I’m not sure if I have ever connected with a character so quickly, as I did with Jamie. I was in tears by the end of the first chapter. On the surface, we couldn’t be more different, Jamie is a 17 year old Palestinian/Canadian, I am a 54 year old white American, but emotionally, her experiences just resonated with me throughout the entire story.

Jamie carries a lot of baggage, but felt as though she belonged with Ben. When she’s left on her own, she has to face a lot of the issues that she has buried beneath lists and plans, the biggest of which is her resentment towards her mother. She also has to face the real reason her dad left, her growing feelings for Axel, her lack of knowledge about her Arab ancestry, and her anxiety.

Ben is a self-centered jerk, in my opinion. I did not like his character at all. He was possessive and territorial about Jamie even though he broke up with her. He did have a bit of a redemption arc, but I was never a fan of this character.

Axel is fun and outgoing, in touch with his Lebanese culture, and incredibly sweet. He goes with the flow and is utterly crazy about Jamie, even in the beginning. But he also has a fragile heart and Jamie hurts him badly.

Jamie sees Olivia as her nemesis, but Olivia is not the villain in this story at all.

Axel brings Jamie out of her shell and encourages her to experience new things, while protecting her anxiety. Together they bring out the best in each other. But Jamie’s insecurities make it so hard for her to trust, and that lack of trust causes big problems.

Along the way Jamie also has to face her relationship with her family and what will make her happy in the future.

All in all, I loved this story!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration though NetGalley, on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.