Always and Forever, Lara Jean

                Hello happy readers!  I am excited for the weekend, mostly because I'm off and don't have to work.  I also no longer have to worry about mowing or vacuuming which were on my to-do list because my chiropractor said don't do it and I have to listen to his orders.  Which means he wants me to rest and relax so I hope to get some reading/listening down and that is always a win!  Last weekend was very fruitful as I was able to finish up two audiobooks.  One of which is the final book in a series I have read this year, Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han.  I reviewed the previous books here:  To All the Boys I've Loved Before  and P.S. I Still Love You. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                We left off Lara Jean and things are good.  She is in her senior year with everything going great from school, prom, trips, her father finally found someone who makes him happy again, and oh yeah her boyfriend Peter is amazing.  She has plans to go to her dream college which is close enough she'll be home on weekends never going far from the family.  She has everything planned out.  Until the unexpected happens and the girl who doesn't like change has to rethink her future plans that cause her head and her heart to go in different directions. 

                So Lara Jean and Peter found their way back to one another and now they are stronger than ever.  Peter is so amazing.  Seriously I had my doubts at one point but he gets Lara Jean in a way others don't.  He can tell when she needs an out or just needs some support.  He knows how much her family means to her and works to be there for them too and to me that just makes him for me.  They are so normal and sweet.  High school sweet hearts who have so much going for them and wanting to make it work but as life starts to pull them in different directions they have to work harder to keep to their plans.  So many couples in high school face the option of doing long distance or ending things and it felt so normal to have this struggle. 

                The struggle of course is only compounded by their own unique circumstances.  Lara Jean never saw herself leaving home.  She loved her family and wants to continue to be super close with them and be there for her youngest sisters firsts as she grows up.  I loved that the idea of going to a college further away was a struggle but not just over a boy.  While love can make it a tough decision it had more going for it.  She has her family to think about and her own levels of comfort.  She would be somewhere completely new all alone and that can be scary for anyone.  Lara Jean is a lover for sure but she has much more going for her and considers everything.

                The in and out of the sisters and how they are dealing as life continues on with Margo coming to visit and seeing all that has changed.  Family dynamics change as new people come and go from our lives.  I think this was a beautifully rounded story about the every changing moments of our lives and the choices we make giving the risks, struggles, and rewards of it all.  It was so full of love, heart break, friendship, excitement, and growth.  Lara Jean and Peter have come a long way.  He has really been a catalyst for her to grow into the woman she was meant to become.  Seeing the world through her eyes was so much fun and experiencing all the huge senior moments with her was icing on the cake!

                This was a wonderful heartfelt series I just adore.  I was so happy I could listen to all of them pretty quickly without waiting.  I was happy to connect with Lara Jean and her crazy passionate life!  I am even more thrilled that I finished them before the movie comes out as I keep seeing trailers for it pop up on all my social media!  Now I can sit back and enjoy in a different format!

                Until next time…

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2)

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and weekend.  Mine was a bit chaotic but good.  I finally got to watch Netflix The Punisher, which I really enjoyed and see Bad Mom's Christmas.  That said I didn't get a ton of reading done, though I did get an hour or two into my current car audiobook driving to and from my parents place so that's a win.  That said last week I reviewed To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han here and as soon as I reviewed it I started on book two P.S. I Still Love You right away and finished it that same day and as I am eager to get to book three I have to review this one first so here we go.  Spoilers for book one…duh.

Rating:  5 Stars

                When we left off Lara Jean had realized she still loved Peter and wanted to fix things.  She had written five love letters and had received word from all but one.  As she starts something real with Peter it becomes a bit more complicated as her other love and letter come into her life as Peter makes some decisions that don't sit well with Lara Jean.  We see everything for the first time through the very distinct and quirky Lara Jean.

                Now this story has me hooked.  I want to know what will happen next for Lara Jean so badly.  She is such a sweet and innocent girl who has all these dreams and ideas but is also happy in her comfort zone and afraid to really step outside of it.  This story really makes her step forward in a lot of ways.  She is forced to be bolder than she has and take charge of her life.  She is experiences many different emotions all at once and for the first time which for anyone would be confusing.  The way it is written is just so sweet and enduring that you get caught up in the whole of it and feel it all like it was happening to you.  Also can I just say how much I adore that she’s a baker because I do love that aspect of her character.  She has mentioned so many ideas that have now been added to my list to try.

                There were times when I was back and forth on what I wanted to happen.  I admit to wavering at points given the information available at the given time.  I wanted Lara Jean to find happiness and was caught up in every moment of this heartfelt story.  I enjoyed this story so much that as I lay listening to this story around 80% through I had to go and buy the third book right then.  Yep no waiting for an extra credit to be available or anything I just knew that when I finished this one I was going to want to continue ASAP.  And while things did resolve in the story enough that I had to start the next one right away I still am looking forward to starting it this week.  There is just so much going on with Lara Jean between her love life, family, and friends I am excited to see where things go for her. 

                I can’t really discuss too much about the story because you should enjoy it as it progresses but the characters were there.  I got to see more with the sisters, the always late coffee spilling neighbor, the boys, and my favorite to learn more about were the residents at the retirement community. They had such diverse backgrounds and fun stories to explore plus being at their age they are set in their ways and able to say/do whatever they want because why not.  I loved the play off of them.  I can’t wait to see how Lara Jean’s journey ends in the next book. 

                Until next time…

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I did a night shift rotation this weekend and got a bit off schedule but being close to the holiday I had lots of free time and got to catch up on this season of Outlander so it was a win!  That said today aside from doing some baking I am pleased to share my thoughts and feelings on a book that has been on my shelf for a very long while that I just now am getting into, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han.  I have been wanting to read this series since day one but it always got pushed back but after I snagged the first two books on audible for a 2 for 1 credit deal I couldn’t hold off any longer. 

Rating:  5 Love Letters

                I couldn’t help myself.

                To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a sweet story of Lara Jean who keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her.  She hasn’t received love letters, no these are the letters she has written each time she has fallen for someone.  She is able to pour her heart into them and seal them away giving herself a sense of closure knowing no one will ever see them.  Until one day her letters are sent out and her love life goes a bit crazy.

                The concept for this alone had me hooked.  I know I would be mortified if someone ever read my journal, be it my high school one or my current one.  There is just something about knowing no one will ever read it that lets you be brutally honest.  It’s cathartic.  I was instantly drawn into this world with sweet Laura Jean and her sisters.  I loved their bond.  It has ups and downs which I think most families have.  I also enjoyed the way it dealt with someone being close with the whole family breaking up with one and how it leaves the uncertainty with the rest.  It really has a lot of heart to it.

 “I’m always wondering about the what-its, about the road not taking.”

                The chapters were all super-fast and I listened to it in just a couple of short sittings and each time I never really wanted to turn it off.  I was on the fence at times as to what I wanted to happen for the characters as Lara Jean is thrust into this new world.  Stuck between everything being a first and new and also fake but also good that in between feeling.  I could feel for her even when she blundered many things because I could see where she was coming from and it endured her to me.  This book just hit me in the feels and had me ‘aweing’ A LOT!  I also randomly busted out laughing many times, one HP moment in particular reminded me of me and my friends. 

“If love is like a possession, maybe my letters are like my exorcisms.”

                My only complaint is the ending was a bit complicated.  I had to go back and listen to a small part to make sure I got it and it also left off with many things unresolved.  Yes I understand there is another two book for which I am diving into ASAP (already have book 2 ready to start but had to get my thoughts to paper on book 1 first so I didn’t risk mixing them up) but some of the things that seemed somewhat resolved to Lara Jean were still a bit iffy for me.  I’m still rating this 5 Stars and in love with it and all the feels but I am hoping that those iffy things are resolved in the books to come and don’t hold me back.  Well that is it off to start P.S. I Still Love You.

                Until next time…