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Review
I absolutely fell in love with Priscilla Glenn’s debut novel, Back To You, last year, and have been waiting oh-so-impatiently for this book to be released, and I was not disappointed. Chock-full of epic quotes – which I could not help but share 😉 – I loved it!
It’s the story of Andie – analytical and uptight, she lives a very ordered and “safe” life. This is thrown into turmoil when her “safe” boyfriend of a year and a half organises for her to drive with his friend, Chase from New York to Florida to attend a wedding. Having met Chase once over a year ago, she took an instant dislike to him, so the idea of a two day road trip fills her with dread.
Chase is sensational! Carefree, spontaneous and funny, he is who he is, and he makes no apologies for that.
“I do what I want to do. I refuse to hold back what I’m thinking or what I’m feeling anymore. And if someone doesn’t like it, then they don’t need to be in my life. If that makes me an asshole, then so be it. I don’t want to spend any more time trying to make other people happy. Life is much more enjoyable when you’re surrounded by people who just accept you for you.”
The fun begins when the two of them begin their journey. With Andie being totally antagonistic towards Chase, and with his carefree nature and quick wit, the banter is sensational!
“Are you gonna put your shirt back on?” she blurted out.
Chase froze, looking over his shoulder at her with the most maddening smile. “Why? Is this bothering you?”
“I just…” Andie sputtered, floundering through her response. “I mean, what if we get pulled over or something?”
“If we get pulled over, this could only work in your favour,” he said, running his hands over his chest.
As they get to know each other, Andie’s anger towards Chase melts, and the dialogue between them is brilliant! It’s total road trip conversation – from the ridiculous (chocolate covered bacon and the appropriateness of ‘Destiny’ as a baby’s name as opposed to a stripper name) to the profound (sort of)…
“Everything happens for a reason,” she finally said.
“What?” Chase scoffed as his eyes flashed back to hers. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s total horseshit,” he laughed. “That’s just some crap people say when something bad happens and they have no way to explain it. It’s a pathetic way to try and make somebody feel better. And if anything, it has the reverse effect.”
Andie shrugged. “I disagree.”
“Anytime anyone has ever said that to me, it just made me want to punch them in the face.”
“That’s because you’re an asshole,” she said matter-of factly.
Unbeknownst to Andie, Chase has had a crush on her since they first met. While he does his best to stay distant, he watches her, and sees the real her, and he’s not afraid to tell it like it is.
“You know something Andie? If we could find some coal for you to sit on, we could both retire early.”
But he can also see beyond that to the person that she wants to be. Andie is trapped in her life, following a horrific experience as a teenager, she is scared to break free of the carefully planned life that she has created for herself. As soon as Chase realises this, he does his best to encourage her to be spontaneous, to life her life the way she wants, and to do what makes her happy. He encourages her to be free, he tries to give her the confidence to be who she wants to be and live the life she’s dreamed off, without fear or restriction.
“Don’t ever apologize for being you, Andie.” She opened her eyes and turned to him. He was looking at her, and there was such conviction and sincerity in his expression that Andie felt like she was going to break under the weight of it.
I’ve got to say, these scenes are absolutely amazing! Glenn’s writing is so beautifully descriptive, it reaches out and pulls you in so you feel like you’re there in the moment – and I totally wanted to be there in the moment, it was so beautiful! And I felt it right along with Andie as she started to feel “unbound”.
“You look like new right now … Like you’ve just discovered yourself … It’s hard to explain, but I wish you could see it. It looks good on you.”
Through all of this, there is a strong romantic element building, as Chase’s feelings for Andie intensify, and she starts to feel things for Chase that rock her world. I really felt the chemistry between them, and the build up of the UST is phenomenal. But Chase is a gentleman, and Andie still has a long road to go on her journey of self-discovery. There is a bit of a rocky road for the two of them, but it’s all very realistic – there is no stupid, and not once did I get frustrated by anything that either of them did. It all plays out perfectly.
I fell in love with both Andie and Chase, and as we get both of their POVs, and learn more about their pasts, we see some fantastic character development going on as the story unfolds. The romance is gorgeous, with a bit of steamy stuff, but the focus is definitely on the emotion.
“His heart was racing, and he wanted her to hear it. And he wanted her to know that from here on out, it beat solely for her.”
This is a wonderfully written book with drama, humour, romance and some wonderful insights. With a beautifully resolved, happy ending, I absolutely loved it.
4.5 stars.
Plus, book that includes life advice from Dr Seuss, is a winner in my view 🙂
“Be who you are, and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr Seuss.