A review by samwlabb
Falling for the Girl Next Door by Tera Lynn Childs
3.0
Sloan and her mother moved to Austin after "the incident" and she fell for the bad boy next door. This book picks up with Tru and Sloan enjoying their relationship and Sloan settling into her Austin life. Just as things are looking up problems arise in her love life, family life, and personal life.
Disclaimer: I did not read the first book in this series. With that said, I do not think it is necessary to read the first book, as this book reads like a stand alone. I really liked the way the author approached Tru's issues in a way that was honest and seemingly realistic. I also really liked how the familial relationships were explored, although it was sad that both Tru and Sloan had crummy dads and both of their parents had troubled marriages. The bond between Sloan and her brother, Dylan, was very sweet. I was touched by the way they stood together and supported each other in their time of need. I thought Sloan and Tru made a great team, and liked all the scenes they shared together. The ending was very sweet, lots of feels. I especially liked the montage part.
With that said, I sometimes felt like there was too much going on in the story; it seemed unfocused at times. It wasn't necessarily the worst thing, but I felt like other parts of the story suffered because of it. I also wish there had been closure with respect to the family issues. This conflict seemed like a major part of the story and it just did not seem right to leave it open at the end.
Overall: an entertaining read dealing with some real issues, but still light hearted.
Disclaimer: I did not read the first book in this series. With that said, I do not think it is necessary to read the first book, as this book reads like a stand alone. I really liked the way the author approached Tru's issues in a way that was honest and seemingly realistic. I also really liked how the familial relationships were explored, although it was sad that both Tru and Sloan had crummy dads and both of their parents had troubled marriages. The bond between Sloan and her brother, Dylan, was very sweet. I was touched by the way they stood together and supported each other in their time of need. I thought Sloan and Tru made a great team, and liked all the scenes they shared together. The ending was very sweet, lots of feels. I especially liked the montage part.
With that said, I sometimes felt like there was too much going on in the story; it seemed unfocused at times. It wasn't necessarily the worst thing, but I felt like other parts of the story suffered because of it. I also wish there had been closure with respect to the family issues. This conflict seemed like a major part of the story and it just did not seem right to leave it open at the end.
Overall: an entertaining read dealing with some real issues, but still light hearted.