REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
How to Unbreakup
by Rebekah L. Purdy
How to Unbreakup is currently on tour with YA Bound Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
For more books by this author, check out my blog post on The Romeo Club and my blog post on The Winter People.
Description
First rule of breakups: There’s no going back.
For three years, seventeen-year-old Grace Evers has regretted breaking up with Sage Castle.
That day, she lost her boyfriend and best friend. And let's be honest, it's impossible to just be friends with the one person who gets you, faults and all, and loved you anyway. It's impossible not to think about how it felt to be held by him, or the way he looked right before he was about to kiss you with the most perfectly yummy kiss goodnight.
And now that things are over between them, they've become strangers to one another. Sage won’t even look at Grace, let alone talk to her!
Breakup life sucks and Grace is utterly miserable, doing whatever she can to ease the pain of losing Sage. She's spent the better part of high school pretending to be something she’s not and hanging out with people who probably wouldn't notice if she wasn't there. Crappy dates, backstabbing friends, and Sage's cold shoulder have taken their toll.
So when her parents propose going away to their house on Lake Michigan for the summer, Grace is thrilled. No more massively bad dates with horrible kissers or lunch with frienemies. Just three months of swimming,
hiking, and relaxing before senior year starts.
But when Grace learns Sage and his family will be joining them, she readies herself for a totally awkward family vacation of disastrous proportions. How can it be anything but awful if Sage won't even acknowledge she exists?
This is it, Grace's last chance to get Sage back and unbreakup.
Excerpt
“Let’s check out the deck.” Mom looped her arm through mine as we made our way around the furniture to the glass doors. As soon as we pushed them open, the scent of the lake and beach hit me. The sound of gulls echoed in the air. Beach chairs lined the deck, the view breathtaking. From here, I saw there was already a fire pit dug out on the beach.
The doorbell rang from inside and Mom squealed. “Come on,” she said.
My parents rushed to the front door, us kids on their heels.
“Time for our other surprise.” Dad glanced at us as he whipped open the door.
There, standing on the porch, was the Castle family.
No. Flipping. Way. Sage’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. He met my gaze then looked away, obviously his parents hadn’t let him in on the surprise either.
I squeezed my eyes tight then opened them again, trying to ignore the sick pit in my stomach. Okay. Just keep calm. It isn’t the end of the world. Not yet anyway.
“Welcome Castle family,” Dad said, hugging Mr. and Mrs. Castle.
“The Evers and Castles together again.” Mr. Castle chuckled. “Now how’s this for a surprise?”
“I gave up soccer camp for this?” Sage asked, his eyes narrowed.
“Yep, and you’re going to enjoy it. End of discussion.” Mr. Castle gave him a warning look.
Sage pushed inside, carrying his stuff, not even bothering another glance in my direction.
Crap. This wasn’t happening. It might be the end of discussion for Mr. Castle, but I had a feeling this was far from over. If things kept going like they were, it’d be a long, miserable summer for all of us.
Allie smiled as she came inside. “This is freaking sweet. We’ll be able to hang out all summer. Just like old times.”
“Yeah. Just like old times.” I gave her a quick hug. Minus the part where Sage actually talked to me. Things in my life were about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Praise for the Book
"We all make some mistakes when we were young, and we face the consequences. When it's a life-altering change, it would take some time before we get back to the 'normal' in our lives. She was young, she made a mistake, and she acknowledged it. She wanted to change it - but it wasn't easy. I admire her determination, and her persistence (especially his sister's - their biggest supporter). Fate was throwing a lot on their way, including summer flings, but nothing gets in the way of true love. There are hurdles, some jealousy and failed cookings - the way to finding your true love or earning it again is not an easy task, but it is all worth it. For readers who want a characters who are easy to love, clean, light-hearted, second-chance romance read - this one is for you." ~ Book Freak
"I loved this book. [...] I loved the list that Grace made to try to win back Sage, and the ensuing comedic mishaps. I found myself snickering out loud at some of her biggest failures, which just made her even more endearing. [...] I also loved the message of being true to yourself and not merely following the crowd. It takes time and maturity to figure that out for yourself. Many high school students are incapable of getting past that shallow stage until adulthood, but a few of us accomplished it by our senior year. I am seeing this theme again and again in YA lit, and love it. I also enjoyed the setting, as I grew up in Ohio, just south of the Michigan line, and have fond memories of visiting some of these places. The whole book gave me a sense of nostalgia, and I was glued to the Kindle for the entire read." ~ Andrea Coventry
"This book is nerdy, funny, and incredibly sweet. It's a very innocent book telling of first love. If it doesn't make u smile or remind you of your first love, then ur heart is probably made of ice. Go get this book! It had me laughing in public and smiling like an idiot. It was a great read." ~ ManicMommy
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Grace Evers and Sage Castle have been best friends since they were two and started dating on Grace's thirteenth birthday. Eleven months later, everyone thinks they spend too much time together, to the point where they are collectively referred to as "Grage". So, Grace decides to break up with Sage. It's now three years later, and Sage still hasn't spoken to her. Grace's dad plans a family holiday to Lake Michigan for the summer, only he doesn't tell her he's invited another family, too - the Castles. Grace wants to get back with Sage and gains an unexpected ally in Sage's sister Allie. They plan to find a way for Grace and Sage to "unbreakup". But things get complicated when neighbors Lila and Logan take an interest in Sage and Grace. Will Grace finally get her guy?
This book features some of the same characters as the author's previous book, The Romeo Club, and once again my only complaint is the author's choice of annoying names (Lyncee, Delyla, Rori, Rochelle, Kenadi for the girls; Sage, Benji, Caleb, Lor, Trey, Logan, Ty for the boys). This is a quick, easy read, with likable characters - even a crazy cat! It is full of humor, with mishap after hilarious mishap getting in the way of Grace's plan to win back Sage. It also has an extremely well-planned and well-executed storyline, and the ending wraps everything up very neatly. Loved it!
About the Author
Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate …
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win some great prizes.
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