If you are looking a for an adorable YA novel that is also one of the best coming of age and rom-com stories that I have read in a while this is your book.

I haven’t read an YA book in a while but I’m glad that I did. I had moved away from the genre for a while since I felt that I needed to read more “adult” books. Well when I see a story that has the words Happily Ever After or can be sold as a Cinderella-esque story I’m there.

Tessa’s story is one that I think that anyone can relate too. A young girl at the turning point of her life, staring over in a new place trying to find her place. We have all been there. I can remember that was me when I went off to college. I felt that I finally had a chance to set the restart button and be someone new. Tessa was hoping that that same thing. A new start where veryone dodn’t know her family and she could remake herself. I cna remember times in my life where I felt like Tessa did, where I just wanted to disappear into what I was good at and leave the world behind.

As the book moves forward we see Tessa start to deal with what every teenager deals with, how do I stay true to myself and fit in with the cool kids. In someways I’m glad I was friends with everyone in high school and didn’t have that problem, becuase I’m not sure that my story in high school would have ended up much differently than Tessa. Losing yourself and the direction that you want to take is something that is very unavoidable, and while I never experienced it to the depths that Tessa did I can think of a few instances that matched her story.

At the end of the day though, I was so proud of what Tessa became and how she handled herself. I know it is a story but it teaches us a lot about falling down and getting back up. Sometimes I honestly feel like I haven’t learned that lesson yet. Watching Tessa use a very horrible situation and turn it into a moment where she reclaims her indentity, honestly brought tears to my eyes. It made me want to have a moment where I could do that for myself now as an adult (but not under the same circumstances).

Rating for this book, 5 stars. I love a feel good story where everyone gets their happily ever after. I’m eagerly awaitng the rest of the books in the series.