Tates and Pennys mothers are ride-or-die best friends. But Tates mother, Anna, is really sick and she needs help. In order to provide that, the mothers decide to combine their households. And there’s more: Pennys mom is going to donate Tates mom a liver. This leaves Penny really scared, who already has a troubled relationship with her mother and now fears, that she‘ll never have the chance to amend things.
Although their mothers are best friends, Tate and Penny never really where - possibly because of their history of almost kissing each other but never really. And because of their constant needling/ fighting. Or should it be called flirting? Because sometimes, when Tate is around, Penny feels this buzz in her chest.
But Penny is a worrier and Tate likes to keep things close to her heart. And all their shared history and trauma seems to keep them even more from each other, despite the growing feelings between them. Two and a half year ago they almost kissed for the first time (in a hay shed) but since then something has happened - in Yreka - and they both don‘t want to talk about. To be able to live together, apparently. But when attraction is undeniable, how many lists can save you from trouble?
There has a lot of wrong been done against Penny. But maybe this time something right will happen to her?
This book covers two months of Penny and Tates live-changing summer.
Eventhough the cover looks like any other from a YA-story, this one hides some deep stuff inside its pages. It was deeply emotional and at one point I just bailed my eyes out in the train. But this is what makes this book so so wonderful - its vulnerability and ability to capture both the wonderful moments of life and the heart-wrenching scenes. It doesn‘t hold back or gloss over the bad parts and not everything will be fine at the end - thats just life. It‘s described as a slow-burn romance and it surely is! Sometimes so much, that I questioned why they couldn‘t be together? Because the attraction was so palpable you had to wonder how they didn‘t catch on to each others feelings. But these feelings… they really jumped at you from the page and Penny and Tate and their relationship felt very authentic and sweet. And its the cutest concept to tell their story with the different moments they almost kissed as little guides. I thought that was very cool and it reminded me a bit of Kasie West‘s „Maybe this Time“.
Definitely one of my favorite books this year!
