Review: A New Adult Book At It's Finest - One of My Top Recommendations
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 1, 2014
YAY! Another angst-y book to add to my collection of books I LOVE!!! Gah I love books that make my heart flutter, fill my stomach with butterflies and have me swooning over the hero. DEAREST CLEMENTINE is a book about facing fears and stepping out of your comfort zone for the possibility of something extraordinary. Lex Martin created a world that makes you feel like you live in it while reading, with characters that are easily relatable and a story that continues to deliver as it progresses.Clementine is having a case of writer’s block. She already has published a successful YA novel under a pen name that details her heartbreak of her first love and the betrayal of those all around her. The problem is she has no inspiration for her follow up book. So when she accidentally takes a Romance Novel Writing course in her senior year of college, she starts freaking out over what her professor is asking of her because she has lived in a secluded bubble the past three years. She doesn’t date and she keeps everyone an arms length away, which is a problem since she now has no real life experience to inspire her.Enter hot and sexy RA Gavin Murphy, the guy that has crossed her path on a few occasions and who she is not repelled by her “f*** off” personality to men. He is more than happy to fill the role as muse and researcher, which includes hot make out sessions and sexual chemistry that is hard to put to words. But it’s all just research…right?!? In the back drop of this romance, is a mystery surrounding a missing girl and a professor who used to stalk her.Now that you know a little about the book, let me talk about Clementine. I freaking loved her. She was hard on the outside, but once she let you in she was all soft on the inside. She was fiercely loyal to her friends and roommates and although she isn’t on the best terms with her twin brother she could never turn her back on him. I loved how self-aware she was about who she was and the way she’s been living her life. She knows that she’s been essentially hiding for the past few years and that it is not the way to live, especially since she recognizes that is why she is having writers block. She puts herself out there, despite her apprehension and fear, and she acts reasonably and not stupidly.And Gavin…what can I say about him other than YES PLEASE. I was swooning and lusting over him. He’s the kind of guy you hoped to meet while in college – understanding, attentive, supportive and insanely hot. I adored him and loved how understanding he was of Clementine’s hesitations. I just can’t gush about him enough!So why do I love this one compared to other books in the genre? It was the writing. Lex Martin hooked me from the beginning with her sharp humor and quick wit, while simultaneously not making Clementine too stand-offish when it came to Gavin. This author knows how to write sexual tension and angst – she knows when to push and she knows when to back away in a situation.Although the plot wasn’t one that took me completely by surprise, there were instances where the characters did, which I loved. Both Clementine and Gavin did things that I didn’t expect and I was pleasantly surprised by their actions. They kept me on my toes wondering what they would do next! I love being surprised by not only the story but the characters as well. It makes me proud of the characters, if that makes sense, because they did the unexpected and took a risk. I love that! It makes them relatable and realistic in my eyes.The one and only qualm I had with this book was I felt the ending was a bit lackluster given the amazing-ness of this book. Maybe I just expected more? However, in the author’s defense, despite this book being a stand alone, there are two companion novels coming, one about Clementine’s twin brother and the other about his best friend. That being said, I am hoping I get more Gavin and Clementine and they get the kind of happily ever after I want for them!So if you are like me and a complete sucker for New Adult romances, then this is the book for you! It has pushed its way to the top of my recommendations list and I cannot recommend it enough!