Author: Anne Pfeffer
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Bold Print Press (July 24, 2012)
Source: Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
My Rating: 4 Stars!!
Goodreads Description:
Seventeen year old Alexandra spends so much time helping others realize their dreams that she never has time for her own. An expert ocean diver and reluctant maker of wedding cakes, she longs to leave roses and frosting behind to study oceanography. Alex’s mother won’t have it—needy and dependent, Mom can’t run the family wedding cake business on her own.
No matter what Alex does, things only get worse for her. When she risks her life to save a tourist while scuba diving and becomes the local hero, Mom's angry with Alex for going diving at all. Mom also discourages Alex's new friendship with the insanely wealthy Jeremy, a fun boy with a secret. Then, Alex's best friend, Zack, a hunky island guy, starts to take an interest in her as well. The problem is, he's dating another girl.
As Alex struggles to learn where she stands between her two difficult and confusing Prince Charmings, it occurs to her that maybe what she really needs is a Prince Charming for Mom. If she doesn't do something, she will make cakes all her life and die in her "Sue's Wedding Cakery" apron with a spatula in her hand.
This story features a colorful island setting, dangerous underwater diving adventures,a family of billionaires, and lots and lots of buttercream. It is Alex's journey toward not only finding love, but learning how to step forward and take control of her own life, a rite of passage that faces all young readers.
Please message Anne Pfeffer if you'd like a review copy sent to you in advance of publication. You don't have to be a blogger, if you promise to just post your honest review on goodreads!
I
absolutely love coming of age stories. I love the feeling of endless
love and hope that most of them have. That tomorrow will be better
and each new day is just that, a new day and a new beginning.
And okay,
maybe I am a sucker for the first kisses and the first loves and yes,
even the first heartbreaks. There is just something about them that
feels so real and makes me remember all those wonderful times in my
life as well and how growing up can sometimes be painful but it can
always be a heck of a lot of fun too.
Alex was a
great character. I really felt for her. She had to be the grown up
and the responsible one when she was at a time in her life when she
should have been able to go out and have fun and be carefree.
She had
hopes and dreams for herself that her mom just didn't seem to want to
help her with or even believe in and it really made me all the more
sad for her and even angry on her behalf.
But she
doesn't let it get her down. She doesn't sit back and accept things,
she goes out and she makes changes, changes to better her life and
her situation. Some of them are hard and some she still doesn't have
all the way figured out but the fact is she doesn't sit idly by and
let life pass her by.
This really
is a great coming of age story with a heroine that you will love and
some really great hot guys that aren't bad themselves.
I had a
hard time putting this one down and was very happy with the ending. I
will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
Yes!! They can make you feel old sometimes too. ;)
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