One golden boy...
Judd Jackson had it all—star football player with a college scholarship, perfect family, tons of friends, and a beautiful girlfriend. He was the most popular guy in town … until a family secret burned it all to the ground. Now, he’s the object of scorn and ridicule, and the only thing he has left is his scholarship and counting down the days until he can leave town.
One goal-oriented girl...
Sunny Blackfox was alone in the world, but she had big plans and big dreams to keep her occupied. She didn’t have time for anyone in her life. That was, until she came to the rescue of the boy she always had a thing for.
They have everything going against them, but maybe, if they are lucky, they will make it out of town after graduation together ... or maybe never.
***5 ‘Teenage Yoda’ Stars***
Sunny’s life hasn’t been easy, but with the love and support of her tight knit circle she has thrived and is determined to see her dreams become reality. I absolutely adored Sunny. I think I want to be her when I grow up. She has a good heart, a good head on her shoulders and stood up for herself and others when necessary, but did it in such a way that I couldn’t help but admire because it was about doing the right thing and showing strength, but trying to draw attention to herself. And though she is 18 and has the insecurities and doubts that come with it, she was much more mature and aware than many around her.
Judd has been the golden boy all his life and has always been apart of the popular crowd, until a secret is unceremoniously revealed and everything he knew came crashing down around him. My heart hurt for Judd and how people were treating him. The secret wasn’t his, but he ended up being everyone’s punching bag. What I admired about his was how he dealt with all the crap, it wasn’t easy but he kept his head and focus on his future. What endeared him to me and then morphed into adoration was that while he was popular he hadn’t been an a#$hat, simply clueless to those around him. He was happy in his little bubble and didn’t think further than that. But with all that gone he took a hard look at himself, acknowledged his shortsightedness and worked at becoming a better person.
I loved watching Sunny and Judd’s relationship evolve as they went from strangers to friends to a couple and the entire process felt natural. They got to know each other and became each others rocks in a world that wasn’t treating either of them kindly. What I enjoyed the most was how Sunny’s strength and sense of self ended up helping Judd work through his own issues and shift his perception of himself and his current situation. Their romance is very much on the sweet end of the spectrum and I think it was the perfect fit for them. That isn’t to say that sex isn’t mentioned or alluded to, we are dealing with teenagers with raging hormones after all, it’s just not the focus of their relationship. I liked where they are at when the book ended, but I can’t deny that I wanted more time with them and see where the road took them as they drove off into the sunset.
This was my first read by Sadie Allen and I really enjoyed it. It was engaging, well paced and I really enjoyed the dual 1st person POV’s. I liked that we got the more transitioning to the adult side of the YA/NA genre with Judd and Sunny than being mired in young/new side of it and all that tends to come with it. There were a couple of twists tossed into the story that surprised me, but they all made sense and gave more depth to the characters and the story. So, if you’re looking for a sweet and quick read with heart and characters you can get behind and fall in love with give this one a try!
~ Copy provided by InkSlinger PR ~
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