Lovin' los libros

Welcome to my stop on the How (Not) to Fall in Love blog tour hosted by YABound!

Today I am excited to share my review as well as a giveaway with you all!

To see the full tour schedule click HERE.

 

 

When I first read the blurb for this one, I knew I had to give it a try! Not only am I a huge fan of sweet young adult contemporaries, but I loved the sound of the privileged, wealthy girl crushing on the blue collar mechanic. I didn't expect this book to place as much of an emphasis on familial relationships than it did. Watching Darcy navigate uncharted waters in an effort to keep her life from falling apart is a huge part of this book. She never expected to fall for a cute boy or develop the relationships she did, but they ended up really making a huge impact on her life.

 

At the beginning of the novel, Darcy's life is thrown into chaos. What started out as public humiliation of having her car towed from school, became more and more serious as time went on. Her father is MIA and his company floundering without him. Never having to want for anything, Darcy and her mom now find themselves struggling to stay afloat and find a job to bring in the income. I can't even imagine the fear that Darcy felt throughout this. While she is not a kid, she is still saddled with some pretty heavy responsibilities that someone her age shouldn't have to bear. Instead of having her mom there for support, her mom turns to alcohol, leaving Darcy to fend for herself while her mom spirals further into a depression. My heart broke for Darcy, as she shouldn't have been the one to become the adult in this situation.

 

Thankfully, Darcy reconnects with her uncle Charlie, whom she has not seen for years due to a rift between him and her father. Charlie was such a great character and I love how much he supported Darcy. She ends up seeking solitude in his shop and their relationship was a great addition to the story. I also really liked Liz, who owns a coffee shop where Darcy gets a job. She is also supportive of Darcy and I felt Darcy needed as much support as she could get.

 

The romance in this one is pretty slow going, as Darcy and Lucas end up in the friend zone for quite some time. They do become good friends though, so I liked their familiarity with one another. They did have their share of tense, awkward moments, as both of them are too afraid to admit how they really feel for one another. I did feel once they were finally together, their relationship progressed quite quickly though.

 

I really liked Lucas's character. I thought he was sweet and he really did care for Darcy. He is absolutely the best kind of friend to have- someone who doesn't judge when they see the worst parts of your life, instead choosing to be there and going above and beyond to help out.

 

I did feel this book was a bit on the longer side. There were a few points I felt the storyline really dragging and wanted the pace to pick up a bit. Otherwise, I did enjoy this one. It was cute and sweet, and I liked seeing Darcy take charge and follow some of her father's advice. I was a little surprised by the way the storyline with her father played out, as well a bit heartbroken, as it couldn't have been easy for Darcy to deal with. Still, she is one determined girl and I liked that she followed her heart and did what she felt she had to do in order to find answers.