Well, this book was my first pure romance book, and I was surprised about how much I liked it. However, I think that the book is overrated, and even though it's very good, it doesn't deserve to be #1 on the GoodReads Romance charts. Like, come on!
Summary: Poppy, a travel writer, finally gets in touch with her crush Alex, after they had a falling out 2 years ago. They then decide to travel to California together in the hopes of reconnecting with each other. Throughout their excursion, Poppy flashbacked to her and Alex's summer vacations prior to this one and recounted the many pleasant experiences that they had with each other. The real question is: will they rekindle their relationship with each other, and most importantly, will they finally fall in love?
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS!
Honestly, this wasn't the best book that I've read, and the slow romantic buildup really put me off. It took like 3/4 of the book for them to finally kiss, and that aggravates me. How can you call this a romance book when there's only romance for less than half the book?! Unbelievable! Furthermore, the constant flashbacks really disoriented me and I don't think that that many were actually needed. To each their own though. Other than that, the plot development was natural, and even though I hated the flashbacks, they were always developing in line with the present storyline, which is always good. One thing that I liked about this book was the song references during the car rides. Emily Henry has great taste in music, and it always somehow fits the vibes. Piano Man by Billy Joel? Check. Alone by Heart? Check. Plus, don't forget the romantic moment under the rain. What a nice AP Lit motif. Cute moments there, huh? Nothing to complain about there.
I also liked the conflict at the end, and it reminds me of the classic "The Kite Runner" moment where Amir pictures himself running after Hassan in the rain. Only that Poppy does go after Alex and they finally reach a compromise. It comforts me knowing that there was a happy ending at the end, and I liked the immense realism here. Relationships (probably, I literally cannot relate) do take time and work, and it shows the give and take moments that people have to give to each other. Overall, it's a pretty good book. Pure romance books are way too focused on love and I think that romance books with another side plot are better reads. But that's just me, and I bet there's an army of GoodReads readers disagreeing with me right now.
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