Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Riva Corley needs a girlfriend. Not because she wants one, but because her boyfriend, Benton, is pushing her to kiss a girl in front of him. Afraid of losing Benton, Riva agrees to try, but she never expects to find a girl she actually likes and wants to kiss for her own reasons.

Daisy Mejia has stayed closeted for all of high school so far -- it seems pointless to come out for a kiss that's destined to go nowhere. Daisy also has no desire to put on a show for Riva's boyfriend. But she's had a crush on Riva Corley forever, and Daisy can't pass up this chance.

Before long, what starts out as a bad idea begins to look more like a relationship. Soon, Daisy must decide how much trouble she'll put up with, and Riva has to figure out what it means when she's falling for another girl.

 

Book Review

It has been a long time since I was a teenager. Notwithstanding that fact, it did not diminish one whit my complete enjoyment of this book. In fact, it is beautifully enlightening in retrospect and magnificently delectable as it unfolded. Teens often have to deal with extremely serious and heavy issues as they rush to adulthood. They are certainly often flooded with nascent mature emotions and major decisions as the protection of childhood flies right out the window. This was an enthralling opportunity to momentarily shed the many years separating me from those wickedly exciting teenage times. Spot-on!

Riva Corley is a rather fascinating character. She and her mother have recently moved to Florida from New Jersey. Her first and main squeeze, Benton, is coming down for Spring Break and she appears excited. He is currently a freshman in college, while she is a high school sophomore. However, he has requested a somewhat intense and possibly uncomfortable scenario for Riva to set up. Internally, she bounces back and forth about not doing what he asked and trying to do what he asked. As this project unravels for Riva, she experiences a whole slew of embarrassments, impacts, and confusions. Additionally, one sidebar untangles in regard to the major issue around Riva's sexuality. Within her world, Riva is challenged as she has never been before, generating ripples and repercussions that touch almost everyone she knows and then some. I was quite impressed by Riva. Teenage angst personified!

Daisy Mejia is a stunningly beautiful young woman. I believe it is not uncommon that within teenage dynamics real beauty comes with all manner of convolutions that sometimes brings interesting nuances to one's life, but it can also bring complications and difficult situations. During most of this story, Daisy is struggling with her need to reconcile her currently hidden sexual orientation and come out to her friends and family. She comes to terms with the fact that she is certain she is a lesbian to herself, but she is at sixes and sevens about how to manage, handle, and/or incorporate this understanding. This all happens before the issue of coming out brings an entirely new set of complexities. I really adore Daisy as she does her darnedest to come to terms with herself and her apparent love for Riva. Furthermore, in and around the personal dynamic issues, there are peer and family pressures muckin' up the works, too. Undoubtedly, it is really tough to be a teenager and I feel it is more so at the time these young women and men are attempting to traverse that age. I personally may have been oblivious to the pressures around me during my teenage years, but in retrospect I am fairly confident they were in no way as intense as what Riva, Daisy, and their friends have to go through. Guardian angels needed!!!

I am confident that this book will be entertaining for all age groups. I may be a child at heart but my actual age certainly puts me decades beyond when I was a teenager, yet I was totally charmed to pieces by this story. So to reiterate, I definitely recommend this book. Thoroughly enticing!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 216 pages/70305 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	08-March-2015
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.50 paperback
Buy Link	http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30_168&products_id=1392