Blurb (on back of book):
Lars Bradby was supposed to be my forever.That was before we found out he would become a father at the tender age of eighteen. For years, he’d watched me.
For months, he’d wanted me.
For weeks, he’d chased me.
Relentless and infuriating, he turned my stubborn heart into something pliable and weak.
Sly and honest, he worked his way into my life as though he’d always planned to be the focal point of it.
In love and naive, even when our future seemed bleak, I believed in us.
Heartbroken and desperate, I tore my bleeding heart from my chest, wanting only the best for him.
In doing so, our forever wasn’t just interrupted. It was chased away with one irreversible decision after another.
And now, we could no longer see it beneath the heaping piles of debris we’d left in our wake.
MY OPINION: ***
I personally did not enjoy this one as much as the other two in the "series" and even contemplated quitting at around the halfway mark. It wasn't very engaging and I absolutely hate the pregnancy trope. Once I hear the word "baby" it's almost always an instant two-stars.
However, I did end up liking the book a bit more after I got past the whole teenage pregnancy aspect and got to know the characters a bit more.
Lars has had a crush on Daphne for what seems like forever. I loved this trope because I absolutely adore when the boy likes the girl first, rather than the other way around. However, he's stuck in his player-ways, making it hard for Daphne to believe him and resulting in her doubting his true intentions. After a rocky start, they finally start "dating" despite Daphne's reservations. Lars also comes from a single family and got into their elitist prep school based on scholarship (I think?), resulting in his "bad boy" reputation, whatever that means.
Daphne has her fair share of problems, most specifically her relationship with an older man. I won't spoil anything but I hated this aspect of the story. It felt unnecessary and I am not a huge fan of age gap anything, so it was very off-putting. I did like how she eventually came to Lars and ends up confronting her obvious feelings for him, but I hated how she still continuously lied to him.
However, as their relationship begins to get more intense, one of Lars's past flings turns up pregnant, changing the entire trajectory of their relationship. I personally hated Annika and their baby and I feel as if that entire aspect of the story was unnecessary and did not have to be included. Their relationship was fairly up and down without the addition of a surprise baby and I feel as if I personally would have been more interested in finishing the book faster if we had skipped the whole baby thing.
I truly appreciated the fact that both Daphne and Lars are full of flaws. They aren't perfect characters and they both make mistakes and bad decisions. While it obviously added to the conflicts within the book, it made them more interesting and realistic. I loved Fields's writing and how she seemed to bring each character and their weaknesses, insecurities, and flaws to the surface. I also loved how she seemed to truly encapsulate the ugliness as well as the beauty of love.
Something unfortunate about my personal experience with this book was that I didn't feel any heartbreaking pain, any gutwrenching depression, and I definitely did not cry. Based on everyone else's reviews, I was expecting to go through some trauma, but I'm either too uninterested in the plot or too focused on school or too emotionless to have felt anything about the characters and their journey together. Yes, it was sad, but I wasn't about to cry over it like I usually would with other books.
Overall, this wasn't my favorite. I don't anticipate reading any more of Fields's books, though I can't make any promises. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a tragic, realistic, full-of-angst new adult romance.
Main Character: Lars, Daphne
Sidekick(s): Friends, family, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstandings, lying, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.
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