Recommended: sure
For a story where you know what's coming and that's part of why you enjoy it, for a character who is afraid of commitment in a way I haven't often seen in main characters especially in young adult novels

Thoughts:
For me, the most compelling aspect of our main character Kaylee is that she is not into commitment and long-term relationships. She works through the story to find a sort of root cause that leads to that, but I think it's fairly unusual to have an MC who is so straight up uninterested and even afraid of that. I can only think of one other book like that: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, which I loved intensely when I was younger.

Other than that, there's a heavy streak of perfectionism and expectation addressed in here, along with being friends even through arguments and general family-ness. In the family-ness aspect though, one thing that killed me was how inconsiderate the adults seemed in this book of their kids and at times, of each other. They just kind of sucked? And I thought that was an odd and almost cruel inclusion. I was happy when Kaylee confronted her pain with one of them head on though and was able to resolve it, as that's difficult to do at any age and was an admirable representative in the story.

The angle that Kaylee took with Dean about being a friend to help him get over his ex (even though it was her) was also very sweet and the kind of thing I could buy into. I feel like I could see myself doing that, even if some may say it's ill-advised. 😅 Then again...

I've also gone on a vacation with an ex. We had already booked the trip, and no way was I missing out on my tropical vacation. Personally I think it was fine since we were still on okay terms, but he may have a different take on it. 

Overall though, this book was fine but didn't really blow me away. I don't think there was much that I'll carry with me for a long time, or think about this book in the future besides the name that will make me chuckle and think "hey, I've done that too." It's not a bad read, but it's pretty straightforward where I read it, know the story, and moved on with my life.  ( )

* I go this book for review*
This is def a new favorite form this author duo. I love second chance romance and i loved seeing this story. I loved the setting and loved the unqiue troupe of trying to help your ex get over you. I also loved the beach setting and the found family vibes. I also really loved the camo from the with or without you characters. I also loved the bi rep for one of the main characters. I also really loved the sports angle as well and the battle the main chracter was having with that!! Def a new favorite by this author ( )

* I go this book for review*
This is def a new favorite form this author duo. I love second chance romance and i loved seeing this story. I loved the setting and loved the unqiue troupe of trying to help your ex get over you. I also loved the beach setting and the found family vibes. I also really loved the camo from the with or without you characters. I also loved the bi rep for one of the main characters. I also really loved the sports angle as well and the battle the main chracter was having with that!! Def a new favorite by this author ( )

I love the genre and these types of books, but this one I just did not enjoy. I really thought I was going to, but then I started reading and I didn't get sucked in. I actually almost DNFed it because I disliked it so much. The characters were especially hard to relate to and care about. I found most of them annoying throughout most of the book. It was only toward the end that things started getting better. Of course, by then, I was just trying to get the book finished.

This is the first book I have read from these authors, and it probably will be my last. The only thing I liked was the idea behind it. Everything else fell flat and nothing could really redeem the story. Now, it did have a few good things, such us character development in the end. The sisters were great. I wish the book had been about them. The end was satisfactory, the last chapters were the best in the book.

I recommend skipping this one unless you absolutely love these authors. If you want to feel frustrated and annoyed by characters this would also probably work for you. It would be great for wasting time, but I wouldn't expect much more from it. ( )

Fun twist on best friends to more

My favorite part of this book was the mother-daughter relationship between Kaylee and her Olympic champion mother. The drama between the two, even though it was far from my experiences, felt so real and raw. I loved their character growth arcs as they finally communicated honestly with each other.

The adult friendships that were portrayed are also refreshing and ones I rarely see played out in young adult or middle grade books. Seeing how adults act and react to each other and learn from their own mistakes was inspirational.

My heart ached for Kaylee and Dean and also swooned at times when they interacted. I enjoy both athletic and artistic characters in the novels I read and Kaylee's volleyball training and emotions felt authentic as did Dean's passion for photography and finding the beauty in everything. And the setting is my happy place--sandy ocean beaches--ahh!

This book made me cry, want to pace, smile, and laugh out loud as I rode out this twist on the best-friends-to-more romantic trope. I will be seeking more books by this writing duo. ( )