After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.
When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes as she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in—if he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his.
But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some of England’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems…and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.
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“A spark of hope lights inside me.
If I can get on this trip, if I can avoid Crystal and Andy and everyone else for a few months, maybe my life won’t be a living hell. I can start fresh. And in England of all places.”
Such a cute, fun, YA ROM COM 😍
Not gonna lie, I found the beginning of this book to be super annoying, because I found the MC to be so superficial. Her only interest in the beginning is this a hole of a guy, and fitting into her new school. She has tunnel vision throughout the first few chapters. But after she escapes the states and gets to the UK… she still has tunnel vision, but the side characters get her out of her single mindedness and help her grow as a person.
We get to meet this young woman who is scared about her future because she has never really been pushed to ask for more, and is scared to try and get rejected. She loves fairy gardens, unicorns, and new experiences, but has been burned in the past by “friends” when she lets out her true self so she keeps her interests hidden. In her mind, after being burned and made a paraiah, the only thing that can bring her an ounce of cred/respect is to quickly find another guy, a better guy, and show the stupid world that she is over it. Not the best plan, but you get where she is coming from.
Truly, this novel would not have shined without the side characters. I loved them all–Sage, Huan, Dev, and even Frank. Sage is this over achiever who wants to make a difference in the world, but she is not truly the stereotypical shy overachiever, she is just a very focused young woman who knows what she wants and what she has time for. Huan is also a super smart guy who has a passion/talent for beat boxing (and british men). He, along with Ellie, finds himself a british boyfriend, but unlike Ellie, Frank and Huan are truly a cute couple which I was rooting for throughout the novel. Then there is Dev, overachiever who is on track to become a doctor to make his parent’s sacrifice worth it/set an example for his siblings–but Dev’s true passion lies in art history. Dev is funny, charming, geeky (he loves and plays Quidditch), and quickly becomes Elli’s best friend. Thus, ensues the romantic tension that had me at the edge of my seat.
I don’t think I’ve truly read another YA rom-com quite like this. I really really liked it, and I look forward to reading more from Kristy Boyce in the future.
PS; I was provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to the publisher!
For the Sake of Reading 