Under a Million Stars by Rita Branches Genre: YA Contemporary Romance Publication Date: August 8, 2016 Format: I received a copy from the author via YA Bookbound Tours in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Million-Stars-Rita-Branches-ebook/dp/B01IKSXQ0E Summary: Can a beating heart bleed from the shattered pieces? Her heart cracked when her best friend walked away; it completely shattered when she lost her family in a tragic accident. Now orphaned at seventeen, Charlotte Peterson is forced to live with her former best friend, Jacob Parker. Charlie, a talented pianist, desperately wants their loving friendship back, but something is holding Jake back. The more she spirals into the darkness of depression, the more she needs him. Jacob vowed to stay away from her—no matter how much he still loved her. Armed with secrets that would have destroyed both of their families, he chose to end their friendship and walk away, which nearly killed him. As he watches the girl he once knew begin to fade away, however, he realizes that their relationship is more important than the truth he's hiding. Now it's up to Jacob to put the pieces of Charlie's broken heart back together—even if it means revealing the secrets he so desperately wants to protect her from. Will Jacob find a way to bring back the carefree, talented girl he once knew, or is it too late for both of them? My Thoughts: After a car accident kills her parents and her little brother Jamie, it leaves Charlotte, a 17 year old music genius, planning on pursuing a career in music orphaned. She is left to stay with her Best friend Kylie’s house for alittle while, before moving in with her godparents, the people of the person she never thought she would talk to again, Jacob, much less live under the same roof. But between having their own burdens weighing them down, they break down the barriers between them and find their way back together again, creating a lasting future for themselves. I love Jacob and Charlotte’s relationship. They can confide in each other, and their background together gives their relationship an advantage to begin with. I love how they are able to bring each other back to the things that they loved before the big split that drove themselves apart. I really liked the start of the book. It shows how much you can lose doing something you love. The book really captured the essence of heartbreak, and coping after a tragic event. It also captured how much friendships can last, relationships, both between couples and between friends can stay together and fall apart. The book also shows how much can change, just within an hour. There were a couple things that I didn’t like as much. We didn’t get to see much of Charlotte’s piano teacher after the first incident until the end. Also we didn’t get to see much of Kylie’s family, even though they were the ones who put up with her right after the accident. I liked how certain things were left untold, and slowly unfolded as the story went on. It just seemed natural for these things to get revealed at the times that they did. I don’t want to reveal too much so I’m going to leave it at that. The parts talking about Jamie were the ones that made me cry the most. I’m talking serious tears. Just thinking about everything that he missed in life because of the accident is just so sad. The tribute to him in the end with Charlotte and Jacob’s firstborn was so sweet. Mentioning the ending, I absolutely loved the epilogue. I only wanted it to be longer. After that, I sat there crying for 10 minute straight, honest. This story reminds me vaguely of Boy Meets World, and Cory and Topanga, the couple everyone wants to be. Growing up together since they were born (more or less) they’ve known each other and had their future planned out since then. Things happen and they end up together, forever and always. I really want to see a story written about Kylie and Matt as they are the main character’s best friends. I think they would make for an interesting story, given what their best friends are going through at the moment. Like seriously, if this book is written, I swear I’m going to pick it up and read it within like a day. So Rita, if you’re reading this, just know I’m waiting for this to happen *fingers crosses* I actually didn’t like the cover that much. It reminded me of the usual fantasy book covers, and I think a picture of a rustic house on the lake or something like that would be much more fitting. I get what the cover is going after, with a more literal representation of Charlotte’s life being turned upside down, but I think it wasn’t that great of an idea. Overall, I give the book a 9/10 (5/5 stars). I really enjoyed the book and really hit me deep in my heart. I recommend the book to fans of John Green, which is saying a lot about the book. If you usually, don’t like contemporary romance books, I say give this one a try and you might just like it. I’ve noticed that i write a lot more for reviews for the books that I enjoy a lot, just because I want to share everything that I liked about it. SO with that said, if you also read the book, you should talk to me about it on social media: @BrookeEvans2001 on Twitter and @thecozylittlebooknook on Instagram. Don’t forget to check back regularly or follow me on social media or via email so you never miss another post! I’ll be back soon with another post! ~Brooke
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About me!Brooke's a high schooler who loves to read all sorts of books. She's happy to be able to share all the books she's reading with all of y'all. Archives
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