What makes a romance story work is the characters. There's only SO many stories you can tell in romance/slice of life. However, if you can create characters who we care about and love, that's what matters more than anything.

Luckily our author here knows what she's doing. We follow Futaba, a character who goes from middle school to high school. The story starts in middle school and it's cute love blossoming turned to sadness, and a rebirth at high school. Futaba tries to be someone she is not fully, but too afraid to really be her true self. However, when she decides to break out of her own skin and prove herself, things get messy, especially when the love of her life enters her life again a very different man.

Well crafted, some good humor, and realistic dialogue makes this a charming reading experience. While the plot itself isn't reinventing the wheel, the characters and their goals and dreams and drama is what might make this one I'll read to the end. Grabbing volume 2 and 3 from the library as we speak!