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elle_laine 's review for:

You Belong with Me by Mhairi McFarlane
4.0
emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Edie and Elliot are together after their tumultuous meeting and whirlwind romance. But will it actually work out in the long run? Elliot's fame as an actor is only growing and Edie is finally in a good place with her sister. She simply is not going to give up her life to follow Elliot around the world as he picks up acting jobs. Is their relationship sustainable?

Thank you Mhairi McFarlane and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ebook ARC copy of this poignant and funny story! All thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone.

This book picks up right where the first book left off which was so necessary because of how the first book ended. I really liked the continuation of how two people try to form a lasting relationship when one is a famous actor. This book tended more toward the serious side, but at the same time, upheld the hilarious nature of the first book. But that ending? Phew! It really was a rollercoaster and I felt all the emotions right alongside Edie.

I think it is so challenging to write a sequel of a romance because the reader cannot simply finish the story with "and they lived happily ever after." More context and more struggles are depicted, which is so much closer to reality than most romances portray. I really appreciated the reality of love in this book, but I was not expecting it to be so sad.