Well, the blurb and the caution "Recommended 16+ this is a mature YA" made me quite curious. This had to be good. And I a few ways, it was. Rita Stradling describes in an excellent way how Cassie is struggling with her feelings and emotions after burying her mother. After years of taking care of her sick mother, Cassie now moves back in with her father, her stepmother, and her two stepbrothers.

It must definitely be hard to watch your mother struggle with cancer, chemo's and losing weight. And finally losing the battle. You can feel the grief and despair of Cassie, who had to endure this during her teens. It marks her and that's why she acts differently than most teens. So, that part was very interesting. Culter on the other hand, was a bit less interesting. Oh, definitely interesting in the 'look-at-that-handsome-Full-of-yourself-Fuller' kind of guy. But he is a much less in depth character as Cassie.

Furthermore, the history of the love-hate relationship between Cassie and Cutler was a bit unclear to me. What happened precisely and why was Cassie still so angry about this?

However, the story unfolds nicely, with a definite twist in the plot at the end. You don't see that one coming, so that's very nice.

The caution and the bad choices in the book are a bit overrated in my opinion. I've read books where even my ears turned deep pink, but it is not one of those. So just sit back and enjoy this one. Four out of five stars from me. With a thank you for Netgalley for providing the ARC.

Good concept but very predictable. Likeable characters. Ending very unfulfilling. Would have returned book if bought by the third chapter.

I was somewhat torn about this book. It was a quick, easy read, but I was expecting more of a romance, while the book turned out to be more of a teen life drama. I really enjoyed the Cassie character, who dealt with her mothers long illness and death with incredible strength, and was well written with her own personality and interest in art. My biggest problem was with her stepbrother, Cutler's character. I really didn't like him. Aside from taking care of Cassie right after her mother's death, he doesn't have many redeeming qualities. He is something of a player, and is REALLY overbearing and even Cassie acknowledges that he always has to get his way, regardless of what other people involved want/think. I enjoyed the way the author set up the high school world with its set of supporting characters, and the drama of the complications in Cassie and Cutler's family and their relationship kept me interested.

Of note, I thought that the age warning was a little overblown, as the novel wasn't exceptionally mature.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I really loved this book. My only complaint was how the end was handled, and mostly, how Jen was seen as mostly blameless, when she clearly knew of the situation and did nothing. Not ok in my book. Other than that I enjoyed both the story and the characters. I hope we get to see more of them!

Great story of a reality that many young adults face. In a world with blended families, Rita Stradling shown light on a situation that is all too real. Excellent coming of age story.

I've make a lot of bad decisions but reading this book is not one of them.

Here's the thing: This is not a literary classic, so you should not go into this book expecting it to be one. I've come to categorize books like this as guilty pleasures. This book isn't going to teach me any important life lessons but it will keep me entertained for a few hours. It's fluffy, it's smutty, and it has all the typical angst and excitement that comes with forbidden love.

If you take this book for what it is, you will find that it is written far better than other books in this genre. The tropes and high school drama are inevitable, but solid writing can carry even the the most cliché of stories.

On another note, I really appreciated the family dynamics in this book. I loved the relationship between Cassie and her mother, despite the fact that we only get a brief glimpse of it. They spoke to each other in the same way my mother and I do and I love that. Speaking of relationships, Cassie experiences no shortage of dysfunction in her family but it's very clear that they all love each other very much (whether they share the same blood or not). That was kind of refreshing. I also liked the standard quirky characters and hated the typical high school snobs, so no surprise there. The characters aren't very complex but you will root for them (the good ones, obviously).

In any case, this is definitely one of the better New Adult romances I've read in months. I'm genuinely surprised. And impressed. If you're into that slow-burn, can't-love-you-but-I-do kind of romance, then this book is for you.

Final thoughts: Culter Fuller's name might give you a migraine but it won't stop you from enjoying this book! I read this book in one sitting and forgot all about my migraine.

*This review will be posted on http://www.laylabetweenthelines.com on January 10th, 2017*

fast paced, well developed good read