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I Spy the Boy Next Door

Samantha Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

3.45 · Rating details · 226 ratings · 191 reviews

Four p.m. spy sessions are the highlight of Mallory Taylor’s day. Observing the boy next door—one with a body and an attitude to match—has her perched beside her window so often it can't be healthy.

When she finally convinces her mom to let her go to public school, Mallory comes face to face with her neighbor, Troy Parker. And he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with h ...more

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Published May 25th 2019

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Average rating 3.45 ·

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· 226 ratings · 191 reviews

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Mar 23, 2019 peachygirl rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2019

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking for a mindless YA with loads of cheese and a little steam. No luck.
Over 70 percent of the book is filled with cliches.
Bad boy and an underground boxing ring, check.
Tattoos and Harley Davidson, check. Ms.Goody two shoes virgin with overprotective parents, check.
Annoying little sibling who has no purpose or relevance in the story, check.
Half a decade long crush which seems unrequited only to the girl, but so obvio Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking for a mindless YA with loads of cheese and a little steam. No luck.
Over 70 percent of the book is filled with cliches.
Bad boy and an underground boxing ring, check.
Tattoos and Harley Davidson, check. Ms.Goody two shoes virgin with overprotective parents, check.
Annoying little sibling who has no purpose or relevance in the story, check.
Half a decade long crush which seems unrequited only to the girl, but so obvious even to strangers, check.
And yeah, there's also a gay bestfriend. Yippee!
So basically, Mallory has been spying and crushing on her neighbour for over 5 years while being homeschooled by her anal retentive parents after a kidnap scare ages ago. Determined to live a normal teenage year before going to college, she pushes her parents to get her to attend a public school and there starts the story. She attends parties, underground fights, learns to sneak out of house after curfews, gains confidence, learns to get over her panic attacks after some hanky panky with the dream guy and gets a boyfriend. And the boyfriend calls her by someone else's name in a drunken stupor and carries on a mushy colloquy. Shit hits the roof and what follows is something straight out of a 80s television show. Family dramas, drug lord daddies, incomprehensible affairs, step sisters, millions buried in backyards, villains, witness protections and bodyguards.
The ending seemed rushed and didn't cover some obvious plot holes about Mallory's/Daisy's past. And the half sister track made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Mallory's foster parents were the best thing about the book. Their complete devotion to Mallory's safety was so moving, even if a bit overbearing. And the bodyguard turned gardener in Mallory's neighborhood was something of a surprise, giving some credibility to the clearly weak mafia backdrop.
This unusual blend of noir in a YA romance was quite bold an attempt, but not as entertaining as I'd have liked. 3 stars ...more

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May 29, 2019 Toni rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019, new-adult

Mallory Taylor has been homeschooled for all her life. When she was a child, she was almost kidnapped, so understandably her parents have a good reason to be overprotective (although their later behaviour in the book made me question this premise). Now that Mallory is almost 18, she finally gets her wish granted- she can go to the local public school and finally meet her long time crush/ neighbour Troy Parker. Mallory might excel at maths and physics, but as far as human relationships go, she ha Mallory Taylor has been homeschooled for all her life. When she was a child, she was almost kidnapped, so understandably her parents have a good reason to be overprotective (although their later behaviour in the book made me question this premise). Now that Mallory is almost 18, she finally gets her wish granted- she can go to the local public school and finally meet her long time crush/ neighbour Troy Parker. Mallory might excel at maths and physics, but as far as human relationships go, she hasn't got much experience. Her only friend Nicole is also homeschooled and they have never even met in real life. Her parents have been hoping she would form a close relationship with Kaitlyn, their friend's daughter, who was pulled out of school because of bullying, but they just never clicked. Once Mallory is at school, she is surprisingly quick to make a few friends, and start dating the object of her inexplicable obsession Troy. A series of unexpected twists and what started out as a YA romance turns into quite a thriller.
I'm still in two minds about this book. On one hand, it was a very fast read and I didn't feel tempted to skip anything and go to the end. On the other hand, a lot of it sounded too familiar
As far as the characters are concerned, Mallory was a bit of hit and miss with me. Some of the things she said didn't sound natural or necessary (why she had to swear at Troy is a bit of a mystery for me as well as his lack of reaction to being called a few unpleasant names). Troy's character and motivations could have been developed more, but here I'm willing to make allowances, as we have only Mallory's POV. I would have also liked to know more about Mallory's new friends and a lot more about her parents.
The ending was a bit too fast for me, while some of the explanations that were supposed to tie the loose ends just confused me. Personally, I would have preferred a tiny bit of foreshadowing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Samantha Armstrong /Expresso Book Tours for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. ...more

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May 07, 2019 Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: publisher-author-arc, romance, young-adult

Pretty Frickin’ Awesome!

I really enjoyed this book much more than I expected. I thought it would be your typical sheltered girl has a crush on the bad boy neighbor, which was the premise at its very base. However, there was so much more dimension to this story. There was humor and wit, mystery and secrets as well as romance and suspense. The book starts on a pretty hilarious note as Mallory describes the way she spies out the window at the hot neighbor boy at 4 pm each day when he returns from his run all sweaty and removes his shirt right before using it to wipe the sweat off his face.

Then she goes on to describe a bit about her family in hilarious detail as follows:

The extent of our family drama is what Nic calls “mild.” The last family confrontation we had was when someone mixed the whites with the colors and stained Mom’s bed sheets. No one owned up to it. Really, Mom can only point the finger at Dad or me, since George is apparently too young to work the machine.

In the end, the case went unsolved. But as I sit here, older and wiser by a year, I don’t know how it didn’t occur to me that the culprit was, in fact, the one who initiated the investigation in the first place. Mom.

“It was you,” I interrupt the conversation, speaking my mind. The room goes quiet. My mom is so pedantic about things—she does all the linen, including ironing the goddamn tea towels. I stay away from all of that, and I don’t think I’ve seen Dad do the laundry in about ten years. Everyone stares at me, and Mom asks, “What are you talking about?” I want to say: You did it. You stained your own sheets, and you were just trying to shift the guilt from your own conscience. I’m an idiot for not putting the pieces together sooner, and so is Dad, but I guess that’s just one of our similarities, being brought to light.

Mallory talks her parents into letting her go to public school for her senior year. She had been homeschooled her entire life and has been extremely sheltered due to a near kidnapping when she was young that caused her to have anxiety attacks. She had actually only met the neighbor, Troy Parker once when his football was thrown into her yard. She returned it flattened due to her dog getting ahold of it and Troy wasn’t too happy about that. So when she sees him in her first class she is excited to start fresh, but she gets a similar reception to the football incident the first time their paths cross at school.

The romance between them heats up pretty quickly but there are secrets and things about his past that she just doesn’t understand as well as other storylines within the book that make this one I could not put down until I finished in one sitting.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub ...more

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Apr 01, 2019 Eve (Between The Bookends) rated it really liked it

I really liked this book. Yes, it was a little cliché and far-fetched sometimes, but the story kept me engaged throughout. It was well written and well paced. It had an interesting and sweet plot. There were quite a few twists and turns in the last 30%, and as I mentioned above, some of them were a bit far-fetched. But I wasn't overly bothered by that. It had a nice cast of secondary characters. And both the main characters were very likable. All in all, this was a very enjoyable read and I'll ...more

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Jun 21, 2019 Sentranced Jem rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-2019, 3-5-stars

This is my second book by Samantha Armstrong.
I enjoyed Stolen Songs and when I read the blurb for this book, I wanted it asap. Plus, look at that cover! I really liked the cover.

Now having read this book, I can say that I enjoyed it. Will it be a re-read? probably not but I still enjoyed it.

The first half of the book was cute. A tad cliche but for a YA book I thought it was a cute romance. After 50%, the storyline developed an air of mystery and that really captured my attention. I was thoroughl ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 Candace Robinson added it

So I thought this was going to be a cutesy sort of book, and I think maybe it would be better categorized as NA because it felt like it except for the character’s ages. I think my main problem was I didn’t understand why Mallory liked Troy for 5 years. Because he was hot??? I think there needed to be a little more depth there as to why, especially since he was a douche to her for a bit! Eventually, they do have some great chemistry together with fantastic swoony moments! Andddddd the last 30% wa ...more

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May 25, 2019 Yna the Mood Reader rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc

"I imagined what my name would sound like on his lips so many times, but not once did I ever think it would sound that good."
📖 I Spy The Boy Next Door📖
🖋Samantha Armstrong

Much thanks to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours and Samantha Armsteong for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.

BUY THIS BOOK: Amazon ● Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble

📚 Series: No
📚 Genre: New Adult : Romance
📚 POV: First person.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings: ...more

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Apr 30, 2019 Maggie rated it liked it

Okay. Honest review down.
I did not like the book much as I expected.
The blurb was intriguing so i got into reading this book.
But the writing is so amature, it felt like reading a low rated wattpad novel (I’m not bashing wattpad. I grew up reading it. But would I read it now, nope)
I mean, yes I am no writer. But as an audience I really did not like the writing at all.
Mallory (who is the protagonist) felt stupid like at so many instances. I guess its because she’s homeschooled but I dont know. ...more

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May 14, 2019 Book-Bosomed blog marked it as pass

Shelves: pass_trope_or_premise_turnoff

Would be nice to see homeschooling depicted in a positive manner highlighting the many benefits for a change rather than perpetuating tired stereotypes and myths that paint it in a negative light like this one seems to do.

These beauties from the except are an instant turn-off:

"The social suicide of homeschooling has produced a homebody whose life has been replaced by books and romcoms."

"I can’t help that I’ve been sheltered my entire life. #homeschoolproblems"

For the record, there is plenty of ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Barbara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, young-adult, arc

**sweet romance with a dark twist in the end*

I love a good mind-fuck, but lately I am not in the mood for dark erotica or twisted stories with a twists that leave you breathless, shocked and unable to recover. It is a guilty pleasure of mine. This book gives you that feeling of a typical young adult story with a romance, it is just so sweet, but in the end it blows your kind when you discover the truth behind the boy next door weird behavior towards our heroine. I loved the love story, but two o ...more

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May 10, 2019 TARA rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-read

Mallory, a homeschooled naive virgin spy's on the tattooed boxer motorbike driving boy-next-door, Troy. Let's give a point or two for my favourite trope (boy next door, not the rest). It was a total cliche and like a mash up of other books (Beautiful disaster and Hopeless come to mind) but it was executed pretty well. It kept my interest and had an original twist. I won't say I didn't enjoy it but I won't say I didn't have issues with it.

There was almost too much happening in this story for wha ...more

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May 16, 2019 Lauren Stoolfire rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, romance

I received an ARC from the publisher, Koru House Press, in exchange for an honest review.

Four p.m. spy sessions are the highlight of Mallory Taylor’s day. Observing the boy next door—one with a body and an attitude to match—has her perched beside her window so often it can't be healthy. When she finally convinces her mom to let her go to public school, Mallory comes face to face with her neighbor, Troy Parker. And he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. His rejection awakens a newfoun I received an ARC from the publisher, Koru House Press, in exchange for an honest review.

Four p.m. spy sessions are the highlight of Mallory Taylor’s day. Observing the boy next door—one with a body and an attitude to match—has her perched beside her window so often it can't be healthy. When she finally convinces her mom to let her go to public school, Mallory comes face to face with her neighbor, Troy Parker. And he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. His rejection awakens a newfound tenacity and maybe even a touch of recklessness. But when Troy starts to show up when she needs him the most, Mallory can’t help but wonder if there’s more to him than he’s let on. Taking chances, breaking rules, and following her heart is all new to Mallory. And no one warned her just how fickle hearts can be. When she discovers that Troy isn’t at all the guy she imagined him to be, secrets rise to the surface that will change her life forever.

I Spy the Boy Next Door by Samantha Armstrong sounded like it could be a fun YA contemporary, but overall it was just filled for too many cheesy cliches for my tastes. I mean, the whole incredibly naive girl who has minimal social skills paired up with the stereotypical bad boy - tattoos, motorcycle, underground boxing ring, the whole nine yards. Seriously. Also, they're next door neighbors but they haven't spoken in five years - instead she's been spying on him. She really knows next to nothing, maybe even less than that, about him. I don't know about you, but the spying thing got a bit creepy - that's not to mention the sneaking into bedrooms business. Anyway, this novel just wasn't quite for me. Maybe if I were younger or more romantically inclined? The only part that found myself really interested in was that pretty big plot twist about the bad boy neighbor and his family - gotta say I wasn't inspecting that. If only it didn't come so far out of left field and wasn't as rushed.

Overall, I Spy the Boy Next Door just wasn't quite in my wheelhouse even though I thought it may have been. If you're a fan of light YA contemporary romance that's packed with cheese and stereotypes, you may end up liking this novel more than I did. Thanks anyway to the publisher for the opportunity. ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Born To Read rated it really liked it

I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After being homeschooled all her life, Mallory goes to the public school. It's the perfect opportunity to make new friends. And to see, face to face, her hot neighbour. She has had a crush on him for years. She meets new people and she finds out painful truths.
I thought it was going to be a light book, easy to read. And I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm not going to spoil it for the readers, because one of the best things a ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 T.L. Martin rated it it was amazing

You guys! Samantha Armstrong has another romance coming! :O

I was lucky to read an early copy (author perks!). ❤︎ If you swooned over Maddy & Kingsley from her debut novel, Stolen Songs, you are going to fall in love with Mall & Troy.

I Spy the Boy Next Door is an adorable and entertaining high school romance (with some mature content), all told in the POV of a quirky heroine who may or may not be a tad obsessed with the mysterious boy next door. ;) However, all is not as it seems for the unsuspec ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 Sydni rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc

This book is about a senior in high school—Mallory Taylor—who has been infatuated with her next door neighbor for some time. This story takes off when Mallory is able to enroll in the local public school for her senior year while also realizing there are more secrets to her next-door crush than she thought.

I have very mixed feelings on this book. I don’t think this was the type of book that makes me super crazy and happy like some other ones do. I was interested in the beginning but it fell off ...more

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Aug 31, 2019 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Wow when I chose to read this book I expected it to be full of fluff but I absolutely enjoyed it. Girl spies on boy, girl is home schooled convinces her parents to let her go to public school. Boy sees girl. Sure the first half of the book was full of fluff and hate, but not really, to love. The second half though there are some amazing plot twists. I loved it!!!

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Mar 31, 2019 Paula White rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

A bit cliche with bad boy and virgin but hey sometimes it is nice to read something easy. This one had some mystery thrown in too.

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May 12, 2019 Sammi rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

I Spy The Boy Next Door was not what I was expecting.
I read the book in one sitting, so obviously, I still really enjoyed the story.

Mallory, the MC, finally escapes homeschooling to attend her senior year in high school.
Which, of course, the hot, bad boy next door attends. Awkward moments ensure.
The book starts as a cute, boy meets girl romance && then PLOT TWIST!!

Obviously, being the 'bad boy', Troy was hiding something. But I really wasn't expecting the book to go the way it did.
The charac ...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Sophie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, 4-stars, arcs-read, read-in-2019, 2019-new-releases-challenge, 2019-contemporary-romance-challenge

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book was so surprising. I'll admit that when I requested it on NetGalley, it was more of a cover lust request, and I wasn't entirely sure what it was about, but I felt it would be a cute contemporary read, but in reality, it was so much more! Mallory's parents have always been overprotected, and home-schooled her for as long as she can remember, but now she's managed to convince them to let her attend p ...more

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Jun 10, 2019 Myndi rated it really liked it

This was such a cute book to start with and ended up turning so serious! What an interesting plot twist and surprise!

I loved the idea of a homeschooled girl trying to get her parents to let her go to public school for one year. I thought that was a plausible and believable thing. The insta-love was a little harder to get behind, but I think it's feasible to assume that a crush was more likely until she actually started talking to him.

So much makes sense after we find out about the twist in the ...more

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May 04, 2019 Jypsy marked it as to-read

I think I've just outgrown this type of young adult fiction. I Spy The Boy Next Door is filled with examples of things teenage KIDS should not be doing. These are children! I wanted to like it, but I was, unfortunately, disturbed. I'm also tired of reading cliches. The writing is okay. The plot is not to my taste. I'm the wrong audience for this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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May 08, 2019 Pam rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, freebie, young-adult, read-and-review

Homeschooled Mallory watches Troy, the boy next door, until the day she meets him face-to-face at public school. From there, the story revolves around them and the interaction of their clique; it has a few cliches and a twist at the end.

I enjoyed it because although it had a few cliches, it wasn’t your typical YA romance.

I received an ARC; it did not influence my review.

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Mar 31, 2019 Courtney rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-or-beta-reads, a-i-just-can-t-believe, stamped-hea, never-read-this-author-again

Received ARC from NetGalley for Honest Review

I Give This Book A 2 Star Rating.

I am Reviewing While Reading, so please don’t mind the ‘break down’ and arrangements of some areas.

Not a Mega Grammar Nazi, but there quite a few run on sentences.
It made a little harder for me to read, cause I had to reread a bit.

No ratings here: just comments..
Romance: Stamped HEA for sure, but they just seemed thrown together to make a book.
Smexiness: Minuscule Smexy Scenes and Fans of ‘Next Day’, sure will sure be ...more

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May 21, 2019 J. Greene rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorites

I Spy The Boy Next Door is a delicious, heart-rumbling, heart-warming whale of a tale.

I mean if Troy could just pin me down with those ocean blues, that’d be great.

I’m very much a fan of the boy doesn’t want the girl (pretends not to), but the girl wants the boy, boy fights it, but they eventually wind up together trope.

Mallory is homeschooled and home-bound. But, that doesn’t stop the crush she has on Troy, The Boy Next Door.

Every day around 4, she watches him come running down the block all sw ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Alli rated it it was amazing

Shelves: august_mmc_challenge, book_sirens_, arcs

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My review is based solely on my opinion, and my opinion only.

Awww, this book was so cute. But goodness, Samantha Armstrong, that was quite an ending, huh?!

"If I could, I'd stay in his arms forever. Safe and content."

WHAT I LIKED:
-The writing was so good!! Samantha Armstrong really did great with her 4th book.
-The story itself was sweet and intense at the same time. One minute something cute would be happening ( ...more

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Mar 27, 2019 Sharon rated it really liked it

A coming-of-age story about a home-schooled teen coping with anxiety attacks and the boy next door she is inexplicably drawn to. The slow burn romance has a definite twist to the ending that I did not see coming until about 60 percent into the book, especially as this started off as a cutesy YA romance!

Mallory and Troy meet first at age 12. She smiles. He scowls. She thinks its because her dog deflated his ball that sailed over the fence between their homes. They never speak again. For the next ...more

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Apr 09, 2019 Danana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: silver, contemporary, read-in-english, ebook, 2019, stand-alone, arc

So this book is about Mallory. She's almost 18, has been homeschooled all of her life and has a huge crush on her neighbor, Troy Parker. She even spies on him and knows his routine by heart.

I first thought this book would be ''fluffy'' and about a weird girl having some fetishistic and obsessive tendencies. And it was - at first.
Then.... it got... deeper I guess ? I so did not expect the story to take that turn. Really didn't.

I don't know why, but this book gave me some major Twilight meets L ...more

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May 06, 2019 Aly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a cute read and it had a fun twist that I enjoyed. Mallory has been home schooled her entire life, but now she's a senior and wants to try public school. She makes some cute friends, Evie and Jamie, the first day who introduce her to the teenage things she's been missing. Going to parties, getting drunk, and flirting with cute boys are all new to Mal, especially the attention she gets from her neighbor. This played out well ...more

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Jun 20, 2019 Baileys Book Babble rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of this via Netgalley for an honest review.
This book is so much more than I had expected! I love going into a book blind and being completely blown away. I started this last night around 8pm and it is now 4pm the next day and I have completed the book. Thank you Samantha Armstrong, thank you so much for writing this story and including a little Travis Maddox Easter Eggs. Cant wait to read anything and everything written by this author :)

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Apr 12, 2019 K Hebe rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

This book was full of typical YA cliches, but also had some admirable originality. The plot had some very wild twists and turns, and I enjoyed the darker elements not often found in "fluff" literature. I personally did not like the main character very much, which made it difficult to get into the story.

ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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About Samantha Armstrong

Samantha Armstrong

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Samantha Armstrong's novels incorporate all of the feels—from swoon-worthy heroes to sweet-but-mostly-sassy heroines, quirk and laughter to emotional grit and panty melting-heat. She has written in multiple genres, but never strays far from romance.

Born and raised in New Zealand, Samantha prefers to be tucked away writing whenever she can — or, rather, whenever her adorable yet demanding baby boy ...more