Review

For me, this story was another lesson in “don’t settle for less than the best.”  When a guy treats a girl that they’re dating like they aren’t important…it’s time to say goodbye.  If a guy is pressuring you to do things you are not ready to do…show him the door.  And don’t lie to yourself…don’t pretend that your relationship is everything it should be, when it’s not.  There are so many girls out there, and some guys, who could learn from this story what Liz had to learn the hard way.

Liz and her friends are brand new freshmen at Farmingdale State.  Two weeks in, Liz is feeling pretty fantastic, roaming campus with her boyfriend and her best friend…that is, until a face from her past, one she thought she’d never see again, is right there in the hall, with HER friends, at HER school.

Zach has been gone for over a year.  And he hasn’t spoken with Liz in almost as long…despite the fact that he’s kept in contact with their other friends.  Liz doesn’t understand why he stopped talking to her, or how he could possibly be back so close to his old hometown, after moving clear across the country.

Liz is a pretty great character, but it made me SO MAD that she couldn’t see what a terrible boyfriend (and person) Joe was!  She really is a pretty awesome person, and she deserves so much better than him.  Even though Liz is pretty snarky, she truly has a kind heart, and she should be treated with respect.

And then there’s Zach.  Let’s just say, if I could hand-pick all of the qualities I would want in a boyfriend, they would pretty much add up to Zach.  He is strong, caring, funny, and he makes pretty good decisions for an 18 year old…except that one decision where he broke this one girl’s heart because he stopped calling her, without an explanation.  But even that poor decision was made with the best of intentions.

Some of the secondary characters are fantastic.  Like Zach’s grandma, Mimi, and Liz’s brother, Josh.  And Liz’s best friend and roommate, Sadie, is an amazing friend, who can see right through Liz, and call her out on her bull.  But one secondary character in particular *cough-Joe* is a person you will love to hate.  He may have helped Liz pick up the pieces of her broken heart after Zach stopped calling, but he does NOT treat Liz right, in any way, shape or form.

Will Liz ever accept that Zach wasn’t trying to hurt her when he stopped talking to her?  Will Zach convince Liz he’s still the same boy, just a little more grown up, as the boy she fell in love with in high school?  Or will Liz continue to push Zach away, pretending their relationship won’t work, and stay with Joe?  I guess you’ll have to read it yourself to find out!