Title: Boys Like You
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Young Adult- Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Source: advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review – review policy here.
Synopsis via Goodreads:
For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart –leaving her empty and broken. There’s a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her Grandma isn’t going to change that…
Nathan Everets knows heartache first-hand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…
Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.
Nathan Everets knows heartache first-hand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…
Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.
A heartbreakingly awesome story...
Told from alternating points of view, Monroe and Nate are struggling in equally dark places while trying to stay afloat on a day-to-day basis. Each chapter gives insight into how relationships can be safety net when guilt becomes too much to bare. As their relationship grows with each other they find that no one is perfect and everyone hurts, but it hurts less with someone by your side.
"There was nothing but the need to connect to someone so badly I felt it ache in every part of my body."
Oh the swoons, there are great romance scenes with some heavy kisses. Loved it! Juliana Stone writes adult romance as well, so you definitely see a mature writing style transition into this story. As an adult reader I appreciated the nostalgia of young love, sneaking out at night, hot summers, and the adventure of discovering someone new for the first time. There are references to sex and there's positive sex! It's so exciting when YA shows examples of a positive/consent sexual relationship that is written with such care and all the swoons. And it's so much more than a romance... so. much. more.
The pacing of the book is quick and keeps you on your toes as secrets are unveiled like layers of an onion. Showing that we all make mistakes, Nate navigates an unhealthy romantic relationship, while struggling with the guilt of his near-fatal mistake. Monroe's fatal mistake has led her to Louisiana as a last ditch effort to rejoin society. There are so many feels here, and tears! As the core is unveiled Stone's storytelling incited approx. three sob sessions.
The relationship building between the teens and adults was a major high point throughout the story. While Nate and Monroe form their own relationship it leads them to strengthening the bonds they've lost with the adults in their lives that have been searching for them amongst the debris of disaster. These were by far the heaviest scenes, showcasing the strength in Monroe and Nate's bond, and ability to push each other out of their respective black holes.
Overall, this read is equal parts romance and issues with our protagonists winning out in the end, making for a solid summer read.
"She was burned into my skin like a tattoo, and I would carry her with me forever."
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