Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

 Open Road Summer

Author: Emery Lord
Publisher: Walker Children’s
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Pages: 352
Source: Netgalley/Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Rating: 5 out of 5

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.

Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.

This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes. – GoodRead

I don’t even know if I can convey my love and emotions forOpen Road Summer. This book is the DEFINITION of summer! It’s only spring right now but it has seriously gotten me so pumped for the summer, the heat, and the freetime to be with my friends. The overall mood is lighthearted and generally fantastic. AND THAT ROMANCE. Whew, readers will definitely want to pick this one up for sure!

I was only a few pages in when I knew I would love this book. It wasn’t the characters that did it for me from the start– it was Emery Lord’s writing itself! Lord’s writing is full of metaphors and is surely flowy and easily readable. Sure it’s a fluffy summer book, but let’s not forget about those song lyrics! That’s some real talent there. 😉 Not only was Lord’s writing style gorgeous, but it also set me in the right mood almost instantly every time a new scene began. Lord’s way with words is always accurate; I can tell she is skilled in that she is able to choose exactly the right words to convey a certain mood in the moment.

Furthermore, the plot for Open Road Summer was so incredibly fun! It’s similar to a road trip, but unique in that it’s blended with multiple concerts, a best friend, and a bit of a darker tone. I really did love the celebrity aspect and I felt like I was on tour with Dee Montgomery herself. Things were a little predictable, but it didn’t bother me one bit.

I have to say for the most part, I loved the characters. Let’s talk about the main character Reagan, also where the POV is told from. She’s definitely the most conflicted character here. She comes from a dark past and she’s a BAD girl, one who was involved in illegal activity. She’s that girl that boys don’t want to bring home to their parents. She’s snarky and sometimes even rude. However, I think that’s what I liked about her–HER SASS. Yes  friends, Reagan is probably one of the sassiest girls in YA, and she has a backbone. She becomes stronger throughout the novel, which is what I always look for in a novel. Aside from Reagan, I loved her best friend, the famous Dee/Lilah Montgomery as well. I totally pictured her as Taylor Swift the entire time, the similarities were most definitely there. And finally, Matt. Matt Freaking Finch. ❤ YOU GUYS. NEW FAVORITE YA BOYFRIEND. RIGHT. HERE. Yes, he deserves all caps, because he is so sweet an swoon-worthy. How?! How did Emery Lord such an amazing guy? I’m almost tempted to tell boys to read this book JUST so they know how to talk to girls. YES I WENT THERE.

All things said, I could fangirl about Open Road Summer allll day. It has rekindled my excitement for summer like no other, and overall it just gave me such happy feels. I couldn’t ask for more from a debut author; count me as a fan, Emery!