(4.5 stars) - Capulets vs Montagues
This was a little different from the usual YA fare - Logan & Bella were friends from way back since their families were in business together. Logan's parents screwed over Bella's parents and moved away - and the aftermath is pretty ugly.
Logan is back in town as he has moved in with his grandmother & away from his parents. (We don't really get any details on his conflicts with his parents - just hints of some things, including that he's not happy with what they did to Bella's parents)
He doesn't understand why Bella hates him when it was his parents who did wrong - he had nothing to do with it. He doesn't realize at first that Bella has been barely hanging on as her parents spiral downward with no apparent thought for their own daughter. It's difficult for her to think of Logan as distinct from his parents.
Logan patiently works to win her trust again, though he's not sure if it's even possible at this point.
The story is touching, well written and easy to get into. Bella cries a lot, but she's in the kind of painful situation where it's totally reasonable. We have to accept the foundation of their previous relationship as the foundation for their upgraded one, but for the most part, it suffices.
The ending is sweetly satisfying, though I would have liked an epilogue that shared some of their plans for their futures. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Clean romance level: passionate kisses, nothing graphic