Book Recs--Tess Hilmo's With a Name like Love

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this wonderful book by local Utah author Tess HIlmo. Three starred reviews and me weighing in on it two years later. But nonetheless, I loved this book from the first page. The voice is spot on and I felt like I was in the setting immediately. I loved the big family dynamics (5 girls stuck in a trailer for years on end). As someone who grew up in a bigger family (11), I know the nice parts and the bad parts. I was also surprised to find that hidden inside what seemed a family story was a mystery, as well. I love a good mystery, and this one had several great twists, in addition to an interesting motive. I always like mysteries based on motive rather than method.

The only thing that made me sad was that the main character, Ollie, didn't get to stay in the town that she wanted to stay in. I guess that her younger sister's complain that she gets everything she wants is proven most untrue by this. It wasn't that I thought it was a wrong choice by the author, just that as I reader, I was sad. But I also felt like Ollie was right to look at what other people wanted, and to realize that for her family, moving on was the better choice.

The sweet almost-romance of this book was also dear to my heart. I love romance in all its forms, but I do sometimes get tired of the eternal love-passion kind of thing that seems so common in YA of late. A romance full of longing and kindness is a great thing. Good job, Tess!