ARC Review: The Romantics

About the book:

Title: The Romantics

Author: Leah Konen

Genre & Age Group: Contemporary, romance, young adult

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Lauren Myracle and Rainbow Rowell, The Romantics will charm readers of all ages. Gael Brennan is about to have his heart broken when his first big relationship crumbles on the heels of his parents’ painful separation. Love intervenes with the intention of setting things right—but she doesn’t anticipate the intrusion of her dreaded nemesis: the Rebound. Love’s plans for Gael are sidetracked by Cara, Gael’s hot-sauce-wielding “dream girl.” The more Love meddles, the further Gael drifts from the one girl who can help him mend his heart. Soon Love starts breaking all her own rules—and in order to set Gael’s fate back on course, she has to make some tough decisions about what it means to truly care.

Source: Thank you so much to ABRAMS Kids (Amulet Books) for providing me with an e-ARC via Netgalley!

How I Found Out About It: Netgalley

Review:

What an adorable and unique romance read! I really enjoyed this one, as all of its voices really rung true and it was unlike anything I’ve ever read.

First, I really want to point out this book’s unique point-of-view. It is not third-person, nor is it narrated by its protagonist. It’s not dual-POV, either. Stumped? Well, the narrator is the emotion of love itself! Isn’t that cool? I felt like it was explained very well in the book how love comes mostly to those who wait, and for those people who are the least expected. It makes the feeling of love feel like a person with lots of power, like a monarch, which I don’t think many people have thought of before! I would like to applaud the author for her talent in this area of the book!

Now for the synopsis! Basically, the book focuses on a teenage boy named Gael, who is in quite a sticky love situation. His girlfriend has just broken up with him and she then starts to date his best friend, and then Gael experiences The Rebound, which means that he still misses his ex-girlfriend and isn’t over her yet, even though he may be starting to see other people like a girl named Cara, whom he is not really sure about his feelings for. Will Love have to cross some boundaries to make Gael’s love life work again? (Sorry if my explanation is a little bit weak, it is just kind of hard to summarize this book!)

I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book; as they were very relatable and just seemingly agreeable people. Gael seemed to be an intelligent and loyal friend, and I really rooted for him throughout the story. He seemed to care a lot about others’ feelings, and even though he always knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to go for it, he still considered how others would feel if he followed through with his plans. He also had the most adorable little sister, Piper! She wasn’t really a big part of the story, but she was still really sweet, cute and fun to read about. Cara was also a very nice girl who really cared about Gael and his feelings. Even though she had just broken up with another guy and wanted to wait for at least a month before potentially dating Gael, I felt like she was a wonderful person, and would be if I met her in real life. Good things are worth waiting for, right?

Overall, I found this to be a really good, coming-of-age novel covering everything from family ties and friendships to romance, all from a unique perspective. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted, memorable young adult romance read, because you will love this when it releases on October 1st!

Rating: 4/5 Stars!

*I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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