Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

Author: Juliana Stone
Publication: May 6, 2014
By: Sourcebooks 
Amazon | Goodreads
4 Stars!

One mistake.

And everything changes.

For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart –leaving her empty and broken. There’s a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her Grandma isn’t going to change that…

Nathan Everets knows heartache first-hand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…

Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.
  
*I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Told from alternating POVs, Boys Like You is one of those stories that sucks you in, tugs on your heartstrings and doesn't let go until you've turned the final page. In fact, I was so immersed in Monroe and Nate's story that when I came to the Acknowledgements, I was a little disappointed ONLY because I wasn't ready to let these characters go yet. (There may have been tears.)

Both Monroe and Nate have experienced life changing tragedies, ones that could easily destroy them if they allowed it. But they're surrounded by people who love and care for them, people who refuse to let what has happened define them for the rest of their lives. (Gram Blackwell was a favorite of mine!)

Is there pain and sadness? Sure. But what's cool about this story is that this isn't a walk through the darkest part of Monroe and Nate's lives, they've already been through that. We get to see some of the bleakness but this story is what happens in the aftermath. It's the, "What happens now? How do I heal?" part. And Juliana Stone has done it so well!

When you've felt nothing but an empty void for so long, it can be hard to navigate feelings and desires, especially when it involves a person who somehow understands exactly how you're feeling. And the relationship that develops between Monroe and Nate is funny, tender and bittersweet. Are they perfect? Of course not. But their journey is an honest one filled with forgiveness, healing and hope. 

Read it.