The time I reviewed a book {12}

When I saw the blog tour sign up for The Natural History of Us by Rachel Harris, I immediately signed up.  Even though reviews aren’t my bag, baby.

Before we get to the excerpt and my attempt at a proper review, let’s check out the book!

One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who’s forever owned his heart.

Justin Carter has a secret. He’s not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy…and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she’d ever forgive him.

Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she’s done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she’ll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first.

For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate’s given him a shot at redemption, he’s determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton…well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.

Sounds good, right?

**Thanks to my pretty prancy PA AKA Christina from The Book Hookup for letting me steal borrow her review format**

Rating and First Reaction:

5 stars. I’ve loved all of Rachel’s books, so I knew that I would enjoy this one.  There were a few things I didn’t see coming and I really enjoyed the way everything was revealed.

MCs:

Peyton: Pre-break up Peyton was my favorite.  She’s sassy and wants to try all of the new things.  Her personal motto is “do what scares you” and I thought that was amazing.  Post-breakup Peyton was definitely different. She’s skittish and doesn’t trust herself and that was sort of heartbreaking to read.

Justin: Pre-break up Justin was sort of an ass. He was really concerned with his reputation and while he knew Peyton deserved more, he didn’t try to change.  Post-break up Justin is adorable.  He knows what he did was wrong {hindsight is always 20/20} and is on a mission to fix it.

Their relationship comes across as really intense and I kept forgetting that they were only 15 years old when they first met.

Secondary Characters:  I loved seeing Gabi and Carlos and Aly and Brandon again.  And Faith especially.  They’re just as awesome and fun as they were the first time around.  There is a new boy, Cade, but I’ll let you find him on your own.

Plot & Pacing:

It took me a bit to settle into the dual POV in two different time periods.  I rarely retain the information at the start of a chapter and this book had the person, the location, the date, and {on the chapters in the past} the countdown to The Incident. I found that to be more distracting than anything and eventually started to ignore it.

Once I found a rhythm, I really liked getting to see how everything built up to their break up while simultaneously seeing them try to figure things out in the real time. Not only that, but it was an effective way to show how the break up changed them.  And while the ending is immensely satisfying, I was definitely left wanting more of Peyton and Justin together.

Rec It?

Yes.  If you love second chance stories with a unique way of telling the story, this one is for you.

Annnnnnd now, click here to get a short and sweet scene between Peyton and Justin.

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New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books…and kissing. Lots of kissing.

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!

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Huge thanks to Inkslinger PR for having me on the tour.  Make sure you’re checking out Rachel’s website, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, and adding all of her books to your Goodreads TBR shelf.  And now keep scrolling for a giveaway!

**Good Luck!!**

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