The Moment I Knew: A YA Sweet Romance

by Clara Nielsen

I’ve built my life on being good.

Perfect grades. Perfect reputation. Perfect future.

Then I meet Cole Mercer.

He doesn’t belong in my world. Wrong town. Wrong school. Wrong side of every line I’ve been taught not to cross. He has a reputation my parents would never approve of and a future no one seems to believe in.

He’s everything I’m not supposed to want. And somehow, he’s the only one I can’t stop thinking about.

And suddenly, breaking all my rules doesn’t seem so bad.

This is Imogen Novak's story.

Unknown Binding

About the author

Clara Nielsen writes sweet & swoony YA romances set in high school, all about shy girls and the boys who are head-over-heels for them. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll probably find her out on the lake, putting together the perfect playlist, or sipping on a chai latte while daydreaming about her next story.

Reviews

[jaelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I must say, this is definitely one of my favorite Clara Nielsen’s books. The romance, the story, the characters, I just loved them all so much. Imogen was a lovely character, I just wish she had the confidence to stand up for herself more and know her worth. She was a ball of sunshine and her and Cole together just made sense. So glad I had the amazing chance to receive an arc of this book because it truly was a masterpiece. I was giggling and laughing so much during the sky zone chapter, they are just absolutely cuties. Go read if you haven’t already!

[Eva Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️
OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK!!! It was captivating,unputdownable and I absolutely adored every second of it. Definitely (in my opinion) one of the best Clara Nielsen books yet! So binge and swoon-worthy :)

[Carmen Dieleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The moment i knew

I’ve built my life on being the good girl everyone expects me to be. Perfect grades. Perfect reputation. Perfect future. And then I meet Cole Mercer. He doesn’t belong in my world. He’s from the wrong town, the wrong school, and the wrong side of every line I’ve been taught not to cross. He has with a reputation my parents would never approve of and a future no one seems to believe in. But after I end up locked in a closet with him at a party, everything flips upside down. He's everything I'm not supposed to want—so of course, he's the only one I can't stop thinking about. And suddenly, breaking all my rules doesn’t seem so bad.

Oooh alweer een nieuw deel van de serie! Ik was helemaal blij toen ik zag dat er weer een nieuwe boek uit was van Clara Nielsen. Deze boeken zijn zo leuk. Ook dit verhaal zat weer zo goed in elkaar. Super fijn geschreven waardoor ik heerlijk in het boek kwam en het heerlijk weglas. Het was een emotioneel verhaal van beide kanten, maar zo mooi beschreven. De scenes tussen hun samen waren super leuk, eerst zoekende en een beetje plagen, maar naar mate het boek werden ze wat serieuzer en opende zichzelf wat meer naar elkaar toe.

Iedereen wilt toch zo'n café waar je koffie kan halen met iets lekkers. Een leuke hangplek, voor vrienden of huiswerk. Ik vond het super leuk om te lezen (met een beetje jalozie🤣). Ik zag dat er nog een deel komt over haar tweelingzus en ik kan niet wachten!

Ooh, another part in the series! I was thrilled to see another new book by Clara Nielsen. These books are so good. This story was also so well-craftee. It was incredibly well-written, making it a real pleasure to read. It was an emotional story from both sides, but beautifully written. The scenes between them were super fun—at first, searching and a bit teasing, but as the book progressed, they became more serious and opened up more to each other.

Everyone wants a café like that where you can get coffee and something sweet. A fun place to hang out, with friends or homework. I really enjoyed reading it (although I was a little jealous 🤣). I saw that there's another installment coming about her twin sister, and I can't wait!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ sterren
#lezenisontspanning #neverstopreading #spreadthebooklove #reading #bookstagramreadsfebruari

[~• Annie •~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
My days did I love this one! The whole romance and the characters? I loved it all so much. The Moment I Knew was such a cute little book.

As for the characters:
Imogen was a medium-layered FMC hiding secrets. I loved how she was around Cole.
Cole on the other hand was quite significantly layered and my favorite character of this book.

It’s only missing that last little star because I found that, in my opinion, Clara would cut scenes a little short, but then again I might well be wrong. Like, for example the scene where Cole drove her to her dad’s house, I would’ve liked to have seen Cole’s response to what happened when she got back in the car after the argument. And their first kiss, I loved it, but we never got to see the direct aftermath, only the aftermath after a day or however long it was until the next chapter.

My favorite parts of this book was probably the first kiss at that jumping place (I can’t for the life of me remember what they called it), the FroYo scene with Mitch, and the closet scene. Genuinely such great moments.

Overall I did enjoy this book so very much and was so sad when I finished it. I hope you found it just as fun as me! Definitely one of my favorite stories of Clara’s. If you’re looking for another of her books, I’d recommend the first in the parkhurst prep series, You Belong With Me, if you haven’t read it already, Finding her form the Hartwell Academy series, and the Texting The Boyband series, personally Celebrities Don’t Date Bookworms (Texting The Boyband book 1) was actually one of my favorites from her.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the family drama and relationships Imogen experienced, especially her strong sibling ones. All four of the kids would help each other out no matter what. I thought the divorce and cheating issues were handed well and understood why the siblings each felt different about them. After a while Imogen's desire's for her family became a bit repetitive and it was hard for me to connect with her persistence. The dad was more two dimensional and often acted like a stereotypical father who left his family.

Mitch, another side character, showed his romantic interest in Imogen and he was definitely a stereotypical conceited guy without any likable traits at all.

Cole was my favorite character in the novel--he was grouchy (for good reasons), perceptive, protective, caring, intelligent, and so much more. I had to suspend my disbeliefs that he would be immediately attracted to Imogen because she did nothing that would catch the eye of someone like Cole. But, that being said, I enjoyed their time together and rooted for them to have a HEA.

[whimsical reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly enjoyed this book. There was drama but not unreasonable amounts with wild stuff that would never happen.

Imogen had an immature idea in her mind that she was set on for most of the book, but wasn’t herself completely immature. They all acted their age-teens but not weird under socialized. Imogen’s family was bigger/crazy and the “villain” got what he deserved.

Cole was relatable. There were times when I could picture the faces he was making. He was sweet in not a weird sappy way.

I was confused why Mitch was written as so persistent and so badly wanted to date Imogen. Did he deserve to be punched? Maybe. But it didn’t really add up. Imogen wasn’t really portrayed as super hot or skilled with the best personality etc.

Content
Couple kisses
Mention of cheating and home wrecker
One fight with fists minor mention of blood
Drama- working through emotions

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books about first love. Very nostalgic reading them as an adult. This one especially hard and my heart hurts for her. Her family broken apart when her parents separated and she wants nothing more than to have them back together but she is the only one trying to.
There is a new kid in town that everyone in town likes but the first day they meet she completely embarrasses herself . The more she visits the shop the more she notices little things.
He is not the guy everyone is making him out to be but sweet, kind and protective .
I was soo heartbroken but happy when Imogene finally had enough . She finally got her true feelings heard and realized what she needed to do .

[Billie Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read all three books in the series now, this is quickly turning into one of the ones I look forward to most! Cole and Imogen's story is so lovely. I think, as Imogen is one of the quieter characters in the series, it was lovely to get in her mind and learn more about her. The secret Imogen carried throughout really held the stakes high, and made for a beautiful way for her and Cole to connect. Another hit from Clara!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys, this book was exactly what I needed after a MONTH of reading nothing but textbooks (even though some of them are fun because I study entertainment management).

I finished this book in three days, and I LOVED IT! Imogen is such a ball of hopefulness and sunshine, and balances out Cole almost perfectly. The banter was absolutely perfect, and their moments together were just *sigh*

Note: all reviews are honest and spoil-free, whether I recieved an ARC from the author or not.

[Diana James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read a Clara Nielsen book that I didn’t love. Her stories are heartwarming, well written, and binge-worthy.

Cole was the perfect match for Imogen. While misunderstood, he was incredibly sweet, and Imogen was very optimistic and gave people the benefit of the doubt. Their banter was fun and their moments together were incredibly sweet. Despite their initial judgements about one another, I loved the way they opened up and leaned into one another for support.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[tre.wandereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really cute and really heartwarming read. i could relate to the characters, even if we're not the same age, because the issues tackled were reminiscent of our past struggles in life. it's very normal and very relatable. i love the character development and the romance of the leads. a nice read!

[Humera · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAYAYA. This book amazing been waiting for ages for it to come out and finished it in basically 1 day l. Cole is amazing but Imogen kinda pissed me off when she tried getting her parenys bcl together. I love how she stood up for her self amd finally called her dad and what was her name Hailey. I have no clue. But finnly she called Hailey a homewrecker.

[Bryn Jeffers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing! I started and finished it in one day. I literally couldn’t put the book down! That’s how good it was! The romance was on point! Clara Nielsen is one of my favorite authors and she never fails to disappoint when she writes a new book! I can’t wait for Ainsley‘s book to come out!!!

[Jen Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way Clara writes a YA novel is top tier. She writes story lines and characters that are so loveable and SO easy to hate. I had so many feelings with this one. I loved it an cannot wait for the next one.

[Brie Schafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, a few typos

I loved the story, but my friends call me the grammar police and it didn't come from nowhere. Sometimes the tense would change, it usually was past tense but would sometimes go to present.

[Camille Blais · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this was by far my favourite book from Clara. I’m very much an enemy to lover girly, and Imogen and Cole did NOT disappoint! Also I don’t think there has been a character i’ve hated more than Hilary, that’s how well she was written. All in all, I loved this book so much !

[Scarlett Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my favourite book of clara’s! thank you for the arc 💓

[destinysbookshelf331 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a perfect addition to this series. Imogen finding herself while also finding love. Cole is such a softie with a hard shell.

[Edenn McGovern · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it I personally liked the first better but I really liked this and I liked how she stood up for herself at the end I just wish we knew more about Cole

[Clementine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet book, perfect for what I was looking for! Sometimes it went on and I had to push through the book but only for a few pages. Otherwise, cute book!