***5+ "Victory is in the battle!!!" stars***

"If God makes all our faces..."

It's been a while since I've read this book and it was over two years that i was flirting with this story... and I'm kicking myself for not doing it early, but late is better than never, right???
The only thing that i have to say about this book is that it was MAGNIFICENT and EVERYONE has to read this story!!!
If you haven't do it yet, go grab it!!!! NOW!!!

“Sometimes a beautiful face is false advertising.”

This was a story of beauty and generosity....
Of ugliness and insecurity...
Of braveness and so much loss...
Loss of beauty, loss of loved ones, loss of innocence...
But also, it was about a new beginning with different terms....
This was the story of Ambrose and Fern....
Two different persons on outside but with so many commons inside...

“Nobody or Nowhere?
Fern: I'd rather be nobody at home than somebody somewhere else.
Ambrose: I'd rather be nowhere. Being nobody when you're expected to be somebody gets old.
Fern: How would you know? Have you been nobody?
Ambrose: Everybody who is somebody becomes nobody the moment they fail.”

Ambrose Young was beautiful, strong and very capable in everything he was doing... He was always first in everything...
He had a bright future ahead of him, but he sacrificed it to become a soldier for his country.... and with him went his four best friends....
But fate had an ugly plan for Ambrose and his friends...

“Sometimes beauty, or lack thereof, gets in the way of really knowing someone”

Fern Taylor knew that she wasn't beautiful and even though that she was loving Ambrose from a very young age, she knew that he will never be hers...
Fern was such a nice person!!!! Such a wonderful character...
Her best friend was Bailey and i loved the way they were together... but she didn't believe very much in herself and that was such a pity!!!

“I promised myself that if you came home I wouldn’t be afraid to tell you how I felt. But I’m still afraid. Because I can’t make you love me back.”

And after years that Ambrose was away from town, he had to return back... broken in body and soul!!! And Fern was the only one that tried to remind him who he was in the inside and that it didn't matter that his beautiful face wasn't beautiful anymore...
She could prove him that real love for a person doesn't change because the beautiful cover has change and i loved the way she did it!!!!
But Ambrose was so broken in every way and he was refusing to see the truth that was lying in front of him...

“Everybody is a main character to someone...”

“I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy, and when you get tired of looking at me, I promise I’ll sing.”

I loved so much both these two characters and their story had much loss, but so beauty inside of it!!!!
But beyond those two, there was a person that i loved fiercely and i felt so bad for what was happening to him, in every aspect.... This person was Bailey!!!!
Bailey who had a big heart and none malice, even though that he could have some in him.... But not Bailey...
He tried to show the right path for both Ambrose and Fern and i liked that in him...
His heart was so big and pure....

“Do you think there’s any way someone like Ambrose could fall in love with someone like me?”...
“Only if he’s lucky.”
“Oh, Bailey.” Fern shook her head, but loved him for saying it…and even more for meaning it.”

Honestly, I don't know what else to say to you about this book...
I will just repeat my self!!!!
This story was AWESOME and you can't miss it!!!!

"There are all kinds of heroes"

***ARC generously provided from the publisher via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

Ambrose Young looks like he should be on the covers of the romance books Fern Taylor loves.
She is crazy about Ambrose but he leaves for war with his friends and is a different man when he returns.
Can Ambrose overcome what happened in Iraq?
Can Fern and Ambrose have a future?

Making Faces was a heartfelt, emotional read.
I really liked Fern, Ambrose and Bailey as characters. They were all likeable, relatable and I enjoyed reading their interactions.
The romance was sweet and wasn't rushed. Fern and Ambrose were perfect together.
The plot was enjoyable and there were some serious subjects that I thought the author handled well.
The writing style was easy to follow and I was gripped from the first page.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Amazing and emotional. Highly recommended and this story will stay with me for a long time. The characters were really well fleshed out and I have so much to say but I might run out of space. Full reivew can be found on my blog shortly.

I would give this book 4.5 stars!

I really adored this story. I really liked that, while this was a new adult novel, it didn't have a lot of the sexier scenes for which new adult novels are famous. I find that sometimes new adult novels just get bogged down with the characters always seeming to just be trying to find time to get it on and this story had a lot more depth than the typical.

This book really just hit me right in the feels. I adored Bailey's character, the romance, and really just everything.

This book does have some christian themes but it is really subtle and does not hit you over the head at all.

I will just say as well that one of my absolute favourite things about this book was the comment that the male character makes at one point after he kisses the female character about it not being consensual. Scenes very reminiscent of this one are present in many books, for not only new adult audiences but also young adult and even adult books, and I really appreciated that the author made a commentary that while it may seem 'sexy' in a book for a male character to swoop in and kiss an unsuspecting girl, this is not a consensual act.

Overall I would highly recommend checking this out.

This is one of those great amazing books that might become a classic in the future. Amy Harmon, is just an amazing writer. This book will make you cry, smile and just have your heart tumbling all over the place. You can’t give more than five stars to this book, but in should have it’s own category. It will become a must read for everyone. Few books had me naked emotionally and gave me a boost at the same time. I would quote the entire book, because it got me, it dived into my heart and I am not sure I will ever forget about it.

Oh wow… talk about emotional ride! I started reading this book at work, but I’m glad I decided it to finish it at night, alone, completely alone. Because the kind of crying that was going on there, was the kind that’s not remotely cute. Ugly cry!

Also, while this book is a romance, I wanted to explain why I chose to use it for the “Book About Friendship” category on the #NAReads2017 bookish bingo. While Making Faces primarily focus on Fern and Ambrose and their romance, what shaped said romance and their lives, for that matter, are the friendships they each have throughout their lives. So I thought this category fit perfectly with this book.

First of all, I need to talk about the writing of this book. This was definitly a very unique book in the way it’s written and formatted. Amy Harmon wrote this book in the third person, but there are no specific points of view, instead she gives access to the feelings and thoughts of several of the people involved in a certain scene, which is so different, and it gave me the ability to connect and get to know all the characters so very well, even the secondary ones who didn’t appear that much. But because I knew what they were thinking and how something was affecting them, I was able to connect much better to all of them. And if there’s one thing wonderful about this book besides the writing, it is the wonderful characters.

Then the story is told throughout several years, but there are a few time periods more important than others. The first significant one is when Fern, Ambrose, Rita and Bailey are 10, and we get glimpses of a lot of important things that happened back then. The second important time period is their senior year of high school, 2001/02, and the events that followed. The third, and most relevant portion of the story takes place after Ambrose returns from the war. We get to see these characters grow through several years, trials and tribulations. I loved the way this story was told. Be warned though, that the story is not told in completely linear form, but it totally worked for me.

This is a very character driven story, and the characters are amazing. Fern is a selfless girl, genuinely good, who lives to make other people happy. But even though she’s shy and very self conscious, she faces her fears. I was in awe with this girl, from the very start of the book. She looks at the world in such a beautiful way, that it warmed my heart. Yes, she has been in love with Ambrose all her life, but it was never about how beautiful he was on the outside, but what he had inside, the way he treated people and carried himself. The way he loved his father and his friends and his coach. The way he loved Shakespeare and valued people. She goes through such an amazing transformation through the years, but she’s always very true to herself and the people she loves.

Ambrose was also amazing, he was fierce and protective. He changed so much though… When he was in school he was seen as a hero, everyone admired him and put their hopes and dreams on him, and he felt pressured and unsure. Wrestling stopped being about him and the sport and about everyone’s expectations and he was lonely. So he decided to enlist, to fight for his country, and he convinced his 4 best friends to join him, a decision that brought him so much grief and guilt… It impossible not to love and understand Ambrose throughout this book, especially when he feels he lost everything that made HIM.

Bailey was such an expected character who totally stole the “show” for me. Bailey has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and from a very young life had a perfect understanding of his condition and his limitations. But he refused to let himself be defined by it. He was such a strong young man, who spoke his mind, and made everyone around him think and rethink things. He defied expectations and misconceptions. He loved wholeheartedly. And he’s my favorite.

The way the lives of the characters intertwine is amazing. Bailey and Fern help Ambrose see that he still has a beautiful and full life to live. Fern and Ambrose help Bailey live his life to the fullest. And both boys protect and take care of Fern, until she see herself as they do. Beautiful.

The messages of this book are beautiful, but the most important one is that beauty has more to do with what’s inside, than on the outside. And this is something all 3 main characters struggle with, especially Fern and Ambrose.

THE WRITING IS GORGEOUS, THE CHARACTERS ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND SO IS THE STORY. I HONESTLY DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS READ THIS BOOK YET, BECAUSE IT IS SIMPLY AMAZING, AND I WANT EVERYONE TO PICK IT UP AND READ IT! NOW. YOU WON’T BE SORRY! JUST MAKE SURE TO HAVE TISSUES WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES, OK?

I absolutely love this book. The story touched me in such a way that I didn't think possible. The way Amy Harmon writes is utterly lyrical, the message embeds itself in me, and I can't stop playing it over and over. I can't stop thinking about it either. The characters are well developed, in a way that you get to know each and every one of them in such a personal level. They become your friends, and everything that happens to them, you feel too. It' is tragic as well as beautiful and I want for everyone to read this wonderful story.

I've been meaning to read this book for a very long time. My friends have been at me for years to read it, so when the opportunity came on Net Galley to read it, I jumped at that opportunity.

Amy Harmon has a way with words, holy moly! I fell in love with all the characters, Fern, Bailey Ambrose, but mostly Bailey. Although he had a crippling disease, that never let feel he was lesser than anyone, and so funny.

Oh how much I loved Fern, from "ugly duckling" to "beautiful swan", she loved with all her heart.

Ambrose, the gorgeous All Star wrestler, who had it all, especially a free ride to Penn State, instead chose to fight for his country after the September 11, 2001 attacks. To come home, literally broken, inside and out, yet Fern, still loved him. For she saw the man he was inside rather his beauty.

I can go on an on about how I loved this book. I will be purchasing this book for my daughter.

*An ARC was provided via Net Galley for an honest review.

3.8 awww so sweet stars!

This was such a beautifully written touching story!

Reading this book was like drinking a nice cup if steamy coffee and eating a huge pile homemade pancakes dripping with melted butter in a nice country cottage porch while watching a peaceful sunrise and listening to birds and bugs chirping...All Small town charm!

All pink clouds… until tragedy struck.

The characters were precious, sorta.

I loved Bailey and his way to cope with muscular dystrophy and his kindness and wittiness. The story when he was little and he found out about his illness just broke my heart. :(

Then t’s fern the female MC. She is sweet, a high school wallflower, image issues... all very nice but unfortunately I wasn’t super crazy about her.

Then Ambrose the male MC and Fern love interest. Hummm that was tough one. It seemed the idea was to portrait him as the I-am-totally-dark-tall-and-handsome-son-of-underwear-italian-supermodel-and-I-could-be-the-typical-high-school-jock-but-I-am-not. He decides to leave his life as town wrestler super start aside to go to war and of course tragedy strikes and there is death, loss, injuries, and now images issues too. For some reason I wasn’t too crazy about Ambrose either.

So it was all about Bailey for me and the theme of how deep vanity and superficiality is ingrained in our society and the characters dealing with image issues, disability, death and loss.

Dig my grave because this book killed me.

I read one of Amy's other books, The Bird and the Sword last year and it became a favorite of mine right away. Like, I read The Bird and the Sword three times in a month. I'm obsessed with that book.
I was hesitant to pick up another book by Amy because I didn't want to hype myself up so much that I let myself down. The Bird and the Sword is very big shoes to fill and I didn't want to be disappointed because I got my expectations sky high. However, I shouldn't have siked myself out. Making Faces is absolutely incredible and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Making Faces has all the feels. I laughed, I cried, I had every emotion possible. This book has left a permanent imprint on my life.

The characters in this book are complex, well written, and each of them will teach you something.
Fern has bright red hair and was never highly favored in high school. She wasn't outwardly pretty and she didn't have a lot of friends besides her cousin, Bailey. Fern had some amazing character development even though it was subtle. She was an amazing character from the moment she was introduced so for her to have character development and become even better, I thought that was outstanding. Fern loves to read and write romance and there one poem she wrote towards the beginning of the book that has really stuck with me. It resonated with me very deeply and I've been thinking about it a lot.
Bailey is Fern's cousin and best friend. He has muscle dystrophy, which is a disease that causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle. For most of the book, Bailey is in a wheelchair and Fern cares of him and helps him a lot. There's some flash back chapters so we get the chance to see how Bailey's disease has affected his life and how it's changed him as a person. Bailey is a one of a kind character. He's extremely witty, caring, and is fully aware of his future. His voice in this novel is unique and I promise you'll love him if you read this book.
Ambrose is a star athlete and he's friends with Fern and Bailey. Ambrose doesn't take a lot of notice of Fern and he's caught up in his wrestling. His mother is near the towers during 9/11 and it's not long after that he and his four best friends decide to enlist in the military. As the
synopsis says, "five young men go off to war, and only one comes back". Making Faces deals a lot with Ambrose's PTSD, guilt, and pain. I felt like representation of Ambrose's condition was very well done and much needed.

Overall, this book is nothing short of perfect. It's complex, has outstanding characters, and diverse. Amy Harmon is such an incredible writer and even though I've only read two of her books, I'm so glad I have discovered her books. Both books that I've read have made a massive impact on my life and I'll never forget them. Making Faces is a book that comes along once in a life time and I'm so glad I read it. I highly recommend reading Making Faces.

Making Faces is lovely and beautiful, emotional and inspirational, heart-wrenching and life-affirming, and all other adjectives you can think of to describe a great book. With every Amy Harmon's book I read, I get more and more impressed with her talent and her ability to create unforgettable moving stories full of hope, love and life lessons. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite indie authors and I am looking forward to reading her other books.

DNF at 15%

I may be a masochist when it comes to finishing awful books, but I am not so much of one that I will finish a book that makes me almost cry with how bad it is. I don't know if that's just me, because most of my Goodreads friends have rated this 5 stars, but I just can't do it.

Honestly, I knew from about the first chapter that I wasn't going to enjoy this one. The description Fern gives of Ambrose

"The squared-off edge of his sculpted jaw kept him from being too pretty, that and the fact that he was six foot three in his socks, weighed a strapping 215 pounds by the age of eighteen, and had a body corded with muscle from his shoulders to his well-shaped calves."


was just too much. If that had been because 18-year old Fern was infatuated with him that would be alright, I could accept that because then the writing style would change. But there was more

"Fern Taylor loved Ambrose Young, had loved him since she was ten years old and had heard his young voice lifted in a very different kind of song, but in that moment he reached a whole new level of beauty, and Fern was left reeling and dazed that one boy could be gifted with so much."


Because of course he's perfect at everything he does [biggest eye roll known to man].

And this writing style continues even when it's not in Fern's point of view (which was the dealbreaker for me - if it had been because of Fern's infatuation, I could have coped).

"Ambrose wasn't trying to be a jerk. He just didn't understand. And the little redhead with the crazy, curly hair was kind of freaking him out. He'd seen her before at school and knew her name. But he didn't know her. He wondered if she was special. His dad said he had to be nice to kids who were special, because they couldn't help the way they were."


The point at which I just couldn't take it anymore, was when Ambrose decided he wanted to join the army because

"Like the whole country, he wanted someone to pay for the deaths of three thousand people on 9/11. He wanted justice for the kids who lost their moms or dads."


"The United States was in Afghanistan, but some people thought Iraq was next. Someone had to go. Someone had to fight. If not him, then who? What if nobody went? Would it happen again?"


No consideration of the kids who would lose their mums and dads when the US invaded though, but I don't know why I expected otherwise. It's a book about war, written by an American author. What else is it likely to do? (Which I should have known before picking it up, etc etc - I knew it was about war, I didn't realise it was set in 2001.)

Also every time a character said something happened, or someone told them something, there was a flashback to that moment. Like, is that really necessary? And I don't know if it was just the formatting of the ebook, but it was hard to tell when the flashbacks started and ended.

So in the end, I just gave up. The prospect of finishing this book didn't appeal at all. I have better things to do with my time than force myself through it.

Amy Harmon knows how to create a story with emotion, beauty and the overwhelming sense of absolution. Fern, Ambrose and Bailey, all are unique characters who know how to steal the show, even with all the historical events (9/11) taking place and changing their lives.

I loved the romance, the touch of "Beauty and the Beast" but the main lesson you do get from this book is that love can heal and forgive. Very touching read which I do recommend

“Victory is in the Battle.”

I’m going to make this short. Mostly because I don’t think I can write a review that will do this book justice. You should just go buy it, and read it for yourself.

Ripped from the pages of a fairytale, Making Faces is, at its core, a love story. Love between friends. Love between families. Love within a community. And of course, romantic love.

“If you don’t hold me tight, I won’t believe you mean it, and that’s worse than never being held at all.”

I’d never read a book by Amy Harmon before this one. Now, I am a devoted fan. This story is full of heart. I was moved by the love shown between Fern and her cousin, Bailey. The way she cared for him, along with their effortless friendship, even when circumstances seemed at times unbearable, was beautiful. The way Ambrose cared for his friends was palpable throughout the pages of this story. These young men cared deeply for each other, as if they shared the same blood. Their support of one another, even with heavy doses of good-natured teasing, was a wonderful example of friendship.

The characters were honest with themselves; even if it took awhile they eventually got there. They were mature, while still acting their age. The relationships shown between child and parent are uplifting and touching.

“… you see beauty in me because you are beautiful, not because I am.”

In it’s essence, this is the story of two people. One who believes she’s unremarkable; the other believes he’s unlovable. Through unimaginable heartache and trials, they find each other, learn from one another, and teach each other. Together they discover that everyone, even a so-called unremarkable girl and a disfigured boy, is worthy of love.

This book is recommended for anyone aged 13+. Just because it’s categorized as ‘young adult,’ please don’t let that stop you from reading it if you are over the age of 18!

I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If there ever was an author that can walk you through a story, to take you to whatever journey her character is going through then Amy Harmon is it. Her ability to string words to come up with a story that sounds simple enough two dimensionally but manages to make you run through a whole gamut of emotions is what makes her story special and Making Faces is no exception. Brosey, Bailey and Fern from the start will capture a reader's heart with their dreams, their life, their wants and needs, their sacrifices and their growth. It really feels like you're living their lives as well. Empathy bleeds through the pages and Making Faces will probably kill you with all the feels.

This is my third Amy Harmon book. Her style of writing is one I have found to be easy to get swept up in and her stories captivate me. From fantasy to contemporary romance, I'm definitely a fan of hers!

I think one of the books themes that will be more relatable to a lot of females, is the fact that our MC is a girl who grows up with red curly hair, lots of freckles, braces for nearly all of high school, short and petite to the point of looking like a little girl and mostly unnoticed by most...especially guys. Despite her physical beauty not being one that necessarily draws the masses, this girl has a heart of gold! She's caring and genuine and honest. She's funny and witty and smart. She's the kind of girl that I definitely would've valued as a friend both in high school and as an adult. Her best friend is her cousin who has a disease that after the age of 14 took his ability to walk and to stand on his own. From then on he is wheelchair bound and he eventually looses the most of the use of his arms as well and has to depend on others to take care of him. Knowing he will succumb in death at some point sooner rather than later because of this disease, his character is not one of bitterness, but rather of seizing every moment and living with joy as much as he can. For all that Fern and Bailey go through together, they are really quite incredible characters.

Ambrose is the male MC, all 6 ft 3 inches of muscle of him. He is known as being extremely beautiful, incredibly gifted in wrestling and in singing. Everyone loves him, including Fern. His interest in Fern though is nearly nonexistent. Unfortunately after years of trying to meet everyone's expectations for him, he's exhausted and lonely. The story briefly touches on the events of 9/11 in the US, and since the story takes place in Pennsylvania where one of the three planes crashed, Ambrose finds himself strongly drawn to wanting to serve his country after high school. He, along with his four best friends, join the Army and are immediately sent to Iraq after basic training.

The story goes back and forth between present time and flashbacks to various ages covering somewhere around age 11/12 through their early 20's. It also goes back and forth between main characters, Fern and Ambrose and Bailey who is a strong side character.

So far in the three books I've read, Harmon always finds a way to weave in Biblical stories or quotes from the Bible. These books are not at all considered Christian Fiction given their content and language, but I have enjoyed the addition of Bible related things to her books. For this one, Fern's parents are described as being like Zacharias and Elizabeth, who in their old age gave birth to John, who would later be called John the Baptist. Fern's mom was 45 when she had her and her Dad was in his 50's. Fern's father is a preacher and Fern herself has faith in God and this is mentioned throughout the book, both in her prayers and also in thoughts and speech.

Though pretty clean in mature content, the language to me was heavier than I would give a for light rating, so I went with a medium rating for this one. No "f" bombs, so I was pleased with that. But there's definitely a good bit of language.

The thought/saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and other similar thoughts come to mind regarding these characters. There is more to beauty than physical attributes. There is more to being beautiful than what the world typically sees as outward beauty. Each of the three main characters have a certain beauty to them that is appealing and will draw you to them.

Another well done story from Amy Harmon! Fans of contemporary romance, fans of stories about war and the sacrifice and pain that often comes with it, fans of stories about hope and love - if you find yourself in any of those categories then this book is for you!

Top 5 Favorite Quotes (and a bonus):
"Thank you for making even ugly things beautiful."

"But that's the cool thing about friendship. It's not about being perfect, or even being deserving."

"Good friends are very hard to find. They take care of each other and watch out for each other, and sometimes, they even die for their friends, the way Jesus died for all of us."

"I guess it means we don't understand everything, and we're not going to. Maybe the whys aren't answered here. Not because there aren't answers, but because we wouldn't understand the answers if we had them."

"Scripture comforts me, and romance novels give me hope."

"I don't think we get answers to every question. We don't get to know all the whys. But I think we will look back at the end of our lives, if we do the best we can, and we will see that the things that we begged God to take from us, the things we cursed him for, the things that made us turn our backs on him or any belief in him, are the things that were the biggest blessings, the biggest opportunities for growth."

Language Rating: 2 (medium)
Mature Content Rating: 1 (light)
Final Rating: 4.5 stars

3.5 Stars

This was a story of healing and looking past someone's exterior to see their inner beauty.
Fern has had a crush on Ambrose since, well basically her whole life. It was so cute and bought you back to the days when you were younger and thought that boy from 4th grade would always be your one and only. But I have to admit, I did not care for Ambrose until he got his scars. He was comparing Fern to other girls and I hated him for it. But then he had his accident and was disfigured and a new Ambrose was born. Even though Fern was prettier now, he looked beyond that to fall in love with her beautiful personality and words.
But who really stole the show for me, was Bailey, Fern's disabled cousin. He was like a beacon of light, humor, and hope. He often used his own situation to put things in perspective for other people and I loved any scene with him in it.
My rating went down because I sometimes skimmed the pages about Ambrose's time in Iraq and some of the more spiritual scenes, but that's just for personal reason.
The ending and epilogue were great and didn't leave anything unanswered.

Making Faces was beautifully lyrical and truly unique. While it took me a few chapters to connect to the story, since it's written in 3rd person, I was so happy when everything clicked into place. The characters who took you on their journey were multifaceted and fascinating. And the flashbacks that were sprinkled throughout the story, helped craft a full picture of their history and what they meant to one another. This book was heavily character driven, with a touch of Beauty and the Beast, and it left me looking forward to discovering the rest of her books!

"Why do terrible things happen to such good people?” Ambrose asked.
“Because terrible things happen to everyone, Brosey. We’re all just so caught up in our own crap that we don’t see the shit everyone else is wading through.” - Ambrose & Bailey


Starting out you meet Fern, Bailey, Rita and Ambrose. While there's many more characters I adored, those were my top ones. They've started their final year in high school, and will soon be finding their place in the world. But by that second chapter, I didn't realize that I was stepping back into 9/11. My own memories slammed into me like a cold sheet of ice. The terror I had for my fellow citizens, and the terror I had for one of my good friends who worked next to the towers, hit me just as hard today as it did years ago. So watching the horrifying events take place put tears in my eyes and a sense of dead in my heart for what would unfold.

“She lost her son, Fern,” Ambrose said softly. His own anger dissipated as he spoke the simple truth. He took the towel from Fern’s hands and used it on her hair, wrapping and squeezing, absorbing the moisture, the way he used to do on his own. She stilled, obviously not used to a man’s hands in her hair. He continued his ministrations, and she sat quietly, her head lolling to the side, letting him.


Ambrose ended up enlisting in the military, to support his country, along with four of his best friends. And their little tiny town was shocked to the core. Ambrose, from his wrestling career, already had a full ride scholarships to college. Yet none of them took the path that was expected of them. But I'm getting ahead of myself, I have to explain how they're all connected. Ambrose's wrestling coach was Bailey's dad and Fern's Uncle. And I loved how the team saw Bailey as one of them, how Ambrose stood up and protected him. Because while Bailey attended meets, offered advice, and tracked their statistics, he couldn't participate in the actual sport since he had Muscular Dystrophy and was in a wheelchair.

“Do you think there’s any way someone like Ambrose could fall in love with someone like me?” Fern caught Bailey’s gaze in the mirror again, knowing he would understand.
“Only if he’s lucky.” - Fern & her cousin Bailey


Fern, Bailey's cousin, had been in love with Ambrose since she was a little girl, yet she never acted on it. He's this beautiful, muscular God in her eyes, and she's very plain with her pale skin, thick glasses, a stick thin body and red hair. Yet while that may describe how they looked on the outside, it doesn't even a shine a light on who they were on the inside. Fern was a caring, compassionate girl who loved and took care of her cousin, Bailey, so fiercely that it was powerful. Their friendship was one of the most beautiful relationships I've ever read about. And the other friendships in this book were beautiful too. It made for such a strong theme.

“News flash, Fern Taylor!” Ambrose barked, slamming his hand against the dashboard, making Fern jump. “Everything has changed! You are beautiful, I am hideous, you don’t need me anymore, but I sure as hell need you!”


And while I watched the past and the present unfold into a beautiful story of friendship, hardships, school and war, we then moved ahead. To when Ambrose came back from war, alone. And Making Faces took on a Beauty and the Beast element, that I loved! Ambrose and Fern's positions have flipped, yet their shaky friendship was still there. While Ambrose wanted to hide from the world, Fern was determined to get close to him. So watching Fern and her tenacious will was captivating, while watching Ambrose as he suffered, was heartbreaking.

Death is easy. Living is the hard part. - Bailey


I did have a few hiccups throughout the story though. There was a strong religious theme, and I struggled with Ambrose not suffering more from losing his friends and from the horrific situation he was in at war. And lastly, Ambrose's speech, at a certain event near the end of the book, felt off to me. It was too much about him, and that felt wrong. But regardless, I definitely recommend this book to people who are looking for something out of the ordinary, and who want to meet characters that you won't find in every other book. Making Faces is also for people who want a story line that takes risks and shows the uglier side of life, whether it's bullying, domestic abuse or even just the struggle of accepting who you are. While not everyone got their happily ever after, my heart was still happy with how the majority of theirs lives closed in those last few pages. And as an epilogue junkie, that ending was perfect!

PS Towards the end, there was a little touch of a spiritual or some could even say paranormal element (depending upon your view point on life), that I loved too.

*ARC kindly provided by Spencer Hill Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The book seemed promising at the beginning with the Cyrano de Bergerac parody, but then went downhill. Our hero, Ambrose, annoyed me terribly because he said he fell in love with the person who wrote the letters and claimed 'smart' was better than 'beauty', but when it came down to it, he dismissed Fern completely until the final night when he suddenly realises he's liked her all along (outrage).
After that, when he returns as a 'Beast', our Beauty still believes herself to be ugly and when she tells him - to his face - that she wishes he would see her as pretty, he doesn't tell her that. No, it's all about him and his hang ups again and Fern goes out of her way to reassure him that his looks do not devalue the way she feels about him. If only he would reciprocate! From the very start, he contradicted himself by saying beauty wasn't important, but he spends pretty much the whole book focusing on looks. He annoyed me something silly.
Fern has not flown the little village because her best friend can't leave, but had she done, she would found her 'social' voice, I am sure. It is unfortunate that her best friend, who wants so much for her, is one of the people who has enabled her self-doubt and kept it flourishing.
It doesn't take a lot for a woman to feel beautiful, inside and out, and the people in her life kept failing her. while she bent over backwards for all of them.
I spent most of the book with my lips metaphorical fist ready to start swinging for Fern. More than anything, I wanted her to up sticks and leave or find someone who who loved her more than themselves, but I wouldn't have been able to leave Bailey either.