Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Before You (Before & After, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Before You

(Before & After #1)

Amber Hart (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 980 ratings · 202 reviews

Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it is both.

Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying in exquisite places, before returning to Oviedo High School. From the outside her life is picture-perfect. Captain of the dance team. Popular. Happy. Too bad its all a lie.

It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And I don't ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 29th 2014 by K-Teen

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Before You, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

2014 Contemporary YA

257 books — 1,981 voters

2014 Debut Author Challenge (YA/MG/NA)

429 books — 1,372 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.69 ·

Rating details

· 980 ratings · 202 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Before You (Before & After, #1)

Jun 20, 2014 Keeley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2014, received-for-review-2014

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before you is an an amazing young adult contemporary read from an outstanding new voice. Amber Hart has given us characters to fall in love with and a plot that had me hooked.

Before You is a tale of two star-crossed lovers. Everyone thinks Faith and Diego shouldn't be together, she is a respected daughter of a pastor who doesn't want to ruin the reputation of her dad and he is an ex gang member from the wrong side of the tracks, I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before you is an an amazing young adult contemporary read from an outstanding new voice. Amber Hart has given us characters to fall in love with and a plot that had me hooked.

Before You is a tale of two star-crossed lovers. Everyone thinks Faith and Diego shouldn't be together, she is a respected daughter of a pastor who doesn't want to ruin the reputation of her dad and he is an ex gang member from the wrong side of the tracks, complete opposites, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Faith is a good girl, she wears what people would expect a pastors daughter to wear, she acts the way she is expected to act and dates who other people find appropriate for her. She is living a lie, drowning in the pressure to not disappoint and to keep up appearances for the sake of her father. I like that Faith has two sides to her, the real her who is dying to break through and the fake her, the act she puts on to please everyone around her who think she should be a certain way. Faith has had troubles and has herself gone into dark place and that is why I think she connects with Diego so much, they have both been through things that have damaged them in a way.

Diego is your typical arrogant bad boy at first, he is adjusting to life in Florida after moving from Cuba, where he led a very different life inside a cartel. I loved that deep down he is so vulnerable when it comes to Faith, his feeling for her have changed him, he is a softer, more caring person. Their relationship instantly had sparks and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.

Before You tackles some difficult topics such as drug abuse and gangs. I found reading about gangs interesting, I think there was a lot of information about Cuba and life in Cuba for some people that I would not have known about if it wasn't for this book. I think the gang related parts of this book were done realistically and I liked reading about them.

Before You gives us love, action and some amazing characters. I loved going going on the journey with the characters in this book, and especially with Faith who has to learn to be true to herself. I really can't wait for the next installment of this series, After Us, to catch up with the characters. Before you made me laugh, cry and most of all keep turning the pages!
...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2014 Jeraca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received this free eARC novel in exhange for my honest review.

Wow. This is another version of Romeo and Juliet where they are star crossed lovers not to be together because of society issues. But man does the chemistry fly off of the page. And I love Diego so much. Such a bad boy with a soft heart. And he tried to stay away from Faith so hard, but she was a persistant girl.

And Faith. Wanting to be the perfect daughter for her dad and thinking she is failing after her slip up. Honestly, even ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2014 mythicgeek rated it really liked it

No, for real though. Read this book. I don't often like 1st person, I don't often like alternating POVs, and I almost never read straight-up contemporary romance. And yet I couldn't put this book down. Perfect for the We Need Diverse Books campaign. It's on sale on Tuesday July 29th. Make sure you get it and read it!

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2014 Erika Skaggs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Hart's brilliant blend of moral, emotional and sexual tension made this impossible to put down. I can't wait for the sequel.

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2014 Chrissy T rated it did not like it

As a Latin woman, I felt a little offended with how Latin males are portrayed in this book. I wanted to really love this story because of the cultural differences both of the MC's had; but honestly it didn't work. At all. The author tried to include Spanish words in every single dialogue scene Diego had, and it was awful! I don't think you need to be Latin in order to speak Spanish, but it was very clear the author doesn't speak the language. Not that it's a requirement in order to write about a ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2014 Aimee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Faith is perfect on the outside and broken on the inside. She wears a mask to make people think that she's the predictable pastor's daughter everyone expects her to be.

Diego just moved to the US from Cuba to escape his past and to try and start a new life on the straight and narrow but trouble keeps finding him.

This book reminds me a lot of Perfect Chemistry and also another book I just read called One, Two, Three. It's the classic good girl meets bad boy concept with a twist. Faith and Diego ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jun 30, 2014 Mari rated it did not like it

Visit The Sirenic Codex for more!

So disappointed.

As a huge fan of Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemistry, Im always on the lookout for the next best thing. When I saw Before You, I needed to have it. The synopsis was so intriguing and I loved the mysterious pasts and bi-racial relationships. Too bad the excitement waned after the first few pages.

I may have psyched myself out of this one, because there is nothing I can say except I was disappointed. My problem wasnt with the writing, Ms. Hart is Visit The Sirenic Codex for more!

So disappointed.

As a huge fan of Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry, I’m always on the lookout for the next best thing. When I saw Before You, I needed to have it. The synopsis was so intriguing and I loved the mysterious pasts and bi-racial relationships. Too bad the excitement waned after the first few pages.

I may have psyched myself out of this one, because there is nothing I can say except I was disappointed. My problem wasn’t with the writing, Ms. Hart is obviously talented, it was with the story, the plot and the characters.

The story is the classical West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet, forbidden romance. It’s formulaic but when done right, enjoyable. That wasn’t the case with Before You. The story was lacklustre and obviously formulaic. There were so many plot conveniences that it made the story unrealistic and unrelatable.

There was also a stark resemblance to Perfect Chemistry. They both start with the beginning of senior year and the protagonists are getting dressed for their first day. Faith, like Britanny, is dance captain with a friend who is hellbent on taking her spot. Faith is also queen of her school and is dating the star quarterback and a class -A jerk. But, they are perfect for each other and have been together forever! The similarities were a little too much and they bugged me.

As for the characters, I read up to halfway and I honestly couldn't appreciate them. Faith was unrelatable and frankly, a little pretentious. Her constant comments on her restricted life and messed up past didn't help me connect with her, they just made me see her as ungrateful.

Diego on the other hand, was also a very flat character. He had a bad past with the cartel and was now in America building a new life. From what I read, Diego moved to America for his safety but he didn’t act like someone who wanted to be there. Also his constant comments about the white girls he labeled as sluts were uncalled for. I don’t think all guys think like that and I don’t much like those that do.

Many the side characters like Faith's friend Melissa, her boyfriend Jason, and his mother were completely one dimensional. All Melissa wanted to do was break Faith's relationship with Jason because Faith was "restricting" herself. Jason was the perfect boyfriend until he conveniently turned into an ass after seeing Diego. His sweet Housewives of Orange County mother soon turned into a snake as well. I just could not find one character to help redeem this story, especially when things started going downhill thanks to the instalove.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into it. There were so many things that bugged me upfront and it’s a shame because when done well these types of books are my favourites. Not this time. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2014 Alannah Clarke rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, netgalley

Not a bad book, I just could not put the book down at all. Amber Hart manages to create brilliant and realistic characters as well tackling as tackling some very tough topics, Hart gave me some information about Cuba and gang life.

Overall, I thought it was a great book overall and I would recommend it to everyone.

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2014 Celeste rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, 2014, arc-or-galley, young-adult, mafia-organized-crime, bad-boys, new-adult, dark-and-gritty, kennsington, tattoos-or-piercings

loved. full review very soon!

This book was originally reviewed on The Book Hookup.

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not influence the review**

4.5 stars Sweet lawd my heart. I really loved this story and Im still trying to recover from it.

This story started off a little slow and reminded me of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (which is a very good thing), but soon enough I was churning through the pages like it was my job and I couldnt get enough of loved. full review very soon!

This book was originally reviewed on The Book Hookup.

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not influence the review**

4.5 stars Sweet lawd my heart. I really loved this story and I’m still trying to recover from it.

This story started off a little slow and reminded me of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (which is a very good thing), but soon enough I was churning through the pages like it was my job and I couldn’t get enough of Diego. This was definitely it’s own book and Diego….well let’s just say he stole the show in this book.

So let’s talk more about Diego. He was divine. He was scarred inside and out. He was tough, sexy, loyal…but mostly honorable. He was so good. He was just a victim of unlucky circumstance and did the best he could. He could have been angry all the time, but he wasn’t, which is why his character went straight to my heart.

Faith was a good leading character, so good that I wanted to know more. I felt like we were only told what she wanted to share…and that was ok, but I’m a greedy reader and I really wish we had learned more about her heartache. I learned about the “whys” of it, but wanted to feel the pain of it a little more…but maybe she just wanted to move on and not dwell on it for the sake of us readers. I understood every time Diego had a slight lapse in judgement, but Faith’s life couldn’t even compare, even though to her, her pain ran so deeply. I liked her a lot, I just wanted to know her even more.

The romance was brewing, and I think that is the best way for me to describe it. It was great, and going in a great direction that had my heart fluttering and palms sweating. However, I felt ripped off at the end. I am a really greedy reader and deserved at least a really looooong kissing scene (kissing only because it’s a YA novel). The chemistry was there, but the ending was cut short (I get to that in an upcoming paragraph).

So I loved the MCs and the romance, but that’s not all…I also loved the best friends, Javier and Melissa. Oh, and loved the parents, too! All of them are reasons why Before You is such a strong book…when the supporting cast is fantastic it makes such a huge difference. I hope Melissa gets a story too!

The big surprise at the end was just that. I swear I nearly threw the kindle. I was pissed. I was seriously upset. So with this “thing” that happened that was gut-wrenching, well, there was a vague recovery followed by other stuff that just all happened too fast. What am I saying? It didn’t really work for me. The upset part could have worked if the “stuff” after the fact was prolonged and I got details. But it was glossed over. And I didn’t want glossing because I was so emotionally torn up…it was like an epilogue was thrown at me. I never got to go through the ending emotions. Basically, this book should have been longer and it would have kicked it up to that 5 star rating. Was it still amazing? Hell yes! I just wanted more. ;)

Would I rec this? A million times yes. I can’t wait to read Javier’s story next! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2015 Christy rated it it was amazing

The Characters: First, I want to talk about Diego. I absolutely LOVED him. He's had a hard life, and he's seen things that no one should ever see, but especially someone his age. He's also survived things that I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't, and while I don't agree with most of the stuff in his past, I can understand why he did them. Everything he done, he done for his family, and I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing in his shoes because I would do anything for mine.

Faith The Characters: First, I want to talk about Diego. I absolutely LOVED him. He's had a hard life, and he's seen things that no one should ever see, but especially someone his age. He's also survived things that I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't, and while I don't agree with most of the stuff in his past, I can understand why he did them. Everything he done, he done for his family, and I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing in his shoes because I would do anything for mine.

Faith was a little more difficult for me to like. I could understand why she felt that she needed to be the way that she was, but there were times when I got really aggravated with her, especially some of the ways she treated Diego. But in the end, I liked her so much better, and I'm glad that I got to see her grow as a character.

The secondary characters were also really awesome, I adored Faith's best friend, Melissa. She was an amazing friend, she knew exactly how much to push Faith, but she also stayed true to her best friend, and that is really hard to find now days. The rest of the characters, Grace, Diego's father and his cousins, and even Faith's stepmom were all really great and they all added a little something extra to the story.

My Overall Thoughts: Before You surprised me, I pretty much knew going in that I would like it, but I wasn't expecting to be blown away like I was. The characters were amazing and the story flowed perfectly, not once did it feel slow to me.

I loved the whole back story, and like I said above, Diego has been through some pretty rough stuff, but he's came out on the other side, and I could tell from the beginning that he was actually a really nice guy, despite what he tries to portray to the outside world.

Now, that ending. I think the last 10% of the book, I was pretty much on edge, I can't tell you why because I don't want to take away that shock factor, but I think I literally screamed when I got to a certain part in the story. I don't really want to say much on it though because I don't want to ruin anything for anybody, so you'll just have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about.

One Line Wrap Up: An amazing journey about learning to accept yourself as you are, with a side of forbidden romance.

I Would Recommend For Fans Of: Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemistry series
...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2014 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

After one minor wtf moment where my brain was slow to catch the twist - I must be tired :) Before You is a poetic look at cultural stereotyping mixed with a simmering romance.

Before You is another story I cant help but compare to Perfect Chemistry. The basic elements of the good, caucasian girl with the gang linked latino boy all add up to a compelling storyline.

While the basics are the same I have to say that Before You ups the ante in the level of gang involvement. How in some cases there is ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2015 Missy rated it it was amazing

Loved this story from start to finish! A unique love story, one that captured me from the beginning! After her Mom walked out, Faith tries so hard to be someone she's not to keep from hurting her Dad. I found myself relating to her so much, especially at her age.
Diego's trying to escape from his past in Cuba where he was involved in a gang. He's steamy & tattooed up, but still has a good heart. I loved the occasional use of Spanish and how very different their worlds are.

I definitely ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2014 Nika ♥Marie♥ rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: libraryreview, jul

I can't do all these books that are telling me how to feel instead of letting me develop those feelings.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 29, 2014 Miguel rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014, dnf

DNF at 71% Bad just bad. Do not recommend at all.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2014 Nereyda (Nick & Nereyda's Infinite Booklist) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I've been looking forward to this book ever since I saw that gorgeous cover! The summary reminded me of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, which I love. I had high hope for Before You and while I did really enjoyed the story, the little things that bugged me started adding up. Most of the time I was reading this, I was having deja-vu moments from Perfect Chemistry. But this wasn't my main issue, because books are similar to each other all the time. My biggest issue was with Faith and her I've been looking forward to this book ever since I saw that gorgeous cover! The summary reminded me of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles, which I love. I had high hope for Before You and while I did really enjoyed the story, the little things that bugged me started adding up. Most of the time I was reading this, I was having deja-vu moments from Perfect Chemistry. But this wasn't my main issue, because books are similar to each other all the time. My biggest issue was with Faith and her actions. I just didn't understand how or why she made some of the choices she did...

Faith is the perfect girl. She helps out with transfer students, she's the pastor's daughter, she dresses nice (like a 80 year old), she's head of the dance team, and she's dating the star football player. Surprise, surprise. But of course, Faith's life isn't as perfect as it seems. She hides behind what everyone expects from her while hiding her own dark secrets. When the new exchange student from Cuba, Diego, starts school, Faith is assigned to show him around school. Diego sees past the facade that Faith puts up for everyone else, and he does everything he can to provoke her because he loves seeing glimpses of the real Faith when she gets fired up.

The chemistry between Faith and Diego was so good! I loved seeing their friendship grow from semi-hatred, to semi-friendship, to full-blown attraction. Diego pushes Faith to start being her real self and she does, with baby steps. More like turtle steps. She dumps her boyfriend, she starts dressing like a normal teenage girl and she starts to give in to her attraction to Diego. And this is where my issues started... Faith knows that her relationship with Diego won't be accepted by her friends or the people at her church. So agrees to start dating Diego in secret. This sounds kind of romantic in a forbidden-love kind of way, but really, I thought it was just stuck up. Faith is fine with making out with Diego, but she can't be seen with him at school. When her friends or her ex start talking about Diego, she goes along with it to 'keep up appearances.' This just really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't even understand what was the big deal with Diego and Faith being in a relationship??? I mean, we are in 2014 right? At it's not like it was set in a small town where racial prejudice like this still unfortunately exists. This was set in Miami! I'm sure Miami is full of Hispanic/Latino people. I especially didn't understand why the high school kids had such a problem with this. I get that racism still exists, but I just didn't understand why this was such a big deal to Faith...

I was also very annoyed with all the Spanglish. I'm Hispanic, my whole family is Hispanic, I learned to talk Spanish first and then had to learn English, and no one I know talks like that. It's either English or Spanish but not this crazy combo of both. It drove me crazy how Diego and his friends talked. When he said things like he was going to his aunt's casa to eat some comida, it just annoyed me. This was just a personal (and silly) pet peeve of mine. The writing was a little bit awkward at times. The story would be broken up and these really beautiful and poetic sentences would be added, but then it would switch back to the normal story. While those sentences were pretty, they felt very out of place sometimes.

My eyes are thieves, stealing glimpses, storing the evidence in my mind, making me guilty by association.

Even though I could have done without the last 20% of the book (it was a lot of unnecessary drama), and despite my (silly) complaints, I did really enjoy this book. I didn't love it like I was hoping, but the writing and the chemistry was so damn addicting, that I couldn't help but getting sucked into the story and I couldn't stop reading. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, After Us, because it will feature Faith's best friend Melissa (who I loved!) and Diego's cousin Javier (Who I also really liked).

3.5 out of 5 stars!

***
Read full review & more of my reviews at Mostly YA Book Obsessed

...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 13, 2015 Genesis Sheli (Whispering Chapters) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry

Shelves: netgalley, blog-tour, arc-print, gifted

I accidentally deleted my review for this book. This review was originally published on Latte Nights Reviews.

You can also click the image below to view my reaction video:

First of all, Ill start by saying that if you are a Simone Elkeles fan and you love her Perfect Chemistry series, then you will DIG, LOVE, ADORE, ENJOY Before You by Amber Hart! I finished this book while taking a bubble bath and I remember I sent a text to my mom, describing how I was feeling. It was in Spanish because Im I accidentally deleted my review for this book. This review was originally published on Latte Nights Reviews.

You can also click the image below to view my reaction video:

First of all, I’ll start by saying that if you are a Simone Elkeles fan and you love her Perfect Chemistry series, then you will DIG, LOVE, ADORE, ENJOY Before You by Amber Hart! I finished this book while taking a bubble bath and I remember I sent a text to my mom, describing how I was feeling. It was in Spanish because I’m Puerto Rican (born and raised and still living here) so excuse me if my translation isn’t good (I suck at translating): “Second time I cry so much because of a book. It’s so beautiful! It broke my heart in pieces and then in tiny pieces. It tried to glue my heart together and realized the glue wasn’t a good one and so the pieces fell apart, breaking me once again until it finally found the right glue and pieced my heart together and it is so beautiful!”

Very descriptive, you see. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this book. I don’t think I have any complaints. It was hilarious. When I started reading, I couldn’t wipe off the grin on my face; it was like the Cheshire cat! Since I live in a place where Spanish is the first language, I don’t really swoon with books that have guys that speak Spanish; it’s normal for me so I don’t pay much attention to it. With Diego, is another story. I would re-read the phrases and literally swoon. That’s how I know I really liked Diego. He isn’t the bad guy you may think he is when you start reading. He is actually a very decent guy, just with a past that kind of haunts him a little and that’s okay. We all have pasts that we aren’t proud of.

“Mami, why don’t I help you loosen up a little?” Oh Diego, you can loosen me up all you want. Diego is hot…there is no question about that. I love the bad boy image he gives off and I love how he really is a sweetheart at heart.

Faith…where do I start? I don’t get the fuzz about people talking crap about her. They say she is conceited and selfish but…I never caught that in the book; quite the contrary. Faith needed to maintain the image of the perfect Christian, daughter of the Pastor of the church or people would start pointing at her and judging her for having a life. She forced herself out of having fun just so her dad would have a good image, her family wouldn’t be judged. That is NOT something we experience a lot. Yes, Faith had past that takes away the perfect image but nobody knows about that so it’s like the image hasn’t been tainted.

There is dual point of view, alternating with each chapter and I like it because I could read and see things from different sides, different thoughts and it was nice to read it that way.

The story’s last few chapters will break you guys…keep that in mind. The Epilogue will bring you back to life and you will put your torches down and will forget about wanting to do a “friendly” visit to Amber Hart. It is very amazing and loving.

I have to address something that has been bothering me since I read a review on Goodreads. This story has people that dislike Latins. It is a story, just a story. I am pure Latin and I was never bothered by this. Why? Because it is something that happens a lot in United States. There are states that don’t like Latins, it is not something of the 18th century, like someone mentioned. I wanted to clear this up in case someone else thought that this doesn’t happens, the hate Latins get, but it still does. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2014 Michelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: first-reads-win, reviewed

This quick read boldly written novel, told in alternative first person narratives: "before you" is authored by Amber Hart. This coming of age story is sentimentality combined with the power of young first love, the racial/cultural differences of language, social standing, economic status, and former gang affiliation.

Faith Watter's appeared to be living a great life, she was pretty, popular, and attended Oviedo High, also her minister father's church, with her boyfriend Jason of several years. This quick read boldly written novel, told in alternative first person narratives: "before you" is authored by Amber Hart. This coming of age story is sentimentality combined with the power of young first love, the racial/cultural differences of language, social standing, economic status, and former gang affiliation.

Faith Watter's appeared to be living a great life, she was pretty, popular, and attended Oviedo High, also her minister father's church, with her boyfriend Jason of several years. Jason was unaware of Faith's carefully covered-up truth, relating to maternal abandonment. Only her best friend Melissa knew Faith wasn't as happy she seemed to the outside world.

Faith reluctantly began to question her strong emotional pull towards Diego Alvarez, a new Latino boy at Oviedo High from Cuba. Diego, was secretly enchanted with this white "princess", as they both gradually overcame their attitudes of relating to one another, having reservations about the romantic tension that boiled between them. This was unusual, because Diego was a tough guy, tattooed, scared, former gang member, and never had anything serious with the numerous girls/women he had known/experienced before meeting Faith. Faith had her steady relationship with Jason.

There were many things that seemed clichéd/stereotypical and predictable about this novel. Diego claimed to be a fighter: (saying) "I am a weapon" and: "I am a monster"; certainly the reader realizes that not much good can come from a street wise bad-boy who can kick a** and take names. Diego just didn't seem to fit this image, perhaps if he were older? Diego was also a handsome ladies man, yet when he realized he was "too often" in the same areas/locations as Faith, the other girls he was with/dating "conveniently" faded away. Faith and Jason too casually agree to end their LTR relationship, with Diego waiting in the wings. The serious health scares, hospitalizations, the ending, just didn't seem believable.
The story line was fairly well written and the reader wanted to find out what happened next. The message of true love overcoming obstacles and adversities will always be a popular theme of the Young Adult genre.
With many thanks much appreciation Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC, and for sponsoring the Goodreads Giveaways where I won this book. My Rating 2.5 stars. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 19, 2014 Inah marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: new-adult, 2014-reads

*Copy received from the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange of honest reviews*

I was really enticed by the cover and the blurb of this book that's why I requested the title on Netgalley. After I finished the other book that I was reading, I immediately jumped onto reading this one because I'm excited to see how the story goes.

The last book I've read with a POC as one of the protagonists was Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry Trilogy and I really loved those books. This book reminded me of Perfect ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2014 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: death, contemporary, young-adult, multiple-pov, r2r-read, netgalley-edelweiss, love-triangle, romance, read-2014

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley.)
18-year-old Faith is a pastors daughter, but shes not quite as perfect as people might assume.
18-year-old Diego is from Cuba, and has also made some mistakes in his life.
Will Faith and Diego be a match made in heaven? Or will they be better off apart?

This was an okay story, but something just didnt sit right with me.

Faith was an okay character, and it was nice that she (Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley.)
18-year-old Faith is a pastor’s daughter, but she’s not quite as perfect as people might assume.
18-year-old Diego is from Cuba, and has also made some mistakes in his life.
Will Faith and Diego be a match made in heaven? Or will they be better off apart?

This was an okay story, but something just didn’t sit right with me.

Faith was an okay character, and it was nice that she wasn’t the stereotypical ‘good girl’ that her image suggested. I felt quite sorry for her with regards to the problems she had had following her mother’s departure from her life, but I didn’t expect her to feel the way about Diego that she did.
I felt that Diego’s character was pretty stereotypical Cuban to be honest. He carried a gun, he got in fights, and he was part of a drug cartel. Underneath it all he was nice, but not all Cuban people are like that (involved in drugs etc. I mean). I just felt like maybe this book didn’t show Cuban people in the best light? I don’t know, something just didn’t sit right with me about Diego.

The storyline in this was quite predictable I felt, and strangely enough Faith’s best friend made some predictions at the start of the book which were pretty accurate. There was some romance, and it was supposed to be the main part of the book, but I just didn’t fall for it. Again, it was predictable, and it just didn’t sit right with me, I tried to like it, but I just didn’t feel it. I also didn’t enjoy the number of trips to the hospital there seemed to be in this book.

There was a twist at the end of this story which I really didn’t like. Talk about putting the person you’re supposed to love through absolute hell, and then expecting forgiveness. Things did work out okay in the end, but again, I just didn’t really enjoy this all that much.
Overall; okay story, but something just didn’t sit right with me,
6 out of 10.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2015 Emily rated it liked it

Before You is the story of Faith, the respectable daughter of a pastor, who doesnt want to ruin the reputation of her father, and Diego, an ex-drug mule who has come to escape his past.
This story was okay It was an easy read, and the writing was good, but the story didnt grip me. I found the main story line predictable, it was the characters backgrounds that interested me.
Faith was portrayed to be the stereotypical good girl, a dance captain and dating the star quarterback, but as the book ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 30, 2014 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

I loved this book! The alternating perspectives in chapters allows the reader to invest in both characters deeply. The characters are complicated have depth and genuine likable traits that hook the rader from page one until the very last page in the book. Fans of Katie. McGarry's books will love this book! I look forward to more stories in this world and more books from this author! Read it.....you will not be disappointed!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2014 Megan • Reading Books Like a Boss (book blog) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2014-releases

Review:
I don't remember where I first saw this book but I was really excited to read it. Before You is the first book in the Before and After series by Amber Hart (see the reading order below). I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by this book. There were things that I liked in this book but unfortunately, I disliked more things than I liked.

Before You is told in dual points of view, every chapter alternating back and forth between the hero and heroine's points-of-view. Our ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2014 Audrey Graser rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014

Title: Before You

Author: Amber Hart

Genre: YA/NA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: K-Teen

Length: 320 pages

Original Publishing Date: July 29th, 2014

Series: Before and After #1

Where I got it: Netgalley

Main characters: 3.5/5

Faith starts off as a "good girl"; the preacher's daughter who is so very concerned with appearances and reputation. I personally couldn't relate to her concerns about reputation so much, but the idea that Faith felt that she was trapped in this "fake" life seems like it's a feeling ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2014 Genesis pimentel rated it really liked it

As Published on : http://sparklingbooks.wordpress.com/

Tittle: Before you (Before and After #1)

Author: Amber Hart
Length: 320 Pages

Publisher: K-Teen ( Kensington Publisher)

Release Date: July 29Th

Gender: Romance, young Adult, contemporary,fiction.

Rating:★★★★ (4 OUT OF 5)

How I got it?: Netgalley

Pre-Order it on:

Amazon

B&N

Ibooks

Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it is both.

Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying in exquisite places, before ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 28, 2014 Holly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: feels-feels-everywhere, cover-love, swoon-worthy, netgalley-edelweiss, i-loved-it

*eARC kindly provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley*
*Full review can be found at Part of that World.

What first put this book on my radar was K.A. Tucker telling everyone that they'll want to read it (or something of that variety). I love YA contemporaries, so when I read the synopsis I knew I had to have it. And I was so excited when K-Teen approved my NG request! Also, I adore that cover!

Rating: 4 Stars!

Before You is told in dual, first person POVs. And can I just say how much I love both ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 18, 2014 Southern Belle Book Blog rated it it was amazing

Amber Hart. You dont even realize it because weve never spoken, but I just went through an entire relationship with you. Ups and downs, falling and hitting hard, convinced Im breaking up with you, and then suddenly I love you again. Geez, Im tired just from reading a book, but it was worth it. Youve officially shot onto my new favorite list.

Okay so super short summary Youve got Faith, who lives a lie. Shes fake and only shows the side of herself that she feels the church and community thinks Amber Hart. You don’t even realize it because we’ve never spoken, but I just went through an entire relationship with you. Ups and downs, falling and hitting hard, convinced I’m breaking up with you, and then suddenly I love you again. Geez, I’m tired just from reading a book, but it was worth it. You’ve officially shot onto my new favorite list.

Okay so super short summary – You’ve got Faith, who lives a lie. She’s fake and only shows the side of herself that she feels the church and community thinks she should be. She has to appear perfect when she’s actually very far from perfection. The things she’s done and the places she’s been haunt her, but it also pushes herself forward. She meets Diego, who also has a past that he’s trying to leave behind. Coming from Cuba and having a rough life before moving to the states, he’s trying to start anew. When the two meet, it’s sparks from the get go. They help one another overcome their demons. They show one another how to look to the future, while also coming to terms with their pasts.

This book grabbed me from the very first page. There’s something always exciting about starting a new book, because you don’t know how the pacing will be, it’s all new, and you’re going in blind. This one started out perfectly, and didn’t stop. The pacing was just right. It never felt like it was dragging, and it kept me excited to read Faith and Diego’s story on every single page. Although you cover a lot of ground with both of their stories and point of views, it all just fit so well together. Hart has a quirky way of writing also, which made it even more fun to read. Dare I say, she even reminds me of a certain author that just released a book this week about an ugly sort of love, with her off the wall descriptions that work beautifully when all laid out. She’s eloquent and so much fun. Where one author may have used a phrase to describe something and you’d “get” it, she takes it above and beyond. You don’t only “get” the picture she’s trying to build, but you feel it, breathe it, and live in it.

I’m in love with these characters. Completely in love. I feel like there could be a never-ending series about these two, and I would never get tired of reading it. They’re broken, but seeing how much they help one another was beautiful. Although their story isn’t necessarily overly realistic, it still feels like it could be. I really felt like I knew the characters. No detail is left untouched, and because of that, you really feel for them individually as well as their relationship. Faith is…bless her heart. She doesn’t want to be who she portrays, and seeing her slowly give up her “fake” life and show her true colors was amazing. And Diego. All he wants is to start fresh and have a full honest life, but his past keeps dragging him down. They’re both so strong and determined, and I love that about them. Together, they’re perfect. The storyline as a whole isn’t all light and fluffy, but it still stays fresh and easy to read.

Also, we all have those moments in certain books that devastate you. Those completely and utterly ruin you, throw your Kindle across the room and don’t regret it, can’t breathe moments. Be ready for 93%. Heart, meet hammer. That’s all I’m saying.

Overall, this book is a roller coaster. It has so many up’s and down’s, but I enjoyed every second of it. The romance between these two characters will have you swooning, but you’ll find yourself so very frustrated that the world can’t just leave them be. It’s an emotional tale that will leave you reeling. It’s sweet, heartbreaking, exciting, and absolutely magical. It’s got a very Romeo & Juliet/Perfect Chemistry feel to it, so if you loved those, then this one is for you. I can’t say it enough – Go grab this one.

<3 Erin ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2014 Siiri (Little Pieces of Imagination) rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2014, young-adult, diversity, contemporary, romance, characters-of-color, stand-alones, arc_rc

Its true! I didnt like Perfect Chemistry that much. Sorry guys! I read it about 2-3 years ago and wasnt a huge fan. I wish it had had a little more culture in it and was a little less about the HS drama. I read the synopsis for Before You and thought perhaps Perfect Chemistry was just not for me at the time; perhaps Ill love this book since I love me some star-crossed romances; perhaps Ill love it and fall in love so madly that Ill want to re-read PC and love it too. While those things didnt It’s true! I didn’t like Perfect Chemistry that much. Sorry guys! I read it about 2-3 years ago and wasn’t a huge fan. I wish it had had a little more culture in it and was a little less about the HS drama. I read the synopsis for Before You and thought perhaps Perfect Chemistry was just not for me at the time; perhaps I’ll love this book since I love me some star-crossed romances; perhaps I’ll love it and fall in love so madly that I’ll want to re-read PC and love it too. While those things didn’t happen, I’m still glad I read Before You, because now I know that these kind of books just aren’t for me. Period.

"So many firecrackers go off inside me all at once. Because of one smile. He's stealing his way into me and I don't appreciate it. Not one bit."

Um. Ok. So this book has a serious, Sirius case of insta-love going on. Insta-attraction is most definitely there and it quickly develops into insta-love. I mean.. Why is it so hard to find a book with a nice slow-build? Yea, in HS one’s hormones are usually the reason why teenagers’ feelings develop so quickly, but still! I may understand, but it doesn’t mean that I agree, like or enjoy. And in this case, I didn’t even understand. Sorry.

My status update on Goodreads said: “It’s weird, because I don’t really feel the chemistry between them since they haven’t spoken that much and spent so little time together, but are drooling all over each other.” I stand by it. Still. Where in the world did all these feelings come from between the two MCs? They’d seen each other basically 5 times by the time I reached 40% and by then they were so into each other. They knew each other’s expressions, moods, signals. Like, whoa! Come again? *blinks* It was just frustrating, because if the romance had been more developed or slow-burn-ish, I would have maybe, just maybe, found myself enjoying this book more. Also, while Hart has potential to be a great author, I would have liked for a bit more scenery and interaction. The writing was a tad choppy here and there and the dialogue didn’t always sound natural. The potential is there though.

It wasn’t all bad though. It represents difference in YA and I love the different cultural backgrounds even if Diego’s Mexican heritage wasn’t explored that much. I loved the parts where the MCs were away from each other (though that was clearly not the part I should have liked the most since, above all, it’s a contemporary romance novel) and gave us their backstories. I like how we got Faith’s deep dark secret almost right away and didn’t have to build up anticipation and mystery for it. I also kind of adored Faith’s best friend Melissa? While I was reading, I kept thinking to myself that she may start a thing with Javi (Diego’s cousin) and I wouldn’t mind it one bit. (When I reached the end of the novel, there was a sneak peek into the sequel and I was right! *fist pump* Not sure if I’m going to read it though..)

I think this one could appeal to people who loved Perfect Chemistry and people still in HS or younger. Not to say that adults wouldn’t enjoy it! No. I bet there are a ton of adults who will devour this story and want more. It’s just that.. it’s full of HS drama, ista-love (which I was very fond of during my Twilight days, but not anymore) and more up-front dialogue than very in-depth story-writing.

Overall rating: 2.0 out of 5.0

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to K-Teen and Netgalley for the ARC.

More of my reviews can be found on my blog. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 16, 2014 Kim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, arc, reviewed, young-adult, read-in-2014

Oh it's difficult for me to put my thoughts about this one into words. I liked the book. Portions of it really held my attention, but at other times I found myself almost skimming because things were moving too slowly for my liking. I read it in an evening, though, so kit definitely engaged me to some amount.

On the surface, I liked the characters and the storyline. Faith was strong and relatively likable. She was tired of all the pressure of being perfect, and who can't relate to that on some Oh it's difficult for me to put my thoughts about this one into words. I liked the book. Portions of it really held my attention, but at other times I found myself almost skimming because things were moving too slowly for my liking. I read it in an evening, though, so kit definitely engaged me to some amount.

On the surface, I liked the characters and the storyline. Faith was strong and relatively likable. She was tired of all the pressure of being perfect, and who can't relate to that on some level? Diego was a bit of a jerk on the surface, but there was more to him underneath. I did enjoy the dynamic between the two. They were both pretty spunky and their banter in the beginning was fun. Yeah, there was a bit of instalove... Ok, it was really more hate to instalove, but still. It worked in this book, somehow. Faith and Diego had chemistry. It was apparent from their first meeting. They were from two different worlds, but each holding a secret that definitely impacted the way they behaved in present day. The big secrets were revealed pretty early on in the book and I found Faith's far more believable than Diego's. The romance between them was good and passionate. I really liked them together and, overall, thought they were good for each other, even if others had a difficult time seeing it because of their differences. Faith helped him realize there are people worth fighting for and Diego helped pull her out of her shell so she could find herself again.

I felt like the race relations and impact on the characters in the book were portrayed pretty realistically, for the most part. It's 2014 and people are more open-minded, but that doesn't always mean interracial relationships are always accepted. Diego's current struggles felt very real, even if some of his backstory was a bit far-fetched for me. While I'll admit I didn't love the characters in the beginning, I grew to love them as I watched them face their pasts and struggle to make a better future for themselves and each other. There was a moment towards the end I was pretty sure I was going to have to throw this book out the window out of sheer frustration and disappointment, but it turned around quickly. Thank goodness. Because if it had gone THERE, I would have been one seriously angry person. So it is safe to say I connected with the story and the characters on some level if I was that distraught and emotional.

Yes, this book had flaws, but so did the characters. We all do. The book was a little too prose-y for me at times and the dialogue made me roll my eyes at times because I couldn't possibly imagine kids their age speaking that way. But all in all, it was a good book. It kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Because of the star-crossed lovers vibe it was giving off, I was unable to ever get truly comfortable and confident these characters would find a happily ever after. Faith and Diego's story might be over for now, but I'm very much looking forward to reading the sequel, After Us. I need to know more about Melissa and Javier's story!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2014 Becca rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Click here to check out this review and more at my website!

There are moments in life set apart from the rest. The before this moment, and the after this moment. Diego is one of those moments for me.
I just cannot seem to get out of this reading slump that I have been in lately. I am not sure if its me or if its the books I am choosing I am sort of torn after reading Before You. There were things that I liked and things that I didnt. I am still unsure of the rating that I gave it, because I

Click here to check out this review and more at my website!

“There are moments in life set apart from the rest. The before this moment, and the after this moment. Diego is one of those moments for me.”
I just cannot seem to get out of this reading slump that I have been in lately. I am not sure if it’s me or if its the books I am choosing… I am sort of torn after reading Before You. There were things that I liked and things that I didn’t. I am still unsure of the rating that I gave it, because I considered going lower but didn’t think this book deserved that.

Before You is the story of Faith the typical goody two shoes Preacher’s daughter with a dark side and Diego a literal Bad Boy as in former criminal from the very wrong side of the tracks. I originally liked the love/hate between Diego and Faith. Their opposites attract chemistry really worked for me at the beginning of the book… however it turned to insta-love for me about half way through and I just couldn’t believe it for the 2nd half.

I unfortunately didn’t care for Faith very much, although I admired the part of her that worked through her issues and came out on the other side. The stuck up Princess she pretended to be really got on my nerves. The way that she treated Diego really upset me as well, dating him on the DL and letting her friends say bad things about him to cover up her feelings really bothered me. I did like Diego though, he was just trying to start over and learn from his mistakes. Although I had trouble believing that someone coming from where he did could connect on any level with someone as shallow and vapid as Faith was through a lot of the book… pretend image or not.

Another thing that bugged me was the random Spanish that Hart threw in the book. I am fine with some Spanish in a book, but it was used so sporadically. One sentence would be half Spanish and half English,it was just weird and out of place.

Then there is the ending, which I noticed I am not the only one who was thrown by this. It was described often as over-dramatic and that is exactly right. I can’t say much about the ending without including spoilers, I will just say that I did not like it at all and that it was just too much… I was just like what the… what?!

Amber Hart did have weave some beautiful writing into this book and can be a very poetic Author, although it seemed not to fit at times (Remember “One of these things is not like the other” from Sesame Street?) some of it was very beautiful. She also dealt with the issue of addiction, and I always admire and Author who can tackle difficult issues. However, I felt that the addiction was kind of blown off. I do not believe it is that easy to kick a habit like drug addiction. I think that a majority of people do not just flip a switch and end their drug abuse and never look back.

I am unsure if I will continue with this series at this point. Maybe because Faith grew so much in this book, her character will be more likable in the rest of the series??? I guess we will have to see! ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2014 maia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014, earc, netgalley, 2014-faves, romance

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review. (aka hello, thank you, Netgalley + K-Teen!)

This novel came to me in the perfect time. The last I read before finishing this novel was good, but happened not to be my cup of tea and so I have started to look for a contemporary novel with a substance. And was I amazing at making the decision to read this next.

Before You is a young/new adult contemporary romance novel about star-crossed lovers Faith Watters and Diego Alvarez. Faith is like your ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Before You by Amber Hart -- Starting August 10th 2014	26	35	Aug 13, 2014 12:36AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Before You by Amber Hart, Starting July 15th, 2014	29	22	Jul 16, 2014 01:18AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

43 users

Romance

35 users

Contemporary

21 users

New Adult

19 users

Young Adult > High School

11 users

Realistic Fiction

5 users

Young Adult > Teen

4 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Romance

4 users

Love

4 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

4 users

See top shelves…

About Amber Hart

Amber Hart

172 followers

Author of:

WICKED CHARM, young adult standalone romantic thriller, Entangled Teen 2018

UNTIL YOU FIND ME, (Untamed series #1) new adult contemporary romantic thriller, Penguin Random House 2014

CAPTURED BY YOU, (Untamed series #2), Penguin Random House 2015

BEFORE YOU (Before & After series, #1), young adult contemporary romance, Kensington 2014

AFTER US (Before & After series, #2), Kensington ...more