Review: Awakening Autumn by Lora Richardson

AWAKENING AUTUMN
Lora Richardson
Publication date: March 25, 2019
Series: Unexpected Love #2 (can be read as standalone)
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Format: eARC (226 pgs)
Source: Author

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON

*At the time of this post, the first book in Lora Richardson's Juniper series, The Edge of Juniper, is available to download for FREE. And Vanishing Summer is available for just $0.99! Use these links to grab your copies now and experience Lora's heartwarming stories for yourself!*

S Y N O P S I S

Can reality be better than a daydream?

My overactive imagination has wrecked things for me again. Dreaming up the perfect boy and giving him Joe’s face was my first mistake, because he’s just not into me. I have been crushed by my crush, and that will not happen again. I’ve learned my lesson. Any guy interested in me is going to have to do all the daydreaming, all the yearning, and all the pursuing. I’ve set my heart on someone for the last time.

Enter Owen Anderson.

I’ve never been the object of someone’s desire, and that’s fine. It’s no big deal if I graduate high school without my first kiss. I’ll suffer through it if it means I don’t have to feel the sting of rejection again.

The first order of business is to make sure I don’t daydream about anyone, especially Owen Anderson. Owen, who finds me crying in the stairwell over Joe. Owen, who’s there when I learn I won’t be working with Greta and I’m afraid we’ll drift apart. Owen, who sees me at my most overwhelmed by my responsibilities to my family. Owen, who cannot possibly see me as anything other than a walking disaster.

Just once I’d like him to see me strong and capable with decent hair. Not that it would matter if he did, because he’s way out of my league, and I’m not going to let myself think of him in that way. Or think of him at all. Nope. No way. But he keeps showing up, and I keep wondering if maybe, just maybe, Owen sees something more in me than I think he sees.

  

M Y   T H O U G H T S

Lora Richardson cemented her place among my favorite contemporary YA authors – right along with Katie McGarry and Kasie West - with her beautifully written and heartwarming Juniper series. I was immediately drawn to her small-town settings, slice-of-life realism, and characters so relatable they could be the girl/boy next door. She continues to impress with her latest release, Awakening Autumn.

I fanned the flames of my crush for years, only to discover the whole thing was in my head. Any guy interested in me is going to have to be the one to do all that work. I'm done with it.

On the eve of the start of the new school year, Meredith puts her heart on the line with her longtime crush… and learns that he has never once thought of her that way. Embarrassed - and yes, crushed - Meredith decides she’s done pining for a guy who sees her as a little sister. If someone is actually interested in her he’ll have to do the work and let her know how he feels. Enter Owen who is suddenly everywhere she turns. He’s super hot, surprisingly easy to talk to, and seems to love art and reading as much as she does. As they spend more and more time together, Meredith knows she is developing feelings for Owen, but there’s no way she’s going down that road again. Besides, Owen just sees her as a friend… right?

Meredith is a high schooler with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. Her family depends on her to help with her younger siblings as well as around the house. But she was never resentful. She was devoted to her family and such an amazing sister and daughter. I loved that about Meredith. There was nothing petty or ill-tempered about her; instead, she loved her family, loved her friends, was kind and generous and refreshingly self-aware. She had a special relationship with her stepfather and I loved watching the changes in their dynamic over the course of the story. Owen was an absolute sweetheart and my heart went out to him when I learned about his parents and the reason why he lived with his grandfather.

I wanted to be special to someone. I wanted to be someone's person. Someone's one and only.

Richardson writes about characters that are so unlike those that I typically read about in YA. These are not precocious teenagers who act like jaded adults. These are not worldly kids who live their lives without supervision and grow up way too fast. Instead, she creates just the opposite: utterly realistic teenagers who go to school, hang out with friends, have parents who are involved and concerned. These are the good kids, the ones who study and get good grades, who care about their families and generally act respectfully and follow the rules. How refreshing is that?! Richardson manages to infuse her stories with warmth and heart and makes me wonder what I missed out on with my very urban upbringing compared to her small-town settings. She also has an amazing gift at capturing the purest feelings of first love, when just holding hands is thrilling and takes your breath away.

He answered by reaching forward with both hands. Slowly, so slowly he touched my my palms with his fingers, and slid our hands together, locking them in place.

Readers who enjoyed Richardson’s Vanishing Summer will remember Meredith well, along with many other characters, but Awakening Autumn can easily be read as a standalone novel. It’s easy to slip right into Meredith’s life as she navigates family obligations, friendships, and the stirrings of first love. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up: you’ll want Meredith for your best friend, you’ll wish Owen had been your first boyfriend, and you’ll turn the last page with a big smile on your face.

4/5 STARS

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

ABOUT LORA RICHARDSON:

As a child, Lora lived on a pig farm. She spent time swimming in the creek with snakes, playing in the hayloft, and tapping out stories on her mother's typewriter. These days she lives in a small city in Indiana with her high-school-sweetheart-husband and their two children. She spends her time reading, writing, and hanging out with her people. She still has pigs, though now they are of the guinea variety.

You can find Lora here: * FACEBOOK * TWITTER * GOODREADS * INSTAGRAM *