Delilah Hannaford comes from her own version of a broken family. Her mother is always at work, her father has been dead her whole life, and her non-boyfriend Finn is there to help her forget. Basically Delilah is learning how to grow up all alone. In what her mom sees as a cry for help, Delilah begins to slip at school and at life in general. Of course she blames it on her lack of a mom, and her mom blames it on her lack of responsibility. Cue a life changing summer.

What I loved most about this book was the family relationships that are explored in it. Delilah and her mother are miles apart, and all Delilah wants is to go back to the days when they understood one another. Isn't that how all mothers and daughters feel at some point? It's hard to keep up with the change. Watching the two of them each grow in their own right, and dive into the past that has haunted them, was amazing. I think I cried mostly because I'm so proud that my mom and I got past this point in our lives too. Readers will likely find a lot to connect with as they read.

The romantic aspect in this book was also so well written. Watching Delilah explore a relationship for "convenience" that allowed her to escape from her life made me go back to that time in my life. Then when she meets Patrick and the sparks fly, I was so smitten! Through one another they learn how to let go of the past, and how to embrace the future. Despite the problems they go through, the two of them fit together so perfectly that it's like pairing a brownie with a glass of milk. So wonderful together.

Reading this book is like a refreshing drink of cool lemonade on a hot day. It's the type of book that allows you to just sit back, watch some family mending going on, and day dream about those past summers. Sure, it has moments of angst. Yes, Delilah is a wreck. However the characters in this book are so lovable, so sweet, and so real, that you'll find yourself becoming a part of their family without even trying. This book made me smile and cry, both in equal parts, and I love it so much more for that.

I know I've rambled, and I apologize, but I cannot recommend this book enough! I loved it so much that you can be sure that I will be buying a copy and spreading the love. Thank you Sarah Ockler for such a sweet, refreshing, and all around honest read. I need more of these in my life.