Just For A While

Just For A While is a nice, entertaining beach read, that makes you feel good. It took me about 4 hours to read, because it‘s so fluently written.

Here are some of my thoughts:

Pro

• Flawed characters with relatable problems and conflict of emotions
• Nice development of the romantic relationship between the protagonists
• good and short description of the scenery. Just the right amount to paint a picture but not too much to get bored

Cons

• Some topics are handled too fleetingly, e.g. being bipolar and the effects it has on his surroundings

I give this book 3 solid stars. I really liked the idea of the story and it was nice to see Charlotte opening up and letting herself be vulnerable.
Sometimes the plot feels a little bit rushed, and it seems the story jumps from one event to the other.
The Book focuses heavily on the personal growth of their protagonists and I think this really is the strong suit of the story.
Since this is the debut of the author, I‘m really looking forward to her next books.

Great book about relationships, family, trust, and love. Charlotte is forced to spend the summer with her dad, whom she’s never met, while her mother heals from cancer. Charlotte is angry and keeps her distance from everyone. When she starts working at a pastry shop, she makes friend with Olivia. Misha visits Olivia a lot and Charlotte wonders what that’s about. As time goes on, Charlotte finds out more about Misha, her dad, and Olivia.
Charlotte,in time, realizes that love, life, and hope are things that one should treasure while she can. Can she allow her heart to open up?

I enjoyed the whole idea of the plot and that it was a very easy read. I think it was a great story about family and relationships and I enjoyed seeing how Charlotte opened up to others throughout the book. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it felt rushed at times. Overall though I enjoyed it and can't wait to read more from the author!

A quick, easy read. Charlotte is forced to spend the summer with a father she has never met. Charlotte has had a difficult life, dealing with her mother's cancer. Now the cancer is back and Charlotte is sent away. When she moves to her new town, she also gets a new job. At first her co-worker, Olivia, and her don't get along, especially because charismatic, good looking Misha is always coming to visit Olivia. But summer is about to get a lot more interesting when Olivia let's Charlotte in on a huge secret. Keeping this secret puts all of her fragile relationships at risk. Misha and her father can't find out about any of this. But we all know what happens to secrets in small towns.

Charlotte is a flawed character which I enjoyed. She harbors typical teen emotions that are relevant to her life and upbringing. The story is focused on her inner growth and as she opens herself up to new relationships, trusting her father and letting go of some of the anger she has built up over the years. The story never feels deep beyond Charlotte's own character arc and sometimes things felt a little rushed. I would have liked to see the romance drawn out more with more tension but as a YA beach read this is the perfect read for a summer day.

I enjoyed reading Just for a while. The story was wholesome and had many relatable aspects. I would definitely recommend. I gave the book 4/5 stars. I am not originally from America so I did recognize terms used like primary school and candy floss and also drinking being legal before 21. I almost forgot the book was supposed to be set in America. It didn’t bother me but might be confusing for American born readers who expect the customs and traditions of a book set in America. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters and story line were very well developed. I hope there's a sequel to see what happens next for Charlie and everyone else.

I was excited to read this debut novel by Zoe Haslie and I wasn’t disappointed. It is a bit heavier of a YA contemporary romance as it delves into some pretty serious issues like parental illness, mental illness, teenage pregnancy and parental abandonment. But it was still filled with the youthful fun and young romance that I enjoy in a YA novel. I liked reading Charlotte’s evolution and her love story with Misha was flirty and romantic. My only critique would be that the hardness of teenage pregnancy was a bit looked over and should maybe have been emphasized a bit more. Overall, it was a quick read and I enjoyed the story a lot. I would pick up this authors future books.

TW: mental illness, cancer, parental abandonment

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions remain my own as always.

DNF at 15%.

I wanted to love this book, I thought the pretense was really great and I was excited to read it. However, when I actually read the book I had a few things that made it less than what I was hoping.

1. The writing feels juvenile. It's kind of choppy (at least in the ebook) and the paragraphs don't indicate when the narrative will be changing. Like all of a sudden we're in Daniel's head but in the sentence right before it, we were in Charlotte's.
2. Early on in the book, Charlotte lit a cigarette. At first, I couldn't really even figure out how old she was, but then as I read farther on I realized she was 17. For positive messages, a 17 year old should not be smoking a cigarette, and she's also not even legal to buy cigarettes. I liked that her character was set up for a redemption arc but some of her choices made it hard to love her, which meant her would-be redemption lost its effect.
3. It felt like Daniel was flirting with Anna and Anna was DEFINITELY married. His descriptions of her, at least in the beginning, were definitely flirtatious and that's not sending a great message to readers either. Husbands mean that the woman of interest is off limits, and that should be clearly expressed (in my opinion).

I really wanted to love this book and I was so excited for this lighthearted YA read (that I'd been so desperately looking for), but it didn't follow through on what I was wanting. This being said, this is my personal opinion and only reflects me, so other readers may really love this!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Just For A While is a sweet, entertaining beach read, a feel good story. It is fluently written and quite a quick read.

DNF @ 25%.
This was not for me, I found it boring and the writing very stiff and awkward. The way Charlotte spoke was very formal and not enough was happening. This lacked depth and I wasn’t able to connect with Charlotte. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

I guess that this book was just really not for me. I didn't agree with all of the views of the main character and found her annoying most of the time. My other main issue with this book was the writing. I found myself not really interested or impressed with it. I have to say that I did like a few of the characters including Olivia and Sophie. As always this is just my opinion and I encourage you to give it a try and find your own thoughts on it. 2/5 stars

At first, I thought the plot of the story was good. While forced to spend a summer with her distant father, Daniel, Charlotte meets Misha and becomes more open to the town and its people. But then I have one rule when it comes to good books - no books where the character is fine with smoking. It's a personal turn-off of mine, and I couldn't read any further. If they took out Charlotte smoking, I'd be fine and continue to read it. But sorry, I can't get past the smoking.

This book was a really sweet story and had intriguing characters. The ending was somewhat abrupt and the perspectives changed quickly so that took some getting used to. Overall a story about complex emotions that I wish was a little longer but had lots of promise. A nice quick read.
ARC thanks to publisher and Netgalley in exchange for review

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc for an honest review!

Honestly I’m not one for contemporary but I really wanted to give this one a try. And my oh my did I fall in love. I don’t want to spoil much but I truly fell in love with the main charcaters and the way their romance developed. It was breathtaking. Made me even a little emotional at times. If anything for me this was more or so s fun read. Something to get me out of my reading slump.

A nice short love story, perfect for the summer. Wonderful cover and very good entertainment. I lice Charlotte and Misha together.

I must admit that although sometimes I gravitate away from third-person narration in novels, in this book it really truly did just enhance the reading experience. This book broke my heart and mended it all at once. I was always engaged while reading and yes it was slightly predictable, but that's the beauty of it. It's this sweet read that will leave you in love with so many different characters. To see Charlotte and her family dynamic and to fall in love with Misha who is caring for his sister. This book touched on so many issues yet it was still a light read and I would always recommend it to anyone that's a sucker for a good contemporary read.

Just For A While by Zoe Haslie is a sweet young adult romance that I really enjoyed. Charlotte is seventeen years old and has always lived with her mother, including her first fight with cancer. When the cancer comes back, Charlotte’s mom sends her to live with her father, that she doesn't know at all, while she goes to an inpatient treatment center. This takes place over the summer. Charlotte is angry, feeling alone, and resentful, in a new town. There is romance, friendship, and family that will lift your spirits. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a sweet young adult romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.