The Best Reader:
Lauren Barnholdt

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 26th, 2007)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 288 pages
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney — for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la — this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

Review: I first picked up this book because I read, and loved, Sometimes it Happens by Lauren Barnholdt. Her writing just flowed so easily and I loved the witty dialogue she came up with. Two-Way Street has a similar feel and the story line is just as interesting.

Courtney is the good girl. It would seem from the outside and her and Jordan should never work out. He's the popular party boy and she is the girl who would rather stay home than party. But they fall in love and everything seems perfect. But Jordan soon learns a secret about Courtney's father and is forced to make a decision. In order to protect Courtney from the truth, he must let her go. Courtney doesn't understand why Jordan broke up with her and she is devastated.

Jordan and Courtney have been planning to go to the same college and drive across the country together for orientation. It's too late to change those plans so they go on that lovely adventure together, even though they are barely speaking.

Two-Way Street does have a serious topic but Lauren really finds ways to break up the more"depressing" parts by adding in hilarious moments. She really captured the essence of teen drama and how boys and girls play games with each other. We are able to see the story of Courtney and Jordan from both points of view and see how they fell in love and what broke them apart.

Jordan was just adorable. I have a soft spot for bad boys and I think he just made the perfect character for this story. Courtney may have been stubborn but she also seemed very real. I could believe their interactions and problems that came from being stuck in a car together for 3 days.

Two-Way Street is another wonderful book by Lauren Barnholdt and I can't wait to read more from her in the future. I didn't love it as much as Sometimes it Happens but if you want a quick, funny read, you gotta pick this one up!

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Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse (July 12th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side… until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think…
Review: This book is exactly what I was looking for! Sometimes I"crave" different types of books and this past week it was summer books! This was the story that put me on that path. Sometimes It Happens was a fast read that was packed with sensational characters and full of witty dialogue.

Hannah does not have a great start to her summer. She finds her boyfriend Sabastian cheating on her and finds out that her best friend Ava is leaving for the summer. She just knows that she will be spending most of her time sitting in her room eating junk food during her vacation. Then, her best friend Ava's boyfriend Noah saves the day. He gets Hannah a job at the diner where he works and tries every way possible to help Hannah get out of her slump.

First, I have to talk about these characters. I loved how real and multi-dimensional they felt. No, they were not perfect but that is part of being a teenager and making mistakes. Hannah was hilarious and in many ways, acted exactly how teens do when they suffer a break-up. Noah was the"good guy" who just wanted Hannah to see that she deserved better than a crappy, cheating boyfriend. But along the way he gets more than he expected.

Then we have the quirky Lacey, a new character we meet when Hannah starts her job at the diner. I loved her! She was exactly what was needed for this story. She was a loyal new friend for Hannah, and had a sometimes crazy, unique personality that helped bring the story together. Ava, on the other hand, was not my favorite character at all. She was snotty, bossy, and not a great friend for Hannah. But, I loved how Hannah was able to find new friends and open herself up to new possibilities once Ava was out of town. I think that is something many teens can relate to.

Sometimes It Happens is told in a very interesting way. The chapters go back and forth between the last day of junior year, to the first day of senior year. At first I was worried I would hate this format, but it worked perfectly! We could see how drastically things had changed in a short amount of time, and as we saw the drama of Hannah's first day of senior year, we could go back to see what created all the worry and tension.

Along with Hannah's new-found freedom and summer job, her and Noah get closer. This was not a"love at first sight" tale, which made it much more interesting to follow. I could easily see these 2 characters falling in love and simply enjoying eachother's company. Their relationship really made sense, even if it happened at the wrong time.

Sometimes It Happens made me a fan of Lauren Barnholdt's. After I read this book I immediately looked to see if I had another title written by her (which I did, and that review is coming soon). If you are a fan of summer-themed, hilarious reads that help bring back memories of high school (or current drama from high school), pick up this book!

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Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt
Published: Simon Pulse (July 9th, 2013)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary:
Can a road trip repair a romance gone wrong? Find out in this standalone companion to Lauren Barnholdt’s Two-way Street.

Here are Peyton and Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This is the real deal.

Unless it isn’t. Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed to have the other person to lean on.

Here are Peyton and Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead…

Review:

Here we meet Peyton and Jace while they are at a wedding but they already have a history. I was a bit confused. It has been a while since I read Two-Way Street. You don't have to read that book to enjoy this one but the characters are connected. I just struggled with what Peyton and Jace's history could be. Jace seemed to want to talk with Peyton but she wanted nothing to do with him.

Then Peyton ends up being stranded at the wedding and has to get a ride with Jace. Peyton is wanting to run away so she plans to use Jace for a ride, but to make him drop her off on the way. I am a sucker for road trip books so that aspect of the story was really enjoyable. The pair do have some cute interactions together. I did think some of their decisions were pretty silly though. I just wanted the characters to loosen up a bit and stop hiding the truth from each other and really sit down and think about their decisions. If they would have done that, this book would have been nearly perfect.

I did really love the fact that we get to hear both POVs in this story. And that we do get a little update on some past characters we've heard of. As far as Lauren's books go, I've read nearly all of them and this one was mid-way for me. There have been a few I've liked better but this one is still a pretty good read.

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