Lovin' los libros

I really needed He Belongs With Me in my life. It is such a fun, flirty read and I absolutely loved watching our main characters realize just who they belong with and where their hearts truly lie. I really enjoyed Sarah's writing style. I felt it was fun, engaging, and I liked the pace she set. I did feel a few plot points were resolved a bit faster than I would have liked, but that was not a big enough deal that it detracted from my reading experience. Some may also feel the relationships developed rather quickly, but that is not the case. There is history between all of the main characters involved and that made it feel more natural to me and I didn't perceive it as 'insta-love'. 

The novel alternates between Clara and Maggie's POV and I really enjoyed seeing just how different the twins were from one another. I have to say, Clara was my favorite of the two. I liked her wild, abrasive attitude and she just had more spunk to me than Maggie did. Maggie was the sweet one, always doing things as she should and what was expected of her. The story opens up with Maggie reeling over the fact that her twin sister is dating her ex-boyfriend. Desperate to show her ex and her sister that she is over it all, she seeks out a date to bring to one of her father's famous galas. The plan is to make an impression and boy does she ever. Shocking revelations as to her date's true identity are brought to light, thus sending these two twins the wake up call they both desperately needed.

Maggie and Clara do not have a very good relationship. In fact, they barely get along. While Maggie thinks the worst of Clara, she has no idea what her true intentions are or her motivation behind her actions. I like that their relationship changed over the course of the book and I was happy as to the direction Darlington went with it. 

Ok, it's time to get down to business. Leo Maddox. O.M.G. I am so in love with this man. Having grown up with the Ryder girls, as his mother and their mother were best friends, he has known Clara and Maggie forever. Out of the two, Leo connected more with Maggie and a close friendship has formed between them. Leo and Clara on the other hand, have always been at each other's throats, slinging insults at one another left and right. However, the night Clara accidentally hits Leo with her dad's golf cart, is the night where things that were once clear will become less so. As Clara deals with her own confusing feelings, Maggie also realizes she has some confusion of her own. Now both girls will have to do a little soul searching and ultimately decide what (and who!) they truly want. I don't want to say anymore, as I don't want to give anything away, and even though the blurb gives off a love triangle vibe, you really just need to read and see how it plays out for yourself! 

Back to Leo. At first I was afraid he would be one of those cocky, self-assured, rich billionaires- but Leo ended up surprising me quite a bit in this book. I like that there is a vulnerable, soft side to him and every time I saw that side I wanted to melt. He is both sexy and sweet at the same time and he definitely solidified a place in my heart early on. 

There are a few other key characters in this novel that I am leaving out, as I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say I really loved these other two characters as well. They play a huge role in the story and I actually wish we had gotten a bit more development on their part. I felt their story line wrapped up a bit too smoothly. Again, this was a minor issue and definitely didn't hinder my love for them. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading He Belongs With Me, and I am glad I accepted this for review. This is one book I will definitely have a hangover from- I didn't want to let Leo, Clara, and Maggie go just yet! I will definitely be looking forward to what Darlington writes next!