Review: When We Were Us

When We Were Us by Tawdra Kandle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow - this book really put me through hell and back. This was teen angst at its finest and it brought back all the horrible and magical times along with it. This is the start of a new set of books, so please don't hope for happily ever after at the end of this one.

Nate, Leo, and Quinn have been friends forever. Their friendship began because of the friendship their parents have but it definitely grew into something genuine between them all. Nate was born prematurely and suffers from a lifetime of health issues because of it. Luckily, he has Quinn as his champion, being the motherly type who stands up for him every chance she has. Leo is the sporty one who ultimately ends up on the football team. He might be the one most impacted by high school peer pressure to fit in. Quinn is the "nerd" of the group, heading towards the school newspaper for her high school career. All three of them somehow manage to hold onto their friendship without major issues, until hormones get in the way.

As usual, high school messes everything up. Quinn is secretly in love with Leo. Leo is banging every girl he can to avoid Quinn. Nate, being the blunt one, is open about his love for Quinn, but it looks like that romance is never meant to happen. Through the ups and downs, he might be the one who gets hurt the most, whether its intentional or not. This crew certainly knows how to generate drama.

Without giving away any big plot points or surprises, you can expect a rollercoaster of a read. Just when things start looking up for this trio, fate comes and punches them in the face with something horrible. Some things just really hurt to read. While this book isn't for someone looking for a standalone romance, it is definitely ramping up to reward us by the end of the series (I hope). All of this strife should give a more rewarding ending.

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