Lynette Ferreira (1) (1967–)

We start off meeting Elizabeth just as her crush spoke to her and she can't wait to share her news. However, when she arrives home, her mother & stepfather have some news of their own. Elizabeth is of course devastated to learn that they are moving to Ireland.
The family arrives in Ireland, and predictably Elizabeth begins to act like a spoiled brat with her crying and moping around; you would think that a girl (unsure of age) with seemingly no friends would jump at the chance to start over in a new place. But no, not Elizabeth, she pretty much shuns everyone at her new school for a bit (though it is glossed over in the book), then all of a sudden she wakes up one morning and decides to make a change and be happy about the move.
A girl from school, Jane, begins talking to Elizabeth and they become fast friends. Jane introduces Elizabeth to her group of friends and they all welcome her in. Within a few days (it is really hard to tell as time is totally wonky in the book) Elizabeth is introduced to Jared. This is where the story really starts to annoy me. They two spend a few hours together after school hanging out with the group, Jared is flirting with Elizabeth and by the end of the night she has pretty much convinced herself that she is in love with him. Now mind you, she has been with this group of friends for quite a few hours and has yet to call her parents to check in; and when she does finally arrive home (Jared drops her off last) her parents only tell her that she needs to check in so that her mother doesn't worry. Elizabeth then goes to her room, and is in a "rage" that they are forever treating her like a child. I know as a mother that if any of my children were to behave that way and not check in at all, there would be more than just a "please remember to call home and let us know where you are".

The next day, Jared ignores Elizabeth when they are at school, but that all changes very soon ( I'm thinking within a day or so). The two end up at a party together and declare their love for one another that night. Keep in mind please that they have only known each other a week at most. Elizabeth eventually brings Jared around to meet her mother and stepfather, and her stepfather tells them a story about a couple that had similar names to them that used to live in their houses (ancestors of Jared and the stepfather). Both Jared and Elizabeth begin to believe that they are the reincarnated versions of these people and are fated to be together.
The whole romance between Jared and Elizabeth moves along way too fast for me. And the way that Elizabeth acts towards Jared sometimes just makes me want to reach into the book and smack her! But please! The way that Elizabeth talks is so aggravating, she is supposed to be a teenager from California, but throughout the book she speaks as though she is from Britain.
I don't want to give away too many details, but after an accident; Elizabeth decides that her and Jared are over, though she continues to wonder about him and wish they were still together. Elizabeth graduates high school and heads off to the college that Jared is supposed to be going to with the hope that she will run into him.
Jared does not seem to be at the college and Elizabeth of course goes into a funk, but she eventually meets Joshua; and while he seems to fall in love with her quickly and is always wanting to be more than just her friend, Elizabeth keeps him firmly in the friend-zone for years.
Then of course, she realizes that she loves him and wants to try a relationship, though Joshua is heading off to a summer program. They agree to be together and pick up when he comes back. Of course tragedy strikes ( and I will admit that I bawled my eyes out) and we see Elizabeth return to her famous funk!
We end up coming full circle with Jared and Elizabeth after that and of course we get our happy ending. I do not have a lot of complaints with the book, though there are a few; mainly grammatical errors and missing words, and how there is no real reference to time or age in the book.

*I was provided a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review*… (altro)