My evolving relationship with this book was a little bit like Larissa/Lara's evolving relationship with Jasmine. At first, I was struggling to relate to Lara's social circle and their focus on popularity and football and cheerleading and parties and all of those things that were so, so far outside of my high school experience. I enjoyed the fast-paced, engaging plot and shifting character dynamics and the puzzle of switching back and forth between the present-day fall timeline and the flashbacks to Lara's summer on the beach with Jasmine. But something was missing, and I wasn't fully connecting with, or trusting, the narration or the arc of the story. 

And then, chapter by chapter, I found myself falling, because the truth started shining through the cracks of Lara's facade, her stubborn and real instinct to keep herself on the track she always thought she'd be on - to stay the person whose biggest dream was to stand on the stage at homecoming on Chase Harding's arm. She grows as a character so much throughout this book, but at least in the present-day timeline, a lot of her growth is in coming to understand who she's already become, and that it's okay to let yourself grow out of old dreams and into new ones. 

I loved that she got to be horny in a YA book, even if my high school experience (and honestly my life now too) was very much not full of parties and drinking I know that was happening, and getting to see a teenage girl have positive sexual experiences while discovering what she wants is just so good! As a new bookseller, I also loved that she works at an indie bookstore. And I loved the background aroace and nonbinary representation, as well as how those characters contributed to a message that there are many ways to come into queer identity, and all of them - no matter how "early" or "late" or clearly foreshadowed or totally surprising - are okay and valid and real. 

This book was a really fun and affirming read, and I'm excited to handsell its beautiful cover to customers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!