Thank you to Bookish First, Penguin Teen, and Viking for the book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.
I love this writer duo. I have read both of their adult romances and this is my first of their YA books.
Kaylee and Dean's families have always vacationed together, and the two of them grew up as best friends. Against their parents wishes, they had a short-lived romance. But she broke it off when it felt too serious. Now, she's shocked to find that their families are again vacationing together on California beaches. But she offers to help Dean get over her by showing him how she moves on from relationships.
We get to know Kaylee much better than Dean in this book. She's a superb volleyball player, following in her mom's footsteps. But her mom was an Olympian, and Kaylee often feels she lives in her shadow. There are many themes around performing being fine and questions about whether your passion should also be your career. I thought those were so appropriate for a YA book.
There's a line in the book that refers to Kaylee and Dean as the "reverse Romeo and Juliet." I thought that was so apt in describing the family dynamics. Their families are so closely entangled that their relationship or lack thereof becomes a communal concern. The book did such a great job highlighting the teenage drama and just how much stress and obligation teens can feel as they approach the end of high school. I'll definitely be reading more from this duo.
I love this writer duo. I have read both of their adult romances and this is my first of their YA books.
Kaylee and Dean's families have always vacationed together, and the two of them grew up as best friends. Against their parents wishes, they had a short-lived romance. But she broke it off when it felt too serious. Now, she's shocked to find that their families are again vacationing together on California beaches. But she offers to help Dean get over her by showing him how she moves on from relationships.
We get to know Kaylee much better than Dean in this book. She's a superb volleyball player, following in her mom's footsteps. But her mom was an Olympian, and Kaylee often feels she lives in her shadow. There are many themes around performing being fine and questions about whether your passion should also be your career. I thought those were so appropriate for a YA book.
There's a line in the book that refers to Kaylee and Dean as the "reverse Romeo and Juliet." I thought that was so apt in describing the family dynamics. Their families are so closely entangled that their relationship or lack thereof becomes a communal concern. The book did such a great job highlighting the teenage drama and just how much stress and obligation teens can feel as they approach the end of high school. I'll definitely be reading more from this duo.