The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Title: The Start of Me and You
Author: Emery Lord
Pages: 384
Genre: YA
Publisher: Bloomsbury/RazorbillCA
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Buy: Amazon| Kobo| Chapters Indigo| B&N
*ARC was provided by Bloomsbury*
Read: October 2014

Summary: (Goodreads)

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

Review: 

Emery Lord has done it again!! Her books are so addicting and  beautifully written that you will want to re-read it all over again since her story is so well developed!  I was very excited to receive The Start of Me and You  in the mail (literally jumped up and down) from Bloomsbury!I already loved her debut Open Road Summer (recommend you read it immediately!)+ fall in love with Max Watson! The Start of Me and You will definitely make you smile by the end!

Paige Hancock is now a junior at her high school hoping for a new start to the year. Last year, Paige's boyfriend died in a terrible accident that left a huge mark on her life that includes shutting out her friends and family. Wanting to overcome her grief, she is brave enough to step out of her comfort zone with a new confidence. She has a really good family, and friends who supports her in what she wants to do. I really liked Paige's character because she is smart and like to read!  This story is about starting over and Emery Lord captures it perfectly as we see Paige grow from the first chapter!

The supporting characters are her best friends- Tessa, Morgan, Kayleigh - are some really awesome friends that are there for here whenever she needs them. When Paige starts to join a new club Quiz Bowl, and make sure her crush Ryan falls in love with her and starts to become friends with his cousin Max. Many of you know that I fell in love with Open Road Summer but this one brought it to a new level! I really loved everything about it!! 

One of many reasons to love this book is the romance. It was plotted perfectly that I didn't want it to end! Makes you wish there was a Max Weston is real life because he really give her courage and strength from the very beginning. It was great to see how it evolved. Emery sure knows how to create the perfect guy, first Matt Finch and now Max!! 

I really connected with The Start of Me and You, which is one of the  reasons I read this so quickly and the writing was written smoothly like Open Road Summer. I am looking forward to Emery Lord's next book because now she has me hooked! If you haven't pre-ordered this book I recommend you do that right away. 

5/5