Review of The Summer My Life Began

 We interrupt this birthday celebration to bring you this regularly scheduled review.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and Penguin in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Goodreads Summary: "THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN: A fabulous romance with a very unexpected guy . . .
The opportunity to explore her love of cooking . . .

The freedom to be whoever she wants . . .

This is what seventeen-year-old Em gets when she goes to spend a month at her aunt's island resort. It's a dream come true—and exactly the break Em needed from her strict family and their high expectations of her.

But when Em uncovers a long-buried secret about her family, everything changes. And suddenly, Em finds herself making some big choices about her future—choices she never dreamed she'd have the chance to make . . ."

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland is the perfect summer read in case the carefree, breezy cover hadn't already tuned you in. I found myself blowing through it within a few hours, eagerly devouring it during my breaks between classes. It was exactly what I needed in the midst of the dreaded time of year known more commonly as Finals Season.

I really adored the cast of characters, they are the kind of people that instantly come to mind when you picture your ideal summer. I could see myself in Em; the lost girl who has followed the rules for so long she isn't sure how to go against the tide any more, I'm sure we've all been there. Her Aunt Tilly is that free-spirited woman you wish was related to you, the perfect adult figure that knows when to give and when to back off. And then there is Cade, the delicious handy-man. Can anyone tell me how I can make a reservation at this resort?

Some of the drama was predictable, it goes with the territory of a girl breaking free from the tight leash of her family. Other things, not so much. It was like the author wanted you to feel clever in catching on to some of the book's mysteries so that you didn't notice she was pulling an even bigger fast one on you. Awesome!

I think my only qualm with this book is that some of the language through me off; either words that were used to describe or sometimes even dialogue didn't seem to fit quite right and felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over my face. A Where-Did-That-Even-Come-From kind of thing. Aside from that I didn't really have any issues with this book. It was a fun, quick read.

The recipe for the perfect summer is a hint of rebellion, double-serving of drama, add a dash of romance with a super hot local guy, and voila! The Summer My Life Began manages to dish together a novel perfect for relaxing with on the beach or curled up in your comfy chair, a three out of five stars. Perfectly likeable, and perfectly summer.