ARC, 309 pagesRelease Date: January 15, 2019Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Read from: January 9-13, 2019Stand-aloneSource: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)TW:For fans of: Contemporary, Romance, Snark, Slow burns, Realistic Fiction,
For Sophie, small town life has never felt small. With her four best friends—loving, infuriating, and all she could ever ask for—she can weather any storm. But when Sophie’s beloved Acadia High School marching band is selected to march in the upcoming Rose Parade, it’s her job to get them all the way to LA. Her plan? To persuade country singer Megan Pleasant, their Midwestern town’s only claim to fame, to come back to Acadia to headline a fundraising festival.
The only problem is that Megan has very publicly sworn never to return.
What ensues is a journey filled with long-kept secrets, hidden heartbreaks, and revelations that could change everything—along with a possible fifth best friend: a new guy with a magnetic smile and secrets of his own.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Whenever there's a new Emma Mills I add it to my TBR with no question. And this one was no different! I don't even remember if this one had a title when I added it, but I did because it had her name on it. And as usual, Mills did not disappoint!
"That's why you're noble, you don't even know that you're noble."pg. 5
Sophie and her friends live a small town life and they are all incredibly happy. Until they are selected to march in the Rose Parade with their high school marching band. Sophie knows she'll have to help out with the fundraising if she thinks they'll actually get to go. And what better way to do that than getting their small town's country singer back to Acadia. Along the way there's so much unexpectedness and more, including a romance that will sweep you off your feet!
"Everything worth having is worth working for."pg. 84
First off, I LOVED the characters and how they interacted with each other. From the friend groups to the family groups. Her family and friend relationships are always so real Mills definitely has a gift with making them so believable. I found myself wanting to yell at certain people when they did certain things and hug them at other times in the book. All signs of me falling for all of them.
"It might not solve our problems, but it could give us new ones."pg. 103
As for the romance, to put it simply, I loved it. It had everything I love about a contemporary romance. There was the slow agonizing burn, the snark filled swoony moments, and my least favorite part that happens in all romances. I seriously loved this one though because there was so much more to this story than just the normal troupe of: They meet, they fall in love, they fight, and they make up. I think that was my favorite part of the whole book. Although it's pitched as a contemporary romance, it's so much more than that.
"Everyone can be better."pg. 141
The only reason I couldn't give it five stars is the pacing was a little slow to me in the beginning. At times I had to put it down and read other things because it felt like it was dragging. But once I got past all the introductions (and got over one of her friends because I felt like she was so rude!) and getting to know the story, I found myself getting swept up in it.
"Everyone had little pieces they kept to themselves the same way I listed my [...]."pg. 297
After reading this I am kicking myself for not having read This Adventure Ends! But after finishing this beautiful book, I think I may have to go back and fix that. I need more of Mills' words! This stunning tale of romance, snark, family, and friendship was EXACTLY what I needed and more!
Overall, I give this
