Review: Great characters
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 31, 2014
If Only is a complicated book. Perhaps a better way to put it is that If Only is a drama filled book. Sometimes this can be a good thing, and sometimes it can be bad. Here it was a little of both.Despite the book’s synopsis I don’t think it’s too spoilery to say that Jordan and Noah are the main couple we’re supposed to be rooting for. A lot of the time I totally shipped Jordan and Noah together, but there were also times when I wasn’t sure if I liked Noah or if he deserved Jordan. Noah has a misplaced sense of loyalty, and he clings to his past rather than taking a chance on the girl he has real feelings for. He jumps to conclusions and judges Jordan rather unfairly. Despite all this, when Noah has a good moment, it’s a very good moment. And it becomes more complicated, because he’s not afraid to own up to his mistakes and try to make things right.What I loved about the book was seeing Jordan experiencing new things, traveling and making new friends. I adored Jordan's roommate, Elaina, and Duncan was another great secondary character. For background characters I found them to be well developed. Despite my minor issues with the book, A.J. Pine definitely has talent for making her readers feel something for her characters. There was too much drama and “will they/won’t they” for me to really fall for If Only, but the way I felt about the characters allowed me finish the book and enjoy it overall.