Book Summary
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?
Flo's Review
I loved, loved, loved Open Road Summer, and have been looking forward to jumping into another Emery Lord book since I read that one. The Start of Me and You did not disappoint! What a great story. There was so much to love about it. First, I loved the relationship Paige had with her best friends. Emery did a great job of showing us each of their personalities, as well as how the four of them fit together. It can be hard to establish such a close friendship as theirs through showing and not telling, but Emery hit the nail on the head.
Next, Ryan Chase. He was adorable. I was so happy that he didn't end up being the obsession that was a actually a jerk. No, he was great. He did make a good friend to Paige, and he and Max were a good addition to Paige's friend group.
The dynamic with Paige's parents was interesting. It's something that I've heard about happening, but I've never had the opportunity to experience it in any way. So it was definitely fascinating to read about it from the views of her parents and from Paige. I also loved Paige's relationship with her grandmother. The other supporting characters, like Paige's sister and Aaron's other friends, provided some good scenes and opportunities to show Paige's personal growth as well.
And finally, Max. I mean, do I really have to say anything about Max Watson?! Max. Max. Max. 😍
I have the sequel, The Map From Here To There, on deck and I cannot wait to spend Senior year with Paige and her friends.
Book Summary
After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.
Flo's Review
I started this weekend in the mood for a fun summer read before the start of fall. Most of my teacher friends start back at school tomorrow, and I realized that I hadn't really read a summer book this summer. A few weeks ago, I'd checked out Open Road Summer from the library, so it was all ready for me to pick up. I'm so glad I did! This book was perfect for what I was looking for! I officially have a new Book Boyfriend by the name of Matt Finch. So sweet, so understanding, so flexible -- and he's hot! And he sings! AND he writes songs about his girlfriends!! Sign me up! I thought that Matt and Reagan were perfect for each other. The fact that they both came with baggage made it easy for each of them to relate to the other and bring out the best in each other. Dee was absolutely adorable, and I loved her friendship with Reagan. Infinity pinkie lock? Perfect!
As some of you may know, I am a HUGE fan of my favorite bands, so another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the setting. I enjoyed reading about life on the road, and I really liked the different songs and how they fit into the story. I found myself making up melodies for them in the my head and then humming them at random times. True story. Can "Open Road Summer" be a real, recorded song? Because the version in my head is fantastic! I've had a recent conversation about the fact that paparazzi will take a picture of a celebrity after she's just had lunch and then claim she's pregnant, so I just had to LOL when that came up in the book. I'm glad Emery talked about that ridiculousness though.
Admittedly, I didn't like Reagan at first. But that was because I was seeing the image of herself that she was trying hard to present, with her short shorts and high heels. But the more I got to know her and see that she was more than that, the more respect I had for her. As I mentioned before, I loved Dee and I loved Matt. Jimmy was also great.
I believe this is Emery Lord's first book, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!
