This was certainly a redemption arc I did not know I needed. Wow. I was hesitant going into this one because, after what Avery did in Don’t You Dare, I hated him. Like, full on, no redemption possible hated him. But C.E. Ricci completely surprised me with how she handled his arc. Avery didn’t just magically become a better person—he recognized his mistakes, unpacked the reasons behind them, and actively wanted to change. And that growth? Chef’s kiss.

The summer camp setting was perfection. Sticking Avery in the wilderness, forcing him to work alongside Kaleb—the guy who exposed his secret and got him kicked out—was the perfect setup for their dynamic. The animosity, the grudges, the forced teamwork… every interaction between them had this electric push and pull that kept me hooked. And when that tension finally snapped? Whew. The chemistry was unreal.

But what made this book so good was how natural their relationship progression felt. It wasn’t just an hate to love romance; it was two people working through past hurts, learning to trust, and finding something real in the process. And let’s not forget the meddling campers who added the perfect amount of humor to balance the angst!

I loved this book. It’s emotional, spicy, and filled with just the right amount of angst and heart. C.E. Ricci took a character I never thought I could root for and made me fall for him. Read Don't You Dare AND Never Will I Ever and you will see how good they both are!