Tag: Laura Aylward

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Review: Love Me Not by Holly Smale

Love Me Not
Holly Smale
HarperCollins, May 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9780008393526

The Valentines are a glamorous showbiz family who, to the outside world, seem to have it all. However, living in the spotlight isn’t always as it seems. Mercy Valentine, party girl and actress, is the eldest of the Valentine siblings and is not a nice character. She’s sarcastic, sharp and deliberately destructive. She herself says in the opening lines, “You’re not going to like me. I’m not nice, I’m not relatable, you’ll find it difficult to empathise with the snarky daughter of Hollywood royalty …”

Love Me Not is the third book in the Valentines series by Holly Smale. If, like me, you have not read the first two books, do not worry. Mercy’s story stands alone, and it does not matter at all if you haven’t read the previous novels.

While Mercy Valentine is not very likable, I still loved her. I found that the first-person narrative really helped me to empathise with Mercy. It helped me to understand her complex emotions of guilt, self-loathing, anger and grief. Her character is written so well and I found myself empathising with her even after she had crossed the line numerous times with her bratty behaviour. The plot was so engaging and I found myself constantly wondering what was going to happen next. This moving story thoughtfully explores sibling relationships, parental separation, teenage romance, addiction and bereavement.

If you enjoyed reading the first two books in the Valentines series – Happy Girl Lucky and Far From Perfect, I would definitely recommend reading the final instalment. Alternatively, if, like me, you read Love Me Not first, I would definitely recommend going back and reading the first two books in the series, they are well worth the read!

Laura Aylward, 16

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Review: I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre

I Think I Love You
Auriane Desombre
Underlined, March 2021
Paperback, $9.99
ISBN 9780593179765

Meet Emma, living in New York, loves romcoms. Meet Sophia, just returned from France, hates anything related to love. It seems the only thing these two girls have in common is their love for film and that they’re both gay. So when the opportunity to enter a big New York film festival for teens brings them together, who knows what drama will unfold.

This book was a light, fun read that was really easy to dive into. Full of matchmaking and sabotaging, this book keeps you wondering what happens next without having too complex a storyline. I really liked how imperfect the characters are and how they are both trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life. The book is written from both Emma and Sophia’s points of view. I loved this because it gave me an opportunity to see both sides of the story, and I really enjoyed seeing their characters mature as the book progressed. I have to admit, there were elements to this book that were a bit predictable but I was still encouraged to read on to see how the author played out these events. There were great secondary characters in this book too. The book focused a bit too much on these characters, however, I was just as invested in these other characters and I really enjoyed seeing how their relationships developed.

Overall, I Think I Love You is a cute, funny, heartwarming story about falling in love for the first time. This book would appeal to both romcom lovers and more serious-minded readers alike. This is a beautifully written love story that focuses on modern issues and is full of realistic and relatable characters.

Laura Aylward, teen reviewer.