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Summer #2
It's Not Summer Without You
Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.
Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?
It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.
Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?
It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published April 27, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38,666 reviews
August 5, 2015
I didn't liked it as much as the first one. Belly is starting to piss me off and don't make me talk about Conrad, I can barely stand him.
Jeremiah, Laurel and Susannah are my faves <3.
Jeremiah, Laurel and Susannah are my faves <3.
April 26, 2022
ngl my favorite character might be the house
December 27, 2018
These books are terrible and yet I cannot stop reading them.
July 9, 2022
Belly is stupid. Conrad is annoying. Jeremiah is pathetic.
Lesen
May 10, 2022belly is so immature that her decisions honestly make my brain rot. on to book three!
July 6, 2022
Belly… Girl, you gotta get it together.
May 1, 2015
3.5/5
Belly was more obnoxious in this book and the love triangle was hit SO HARD but I still really liked it.
Belly was more obnoxious in this book and the love triangle was hit SO HARD but I still really liked it.
April 15, 2023
— 2.5 stars ✰
expectations low. rating low. no surprise here. i'm just reading this so i can compare it to the show and it least it's a quick read
belly is whiny, egoistic & so unlikebale. she was a horrible friend towards taylor. conrad is grieving but acting like a total jerk. jeremiah deserved someone better than belly
— the only good thing about this series is that you somehow can't put it down, like nothing is happening but you're still reading and then suddenly the book is over lol
expectations low. rating low. no surprise here. i'm just reading this so i can compare it to the show and it least it's a quick read
belly is whiny, egoistic & so unlikebale. she was a horrible friend towards taylor. conrad is grieving but acting like a total jerk. jeremiah deserved someone better than belly
— the only good thing about this series is that you somehow can't put it down, like nothing is happening but you're still reading and then suddenly the book is over lol
June 29, 2022
Wowww she switched up so fast at the end like where did that come from?? I just don’t see the point of this book. It’s just constant conflict, silly arguments and the main character being annoying and self absorbed 😭
July 14, 2023
i saw a review “these books are terrible but i can’t stop reading them” and i AGREE.
The writing is SO GOOD but the characters just make me mad.
Belly (whether she admits it or not) acts like a whiny, annoying child who can’t stop running back to Conrad, who is an egotistical jerk. I don’t see the appeal other than the fantasies she has of his younger self (who she definitely over romanticized).
Jeremiah. Him and Belly are partners in crime and true friends before romance. But, Belly isn’t fair to him because ever time Conrad says 3 words to her, suddenly she’s begging on her knees for him. I feel so bad for him, and it hurts to see that Belly could lose them both. But honestly, Conrad is just too precious for me to be mad at him… so I think Belly is just being unfair to everyone.
Honestly, Laurel and Susannah are my favorite characters. I love the setting and the idea of beach house memories. I liked the flashbacks intertwined with the book. Love triangle aren’t my thing i guess.
The writing is SO GOOD but the characters just make me mad.
Belly (whether she admits it or not) acts like a whiny, annoying child who can’t stop running back to Conrad, who is an egotistical jerk. I don’t see the appeal other than the fantasies she has of his younger self (who she definitely over romanticized).
Jeremiah. Him and Belly are partners in crime and true friends before romance. But, Belly isn’t fair to him because ever time Conrad says 3 words to her, suddenly she’s begging on her knees for him. I feel so bad for him, and it hurts to see that Belly could lose them both. But honestly, Conrad is just too precious for me to be mad at him… so I think Belly is just being unfair to everyone.
Honestly, Laurel and Susannah are my favorite characters. I love the setting and the idea of beach house memories. I liked the flashbacks intertwined with the book. Love triangle aren’t my thing i guess.
February 6, 2024
the summer I turned into a homewrecker
May 8, 2022
OKAY EXCUSE ME!!!! this was a lil sadder than I bargained for!!! me: reading a cute summer romance, also me: gets sad 👁👁 it’s fine everything’s fine. moving on. listen, Jeremiah is nice and all but Conrad is where it’s at. my mind has not changed.
THAT ENDING THO. SOS. IM RUNNING TO THE LAST BOOK 🏃♀️
“happiness is a slurpee in a hot pink straw” <3
THAT ENDING THO. SOS. IM RUNNING TO THE LAST BOOK 🏃♀️
“happiness is a slurpee in a hot pink straw” <3
July 17, 2022
Conrad sucks
June 9, 2023
Man.... So many ups and downs. I feel so attached to everyone, and I feel like they are real people dealing with real struggles. It's a nice change.
May 20, 2022
Such a cute read! So perfect for summer!! And perfect for all ages. Belly did get on my nerves a little bit at certain parts but overall I love that she is a real character with flaws. And the love triangle tore me up in this book!! Can't wait to start book 3 and to watch the series coming out next month!!!
September 20, 2022
why are belly and taylor friends ?? in every single one of their interactions i feel like they absolutely despise each other
May 14, 2024
Belly is my 13 reasons why.
July 20, 2011
For helpful visuals of Conrad and Jeremiah: http://irresistiblereads.blogspot.com...
Favourite Quote: "I stared at him. Did he really say that? Did he remember? The way he looked back at me, one eyebrow raised, I knew he did. And this time, I was the one to look away.
Because I remembered. I remembered everything."
Don't you love it when the second book in a series is way better than the first? That is the case with It's Not Summer Without You. I enjoyed The Summer I Turned Pretty but sometimes founds the characters are little annoying. But in this installment of the series the characters have grown and the story seems a little deeper and more meaningful.
I love Han's writing. She really captures the emotions of being a teen and in love. I am sure we all remember how painful and confusing it is. And Han writes it perfectly so that it causes your heart to ache.
Belly's character is showing some maturity in this book. If you have read the first book you will know she was a little bit selfish. Sure she still makes mistakes but in this installment she starts to get a little wiser.
"That's when I finally got it. I finally understood. It wasn't the thought that counted. It was the actual execution that mattered, the showing up for somebody. The intent behind it wasn't enough. Not for me. Not anymore. It wasn't enough to know that deep down, he loved me. You had to actually say it to somebody, show them you cared. And he just didn't. Not enough."
Love triangles for me are either sooooooo bad or sooooo good. And surprisingly, considering it is two brothers (how more complicated could it get), it is good. Probably because I really love them both even though they are complete opposites.
Conrad is moody and sometimes selfish and is definitely unpredictable when it comes to his interactions with Belly. I love how in this book his character is very slowly unravelling and we are getting a glimmer of who he really is behind all that angst. And there is something about a flawed soul that I can't resist.
Jeremiah made me swoon. I mean how could anybody not adore this guy especially since in this book we got snippets of his POV allowing us to get know him on a deeper level. Seriously, he is the biggest sweetheart and the underdog when it comes to Belly's affection.
Overall, I loved It's Not Summer Without You.
Shout Out: I would like to say a big thank you to Nomes for reading this with me. It was an awesome experience. We read it over one night and check in every hour or so to discuss. We had so much fun dissecting the book and ended up typing over 3700 words through conversation on google docs about it. Okay so most of it was Jeremiah is making me swoon and Conrad is moosy....I mean moody (still laughing about your typos Nomes).
Favourite Quote: "I stared at him. Did he really say that? Did he remember? The way he looked back at me, one eyebrow raised, I knew he did. And this time, I was the one to look away.
Because I remembered. I remembered everything."
Don't you love it when the second book in a series is way better than the first? That is the case with It's Not Summer Without You. I enjoyed The Summer I Turned Pretty but sometimes founds the characters are little annoying. But in this installment of the series the characters have grown and the story seems a little deeper and more meaningful.
I love Han's writing. She really captures the emotions of being a teen and in love. I am sure we all remember how painful and confusing it is. And Han writes it perfectly so that it causes your heart to ache.
Belly's character is showing some maturity in this book. If you have read the first book you will know she was a little bit selfish. Sure she still makes mistakes but in this installment she starts to get a little wiser.
"That's when I finally got it. I finally understood. It wasn't the thought that counted. It was the actual execution that mattered, the showing up for somebody. The intent behind it wasn't enough. Not for me. Not anymore. It wasn't enough to know that deep down, he loved me. You had to actually say it to somebody, show them you cared. And he just didn't. Not enough."
Love triangles for me are either sooooooo bad or sooooo good. And surprisingly, considering it is two brothers (how more complicated could it get), it is good. Probably because I really love them both even though they are complete opposites.
Conrad is moody and sometimes selfish and is definitely unpredictable when it comes to his interactions with Belly. I love how in this book his character is very slowly unravelling and we are getting a glimmer of who he really is behind all that angst. And there is something about a flawed soul that I can't resist.
Jeremiah made me swoon. I mean how could anybody not adore this guy especially since in this book we got snippets of his POV allowing us to get know him on a deeper level. Seriously, he is the biggest sweetheart and the underdog when it comes to Belly's affection.
Overall, I loved It's Not Summer Without You.
Shout Out: I would like to say a big thank you to Nomes for reading this with me. It was an awesome experience. We read it over one night and check in every hour or so to discuss. We had so much fun dissecting the book and ended up typing over 3700 words through conversation on google docs about it. Okay so most of it was Jeremiah is making me swoon and Conrad is moosy....I mean moody (still laughing about your typos Nomes).
June 4, 2022
There was like nothing happening ??? It wasn’t bad or great it was just like …. is something going to happen?
May 31, 2022
My comfort series <3 This series reminds me of summer camp and family friends. The second book was super cute; definitely felt like a sequel, not super exciting, but had really nice moments. Even though she's annoying, sometimes Belly is the voice in my head, but it really bothers me how she keeps toying with Jeremiah's feelings. I mean, I understand her. It's never easy loving someone like Conrad, who gives and takes, someone unavailable. But still, she needs to make up her damn mind before she loses both of these dudes forever. Excited for the next book:)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2023
why im team jeremiah in the show and not the books
why im team jeremiah in the show:
- "equal opportunist"
- listens to hayley kiyoko
- ok but have u seen this man dance????!
- 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
why im not team jeremiah in the books:
- the third book
why im team jeremiah in the show:
- "equal opportunist"
- listens to hayley kiyoko
- ok but have u seen this man dance????!
- 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
why im not team jeremiah in the books:
- the third book
July 26, 2022
belly, there’s people that are dying
rtc
rtc
July 29, 2015
This didn't even feel like a real book. It was just a continuation of the last one which ended kinda abruptly, so this series is probably meant to be read back-to-back to make it seem like all one storyline. I definitely liked book one way more. In this there's just SO much angst and going back and forth and everyone's emotions were haywire. But I do love Belly. She's selfish and childish in a way that i'm sure some people hate, but to me, it's completely relatable. It's her flaw, and it makes her real to me. I'm definitely gonna be finishing the third book this summer, and i'm excited to see what these characters have in store for them, even if I wish the first book had somehow remained a standalone.
July 18, 2022
started out as team conrad but that mf was such a dick at most parts of the book that he has me rethinking at times
December 4, 2023
imma put this in my paper shredder which will be more entertaining than this
April 21, 2011
Wow, how to take a happy and hopeful ending, twist and turn it inside out until it becomes so sad that you don't really want to finish the story. That's what happened here and I didn't like it.
This story takes a long time to roll out, being quite a ways into it before it all stops being back story and you actually get to some action. The back and forth in this one didn't work as well as the first book and I didn't think the two person point of view added anything. Knowing Jeremiah's thoughts didn't add to my understanding of him. If we were going to have another viewpoint it should have been Conrad.
Belly, in this book, is, well, to put it bluntly, irritatingly childish. She is still pining over Conrad and yet, the first real chance she gets to lock lips with Jeremiah, she jumps right in, managing to hurt Conrad in the process, like somehow although she's known all along that he really loves her, being kissed by his brother, convinces her that she is suddenly over him. Again, I didn't like it. Does she really know Conrad and her own self so little? Is she that shallow? I'm left to wonder why either of these brothers are interested in her, other than we've been told that she grew some nice-sized boobs and is now quite the cutie.
And Jeremiah, whom I really liked in the first book, becomes far less likeable. He is smart enough to know Conrad isn't going to tell him the truth of what he feels, he doesn't tell anyone. Jeremiah knows it's not true when Conrad says it, but he chooses to believe the lie. Didn't like that from him and moving in on the girl you know your brother loves is. Not. Okay.
Jeremiah and Belly (hate this nickname, btw) seem very selfish to behave that way, particularly at the time they choose to make out. Not. Okay. Jeremiah's thought process seems to be that he wants to be the one chosen over his more accomplished and better at everything brother more than it's about him actually wanting Belly. Like he'll feel better about himself if he gets chosen instead.
Belly tells Conrad off the day of the mother's funeral, unable, she says, to stop herself. These two brothers have just lost their mother and are dealing with that grief, so Belly, maybe it shouldn't be all about you just this once. There seem to be so many instances in this book where Belly needs to stop herself from saying or doing something childish and then when Conrad calls her on being childish, well, she acts even more like a whiny baby.
I felt like I actually understood Conrad far less at the end of this book than I did at the end of the first one, Belly regressed a lot and Jeremiah wasn't the same person as the first book. If this guy went to five proms with five diffrerent dates, what possible reason would he have for then going after someone his brother cares for? What kind of person does this? With all the girls he could have, he wants the one he shouldn't have. He seems unfeeling of his brother who has always had a more difficult time dealing with things.
How truly stupid is Belly? When Conrad tells her he never cared about her, which she knows to be a lie and which happens right after she's been caught up close and personal with his brother, she chooses this time of all the times, to believe that's the truth and when he later tells her it wasn't true, she thinks to herself, aha, gotcha and then ignores his heartfelt words.
Did. Not. Like. Her.
I thought this story was about Conrad and Belly and how she was going to help him, the way his mother asked her to, the way she promised his dying mother that she would after his mother tells her how much Conrad loves her, not just another teenage love triangle with two fabulous boys enchanted by a girl not worthy of either of them. I'm tired of this particular overused plot, very unrealistic.
I read that this is actually the second in a trilogy. Not sure I'll sign on for the third one as this installment was very disappointing.
This story takes a long time to roll out, being quite a ways into it before it all stops being back story and you actually get to some action. The back and forth in this one didn't work as well as the first book and I didn't think the two person point of view added anything. Knowing Jeremiah's thoughts didn't add to my understanding of him. If we were going to have another viewpoint it should have been Conrad.
Belly, in this book, is, well, to put it bluntly, irritatingly childish. She is still pining over Conrad and yet, the first real chance she gets to lock lips with Jeremiah, she jumps right in, managing to hurt Conrad in the process, like somehow although she's known all along that he really loves her, being kissed by his brother, convinces her that she is suddenly over him. Again, I didn't like it. Does she really know Conrad and her own self so little? Is she that shallow? I'm left to wonder why either of these brothers are interested in her, other than we've been told that she grew some nice-sized boobs and is now quite the cutie.
And Jeremiah, whom I really liked in the first book, becomes far less likeable. He is smart enough to know Conrad isn't going to tell him the truth of what he feels, he doesn't tell anyone. Jeremiah knows it's not true when Conrad says it, but he chooses to believe the lie. Didn't like that from him and moving in on the girl you know your brother loves is. Not. Okay.
Jeremiah and Belly (hate this nickname, btw) seem very selfish to behave that way, particularly at the time they choose to make out. Not. Okay. Jeremiah's thought process seems to be that he wants to be the one chosen over his more accomplished and better at everything brother more than it's about him actually wanting Belly. Like he'll feel better about himself if he gets chosen instead.
Belly tells Conrad off the day of the mother's funeral, unable, she says, to stop herself. These two brothers have just lost their mother and are dealing with that grief, so Belly, maybe it shouldn't be all about you just this once. There seem to be so many instances in this book where Belly needs to stop herself from saying or doing something childish and then when Conrad calls her on being childish, well, she acts even more like a whiny baby.
I felt like I actually understood Conrad far less at the end of this book than I did at the end of the first one, Belly regressed a lot and Jeremiah wasn't the same person as the first book. If this guy went to five proms with five diffrerent dates, what possible reason would he have for then going after someone his brother cares for? What kind of person does this? With all the girls he could have, he wants the one he shouldn't have. He seems unfeeling of his brother who has always had a more difficult time dealing with things.
How truly stupid is Belly? When Conrad tells her he never cared about her, which she knows to be a lie and which happens right after she's been caught up close and personal with his brother, she chooses this time of all the times, to believe that's the truth and when he later tells her it wasn't true, she thinks to herself, aha, gotcha and then ignores his heartfelt words.
Did. Not. Like. Her.
I thought this story was about Conrad and Belly and how she was going to help him, the way his mother asked her to, the way she promised his dying mother that she would after his mother tells her how much Conrad loves her, not just another teenage love triangle with two fabulous boys enchanted by a girl not worthy of either of them. I'm tired of this particular overused plot, very unrealistic.
I read that this is actually the second in a trilogy. Not sure I'll sign on for the third one as this installment was very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2023
“How do you regret one of the best nights of your entire life? You don't. You remember every word, every look. Even when it hurts, you still remember.”
Yippee, I'm finally getting around to writing this 😭 I swear, I've been trying to write a review for the past few days because I have SO many reviews I need to catch up on but I just haven't been able to push myself to do so.
And I read this book a while ago, but I REFUSE to reread this dumpster fire of a series just to write a review, so I apologize for that 🤩
Anyways, I only rated this a 0.5 star higher than the first book was because apparently Belly was "slightly better" in this book, so I'm just gonna believe my past self and say that THAT is the reason.
✩✩
So in terms of the plot, this book actually had a semblance of a plot unlike the first one, so it was a little better. I'll also add in, I got intentionally spoiled for this whole series, so I knew how this book started, but I didn't think that it would be SO blunt like I couldn't even cry (not that I would have because there was no way that the writing could possibly move me to tears after loathing the first book)
Also, regarding the prom scene, I was honestly so let down. Everyone on TikTok was saying "oh no I'm so scared to see the prom scene in season 2 of the show" so that was the ONE thing I was looking forward to, but I didn't even realize that it was happening until it was over, and I had to flip back to reread it. I guess I just didn't care about the characters at all to even realize what was going on.
Now this is just me being a hater, but I didn't like that Jeremiah was so present in this. Like he and Belly were together the entire time and I hate both of them so I kinda wanted them to disappear, which makes no sense but that's alright.
✩✩
In my little description thing down there that I wrote after finishing the book I stated: "Belly's a brat, Jeremiah's annoying, and Conrad's amazing." Now I do standby those statements, EXCEPT for the last one. Conrad is not amazing. None of these characters are amazing. They all suck.
But anyways, Belly the Brat is as annoying as ever, and while I don't remember, my past self says that she was less annoying in this book than in the first one, so that's a plus. I just absolutely hate how much she plays with the brothers' feelings, like girl, please, just choose one and go, neither of them are even good choices, grab Cam Cameron and LEAVE. Actually, leave Cam out of this, he deserves the world.
Connie Baby is alright, but incredibly moody if I remember correctly. I mean sure, he has the right considering the CIRCUMSTANCES that this book revolves around, but I am picky and moodiness annoys me, even though I am the embodiment of moodiness. Though I don't understand why he would (sorry, I say this about Belly a lot), you can tell that Connie cares about Belly a lot, and I like that he has that capability (except for that one scene I referred to about my disappointment)
Jere Bear Jeremy is insufferable as always, like the whiny human he is. He has such bad jealousy issues around Belly, as if he owns her and no other man can go near her. He slanders Conrad so hard, even though Conrad is just being silent and moody. LET PEOPLE BROOD, TALKING SHIT ABOUT THEM WON'T HELP THEM AT ALL. I get that they're going through the same thing in different ways, but PLEASE do it in a healthier way than being mean to others.
I don't even remember any other characters in this book so that's all for this sections, folks.
✩✩
The romance was dead, love triangles are criminal, Belly is a player, Jeremiah's the rebound, and Conrad is the ex-lover that she totally doesn't wanna get back together with.
Perfect description if you ask me, not gonna lie.
✩✩
Overall, this book sucks, as does the next one, but I adore writing rants so this was very refreshing after having taken a long break from writing good reviews 😌
2 stars
“And no matter what you do or how hard you try, you can’t stop yourself from dreaming.”
<><><><><><><><>
i didn't expect much from this so i'm not even disappointed. Belly's a brat, Jeremiah's annoying, and Conrad's amazing
rtc (2 stars- only because i like Belly SLIGHTLY more in this one than in the first one)
Yippee, I'm finally getting around to writing this 😭 I swear, I've been trying to write a review for the past few days because I have SO many reviews I need to catch up on but I just haven't been able to push myself to do so.
And I read this book a while ago, but I REFUSE to reread this dumpster fire of a series just to write a review, so I apologize for that 🤩
Anyways, I only rated this a 0.5 star higher than the first book was because apparently Belly was "slightly better" in this book, so I'm just gonna believe my past self and say that THAT is the reason.
✩✩
So in terms of the plot, this book actually had a semblance of a plot unlike the first one, so it was a little better. I'll also add in, I got intentionally spoiled for this whole series, so I knew how this book started, but I didn't think that it would be SO blunt like I couldn't even cry (not that I would have because there was no way that the writing could possibly move me to tears after loathing the first book)
Also, regarding the prom scene, I was honestly so let down. Everyone on TikTok was saying "oh no I'm so scared to see the prom scene in season 2 of the show" so that was the ONE thing I was looking forward to, but I didn't even realize that it was happening until it was over, and I had to flip back to reread it. I guess I just didn't care about the characters at all to even realize what was going on.
Now this is just me being a hater, but I didn't like that Jeremiah was so present in this. Like he and Belly were together the entire time and I hate both of them so I kinda wanted them to disappear, which makes no sense but that's alright.
✩✩
In my little description thing down there that I wrote after finishing the book I stated: "Belly's a brat, Jeremiah's annoying, and Conrad's amazing." Now I do standby those statements, EXCEPT for the last one. Conrad is not amazing. None of these characters are amazing. They all suck.
But anyways, Belly the Brat is as annoying as ever, and while I don't remember, my past self says that she was less annoying in this book than in the first one, so that's a plus. I just absolutely hate how much she plays with the brothers' feelings, like girl, please, just choose one and go, neither of them are even good choices, grab Cam Cameron and LEAVE. Actually, leave Cam out of this, he deserves the world.
Connie Baby is alright, but incredibly moody if I remember correctly. I mean sure, he has the right considering the CIRCUMSTANCES that this book revolves around, but I am picky and moodiness annoys me, even though I am the embodiment of moodiness. Though I don't understand why he would (sorry, I say this about Belly a lot), you can tell that Connie cares about Belly a lot, and I like that he has that capability (except for that one scene I referred to about my disappointment)
Jere Bear Jeremy is insufferable as always, like the whiny human he is. He has such bad jealousy issues around Belly, as if he owns her and no other man can go near her. He slanders Conrad so hard, even though Conrad is just being silent and moody. LET PEOPLE BROOD, TALKING SHIT ABOUT THEM WON'T HELP THEM AT ALL. I get that they're going through the same thing in different ways, but PLEASE do it in a healthier way than being mean to others.
I don't even remember any other characters in this book so that's all for this sections, folks.
✩✩
The romance was dead, love triangles are criminal, Belly is a player, Jeremiah's the rebound, and Conrad is the ex-lover that she totally doesn't wanna get back together with.
Perfect description if you ask me, not gonna lie.
✩✩
Overall, this book sucks, as does the next one, but I adore writing rants so this was very refreshing after having taken a long break from writing good reviews 😌
2 stars
“And no matter what you do or how hard you try, you can’t stop yourself from dreaming.”
<><><><><><><><>
i didn't expect much from this so i'm not even disappointed. Belly's a brat, Jeremiah's annoying, and Conrad's amazing
rtc (2 stars- only because i like Belly SLIGHTLY more in this one than in the first one)
April 29, 2014
It is a known fact that I did not care for the first book. I wasn't able to connect with Belly. The way she would string along all the guys in her life irritated me beyond belief. Not only that but she came across as self centered and childish. I don't think she changed much from the first book.
This book finds Belly and Jeremiah in search for Conrad. Their search leads them to Cousins Beach. When they find Conrad everyone has decisions to make that will forever change them.
While writing that short summary I realized that not much has happened in this book.
Belly's relationship with Conrad is not perfect. He is flawed in many ways, but I felt like Belly doesn't want to accept that. She refuses to see how Conrad is not the "perfect" guy and that he is struggling with the death of his mother, the potential loss of their beach house, and anger at his father. Most girlfriends or even friends would want to help or at least stand by their friend through these tough times, not Belly. She wants Conrad's entire focus.
I felt like as I read this Belly would be jumping in a corner yelling, "look at me, look at me!"
I have a major problem with Belly jumping from one brother to the next. Yeah, both boys have feelings for Belly, but who asks their brother if they are done with a girl so they can have them??? I struggle with that. Maybe it's the fact that I grew up with 2 brothers as good friends and I can't see dating both, or even one for that matter.
It just feels wrong... like you are forever driving a wedge between family members, forever destroying that bond.
The thing that irritates me beyond belief is Belly. She is 17, but I felt as though I was listening to a 13 year old tell her story. Where was the growth from the last book???
Why hasn't she matured??
The storyline was lacking. Looking back nothing happened. There was a party, a fight, a few flash backs, a smaller fight and that was it. I was looking for more.. more meat.. something... anything.
I will find myself reading the final installment because some sick part of me needs to know who Belly ends up with and in what manner. Is she going to destroy Conrad or Jeremiah on her journey for the perfect boyfriend?? I wish I were continuing to read because it was good story, but I can't say that.
This book finds Belly and Jeremiah in search for Conrad. Their search leads them to Cousins Beach. When they find Conrad everyone has decisions to make that will forever change them.
While writing that short summary I realized that not much has happened in this book.
Belly's relationship with Conrad is not perfect. He is flawed in many ways, but I felt like Belly doesn't want to accept that. She refuses to see how Conrad is not the "perfect" guy and that he is struggling with the death of his mother, the potential loss of their beach house, and anger at his father. Most girlfriends or even friends would want to help or at least stand by their friend through these tough times, not Belly. She wants Conrad's entire focus.
I felt like as I read this Belly would be jumping in a corner yelling, "look at me, look at me!"
I have a major problem with Belly jumping from one brother to the next. Yeah, both boys have feelings for Belly, but who asks their brother if they are done with a girl so they can have them??? I struggle with that. Maybe it's the fact that I grew up with 2 brothers as good friends and I can't see dating both, or even one for that matter.
It just feels wrong... like you are forever driving a wedge between family members, forever destroying that bond.
The thing that irritates me beyond belief is Belly. She is 17, but I felt as though I was listening to a 13 year old tell her story. Where was the growth from the last book???
Why hasn't she matured??
The storyline was lacking. Looking back nothing happened. There was a party, a fight, a few flash backs, a smaller fight and that was it. I was looking for more.. more meat.. something... anything.
I will find myself reading the final installment because some sick part of me needs to know who Belly ends up with and in what manner. Is she going to destroy Conrad or Jeremiah on her journey for the perfect boyfriend?? I wish I were continuing to read because it was good story, but I can't say that.
June 2, 2017
i think i liked this one more than the first, but it's so hard to say. i can't stand belly and conrad most of all, but none of the decisions in these books make sense to me. i thought belly really was a terrible friend to taylor, but apparently taylor was the only bad one? and conrad had huge expectations and gave literally nothing, but belly was still obsessed w him. i liked jeremiah kind of, but it seems like the only reason the boys like belly is bc she's pretty. (but it's not like she has any redeeming qualities or defining traits anyway.) i liked susannah but she's not a part of this. anyway. i'll probably read the third book bc they take like an hour to read but i don't own it so i won't now. it's hard to believe this is the same author as to all the boys i've loved before.
August 20, 2023
Second-hand embarrassment is not enough as a feeling to describe what I've been through reading this book.
Belly, just because you failed with one brother that doesn't mean you can try the other. Some self respect, girl!
Adam Fisher - a barely mentioned character in the first book - is the villain here, but Jeremiah comes straight second, the fool that still believes his father is a good man. What else should he do to prove is an asshole, punch you in the face?!
What is even the point of his character, besides pissing me off? I could talk for days about all the wrong things he said about his own brother, about the girl that he doesn't love, about the whole I'm-finally-daddy’s-favourite whiny complaining.
Do you remember Jacob Black? Well, he at least liked the girl he was ruining the life.
Moving forwards, Taylor is even a worst friend than before, Steven is non-existing and we finally see the Laurel Susannah has always known. So things actually got better.
And then worse.
But also better.
And also so much worse.
One thing that got just better is the writing. I don't know if it's because Belly is one year older or if Janny Han re-read her book and was like “What have I written?”, but this time it was a slightly nicer reading.
↠ 3 stars
Belly, just because you failed with one brother that doesn't mean you can try the other. Some self respect, girl!
Adam Fisher - a barely mentioned character in the first book - is the villain here, but Jeremiah comes straight second, the fool that still believes his father is a good man. What else should he do to prove is an asshole, punch you in the face?!
What is even the point of his character, besides pissing me off? I could talk for days about all the wrong things he said about his own brother, about the girl that he doesn't love, about the whole I'm-finally-daddy’s-favourite whiny complaining.
Do you remember Jacob Black? Well, he at least liked the girl he was ruining the life.
Moving forwards, Taylor is even a worst friend than before, Steven is non-existing and we finally see the Laurel Susannah has always known. So things actually got better.
And then worse.
But also better.
And also so much worse.
One thing that got just better is the writing. I don't know if it's because Belly is one year older or if Janny Han re-read her book and was like “What have I written?”, but this time it was a slightly nicer reading.
↠ 3 stars
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