Mundie Moms

Monday, January 26, 2015

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord, Book Review



By: Emery Lord
Published by: Bloomsbury
Released on: 4.15.14
Source: Purchased Book
Rating: 5 Stars - I LOVED It!
Purchase it from: A | B&N
Add it to Goodreads

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

I have found another favorite YA contemporary author to add to my selective list of favorites. Emery Lord's debut, OPEN ROAD SUMMER blew me away! I LOVED IT!! Her writing is flawless.It's real, it's beautiful, and it's vulnerable in the way I am emotionally connected to her characters. It was so easy to get lost in the world she created within the pages of her book. 

It's been awhile since I have loved all the characters I am introduced to in a book. The characters of Open Road Summer are three dimensional characters I truly enjoyed getting to know. They are written in such away that I felt like I was spending time with friends. I loved the way the all supported one another. I admired them for the way they were working through their flaws, how they learned from past mistakes, and the way they were trying to sort out their futures, while also enjoying their here and now moments. Most importantly, I loved how they accepted each other for who they are now, and didn't allow their past actions define them. 

The emotions in this book are so spot on. 

I loved the way Emery Lord got her characters. She got their circumstances, and she understood what they were feeling, and dealing with. She didn't rush the emotions and moments they had.  In writing them she did, I was able to get them, and understand them. I feel like so often in contemporary books, these certain aspects get over looked, or get rushed, making the story emotionally hard to connect, or feel not so realistic. This was not the case with this book.

The relationships in this book are AWESOME! 

I loved Reagan and Dee's friendship. They have one of those best friend relations where they just get each other. I completely understood it. They have had a history together. I liked that while they've been through so much, they openly talked about the stage they're at now, where they have come from, and what their future holds for the two of them both individually and together. They're at the stage where you're on the verge of setting off to make your own mark on the world, and it's scary and exciting, because that friendship you've always depended on, might not be the same after it. Thankfully Dee and Reagan have a friendship that I don't think will change. I loved that Reagan and Dee ground each other.

 Matt & Reagan are my new favorite literary couple! 

I LOVE Reagan and Matt's relationship. These two are so fabulously written. I don't remember the last book I read that made me laugh as much as I did while reading it. The these two get under each other's skin, and raz each other so much, it's hilarious. And neither of them backs down. Matt knows how to unnerve Reagen, and Reagen knows how to dish it back. Neither is afraid to say what's on their mind. Reagan is definitely a straight shooter, and Matt can definitely handle it. 

Can we saw sexual tension?! Their chemistry definitely ignites the pages. Despite Reagan's denial at first, it's obvious not just in the words that are written, but also in the body language, how much these two like each other. I loved that their relationship is one that builds in a very natural way. They are both broken characters, but instead of trying to fix each other, they help each other, and support each other as they work through/accept their pasts. In doing so, they learn to trust each other. Through their  getting to know each other, they slowly broke down the barriers both had in place. Naturally they became friends, and then something more. 

I HIGHLY RECOMMEDN PICKING THIS BOOK UP! 

Everything about this book was so perfectly written, and crafted together. From the characters, to the words that Emery Lord wrote on each page. Nothing about this book lacked awesomeness. That's the best way to describe this book. It is literally an awesome book. I've not loved any other YA contemporary as much I have loved Stephanie Perkins's books, until this book. Now I love both author's books equally. They've both that good. 

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