Book Review for Heiress to Waitress by Ginny Clyde

Heiress to Waitress, by Ginny Clyde, is a young adult romance about rising up from where you’ve fallen, and learning how to live by your own strength.

Olivia, her younger brother James, and their mother, Sarah, had recently been robbed of everything by their Uncle Kelvin. After having to move from their home in Edinburgh to the United States, Olivia is taken back by her new school. Despite it all, she meets a mysterious classmate named Ryan, who tries to protect her in the best way he can. Even so, she manages to take up a job as a waitress at a tea shop, where she soon learns that she can make it in America with the help of her family and newfound friends.

Personally, I liked reading about Olivia. While I was taken back by how petty her uncle seemed, I was happy that she had the support of her family. Of course, I was also impressed by how she could stand up for herself; after all, she’s faced more powerful people than before, so taking on a class bully or two isn’t something she wouldn’t allow herself to worry about. What’s more, though she just moved to America, she was already making strides to build a future for herself. She was harsh on her mother at first, but I was grateful that she came to realize how much she sacrificed for them in the end. Ryan, however, was a different story. Despite the fact that he was the most popular boy in school, it seemed that he was just fulfilling the “handsome/loner” stereotype. More often than not, he came across as creepy, if not downright stalkerish. Still, I will admit that he did save Olivia on more than one occasion. Needless to say, that isn’t enough for me to fall in love with his character.

This book presented an interesting situation of when a family loses their wealth. Olivia, her mother, and James struggled to adjust, and while they did a wonderful job of it, I doubt they would’ve known what to do if not for the fact that people like Stacie and Jonathan were there to support them. True, it was, admittedly, amusing, to see them trying to live out their everyday lives, but I was happy that they slowly began to grow accustomed to it. It made me realize just how much they take for granted, and is something that is reflected in everyday life.

I enjoyed the book. While it can be a bit cheesy at times, it was also a good, clean young adult book that everyone can love. I didn’t particularly like Olivia’s love interest, but so far, Clyde has got me hooked. I would give this book a rating of a 3.8 out of 5.0 stars, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of clean romance every now and then.