Synopsis: It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.
On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?
Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough. Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a stranger? Um…
Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane’s list. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go skinny-dipping? Wait…what?
My thoughts: This was such a fun and summery read, and it was exactly what I was in the mood for when I picked it out from Audible’s library catalog. It gave me flashbacks to the summers of my youth (lol, I’m so old), and the all-consuming feeling of best friendship between teenage girls. I really liked the concept of the story revolving around Emily’s summer to-do list, and I thought the way it all played out was adorable. The build to the romance was believable, and there was no “instalove” which can unfortunately feel quite refreshing in a YA contemporary romance. The friendships that blossom throughout the story were well developed and felt real enough to become invested in as a reader.
There were a couple of things I didn’t like about the story. One in particular was to-do list items that Sloane set as a challenge. It was something that Emily had stood up to and flat-out refused to do in the past. The fact that she then felt obligated to do it because it was part of the list bummed me out a little bit. There were also some plot holes that were left unanswered that I really would have liked to see resolved. I wish Emily had came to more of a realization that Sloane was actually not a very good friend at all, but all of the Sloane-related issues were sort of swept under the rug at the end.
Despite those minor issues, I think if you’re looking for a lighthearted summer read, this is definitely worth checking out.
Rating: 8/10