Rindy has had a hard life. Dropped off as a baby, not even knowing her parents or her birthday, and spending all 18 years in foster care. She has been let down her entire life and never learned how to trust. She now has been released from the foster care system and has moved to Tinlee Bay, California. She has been sleeping in the beach and met a group of people having a bonfire that will change her life.

This one tugged at my heartstrings. 4 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Whimsical Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

Wow what a great book! I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The characters are great. I even enjoyed the secondary characters. The writing style was great and this really was an easy read. It had meek hooked from page one. I don't always have a hard time putting books down but this one had me..lol. I highly recommend this book if you are in a reading slump. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last. The narrator did great!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Whimsical Publishing, and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet YA romance book that delves into the reality of growing up in the system. The kind of trauma children end up carrying even when they might reach stability in their life—of it all being taken from them. Rindy is finally out of a system and has moved to Tinlee Bay, California, with her entire life in her backpack—nothing even now seems to be going her way. She finally gets a job, and a miracle happens where she seems to even have friends and maybe even a crush?

My heart was hurting so bad that this 18-year-old girl, despite having a job, was still homeless and somehow surviving – people who mock homeless people and reduce them to nothing but laziness need more reality checks like these.

The story is so well crafted and heals a bit of you as you go through the 200ish pages. The narration was perfect and hit the right spots. The cast of characters and their antics made me laugh, tear up and choke up at times.

Oh how I loved this book when I first read it back in June. Rindy is one of those characters that will work her way into your heart with her vulnerability and strength to fight for the life she has always dreamed about.
Amberly added an extra layer to this story that I had already loved. She brought Rindy and company to life.
Absolutely loved this book all over again.
Perfect narrator and story. And author. Hannah is a icon.

This was such a beautiful YA story that tells the very real truth of foster care kids and their struggles after they get out of the system. Rindy's story is one that so many children face and it is such an important story to be told. I loved the found family elements and her romance with Nolan was very sweet. There were a couple of elements that I thought were rushed like the storyline with her boss and I didnt like all of the lying. I feel like that would have been a lot harder for them to figure out than it happened in the book but overall I thought this story felt important and well done. It was a also a quick read and the audiobook was done well.

4.25⭐️
What a heartwarming novella! The moment I saw foster care mentioned in the description, I immediately requested it from NetGalley without even reading further—and I’m so glad I did.

The story shines through both the strong family dynamic and the FMC’s internal dialogue as she works through feelings of being unwanted. While every child’s experience in the system is unique, this book captures so many facets with honesty and care, making it both engaging and quietly educational—whether the reader realizes it or not.

The audiobook narration by Amberly Slack was excellent. Her pacing was spot-on, and her voice fit perfectly for portraying an older teen. I listened easily at 2x speed, which brought the runtime to about 3.5 hours—a perfect quick read.

I was fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Whimsical Publishing via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

How I Rate
Because I mostly read ARCs, I focus on how I think fellow readers with similar tastes will respond. I sometimes round up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, and I try to keep my personal preferences from weighing too heavily.

⭐️ 1 Star – Finished, but not for me; I never DNF ARCs.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – Struggled due to writing, content, or editing issues.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Decent read with untapped potential; recommend with some reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it and would recommend for several reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Exceptional; lingers in my mind well after reading. A story I’d gladly revisit.

An incredibly moving YA story about a young homeless girl who's aged out of Foster care and struggling to make it on her own. When she lands a job working as a maid at a resort hotel she never expected to catch the eye of a wealthy local boy or for them to fall in love. This was a classic case of opposites attract but utterly sweet and heartwarming. It was also good on audio and I enjoyed it a lot! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!