S. M. James

2.5 stars
It's a cute book. I could completely relate to Archie. He just didn't care about this whole socializing thing. The fake smiles and unnecessary small talk.

Everyone told him all his life he's "so gay" because of dancing, but he wasn't. And then he met Landon and it turned out he might not be straight after all and he panicked. I liked this part. Seeing Archie figure out this stuff. But then came the stupid drama with the blackmailing. Ugh! And there was a big misunderstanding too at the end. Ugh! And then the time came to come out to the parents and the mom goes "Oh, I'm your Mom, I know things." Even though Archie himself didn't know. Ugh!

So I rolled my eyes quite a lot! But for teenagers it could be a good book, I guess. It's completely non-sexual.… (mehr)

Micah and Rory are finally a couple. Michah had always had a crush on his friend and now it's finally a reality. The two teens really complement one another. Micah is calm and thoughtful. Rory is impulsive and frenetic. When they get together, they are a couple that balances each other out.

One day, Rory arrives home to find an unexpected guest. Justin has traveled all the way from Australia to check out schools. He's contemplating going to Penn or Princeton... and maybe he was contemplating that because he felt a connection with Rory during the summer they spent together.

Of course, there's a complication! Rory has never mentioned Justin to his boyfriend Micah. He figured that they would never meet...and honestly, he really loves Micah. He has never questioned his love for his boyfriend...but does he still have feelings for Justin from that past summer.

My favorite part of this book was each of the characters. Rory is a wonderful ball of energy. He's chaotic at his best, clumsy, adventurous. Micah is constant and strong, devoted to Rory in every way.

And Justin. Sweet Justin shows up...which is surprising because he lives with a social anxiety disorder and has some issues with physical contact. He's summoned his courage primarily because he still has feelings for Rory after the summer they spent together at his family's ranch.

Here is where the meat and potatoes for the novel come from. These three young men all have feelings for one another in different ways. Rory loves that Micah takes care of him, but he also wants to take care of Justin. The ways they relate to one another are different... as unique as each of them is.

I have never read a young adult novel before that explored the possibility of a polyamorous relationship. It was interesting. At times, I wondered if the voices of the characters were a bit too adult. There were definitely times when they seemed far too mature in comparison to their lived experience.

In addition to the love story and all the challenges that come with it, there's a subplot regarding a local Church. Micah and his friends and family have booths set up at which they sell crafts. It's like the town market. When a rich businessman swoops into town to buy it and knock it down, the friends rally to try and prevent it. I always like a tale in which people band together to try and make changes. It restores my faith in people a little bit.

It appears that this book is part of a series, but I haven't read any of the other books and I had no trouble keeping up with the story. I'm certain that other characters are revealed in the other books in the series! I would definitely go back and read the previous book because it's about Rory and Justin.… (mehr)