani and Cas made up for it. While I get Cas' reasoning for handling Brett the way he did, it was badly done. Just the whole family dynamic in dealing with Brett was poorly done. Who sees one of their family members struggling in a painful and obvious way and just carries on like nothing is happening? I know than in real life it happens more often than not but I'd like to believe it doesn't happen because it ticks me off. Moving on, I thought it was plainly obvious from the get-go that Cas and Lani belonged together. That much passion only stems from one of two things and more often than not, it's really only the one thing.
August 12, 2018
A beautiful and touching story about loss, miscommunication, depression, and love. This is a book with characters who are flawed. Life dealt a blow to each and everyone of the families at the base of the story. And with each individual, the loss was dealt with differently. The journey they took was hard fought and as is any journey, it brought out the worse and the best of them. A truly moving story. I loved the entire book but absolutely loved the ending. I look forward to reading about Bec and hopefully Emma in the future. It would be wonderful to read more about Angel and Cas as well. Great storytelling and great characters.
August 4, 2018
Their families had been through so much together, fights, deaths and love. Neither of them recognise what the other has become. Sometimes hate is really love being disguised as hate. She could be losing her brother and they end up in bed with other. The lines are now blurred. Is it really hate? Can a happy ending happen? See if it can
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 8, 2020
This is a wonderfully solid young adult romance. The characters are wide and varied to reach a broader audience. They’re relatable. I didn’t want to put the book down. It’s exactly the kind of book I looked for in high school. The content is better suited for older teens.
Now I’m off to read the other two books of hers I have.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review
Now I’m off to read the other two books of hers I have.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review
August 1, 2018
This story is not est to review, because the book talk about some difficult subject like suicide or teen depression. And it wrote in a pretty sensitive way. My only problem with this all story is lack of parental reaction. It’s a bit too much teens acting as adult when the parent seems obvious to anything.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 2, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this YA novel. This is the story of Leilani Granger and Casper Drake they have been good friends since they were kids.
This is a YA book but contains mature content and deals with mental illness!
Great plot and characters. I enjoyed reading the cute scenes when they were kids.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a YA book but contains mature content and deals with mental illness!
Great plot and characters. I enjoyed reading the cute scenes when they were kids.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 23, 2018
I absolutely loved this book and was honored to have been able to receive an arc to read and review. It was such a phenomenal read and had amazing characters as well as an amazing story line. I just couldn't get enough of it and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I recommend that you read it.
July 31, 2018
The book is a good teen and young adult romance read. The book does touch on mental illness. The characters are good, real, and engaging. The story is a fast pace and thought provoking read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 31, 2018
This book is YA touch a bit on mental illness! I love how the characters are in the book! Love the plot! Loved it
August 6, 2018
The book has a good storyline that is captivating. It focuses on mental illness. The characters are intriguing and well developed.
March 1, 2019
I was pleasantly surprised with this one! Really enjoyed the story. Wish there had been more character development with the brother, but otherwise still cute.
March 21, 2019
FLoved it
This is one of those books that has you feeling so many emotions while reading it. Man was this book great.
This is one of those books that has you feeling so many emotions while reading it. Man was this book great.
Read
November 3, 2019I wasn't engaged by the writing style or the MCs. I also found the pacing very slow. This was a DNF for me.
August 13, 2021
Really Good
Oh this book isn’t the norm, but it’s very unique. Very emotional and totally engrossing. Really good story of young love, family, friends & never giving up.
Oh this book isn’t the norm, but it’s very unique. Very emotional and totally engrossing. Really good story of young love, family, friends & never giving up.
November 24, 2024
Tinged with darkness but love the character growth and love story in itself.
September 20, 2018
I really like Elizabeth Stevens as an author. She's turning in to one of my favorites to read. So much of her work takes the ordinary and somehow makes it feel like you're reading about a different, bubbled world. Things are usually written so raw and have an interesting perspective. It's not just your basic YA. Overall, this one was great. Though, I still think my favorite of hers so far has been Accidentally Perfect. I'm ready to read her newest (Love, Lust, & Friendship). I pre-ordered it on Kindle and everything. I'm just waiting for the first distraction-free weekend to come along so I can read it all in one sitting!
October 19, 2019
Wow, this book was such an emotional ride.
I mean, I was sort of prepared from the blurb and some of the reviews so I had tissues close by but still, WOW.
This book deals with so much and it's done so beautifully well. I laughed at times and I cried A LOT of times. I'll just say this is definitely a must-read when you need a good cleansing cry in the best way possible. Don't mistake the tears people, I left this book with a huge smile on my face and a warmth in my heart that is uniquely Elizabeth Stevens' style.
So many tropes and themes, interwoven so neatly and it all felt as though it just seamlessly fit together.
As always, Elizabeth Stevens has left me speechless in the best way.
I mean, I was sort of prepared from the blurb and some of the reviews so I had tissues close by but still, WOW.
This book deals with so much and it's done so beautifully well. I laughed at times and I cried A LOT of times. I'll just say this is definitely a must-read when you need a good cleansing cry in the best way possible. Don't mistake the tears people, I left this book with a huge smile on my face and a warmth in my heart that is uniquely Elizabeth Stevens' style.
So many tropes and themes, interwoven so neatly and it all felt as though it just seamlessly fit together.
As always, Elizabeth Stevens has left me speechless in the best way.
September 11, 2025
Fantastic book!
Elizabeth has written another amazing book! I couldn't put it down and have reread it multiple times. Wonderful character development with characters you can't help but love even when they are standing in their own way. You will find yourself crying and celebrating with the characters through all the ups and downs.
Elizabeth has written another amazing book! I couldn't put it down and have reread it multiple times. Wonderful character development with characters you can't help but love even when they are standing in their own way. You will find yourself crying and celebrating with the characters through all the ups and downs.
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