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Review

AMAZING! 5 stars!

I adored this book! A beautifully written, feel good romance that touched my heart and made me feel SO much, Shay Savage has done a fantastic job telling this story. The characters are incredible and unforgettable – I revelled in their triumphs, my heart ached at their struggles and I fell in love right alongside them. I was absolutely captivated by their story and finished this book hugging my kindle with a huge grin on my face. I loved it.

The story is written entirely from the hero’s POV and I absolutely fell in love with Matthew Rohan – an 18 year old high school senior who has recently and tragically lost both of this parents and who is living alone, but with the support of a loving uncle and aunt. Matthew suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, anxiety and mild OCD. He knows that he is different, he understands his issues and triggers, and he gets by the best he can to keep himself functioning and moving forward in his life.

My dad had always said life was full of ups and downs. “Son, you win some days; you lose others. That’s just how it works.”

Matthew is charmingly sensible, smart and practical, and though he has issues interpreting others’ behaviour and functioning outside of his usual routines, he feels deeply and he engages with his very close circle of trusted family and friends. When he is assigned to work with popular girl Mayra Trevino for a school project, it throws his carefully ordered world into chaos, but Mayra treats him differently from others. She is sweet and caring and seems to want to spend time with and understand him, and Matthew soon finds himself on a journey of discovery as a girl enters his life for the first time – and OMG what a sweet, funny, eye-opening ride it is!

Shit, shit, shit.
I became increasingly aware that I was in a vintage vehicle with the beautiful and popular Mayra Trevino, and I was about as ill-prepared to talk to her as I was to give her a gynecological exam.
In addition, I needed to learn when to shut the fuck up, even when I was only talking to myself. The images of Mayra getting a pap smear that suddenly filled my head nearly caused me to open the door and fling myself onto the pavement.

I love the humour that Shay Savage puts into this story. Matthew’s condition is a difficult one, and because of it he is subject to cruelty and misunderstanding and my heart broke watching him suffer at the hands of others, and himself, as he battled his condition. Mayra coming into his life allows us to see all of the different facets of Matthew as he fights to adjust to this new presence in his life, and to everything that she is coming to mean to him.

“She makes me feel normal. She makes me feel like maybe I can have what other people have.”

And Mayra is just amazing. Kind, sweet and caring, she is so patient with Matthew, trying hard to understand him and relate to him in a way that works for him but also allows her to be who she is, while encouraging him to explore what’s happening between them. And in a story that is entirely Matthew’s, she absolutely shines!

“I want to be with you,” Mayra said quietly, and I glanced up at her, wondering if she could read my mind. “Anyone who gives you a chance would know why I’m with you.”

The slowly developing romance between Matthew and Mayra is sweet, funny, realistic and absolutely beautiful! Matthew’s practical exploration of all of those new experiences had me laughing out loud…

I was completely torn— I wanted to keep touching them, but I also wanted to see them at the same time.
They were just so soft!
I ran my thumbs over the tops of them and then moved my hands lower so I could see and touch and squeeze them at the same time. Her nipples constricted and seemed to stand up, just like the book said they would!

But more than that, the emotional connection between Matthew and Mayra is wonderfully explored, and I fell in love right along with them.

“You… you’re… you’re everything to me. Everything good in my life is about you. You make me want to try harder and do things I never would have considered before, and I know even if I fail, you’ll still be there to help me get back up afterwards.”

The story follows Matthew through curiosity, infatuation, lust and first love. The romance is heart-warming and strong enough to carry the book, but there are additional aspects to the story which add further depth and intensity, and I loved the way it all worked together to create an amazing read, full of emotion and drama yet still light and funny. And the writing is so beautiful it makes reading this book a wonderful experience, and I felt everything, relishing each moment and getting swept up in this sensational story.

“I love you so much,” I told her. “I want everything to be perfect, and I don’t even know what perfect looks like.”
… “Perfect looks like you and me together.”

I absolutely loved it! A definitely favourite for 2016, Matthew and Mayra’s story is one that will stay with me for a long time.

5 amazing stars.