I Do (Love Stories For Young Adults, #35)

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I Do (Love Stories For Young Adults #35)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 402 ratings · 28 reviews

Weddings are the perfect place to fall in love...

Jane is not looking forward to being the maid of honor in her cousin Stacy's wedding. To make matters worse, Adam, the biggest jerk at Tilson High, is going to be the best man! The last thing Jane wants to do is walk down the aisle with him. But the more Jane gets to know Adam, the more she realizes that he's actually a very...more

Paperback, 208 pages

Published February 9th 1999 by Bantam Books

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Apr 07, 2013 A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: beloved-in-my-youth, hot-stuff-for-cool-teens, that-s-amore

What does this book want me to do, weep??? Because I did, and I still got that pinched tight feeling messing up my heart, like dang, wow, my heart's a thing I'm kind of attached to, you know, I need that junk to do its business. It's doing its business a little too well, maybe!

Where Stolen Kisses (Love Stories #37) is weirdly bittersweet and The Day I Met Him (Love Stories #5) is a GOD-BLESSED ROMANTIC COMEDY MASTERPIECE THAT HAS DESCENDED FROM ON HIGH TO LIFT MY VERY SOUL TO THE ROM-COM HEAVENS...more What does this book want me to do, weep??? Because I did, and I still got that pinched tight feeling messing up my heart, like dang, wow, my heart's a thing I'm kind of attached to, you know, I need that junk to do its business. It's doing its business a little too well, maybe!

Where Stolen Kisses (Love Stories #37) is weirdly bittersweet and The Day I Met Him (Love Stories #5) is a GOD-BLESSED ROMANTIC COMEDY MASTERPIECE THAT HAS DESCENDED FROM ON HIGH TO LIFT MY VERY SOUL TO THE ROM-COM HEAVENS, I Do (Love Stories #35) is this beautiful, quiet character-driven thing about, geez, family and friendship and, yes, love in all its many forms. Stolen Kisses and The Day I Met Him both had frankly unmemorable supporting casts (a problem with many short rom-coms) but I Do does have some fairly well-developed supporting characters given the Love Stories line's obvs editorial restrictions, primarily in Stacy (Our Heroine Jane's cousin who's due to be wed) and in Coach Gryczgowski aka Grizzly (Our Hero Adam's lacrosse coach who just moved in next door to Our Heroine Jane). But the rest of the characters are really surprisingly strong or at least clearly defined, so that nothing they say or do comes across as Because The Plot Decrees but rather as a natural progression of that character's personality and role. And that's nice!!! I loved the supporting cast a LOT in this book, from Jane's friends to her extended family to the lacrosse team and Adam's largely unspoken but v noticeable difficulties with his stepfather and stepbrother (Travis, to whom Our Heroine Jane's cousin Stacy is engaged).

OK, I'M BACK!!! I had to take a break to dance out my feelings in the bathroom to Wonder Girls, you know how it is. So, probably the first thing you'll notice about this book is also what will most likely put you off it, which is that it's written in first person from Jane's perspective. IDK why so many people hate first person POV so intensely? But I will say this, I Do does a FANTASTIC job with it, like, a truly stellar job of it. The book is very intimate and Jane comes through very strongly, but Chandler also very deftly shows the reader, through the actions of other characters and also through Jane's varying familiarity with said characters, etc., how other characters are thinking and feeling without telling you such. Or: Adam's intense, immediate feelings are obvious to the reader though not to Jane, in a way that makes sense; and ofc given Jane's close relationship with her cousin Stacy, Jane would notice Stacy's and Grizzly's mutual attraction before even Stacy does. What this means is I Do is - well, I said intimate earlier, and I think that's really the best way to put it, is that it's intimate. It's cozy and it's sweet and with a few brief exceptions it never really stoops to telling the reader what's going on and how Jane or any of the other characters feel, but it lets the the heart of the book show you. It's very sweet and somewhat delicate, and there are a l-o-t LOT of gorgeous little scenes that kind of stick you in the chest, very lightly.

Jane's character is especially strong and I was very pleased with how she's treated from start to finish. She's a no guff kind of gal, hugely into sports with aspirations of being a sports writer (like her grandfather before her), and she's never punished for this, and Adam never, like, talks down to her for being into something traditionally coded as masculine (vs simply athletic). The actual athletic scenes in the book are very well written, in such a way that it makes sense to the reader without familiarity with the sport in question (men's lacrosse) but also so that it's obvious that Elizabeth Chandler really does understand the sport. The visuals are clear and well-presented, especially in a truly excellent scene in which Jane goes up against Adam in a one-on-one lacrosse showdown. (She loses, sort of, but not in a way that's like OH OF COURSE THE WOMAN COULDN'T COMPARE! Rather, Jane hasn't played lacrosse in years, and yet she still manages to prove herself able on the field.)

Adam's also delightful - he's serious and kind of grumpy, but he isn't mean and he doesn't make fun of anyone (particularly Jane), and actually he's pretty sweet! All of the romances in the book kind of follow a similar thesis, that friendship and shared interests form a stronger foundation than, you know, clashing repeatedly and arguing a lot over base incompatibilities (such as Travis needing control over everything and Stacy's sentimentality), and that's what winds up making Jane and Adam's romance so kind, that they very quickly - once they give each other a chance - become friends, and it's that friendship that opens them up to romance.

AND OMG I ALSO REALLY FRIGGING LOVE THE BACKGROUND ROMANCE BETWEEN STACY AND COACH GRIZZLY, wow!!!!! Like, shit, I would TOTALLY read a novel about them, omfg. Stacy's high-energy and a softie and she loves Perry Como and crafts projects and she gets excited about things she doesn't even normally care about just because people she loves are excited about them, and Grizzly's sweet and a big softie, too - tender-hearted's what Jane calls him and it's true - and he dotes on his cat and does yardwork and he's passionate about lacrosse and coaching but he's also really laid-back. And it's like, even though most of their little romance occurs off the page, it reads powerfully; just through the reader's familiarity with and knowledge of these characters from Jane's POV, we know how they'd fit together and how they'd enjoy each other's company. Also during Stacy's wedding, Grizzly stays home listening to the Perry Como Christmas album he and Stacy listened to the day before, and I KNOW THAT CHRISTMAS ALBUM, AND IN MY HEAD I HEARD PERRY COMO SINGING "HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS" AND I STARTED CRYING ON THE FRICKING HAMMOCK BECAUSE THAT IS THE SADDEST, MOST LONGING-FILLED CHRISTMAS SONG EVER WRITTEN OR RECORDED BY ANYONE, even with Perry Como trying to make it cheerful and fun, like, somehow that makes it even more agonizing to listen to like you're trying to put on a happy face while you're singing about everyone being far away from you and you're pretending like your troubles are gone and just wow, stab me in the heart, it'll go faster. But ofc that ends beautifully, too, and omgggggg WHEN JANE AND ADAM FINALLY

Well, okay, I've probably spoiled enough of this book, but. It's a very good book. Very, very good. Very sweet, very kind, very lovely. Definitely recommended.

Only real complaints: soooo many straight people omfg, and IDK why Tom is explicitly introduced as African-American but no other characters are described thusly (e.g. "Marnie's [white/Asian-American/etc.]")? So, like, is everyone except for Tom (and presumably Pablo, who has no lines I can remember off the top of my head) white? Ehhhhhh.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Zoe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, ya, squeaky-clean

I’m a Chandler fan. I love her humour. I love how she can paint such interesting characters. While she creates bitter tension between the hero and the heroine, she can also make their relationship sizzle and crackle with their flirtation and attraction.

Adam and Jane don’t get along. The Goodreads synopsis for this book isn't very good. Adam’s the captain of the school's lacrosse team. Jane is the reporter for the sport and she freely criticises the team’s slip ups much to the chagrin of Adam. I...more

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Jun 07, 2010 Kai (Amaterasu Reads) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Kai (Amaterasu Reads) by: Karlie

Shelves: teens, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 08, 2010 Myra Khan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book more than the last one in the "Love Stories" series. It was a lot more fun and I thought Adam was a better character overall than Jake (in the last book). The surprise towards the end was an interesting twist, and the romantic tension was aww-worthy. :) Like the book before it though, I thought the ending was rushed and wished that more detail could've been added. I tend to enjoy books more when the lead characters get together about halfway through and then work on some othe...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Nina Ardianti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: heartwarming, young-adult, authors-i-love

Elizabeth Chandler never disappoints me.
Jadi, belakangan ini saya lebih suka membaca buku yang memberikan efek heartwarming dibandingkan yang twistnya muter-muter. Jadi ketika pertama kali menemukan buku Elizabeth Chandler berjudul Love at First Click, walaupun ceritanya sederhana banget, tapi saya langsung suka sama cara menulisnya dan mencari bukunya yang lain.

Kemudian ketemulah buku ini. Walaupun pertama kali dipublish pada tahun 1999, tapi ceritanya masih relevan banget sama keadaan sekara...more

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Mar 13, 2012 sarcastic added it

I Do is my absolute favorite Love Stories book.
Jane and Adam are worst enemies. Adam is the school's star lacrosse player. And Jane, who is the school's top sports reporter, is his harshest critic. Unfortunately it turns out they are going to be in Jane's cousin and Adam's step-brother's wedding as the maid of honor and the best man. As they get thrown together in hilarious situation after situation they inevitabley get to know each other better and start to fall in love...

OMG! This book is the...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Krista Basilio rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is the best book in the series. I loved it. This girl named Jane who acts all tough and criticizes a guy named Adam. Who is the captain of the lacrosse team. She reviews Adam every week while he plays his game. Then she writes about him in the school newspaper. It always isn't very positive. But after Jane spends more time with Adam she can't write anything negative about him anymore. She tries to but she just can't. when she finally admits to herself that she likes Adam. She begins to...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Chachic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, actual-books-owned, book-crack, out-of-print

Originally posted here.

Based on the summary, you can totally tell that it's a love-hate relationship, right? I'm such a sucker for those when it's done well. Jane is a sports writer in the school newspaper and her snark is in full force when she writes about the male varsity lacrosse team. She's frustrated that the team isn't maximizing its full potential and she doesn't understand why. Enter the team captain, Adam. He proves that he isn't a dumb jock by writing a letter to the editor in respons...more Originally posted here.

Based on the summary, you can totally tell that it's a love-hate relationship, right? I'm such a sucker for those when it's done well. Jane is a sports writer in the school newspaper and her snark is in full force when she writes about the male varsity lacrosse team. She's frustrated that the team isn't maximizing its full potential and she doesn't understand why. Enter the team captain, Adam. He proves that he isn't a dumb jock by writing a letter to the editor in response to Jane's articles. Needless to say, these two don't get along. The fun starts when Jane suddenly gets drafted to become her cousin's maid of honor and it turns out that Adam the is best man. Sparks fly, swoon-worthy scenes turn up and there's even a one-on-one lacrosse match between these two. I also liked the secondary characters in this book, which is saying something considering that it's such a slim book and there's not a lot of room for development. Here's a conversation between Jane and her grandpa that I really liked:

"Things change when someone special comes into your life. Both sides have to give up things. The one thing you don't give up in a good relationship is you - whatever makes you most you."

"It's been my experience," he continued, "that when you're with the right people, you feel more like yourself than ever. There's a happiness, and a feeling of coming alive to yourself and the other person, that's like nothing else."

I don't know if I'm biased because I read this when I was younger and it's been a favorite ever since but I really love this book. While reading this, I didn't even know what lacrosse was. Well, I know it's a sport played in the States but I've never seen a game. I've reread my copy so many times that it's not just yellowed with age, it has become battered. I want to get a better copy but sadly, the book is out of print and it's not that easy to find copies. If any of you get a chance to read this, please let me know because I'd love to know what other people think of this book. Oh and if you've read this, did you like it as much as I did? :)(less)

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May 25, 2012 Dallas Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was one of my favorites in this series. I hate to admit it, but I totally collected this series as a young girl. I remember saving my allowance and going to get the newest one from the bookstore!

A story about a strong willed tomboy that finally falls in love and discovers so much about herself as she learns to let her guard down. It's one of those where you are begging her to realize that he likes her back, but she is to naive to do so until the end. Super cute romance!

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Apr 19, 2013 Elisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I Do is a part of a Love Stories series written by loads of different authors. It's short and sweet.
I'm not going to go on at what it is all about, but it's a light read and recommended for those looking for young adult fluff and romance. There wasn't much sweet interaction between the two main characters, but rest assured, it's a happy ending.

Also, it's pretty old. It was written in 1999. But we can all imagine the setting as the present.

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Jan 23, 2013 Tamara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is one of my all time favourite books ever!! I fell in love with it from page 1 and couldn't put it down. The storyline was amazing and I absolutely loved the characters. The ending was incredible and even though its been years since I last read it, I still remember the words so clearly 'I think I've fallen for you Daisy Jane, and I'm in so deep, I dont know what to do'.. Major thumbs up to Elizabeth Chandler!

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Oct 23, 2012 Tatjana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction

This was my favorite book of this series it was just so perfect! An amazing balance of humor, romance and gut wrenching hear aching moments that made me go "but no!!" Haha I still have some of my favorite lines memorized :) mad at myself for loosing this book in one of the moves my family had over the years ;(

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Jul 25, 2011 Layla rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: my BFF.. maybe my boyfriend to give him some tips from Adam ;]

Recommended to Layla by: no one. i love Elizabeth Chandler

books that are 200 pages or less are pretty easy to rate since they're so short; it's either a no or go. I Do was short and cute and definitely a "go" for me. Jane is a very cool girl and extremely stubborn and focused. which is perfect since Adam is the same way. they definitely make my top ten favorite YA couples. the title goes well with the story and many times i found myself smiling as i read.

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Mar 21, 2011 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just love all her books, once again Chandler did not disappoint me. This story was a lot of fun to read with sweet moments as well as fiery ones and characters that you fall in love with.

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Nov 23, 2010 Zanzarr rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

So, I'm finished and I don't feel compelled to lie awake in bed and ponder any of the event in this novel. In my opinion pondering is when you know you've read a truly amazing book. While this wasn't truly amazing, it wasn't too shabby either.

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Jun 23, 2010 Peyton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, ya

Jane uses her snark to hide her vulnerability, while Adam appears to be just another cocky jock. The scene where he sees her bruises after the lacrosse game... Oh it kills me. LOVE.

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Dec 01, 2011 Lesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

OMG!! Best Love Stories EVER!!! Who can give this book any less than 5 stars??!!?! Adam and Jane!! Whooo!!! <3 I think I read this book at least 5 times!!

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Feb 24, 2009 Karlie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite teen romance novel. I have easily read it eight times and each time it pulls my heart strings.

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Feb 12, 2012 Ariel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Re-read it after about 10 years of forgetting about this series. Pretty cute. Not as good as I remembered.

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Aug 18, 2010 Ivory rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school-reads

I read this when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school. I couldn't quite remember exactly when... At that time, I read almost all "Love Stories series."

I may need to reread this book. My perspective then and now is different. But hence, I gave it 4 stars and I am confident this book deserves a 4-star rating. (update soon)

****UPDATE****

18 Aug 2010
I'm so glad I reread this book. I love it. The bond between Daisy Jane and her Grandpa was sweet. And it's so cute when you least expect to fall...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Lorelle rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: tweens

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, contemporary-romance

Very sweet and simplistic love story for tweens and up.

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Aug 28, 2009 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Still one of my favorite guilty pleasures!

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Sep 21, 2012 AJ Liftin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Such a guilty pleasure! Love it!

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Aug 10, 2011 katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

this was a cute, easy read

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Nov 30, 2011 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, romance, ya-contemporary, to-review, sweet-romance

I don't know why I didn't write a review for this book.
It is one of my favorite romantic YA stories with the cutest characters ever - one of those stories that gives you butterflies in your stomach.

I plan to read it again one of these days, and then I will write a proper review for it... Until then, just keep it in mind if you want to read something cute ;)

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Oct 30, 2008 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

One of my favorite young adult romantic comedies by a very talented author. Her books are such great examples of timing, plot, and structure that I try to read them once or more a year. Seriously, if you like innocuous romantic comedies, Chandler's books are a treasure.

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May 05, 2011 Rimsa Ivashkov rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love all of Elizabth Chandler's books and this was no different. Its a short but sweet novel and i loved the romance in it. It was very cute <3 and the characters are great too. This is one of my fav books from her Love Stories series.

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Apr 06, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lacrosse! Nice leader-type guy. Stubborn, great, smart, non-girly girl. What's not to love? Hate relationship.

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May 23, 2013 Ikra rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 22, 2013 Shay marked it as to-read

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About Elizabeth Chandler

Elizabeth Chandler is a pseudonym for Mary-Claire Helldorfer. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Legacy of Lies & Don't Tell (Dark Secrets, #1-2)

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Quotes from I Do

“Things change when someone special comes into your life. Both sides have to give up things. The one thing you don't give up in a good relationship is you--whatever makes you most you. - Jim Olsten (Jane's Grandpa)” — 19 people liked it

“It's been my experience," he continued, "that when you're with the right people, you feel more like yourself than ever. There's a happiness, and a feeling of coming alive to yourself and the other person, that's like nothing else.” — 14 people liked it

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title link	preview: I Do
avg rating	preview: I Do Goodreads rating: 3.97 (402 ratings)
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I Do (Love Stories For Young Adults #35)

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