Dahlia Adler

An A+ young adult romance, mainly friendship focused—and not just between the two leads. The heroine is learning to trust and to build friendships again in general, beginning to open up again after a pretty impactful triple betrayal (the double betrayal, we are all familiar with. But the triple?! Unprecedented). This novel is funny, with great secondary characters. It's also really nuanced in its treatment of sex and teen relationships, with a lot of emphasis on honesty and trust and show more contrasting relationships with those integral aspects firmly in place with those in which it is lacking. show less

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Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Before I get started on what I suspect will be a lengthy review, it’s time for the disclaimer. Dahlia is a friend of mine. We talk frequently on the Twitters and we even hung out at BEA. Not only that but she bounced some ideas for this off me back in the day. I don’t remember what ideas precisely and I never saw any part of the actual book, but we totally talked about it. My opinions on Last show more Will and Testament are very much my own and honest. If you don’t trust them due to my friendship with Dahlia, fair enough.

For those of you who know me, I have a rather torturous relationship with new adult books. I love them IN THEORY, but in practice they don’t tend to do what I want them to at all. I love romance and I’d love books about college or starting out in life, but they tend to just be lots of sexing. Now, I have nothing against books with lots of sexing, but it’s not what I’m wanting when I start an NA, which, admittedly, is probably my own fault at this point. Last Will and Testament straddles the line between what I want NA to be and what NA actually is pretty effectively. I think it will please new adult readers here for sexy times and those looking for a new adult with a bit more focus on being a new adult.

Lizzie Brandt simultaneously gives no fucks and a whole lot of fucks. She doesn’t really care what people think of her. She loves sex and hooking up, and so she does. At the outset, Lizzie’s banging a guy she knows has a girlfriend and she doesn’t feel badly about it. Not only is Lizzie confident, she’s also a bit of a bitch. She can be quite judgmental and territorial. Lizzie also does mean well. Her put-downs are harsh. She has verbal warfare down to an art. Lizzie can be tough to like, and I think the main thing to understand with her is that most of the mean things she says and does are out of anger. Later, once she’s cooled, she regrets all the worst things she’s said and often even apologizes belatedly, which makes me think I could learn a thing or two from her.

Though she was high school Valedictorian, Lizzie is flailing in college. Everything was so easy for her before and she’s barely keeping her scholarship. As some do, she threw herself into partying to make herself feel better and she’s slipping ever further behind. Lizzie’s relationship with her studies gets a strong focus in Last Will and Testament. There’s not too much time spent in class and we don’t learn what she’s learning mostly, but there’s a lot of mention of actual studying. The college environment felt better established than in a lot of NA I’ve read.

Coming to the sad part and the part where this NA actually has a plot beyond meeting a hot guy, sexing him up, and falling in love with him, Lizzie’s parents die. Suddenly, she’s the sole guardian of her brothers (ages 14 and 7). If she doesn’t take them, they’ll have to go into foster care. Lizzie realizes that she has to keep her scholarship, which will be difficult and clean up her life. The great thing is that Lizzie never shames her past self or her friends for the partying and drinking and casual sex. Her transition is very natural and clearly about what she needs at various points in her life, not about “proper” behavior.

Lizzie messes up a lot. She says and does a lot of the wrong things. This might bother some readers, but I think it’s completely realistic. She tries really hard to do the right thing, but she’s so young and really not prepared for what she’s taken on. Through a series of events that’s a bit convoluted but also kind of works, she ends up calling on her history TA for assistance. Then romance blooms. I mean, how could she know that under the pleat-fronted pants was a total hottie?

It is a well known fact that I am not a fan of teacher/student relationships. I don’t like the imbalance of power and my general rule is that they wait until they’re not teacher and student anymore to start something. I’ll tell you right now that things do not play out that way in LWaT, but also that I think Dahlia makes it work. Connor and Lizzie most definitely cross some lines and, while I would prefer them uncrossed, the main thing is that I actually believe in their connection. Unlike Ezra and Aria’s relationship in PLL, which is messed up. However, I like to look at Ezra. Connor is much better than Ezra. Yes, I’m proud of that.

The romance definitely follows some NA tropes that are not my favorite, like being pretty quick to the “I love you”s (though I wouldn’t quite call it instalove), but two things made it work for me: 1) Connor and 2) the way it creeped up on them. Connor is a genuinely nice, nerdy guy. Sure, I hate his habit of swearing with Catholic words in French, but otherwise he’s very much swoon-worthy. Though he does say he was attracted to her before everything, the way he treated her in the beginning was very clearly professorial and, were it not for the unique circumstances, I’m sure nothing ever would have happened there. They bond as he’s tutoring her (in history, not sexing, I swear—and let’s be real Lizzie would probably be teaching that class). Even post sexing and post love, they totally maintain their same lightly jibing dynamic. I like that this is an NA where they build a relationship, rather than jumping into something. It also helps that Connor is VERY aware of the potential consequences and willing, if necessary, to face them. He’s not trying to get away with something and he hates that she’s a student. All of that really made me ship this, even thought it’s not my usual sort of ship. Bonus points for not always making the sex completely perfect (though don’t worry, because almost all of it is hot hot hot).

What I didn’t like so much was the plot line around Sophie Springer, the girlfriend of the guy Lizzie was hooking up with at the beginning of the novel. Sophie makes it her mission to destroy Lizzie for fucking up Sophie’s perfect life. Now, I am not saying that a woman in her situation wouldn’t go after the “other woman,” but I’m just really tired of people who get cheated on blaming not the person who cheated on them, but the person with whom they cheated. Lizzie made no promises to Sophie; Trevor did. Yet it’s Lizzie who gets the shit storm. This is just not something I personally like and I’m really tired of seeing in fiction.

To round out this lengthy wordfest, I want to talk about two more things. First, I like how supportive her parents’ friend, Nancy, is and also just what a happy family the Brandts obviously were. There are a lot of dark pasts in NA, but LWaT is more of a dark present. Second, I love that LWaT is not heteronormative. Though there’s not really any on-screen LGBT+ stuff, one of Lizzie’s closest friends is a declared pansexual. There’s also mention of a lesbian professor and a gay TA. It’s all very casual and wonderful.

Finally, since I forgot to mention it above, Dahlia’s NA some fabulous sassy humor, so if you’re into crude jokes and her Twitter feed, you’ll get some chuckles. Last Will and Testament was the book I needed in my life right now. Though not the ideal Christina book, I had a blast reading it and am totally on bored for more Radleigh. show less

Where has this author been all my life? Wow, I am blown away by this beautiful coming-of-age story that captures the essence of finding friends in the most unexpected places.

I love the quirky and delightful Everett “Evie” Riley. Life has really dealt her a crappy hand when it comes to love, family, and friendships. I admire her bravery to pack up and move away to start fresh at a boarding school. Seriously, how many of us could make such a bold decision? My heart broke for the betrayals show more she faced back home, but I found myself cheering for her growth and the strength she shows while asserting herself in the chaotic environment of a smelly, loud boys’ dormitory. Watching her transition from the new girl to the cool chick in her dorm was hilarious, and it’s all thanks to her quirky and animated personality. Plus, her card skills? Absolutely on point! No wonder grumpy Salem Grayson finds himself drawn to her.

Salem has this mysterious vibe that intrigues and captivates. While he presents himself as a ne'er-do-well slacker, there’s so much more beneath that stoner persona. His relationship with his goth sister adds depth to his character, and it’s refreshing to see him accept Evie for who she truly is even when she comes up with some hare-brained schemes. Sure, he makes a few questionable choices that only a teenage boy might, but the way he ultimately shows concern for Evie’s well-being really sealed the deal for me.

What I loved most about this book, though, was the friendships. Evie has a knack for making friends effortlessly with her fantastic sense of humor and laid-back attitude. Salem’s sister, Sabrina, is a natural extension of his character, and their sibling dynamic is both fun and meaningful. Then there's Isabel, one of the popular girls, who surprises everyone (including Evie) by taking her under her wing. And let’s not forget Matt, the charming player who’s always got some witty banter for Evie. Their rapport is just perfect!

My favorite moment was watching Evie mend her relationship with her friend Claire back home. It opens up a whole new chapter in her life, especially in dealing with her nasty, spoiled sister, Sierra, who truly doesn’t comprehend the harm she caused.

If you’re looking for something vibrant, funny, and heartwarming, I definitely recommend picking this one up. I can't wait to dive into more of Ms. Adler's stories.

Thank you to Ms. Adler for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

For more of my reviews, visit The Eclectic Review. show less

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Recommended?: YES. If you haven’t read this already, DO IT NOW. It is wonderful, thoughtful, sweet, romantic, sexy, funny – it is just great, and Van is the greatest. Highly, highly recommended.

Review:

I did not know this was the second book in a series until I’d already started reading, so if you haven’t read the first book, don’t let that stop you. UNDER THE LIGHTS is a wonderful story told in alternating chapters by Josh and Vanessa. Josh is not my favorite show more narrator; he’s standard pretty white boy, obnoxious, sexist, racist, and constantly being an asshole just because he can. If the story had just been his, I never would have finished it.

But the story isn’t his, and his issues fade to the background against the brightness of Vanessa Park. VANESSA PARK. I have hearts and stars in my eyes when talking about her. She is one of my favorite characters, ever, and her story grabbed me and would not let go.

At the heart of it, UNDER THE LIGHTS is the story of both Van and Josh dealing with their insecurities and loneliness, the ways the fail their families and their families fail them, and how complicated life is when you’re in the spotlight. Both their stories are well told, though Josh’s issues do not make up for his attitude for me, but Van’s is particularly close to my heart, because Van is dealing with a shock to her sexuality when she’s never even questioned it before.

Adler creates strong, realistic characters in this book, fleshed out, well rounded, and wonderful. They are nuanced, smart and funny and flawed. I particularly love the various friendships, stronger at times, weaker others, and honestly, Josh’s growing friendship with Van is the only thing that made him interesting to me. One of the things I didn’t like was that though the main characters and supporting secondary characters are fleshed out, there are some tertiary characters, particularly the girls in Josh’s part of the story, that are stereotypical and flat in really horrible, disappointing ways. Do we need another “bitchy mean girl”? Nope.

But Van. Van is the greatest. Van and her new friend Brianna who sparks confusing romantic feelings and Van dealing with her bff being across the country and Van dealing with her family and the way people come to mean more to us than we expect and the way we create families around us – Van is amazing and her story is wonderful and my heart filled with love for her. I love how her story deals with the racism she faces, particularly in what acting jobs are offered to her, and the sexism inherent in how bad boys and bad girls are treated. I love how the racism and sexism she deals with influences how she responds to realizing she’s queer, both internally and externally. Every step of her journey made me love her more.

There’s a little bit of fat hate going on, too, (though “hate” is really too strong a word) which on the one hand, can be expected when the story is set in a world so focused on physical appearance (oh, wait, the real world? Well now), but there was some stuff about Brianna’s poochy little belly and how she doesn’t feel comfortable showing off her body because she’s “St. Louis thin” not “L.A. thin”. Realistic, sure. Frustrating, yes.

Van. Have I mentioned how much I love Van? Because I love her a lot, and I’m so glad I got to read her story. She’s a joy and a delightful forever. Highly recommend UNDER THE LIGHTS just for her. Everything else good about it is a bonus, because she’s just wonderful. UNDER THE LIGHTS is a fun, funny, emotional read, and Van is an amazing character. show less