e-ARC, 263 pagesRelease Date: March 31, 2015Published by: BloomsburyStand-aloneSource: NegalleyFor fans of: Contemp, Romance, Womance, Realistic Fiction, YA
Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.
Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?
*MY THOUGHTS*
Emery Lord's first novel Open Road Summer, was good, but this one is PERFECTION. When I began reading this, I just couldn't read it fast enough. I devoured this book on my last weekend of Spring Break and after finishing it, I just wanted to read it again.
Paige's first and only boyfriend dies in a tragic accident. She is tired of everyone giving her "The Look" so she disappears within herself. Finally she's ready to come back out of her shell. She makes a list of everything she has to do in order to become the Paige she once was. She doesn't realize that things don't always happen exactly the way you want them to. Especially in high school."My friends added the first colors to my black and white world.'"
4% (e-ARC)
"You just have to as yourself what scares you most about moving forward.'"
6% (e-ARC)
The best part about this story was the womance. Hands down. They were there for each other at all times and it seemed so genuine. Reading about how much they did for each other made me immediately wish I had had more friends like them in high school. It would have made life so much easier. The way Lord wrote their friendship was so accurate as well. From the small spats that they got into, to the strong bond they had when something happened to another member of their group, it all seemed so true. At the end of this book I wanted nothing more than to mail it to my best friend.
"You know, [...] when you fall for someone, it's involuntary.'"
25% (e-ARC)
As for Max, cheers to Lord for making an love interest who is not super hot and the most wanted boy in the school. Max is a down right nerd and he is proud of it. He's also my soul mate but he doesn't know it yet lol He reads, he tells grammar jokes, he likes Girl Scout cookies, just EVERYTHING. As I read I remember rooting for him and Paige but secretly hoping they didn't get together just so he could be mine lol Max was an incredible character and I enjoyed every scene he was in.
"[...] we already knoew it doesn't work out, but we reread them anyway, because the good stuff that comes before the ending is worth it.'"
34% (e-ARC)
As for Paige, she showed incredible growth throughout this story. I can't even imagine what she was going through after losing her ex in the accident. And to have so many people that knew about it.... As a fellow introvert, I can understand her discomfort in this situation. But for her finally wanting to get back to the new Paige and then doing all that she did, she really changed. Not into the old Paige, but into the new, brighter and shinier version.
This novel covers such a wide range of topics and it will pull all sorts of emotions out of you. I laughed,I swooned, and I even teared up at certain spots. Emery Lord brings her A game in this one. In my opinion, this is even better than her widely popular debut."In books, sometimes the fore-shadowing is so obvious that you know whats going to happen. But knowing what happens isn't the same as knowing how it happens Getting there is the best part.'"
34% (e-ARC)
Overall, I give this