The path to happiness and togetherness is not always that clear cut build-up, neat conflict, and ultimate outcome. Nowhere is that more clear in the most new adult to ever new adult than in this straightforward book. I loved the central friendships in this, and that these two were respectably, age appropriately, struggling with who they were and who they wanted to be. And a bit immature at that.

The style of writing supported these rapidly-changing new adults, leaving aside sentiment and overdone descriptions in favor of immersing readers in the world in an accessible, if almost distant and observational way. Almost like an in-depth journalist would chronicle a relationship: A year in college.

None of this is bad, though reading a Romance in this style may not be for everyone. It's not really tugging at your heart strings as these two take a baby step forward just to get in their own ways (again in a way that feels so familiar to that time) and drag themselves back by great distances. It's not taking any cheap shots to make your compassion activate, more like dropping you in without a parachute and saying, "hey, remember shit like this, can you relate?" It's not fancy or beautiful (at times it is in its simplicity all these, including funny) but it's effective.

May 2018: I never did review Summer Skin back in 2015 and I do feel kinda bad about that but also? I still don't have the words. All I can really say is that I love this book. I love it a RIDICULOUS amount. I love it for the romance, for the characters, for the friendships, for the Australian-ness, for the writing! OH THE WRITING.

WHERE IS THE NEXT KIRSTY EAGAR BOOK.

Anyway, I had a ton of fun rereading it, here's my live-tweet thread: https://twitter.com/Rackhel_M/status/...

Nov 2015: Fucking faaaaaaaantastic. Review to come.

Two solid stars because it was "okay" and that's how I felt when I was fiiinally done with it. I put this book on-hold for what felt like forever (Almost two months).

I... lost interest 45% in or so and when I finally picked it up again I started skimming just to be done with it.

BUT, I'm not going to say it was completely the book's fault. I think the MC and her friends were great and they made me laugh and I really enjoyed them for a while. The love interest was... eh, okay. I never fell for him the way so many reviewers did. I am weird. But hey, I admit it wasn't anything the characters did, I just didn't care for them.

I don't know, ironically enough the romance (which is something I actively seek in a book) made me very uncomfortable and I just wasn't feeling it.

I got bored eventually and I just hurried to get it done and over with. I'm not giving it more stars because I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Fucking faaaaaaaantastic. Review to come.