Genres: YA Contemporary Romance
Published by Small Publisher
Released on November 18, 2015
Length: 2 hours 1 minute
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
I thought book one sounded cute and had a bit of an Emma-vibe to it so I was eager to try a new to me author and narrator. This prequel was noticed after the fact and so I decided to start at the very beginning. While the series is adult contemporary romance, this prequel is how it all began back in high school. It was a bittersweet piece that did its job of introduction and set up for what is to come. And oh yes, the Emma-vibe continued and was even referenced.
The story opens with high school junior, Brooke Pierce, transferring to a new school as a result of her parents’ separation. Brooke is torn up by her dad’s mid-life crisis and cheating with his bimbo receptionist and her mom is angry and bitter after years of what seemed like the perfect marriage. Brooke had been secure and now everything is up in the air which is why being flirted with by Luke sets her hackles up.
Luke is captivated by the new girl who is pretty and acts like an ice queen to him and nice to others. It becomes his goal to thaw her out and get her to like him. But when Luke is there for a vulnerable moment with Brooke after her dad stood her up and he gets her story, he changes gears, sets aside his attraction, and follows her silly rules ‘to just be friends’.
For both Brooke and Luke, the friend zone grows harder as time goes on. Brooke makes more rules and Luke struggles. Her fear of relationships after what happened with her parents drive her, but still her dream is to become a matchmaker. She will make the perfect matches for everyone else, but not for her.
Alright, I ended up enjoying this shorter story for the most part. It is not a complete story and functions as the set up for the longer book coming after it. While me heart was sad for Brooke’s situation, there was also a part of me that was impatient with her the way she was treating Luke. Granted, he was going along with it, but it’s frustrating to watch someone whistle away a good thing out of fear and denial.
I thought the high school setting, the situation with their families, and the surrounding characters were well done. The tension between Brooke and Luke was about right and they are both likeable characters.
The narrator, Tiffany Williams, was a great choice. I enjoyed her storytelling and her voices for all the characters. I’m glad that I have the next book of the series with her doing the narration.
I can easily recommend this prequel that can be read by teen or adult. Not sure about the whole series which may just be for adults, but this one is versatile that can’t really standalone without the rest.
Challenges Met:
Romance Roundabout #24 YA
Literary Pickers #24 microwave
New to Me #12 author/series
Audio #3
Austenesque TBR #4
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Is Brooke still the star in book 1 or the entire series? If she is, I hope she grows up some. It is annoying to see a good guy being treating like meh when they’re so hard to find!
Yes, she is the star of book one where their story continues and wraps up. I’m listening to book one and it is the conclusion of their story. She is grown up and the conflict is her having a boyfriend, but slowly realizing that she is in love with Luke and that she might be too late. I’ll review it here so you can see how it goes. Yes, it was unique to have a series with a YA-Adult crossover thing going on.
This sounds like a fun and cute book. Although it must be hard and a bit annoying at times to see Brooke act like that, I can understand that a relationship can be scary at times, but watching character push the other away can get a tad annoying if it goes on too long. Luke does sound like a very patient and ncie guy though. So the rest of the series tells the story of when they are adults and this one is the only one that takes place in their teens? That’s an interesting approach. Great review!
Yes, the series is adult with just this one to show how it started for Brooke and Luke and then the matchmaking business. It does have a cuteness factor. I’m listening to book one now and I hope to review it shortly.
It can be frustrating to see a character be in denial—sometimes it drives me up the wall. This does sound like a nice comfortable read though.
I don’t normally have much patience for the denying, but with this story showing how it was with her parents and the shock of what was thought to be a good marriage breaking apart before her eyes, the defense made sense. But book one is the rest of their story so I’ll be cheering them on so that Luke finally gets her.
Hm, it does sound cute
It does have a cuteness factor to it.
I love when the guy tries to thaw the ice queen, it’s one of my most favorite dynamics.
Luke was a cutie. He actually didn’t do anything wrong. She heard part of a conversation, got the wrong idea, and treated him to her frost, but he stuck with it. I look forward to seeing what happens when they are adults in book one.
Probably not my kind of book right now. I’m way too much into my Paranormal Romance right now to read much of anything else.
Yeah, this probably wouldn’t tempt you. I was on a paranormal streak the last week of December and first week of January. I couldn’t be tempted by anything else.
Thank you for the review, Sophia Rose! I hope you enjoy Miss Match. 🙂
Well, hi there, Lindzee. Thanks for stopping by. I am in the middle of Miss Match now. I am really cheering for Luke. I want him for her and he needs her, too. 🙂