I'm giving it 4 stars because I think it has some good points about grief and because I like that the characters talk to each other honestly and at times bluntly. I kind of feel like the teen in angst is a bit overused in the romance genre. I was glad to see Heidi wasn't a bad kid just one who was trying to deal with the death of her brother, her mother leaving, and the emotional closed-offishness of her father.

Another reviewer commented on the conversation Phoebe and Carson have that results in the "don't we deserve some happiness" comment. On one hand, they both seem to be coming out of a dark place of grief and blame, and yes, sometimes we do have to be reminded that it is okay to do things that make you happy--but on the other hand, life is not all about doing what makes you happy. Choosing happiness can result in bad choices and it shouldn't be the only reason we do something. For this novel, I think the former was what was intended but I do wish the author had chosen different words to convey the meaning. ( )