(Spoliers)The series is a lot better than this. I found the characters so much more unlikable. There is a lot of body shaming, talking about womens/child (14) bodies in a sexual objecting way that I didn’t like. Lizzy is 14 and they way she’s spoken about is really gross, there is sexual content with 14 year old and 16 year old which is kinda icky (he’s not fully an adult but also a little older) it just feels off. This was all mostly in the first couple of chapters when characters were being introduced. Gets more lighthearted, wouldn’t read again or recommend.

I was looking for a wholesome comfort-read and was not disappointed. I love the Netflix series so I was very happy that I also enjoyed the first book of the series. The book had some similarities to the series but a lot was different, so it's worth reading the books too.
The book started out to be not as wholesome as I was expecting it to be but it changed quickly, with Mel settling in her new surroundings. I love the small town setting and seeing Mel lighten up through her work. I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book less if I haven't had watched the series. Some lines were very cheesy and I really don't need to read sex scenes between two teenagers. I still overall liked the book and flew through it.