Autumn Sommers wants to forget what happened on the bus. It's been three years, but avoiding Alex Wolf has become standard, especially since everyone knows about his sketchbook—and the drawings of her inside. The incident followed them from junior-high and now, in their sophomore year, the two have been paired on a project. Autumn just wants to get through it. She needs to maintain her grades to keep her terrible Aunt Milly from moving back in, but working with Alex might be impossible since they have to pretend to be a couple for their assignment. Forced to put their past on hold, the two focus on their fictitious relationship until the lines between real and fake get blurred, and they discover there might be some truth to the façade. But things have changed since seventh grade. Alex has a secret, and it could mean the end of their new friendship…and more. After everything they’ve been through, Autumn isn’t sure she can go back to the way it was. With their project—and her heart—on the line, she’ll need to prepare for whatever happens, even if it means a return to silence with the boy she wants the most. |
Review
Autumn and Alex have great chemistry in spite of an awkward and embarrassing incident that occurred on the school bus three years prior. Their dialogue is satisfyingly witty and there’s a lot of funny moments between them. There were times when I wanted to give Alex a boot to the rear because of the way he strokes his own ego and then there’s that part, where you discover that this boy has not been entirely honest and open. He’s a little too ‘alpha male’ for my tastes, but that didn’t bug me much.
Autumn’s best friend Savvy is a big part of why Better than This works so well. Savvy understands what’s going on on a deeper level and acts as the voice of reason while still encouraging Autumn to pursue Alex. This girl has some great dialogue in terms of this, such as ‘give the boy a break. He’s going as fast as he can without it being creepy.’ Autumn and Savvy’s friendship is the perfect mix of typical adolescence and solid love and support, and I loved it!
Better than This is a fun read for anyone who likes slow burn YA contemporary romance.
Book provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review