The Summer of No Regrets + Giveaway

  Whether we like it or not, celebrity watch has become part of our lives. TV shows, magazines, brand endorsements can be found virtually everywhere. At times we watch people reach fame and admire them from a high pedestal. We can't help but watch (maybe even gleefully) them fall, crash, and burn. How do we easily forget that celebs are humans just like us? What would happen if we were to fall in love with one of them and not know of their celebrity status? These are the questions that are explored in The Summer of No Regrets, Katherine Grace Bond's latest release.

Description (from Goodreads): The day Brigitta accidentally flings herself into the lap of a guy she's never met, her friend Natalie is convinced he's Trent Yves, egotistical heartthrob-in-hiding. When the boy, who calls himself Luke, is nearly eaten by a cougar, Brigitta finds herself saving his life, being swept into his spectacular embrace and wondering if she wants Natalie's fantasy to be true.
  As the two spend the summer together raising orphaned cougar cubs, Brigitta still can't be sure of his true identity. But then again, since her grandparents' death, her father's sudden urge to give away all their possessions and become a shaman, and her own awkward transition from girlhood into a young woman, she isn't sure of anything. What is the truth? More importantly, can she accept it?

Review: The Summer of No Regrets is a breezy, enjoyable summer read. Though the book seems to be steeped into fantasy more than realistic fiction, it was a fun story with some interesting characters. Readers searching something with a little more depth may be disappointed in the book.
   Brigitta is a likable heroine. She is not of those girls who feel she isn't pretty or special, but actually turns out to be very beautiful or popular beyond belief to everyone except her. Brigitta is painfully shy and socially awkward girl. She has been home schooled by her counterculture parents and isn't up to speed with the current pop culture most of the time. She has little to no friends due to her 'strange' hobbies. Though Brigitta is completely oblivious most of the time to the events around her, I did like that she was more concerned of serious issues such as exploring spirituality and animal rights. Her guilty pleasure of reading tabloids and celebrity magazines was cute. Brigitta's naivety allowed her to get swept away by Luke really quickly, but I think that is what drew Luke to her. 
  Unlike the homely Brigitta, Luke is your mysterious, brooding romantic love interest. For a romance novel, I was actually surprised how little he spoke and was present in the book. Despite his drop dead good looks, he was sweet, kind, and didn't have any malicious intentions towards Brigitta. Though the book focused on whether or not Luke was the famed, bad boy heartthrob actor, I was actually interested in seeing him as a person. I wished the author spent more time describing Luke 'the person' instead of Luke the 'possible actor in disguise'. 
  The book is a quick read and can be finished in a day. I really liked Brigitta's blog posts about spirituality and the questions surrounding how celebrity obsessed we can be. Though religion is a big theme in the book, I didn't find it preachy but enlightening as Brigitta is trying to find the right faith for her. There was a bit of a superfluous subplot about the cougar cubs in the book which kind of derailed the story and in my opinion, really didn't add much to the plot or the characters, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. I'd definitely would recommend this book especially if you liked the movie Notting Hill.  

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and crude humor. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

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