Review: 4 1/2 stars - Sweet honest romance, heart-tugging - yes, predictable but loveable
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2014
Ella is a smart, beautiful, independent, strong and perceptive girl (in college studying to be a psychologist). She works the suicide hotline and encounters a very distraught, Daniel. She seems to reach him and he continues to call her because he doesn't have anyone else he can turn to.Quinn is a hot shot baseball player and the only child of a politician who has aspirations of being the President. His mother and father are void of being good parents to Quinn. So when Quinn experiences a horrific trauma, he has no one to turn to. He internalizes all the bad feelings. The voice on the other end of the suicide hotline is the only one that he turns to. Gabby. (who is really Ella)Quinn and Ella begin a friendly, and spiked with hot chemistry, relationship. They are able to talk about their childhoods, and Ella is very forthcoming about her own family trauma.This book is a new adult, so there are some scenes (not full on sex), but close to it. There is one final consensual sex scene at the end - so am guessing this book is not for the younger crowd.Quinn is reticent to completely share his trauma with Ella, but he is not angst-y about it. He doesn't push her away - he is just not ready and he tells her that. She doesn't push and she patiently waits until Quinn is ready."Daniel" is completely open to Gabby and she never judges him, listens to him and proffers great advice. (yeah - a bit difficult to believe a young woman can do this, but once she shares her trauma with the reader, you see where the strength and smarts emanate from).Quinn begins to open to Ella and trusts her. He starts to feel normal again.Ella begins to trust Quinn (because her boyfriend was a cheater) and opens her heart to him.Daniel opens up to Gabby and is now willing to open up to Ella.So you see where this is headed. And no, when Quinn/Daniel finds out about Ella/Gabby - there is not pages and pages of hurt feelings, running away, yelling, histrionics, accusations etc. It's a quiet confused hurt, then open honest understanding.Then love.Yes - this book was 100% predictable.Yes - this book did not have a huge deep plot.But it was so endearing, sweet and enjoyable.If you want a light hearted but not frivolous story of young love, this will hit the spot.It has a HEA with no cliffhanger.You can definitely read it as a standalone. But I recommend reading the first, All of You. Another very sweet story of young love.