Review: Old friends, new loves
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2013
Written in the present with occasional flashbacks to the past, Now and Then follows Emmaline and Cole, old neighbors, as they meet and fall in love. It's not a straightforward romance though. Emma is the younger sister used to playing the ugly duckling while her older sister Layla is loud and obnoxious and usually gets what she wants. When Layla decides that she wants Cole, Emma meekly agrees and continues to date Cole in secret. Obviously, lying is never the right solution and Emma's lies create a messy situation. This book is more than a romance though. It's sweet and sad, tragic and realistic. Brenda Rothert has risen to the challenge of creating characters who don't just FEEL real but ARE real to the reader. Cole and his relationship with his sister is heartbreaking. Emma's Cinderella-like attitude with her older sister resonates with all of those women who have had to play second fiddle to someone better, smarter, or prettier than they are. The dynamics between siblings and parents and neighbors is well-written also. I enjoyed the book immensely and read it in one sitting!