Review: Great message about looking past appearances and making the best of an unfortunate situation!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2013
I've been wanting to read Life, Love, & Lemons ever since I first read the description months ago! It sounded like an adorable story, and I'm extremely happy to say that it definitely lived up to that expectation. :DWhile at first, I wasn't a huge fan of Bentley...she did start off being a bit spoiled and bratty, I could tell that she was going to change and that she was trying to make the best out of a horrible situation. So, even though she was a brat at first, I did still admire her for trying, and she really grew on me! I loved that Bentley knew life wasn't going to be easy for her anymore, and she worked for everything she had and accepted that. Her mother, on the other hand, didn't handle it that way. I have to say that I didn't like Bee's mom at all, but I loved her dad! The poor guy was going through such a tough time, and I loved seeing him get more confident and I really enjoyed the way that his relationship with Bentley changed! Finally, I loved Bentley and Kai together! They definitely weren't your typical couple, but that didn't stop me from loving them at all! I loved their banter, and I just really enjoyed their relationship. :DI thought that Bentley's progression throughout the story was really well done and I enjoyed seeing her grow. By the end of Life, Love, & Lemons, I loved that Bee was standing up for herself and that she wasn't just letting everyone influence her, but I did feel like there were a couple of situations that she could've handled better. I especially didn't like when one character physically assaulted her, and she didn't say anything to anyone (I'm hoping no one counts this as a spoiler, and I'm sorry if you consider it one, but I'll try to be vague). I know she was scared of the girl and all that, but that's not okay...ever. I just didn't like that Bentley allowed someone to hurt her like that without any consequences; it sends a really bad message, as did the other situation I didn't like, where Bee's coworkers said suggestive remarks and all she did was go "ugh" and tell them they were gross. The one where Bee got hurt happened after she started standing up for herself, too, so I was kind of confused as to why she didn't do anything in that situation. While both of these situations didn't make me dislike the book, they did bother me. I just really don't like seeing people think it's okay for others to treat them like this or for someone to think it's okay to treat others this way.Overall, I thought that Life, Love, & Lemons was an incredibly sweet story, and my little issue about Bee reacting poorly to certain things didn't keep me from really enjoying this story. Throughout this book, Kai was the shining feature. He made up for any little issues I had, and I absolutely loved him. I also loved that despite the situation she's in, Bentley always tried to make the best of her situation. That's something more people should strive to do, and I really admired and respected her for it. I also thought that Bentley's relationship with her father developed in a wonderful way and I loved seeing them finally get to know one another. And finally, I loved that there was a lot of emphasis on looking beyond the surface and not judging people based on appearance. Bentley may have looked perfect before her dad lost her job, but she was so much happier and a much better person by the end of the book...and I think that's an extremely positive message. So, while I may have had a couple of issues, the book's overall message that we should look past appearances more than made up for them!* I received an ebook of Life, Love, & Lemons to participate in its blog tour and in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.* This review also appears on my blog and other social media accounts.