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Review

5 “totally bitchin’!” stars!

This book was like wicked awesome! I like loved it! Melt With You is such a fun read. Set in 1984, we see all the fads of that time and it was hilarious! Big hair, leg warmers, wild makeup, and rubberband bracelets all make an appearance. The scrunchies, yellow Sony Walkmans, Trapper Keepers, and mix tapes were reminiscent of my childhood. I felt like the characters were believable and I enjoyed every bit of this story.

Melissa Malinowski is a bit awkward, a bit geeky, and so relatable. She is entering her junior year of high school and this year should be a good one. After years of trying, she has finally made the cheer squad and feels like she is on her way to fitting in. Unfortunately, everything changes the last day of summer break when she is hit by a truck driven by Joel Effing Miller.

“[He] is a god among men, a deity on this and any other football field and rightly so.”

“[He] is the perfect package. There’s simply no denying it.”

Joel, the star quarterback in high school, is sweet, smart, gorgeous, and an all around great guy. He has a big heart that we see from the beginning. After the accident, he wants to help Melissa with everything. Even when his girlfriend, Kelly, doesn’t want him to, we see him sticking up for this girl he hardly even knows. Though his friends don’t understand it, he wants to right this wrong.

Joel is constantly trying to fix things for me, to reassure me, to take care of me in the sweetest way possible. I’ve never had that before, but it feels amazing.

Melissa has had a crush on Joel for a while but knows nothing will happen because they are from different sides of the tracks and she’s always been invisible to him. However, as Joel starts spending time with her, he discovers there is so much more to Melissa. She is not only beautiful, but is smart and has a great sense of humor. They have things in common and have fun hanging out and listening to music. We see a sweet relationship form between Joel and Melissa and the excitement of young love.

“We kissed.” I fall back onto my bed and pull a pillow over my face. The word kiss sounds far too simplistic to describe what happened last night. It was something more, something intense, electric, spiritual even. It felt as though Joel Miller had grafted his heart over mine, and that kiss was simply a way of stitching our souls together. That kiss felt like more of an I love you than words could ever be.

Then there is Kelly Masterson. She is the quintessential mean girl. You do not want to mess with her. She rules the school and thinks she has control over everything, including her boyfriend.

“You belong to me. Don’t you ever forget it.”

Kelly cuts people down and says horrible things. She has made Melissa’s life hell in the past and she’s ready to continue the antics.

This book was a sweet romance with just a bit of angst. You sort of know what is going to happen but it was still so entertaining. It’s a light read that will have you giggling like you are back in high school and smiling at how great Joel and Melissa are for each other.

Sometimes in life, you find exactly what you’re looking for when you least expect it, and I think Mel and I are living proof of that.
We’re proof of every good thing.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

A Totally ’80s Romance series