story craft

Genre: YA romance

Format: Hardcover

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Reasons to Love 

-friends/co-workers to lovers
-sweet romance
-adorable zoo animals
-strong female friendships
-cinnamon roll hero

Cautions: a couple of passionate kisses, but not too intense or super descriptive; one character has a gambling addiction; money problems and parental discord are also part of the story; racism/xenophobia is part of one character’s story as well

Favorite quote: “I’ve never been antisocial. Just underrated.”

Review: Ah, this was such a sweet story, and I adored Maddie and Seth, but I found myself wanting more from both. Maddie’s heart for others really shined through in how she used her newfound wealth to help others, but it also turned a bright and burning spotlight on her fears. Specifically, it highlighted her fear of never being good enough to be loved for precisely who she was. I felt for her in that she became the center of her family’s functioning, even before the money, and they seemed to use her for the peace she brought. But Maddie loved them so deeply that she was willing to give up everything for them.

And then we have Seth, whose family gave up so much to keep up appearances, and who deals with so many common misconceptions about Asian/Vietnamese American culture. His story is heartbreaking. And yet he is so tenderhearted and doesn’t push too hard because he knows what it’s like to not want to talk about something. Seriously, the depth West brought to these characters in this story amazed me.

I think I rated it a little lower just because I felt like some questions weren’t answered in the end. Still, an incredibly sweet YA romance I’d highly recommend.