From the Bookshelf of YA/NA FANATICS…

Remember When (Remember Trilogy, #1)

T. Torrest

Start date: September 3, 2013

Finish date: September 30, 2013

Discussion: BOOK OF THE MONTH RECOMMENDATION

Why we're reading this: This is the winner for the September poll
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BOOK OF THE MONTH RECOMMENDATION

BOTM Nominations for November
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last updated Nov 04, 2014 12:52PM

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What Members Thought

Jun 28, 2015 Jenna rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorite-self-pub

This is the second time I've read this book but it was still super cute and sweet and fun and romantic. I loved all of the friendships and different fun moments with each other. I love how it's told like she's reminiscing. It's an interesting viewpoint. And surprisingly I actually really like Layla as a female main character. And Trip too of course. ...more

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Sep 19, 2014 Liz's Book Bucket List rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2014, review-copy, new-adult, romance

{eBook provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review}

I thought that I was really going to love this book, but sadly, I only really enjoyed the second half. I had a really hard time getting absorbed into the story for the first half of the book. I just felt that not a lot happened, however, it was because Torrest was setting up a lot of the main character’s history and her relationships with other characters in the book. I usually enjoy character development in books, but I could not rea {eBook provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review}

I thought that I was really going to love this book, but sadly, I only really enjoyed the second half. I had a really hard time getting absorbed into the story for the first half of the book. I just felt that not a lot happened, however, it was because Torrest was setting up a lot of the main character’s history and her relationships with other characters in the book. I usually enjoy character development in books, but I could not really relate to Layla (the main character) in the beginning, which I think took a toll on how I felt for the remainder of the story.

The writing in this book was good, but not amazing. I did find certain parts of this book hilarious, but some parts I felt went a little over my head. Not having grown up in the 1980s, I felt like I was distanced and could not relate to some of the jokes. Although the beginning of the book is full of 1980s references, ranging from fashion, movies, and music, the remainder of the book focuses on hilarious moments that are more universal.

The pace for this book was pretty slow and steady. I never really felt an urgency to keep reading one more chapter to see what was going to happen. The plot was pretty typical to most New Adult books, but I did really love that this book brought up a lot of situations readers could relate to. This book felt very real; it did not add in any crazy dramatic situations, but focused on experiences that most normal teen girls go through. I felt like this book was a walk down memory lane, with me remembering my high school crushes, late night parties, and shenanigans with friends.

I had a really hard time liking Layla for the first half of this book. I really found her annoying, selfish, and at times entitled, but as the book progressed, I found that her character grew and learned. I liked that Layla’s character had depth and found her relationship with her mother to add uniqueness to the story. I really, REALLY loved Trip! He was a typical boy, but still had a softer side that came out when he was around Layla. I also loved all of Layla’s friends. They were a dynamic bunch of characters that kept the book interesting.

I did like that Layla and Trip’s relationship started out as friendship and slowly bloomed into something more. I really felt the chemistry between the two of them, but for some reason, I never found myself rooting for them to get together. Maybe that was because I knew there were two other books in the series, so it seemed unlikely that the characters would be riding off into the sunset together. I also really liked the relationship between Layla and her best friend, Lisa. I thought it was well developed.

Although I really enjoyed the second half of this book, I can’t overlook the fact that the first half of this book really dragged for me. I was not really expecting this book to only focus on Layla’s senior year and thought that it would expand a little more into her older years. I also think that there are better contemporary romance New Adult books to read, but I still think that some readers may enjoy this book. I may continue on with the series since the next book does focus on Layla when she is older, but I may not be able to look past all of the issues I had with her character. Honestly, the only reason I may continue on with the series would be to read more of Trip. ...more

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