Nantucket Blue
by Leila Howland
Published: 5.6.13
Pages: 304

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams. Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer. But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

Cricket is a strong character, who, though she's been torn from the things that she holds most dear, comes out strong and is determined to be an adult and prove to others, and to herself that she can move on.
Watching her go through that first part of struggling to get a grasp on herself and come to terms with it, was wonderful. It was one of the places where I felt the most connection to her. That's what one of the most likable things about her. She gets hurt, whether from others or her own choices and she feels human when she's feeling that hurt. Not to mention, when she's not deep down in emotions, she's got a brain, wit and an heart. Overall, Cricket isn't hard to connect with and a sweet character.

Hmm. The romance is obviously a part of this book, so I should probably talk about it. *insert Code name* is our love interest and he's pretty fun. He's got a snarky humor that pops out quite a bit and make you love him. Nope, sorry. Not telling you who it is. You gotta figure that out yourself. What? This is a tour. I'm advertising.  Anyway. He's actually a wonderful contrast to Cricket's character, that it's easy to see how they fit together and work as a couple. There is a bit of a slight aspect of insta-love though. Not overly BAM. I LOVE YOU, but it was there. I wouldn't worry about it though. It's easily overlooked. So thumbs up for the romantic interest.

The romance got a little intense at a few parts, and since I'm not one to talk or discuss steam much, I'll leave it up to decide for yourself what you think. However, there was ONE scene that I was freaking out over. Why? BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THE SCENE FROM TANGLED. Who does want to be on a boat in the water about to be kissed by a hot guy as lights of whatever kind are around you?! It was kinda adorable.
Jules is obviously that best friend who turns upside down and leaves our little bug in the dust. It makes sense why and you can see that she's in pain, but as the book moves on, I really wish we would have gotten a better look at Jules, and better explanation at why she just turned off light on Cricket. There are a few scenes where you get this sense that Jules is sorry, or whatever, but that's like it. Jules is still pretty nasty after that, and you're just left there as if a door was slammed in your face and the sound is still ringing in your ears. Um hello? I'm still waiting for an explanation. You can't keep throwing a pity party down on me.

But either way, The characters are well crafted. I love Gavin. That's all I'm gonna say though .He's pretty legit. This book has a very emotional appeal to it. It deals with some relatable issues in all areas of a teen life, and if you are looking for a beachy read, I highly suggest this. While it had a few flaws to me, I enjoyed it.

Content: Moderate-Heavy
[Language throughout including F & S words. Plenty of Innuendo. A boy and girl go skinny dipping together. Kissing. Implied sex.]

LEILA HOWLAND loves to read, explore L.A., and engage in funny and meaningful conversations with her friends and family, especially her brother who calls from Washington D.C. whenever he’s waiting for the bus. A lot gets discussed in those phone calls, but they tend to end abruptly when the bus shows up. She can really cut the rug, but wishes she could sing without people covering their ears. A graduate of Georgetown University, Leila spent five years acting in New York where she was a company member of the award-winning Flea Theater in Tribeca. It was a lot of fun and she often talks about “getting back into it.” The closest she has come was a stint as an extra on The Young and the Restless in 2010. Leila now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two dogs. She teaches high school English and blogs for HelloGiggles. NANTUCKET BLUE is her first novel.

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