Lovin' los libros

 

 

 

 

Rachel Harris is one of my go-to authors when I am in need of a sweet, cute romance that has all the feels. She always delivers and I always finish reading with a huge grin on my face and a happiness in my heart, knowing that my characters are happy and together. The Natural History of Us is no exception, even though it hurt my heart at times. The story is told in dual POV and dual time lines, so we get to see the Peyton and Justin that exist now and the ones from three years before. Their characters have changed so much in between and we do not see the same kids freshmen year as we do senior year.

 

Freshmen year Peyton is exuberant and full of life. Her motto is to do what scares her and I love how she embraced that. After being diagnosed with GBS and known crippling fear and a total loss of control, she is determined to not let that stand in her way of being who she wants. You can't help but admire the girl's strength and gumption. Justin is cocky and flirtatious and a bit of a show-off, as he has a lot to prove. He wants to earn his place on the baseball team and he craves the acceptance of his coach, his father, and his peers. Fast forward to senior year and Peyton is a girl who lets fear control her life and keep her from getting back in the saddle. Freshmen year has clearly changed her and we know that part of that has to do with Justin, but we don't know what exactly. Justin's cockiness has turned into confidence and while he still strives for acceptance, it's not like it was before. He has a second chance to make things right with Peyton and he is not going to give up this opportunity to win her back.

 

I liked Peyton and Justin together a lot. They are good for one another, no matter how much Justin protests they are not freshmen year. However, things have changed since their time together and now Peyton is seeing someone new. Her heart isn't quite as into it as she thought, and it was a bit unfair of her to string Cade along, but she is still dealing with her feelings and I get how overwhelming that can be. She can't just open her heart back up to Justin, especially after he destroyed it. Justin challenges her though and that is exactly what she needs at this point in her life. Her fear is keeping her from pursuing something she loves and he isn't the type to just ignore that and let her go on as she is.

 

I enjoyed seeing Gabi, Carlos, Aly, and Brandon again though. I love strong friendships in books and I wish we had seen a bit more of the gang all together because they are so much fun to hang with! I never thought I'd say this, but I wouldn't mind getting a Lauren book. The girl has been the cause of some serious heartache, and yet I felt sorry for her. I think there's a story there that could definitely be worth exploring.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot. Peyton and Justin certainly had their ups and downs but I think they came out even stronger now that they had those experiences and heartaches in the past. They know what it's like to find love, lose it, and then rediscover it all over again with one another and that definitely made their victory that much sweeter.