Author: Magan Vernon
Publisher: Beautifully Broken Books, 200 Pages (August 20th, 2013)
Genre: YA Contemporary
From: eARC
Format: the Author
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK
Synopsis: **This is NOT New Adult. This is NOT Erotica. There is no sex or even swearing. There is some heavy petting and drug references. Basically the book equivalent of a ABC Family show**
It’s so SQUEEEE-DORABLE – Ashleyn Poston, author of Radio Hearts
When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail.
Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off.
Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life.
Review: 4 Stars - Life, Love, & Lemons is another fantastic story from author Magan Vernon. Her characters are always memorable, lovable and her stories always leave a mark. She’s an author that I’m always looking for more from and each time she delivers.
Bentley lead a life for want of nothing. When her dad loses his job, things change and the whole family makes sacrifices until there’s nothing left but to move into a small apartment. Her dad is struggling, her mom is never around and Bentley does all she can to make her circumstances better. She had to change schools, get a part-time job and learn how to live differently from all that she’s used to.
Kai lives with his mom and younger sisters in the apartment next door. They had a rocky beginning to any type of relationship, however from the outside they couldn't be further from one another. While Bentley is used to dressing preppy, Kai is punk through and through right down to his tattoos.
Bentley might have been spoiled but she’s anything BUT that in her new life. Watching her deal with everything as so many big changes have happened we see just how strong she is. Vernon does a pretty fantastic job at making both Bentley and Kai such likable and captivating characters.
I love how different Kai was. I understand that this was Bentley’s story, but for me it became just as much about Kai as it was the main female protagonist. I loved the interaction between the two from the moment they met. I enjoyed how lovable they both were. I loved the things they did for each other day to day. I loved that there was something so much more to each of them than what was shared.
The good and the bad of their parts of the story are depicted extremely well and from beginning to end the messages are clear. These teens are just that… teens and that’s often not the case with many YA contemporary titles. There is also a mystery about Bentley’s past between her ex-boyfriend, a scorned ex-girlfriend of Kai’s and friends on both sides that may or may not give these two a hard time. Add in some parental problems on a range of levels, hormones and you have one heck of a story!
All in all, I’ve read it once and I’ll be reading it again. Isn’t it one of the best things when you find a book you can read over and over again because it’s just that entertaining? Vernon’s books keep getting better and better and I am forever a fan. I highly recommend this title to readers young and old. It’s a sweet story with great characters. Also, the cover is great but I’m not sure it clearly represents both characters, with Kai’s style being punk… so yeah. Happy reading!
About the author:
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.
Find Magan Online:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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Aww this does sound like super sweet and refreshing read. I find I need books like these once in a while especially that I often read darker books or dystopians and I like to read a more feel-good story to change the pace you know!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
This book sounds absolutely amazing. I find that when I read YA contemporary the characters are dealing with very adult situations. I am eager to read this one and see realistic situations. You've totally sold me on this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review,
~Sara @ Just Another Story