Hold Me by Courtney Milan

5 unapologetic stars.

Look, let’s just get it out of the way: if you didn’t like Hold Me, we probably can’t be friends. That’s how much I liked this book. It gave me all the feels in all the right ways and places. Why, you ask?

OH my gosh, this book. I love this so much. I don’t even know where to start.

Jay: I adore his arrogant, idiotic character – I know a lot of people who are too smart for their skin and he fits right in. He can’t get out of his own way half the time and he knows it, and his character arc in this story is gorgeous.

Maria: Despite appearing on the surface to have more baggage, I think she actually does less growing in this story; she’s done a lot of it already off-screen. She is unapologetically girly AND smart, and I adore her strong sense of self.

The story: I think it’s about forgiving yourself, forgiving others, and remembering to look beyond your assumptions. Whatever the case, it rang so very true for me – I loved this book more than almost anything I read in 2016 and it’s possibly even my second-favorite of Courtney Milan’s delightful work (Unraveled will always be #1).

I’m eagerly anticipating more books in the Cyclone series (yes, even books with Adam F***ing Reynolds). Where’s my time machine?