I want to make it clear that I didn't finish this book. I tried--I really did--but I enacted my 50-page rule and decided to stop reading this book and I'll explain why below.

First, this book is completely a Young Adult novel. It's nowhere close to a New Adult novel so don't let the cover fool you like it did to me. It's tame and high-school soap-opera-y which is why I decided to stop reading it.

If I was about 5 years younger (ie. a teenager) I would have probably enjoyed this book. But after reading so many New Adult novels that deal with mature subject matter (not the sexy stuff, but the pasts filled with tragedy and abuse) this book is just so tame in comparison. The only "thrilling" part was the love triangle but it was just so rudimentary in its delivery I didn't care.

I felt like Rain was a boring character. She comes across as pretentious and because of this I had a hard time connecting or liking her. She isn't a complete badass--again, very tame--and I felt like she fell into every stereotype of a young adult heroine: new girl in a new school; good looking and every boy is attracted to her but she doesn't really know it; etc. I just didn't find anything refreshing in it and the added love triangle didn't do much for me. At least the choice seemed pretty obvious to me based on who Jesse's girlfriend is so I didn't find it overly annoying but it was dull.

I also didn't find Jesse to be that much of a redeemable character. He was a bit of an a**hat from what I read at the start--but I think if I read a little more of the book I might have been more on his side because his story just started to develop a little more when I stopped reading.

I think I would have liked it more if this book was told from a first person POV instead of third person. I'm not sure if it would have improved the connection to the characters or not but it just felt odd to read this type of young adult romance in a third person perspective.

Overall: I probably won't ever finish this book and that is A-OK with me. People under the age of 18 will probably enjoy this light-hearted read. But fans of New Adult novels will find this a little boring and tame.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

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I do think this was my favorite Courtenay book so far. It was YA with drama, but the kind of drama I can think. Yes my problem with YA books are that they so often are filled with angst and stupid over dramatic drama. Those books make me wanna smack everyone over the head. While this one, well this one felt more real.

Rain was, angry yes, but then someone had thrown her to the wolves and she was in a new school where she knew no one. And the most interesting guy, the one who talks to her has a preppy girlfriend. Tough luck. Yes Jesse is a good guy, he plays in a rock band, but that irritating girlfriend of his. Not good.

It was fun to see them together. Two teens finding their way. She has issues, he has issues. Sure the end was a bit too picture perfect, but then it was also an ending that should happen. I liked it, and I can say nothing more about it.

The little drama that worked then, well of course it has to do with that he has a girlfriend and that she is annoying ;) That I can handle.

A nice YA book that was sweet and rocked. ( )