You know you’ve read a good book when you remember it days later and just thinking about it puts a smile on your face. There are so many things to love about Mimi Strong’s Stardust, because instead of just creating a wonderful romance, she’s created:

• A town I’m upset is fictional because I want to visit it. Seriously, there are so many interesting places in this town, from Peaches’ bookshop to the DeNirro’s Italian restaurant. I want to get my Beaverville passport and just start walking around, visiting places!

• Beautiful, realistic friendships. Sometimes friendships in NA books can feel a little too…how do I put this?…well, I guess I’ll be boring and just say ‘unrealistic.’ The friends in these books often do nothing but prop up the heroine. They don’t seem like real people, but are instead just there so that the heroine can hear that no, that hot dress really doesn’t make her look fat and yes, it’s alright to let yourself go once in a while and kiss that really hot guy. These girls can love and care about each other, but that doesn’t mean their relationship is always smooth sailing. They can act bitchy, jealous or resentful. Not in an overly dramatic way, but in a way that shows you that these people are separate from the heroine and can sometimes make mistakes while trying to do the right thing. It was really refreshing, and made me believe in their friendships even more.

• A cast of really hot guys, and every single one of them has major flaws. I’m not going to say anything more about that because…major spoilers! However, I will say that there are so many cute guys in this town that I ended up being drawn to one that I (unfortunately) don’t even think is in the running—the cute, red-headed delivery boy who delivers books to Peaches’ store!

• An amazing heroine. I didn’t really get the #teampeaches thing before reading this book, but I do now, because more than hoping Peaches ended up with any specific guy, I finished the book wanting Peaches to be empowered and happy. Just think about that for a second: can you think of a single other NA book with a cast of beefcakes were you weren’t rooting for any of them, but for the awesome heroine?

Alright, if those four weren’t enough for you, you should read this book because it’s super funny. It’s one of those books where your friends and family will look over at you and ask what’s wrong because you’ll be laughing so hard. I love books like that!

The cliffhanger in this book is heartbreaking. It’s not shocking because it’s completely unexpected, but instead shocking because every single event in the story and romance has led up to it. You don’t see it coming because you just don’t want to believe it can happen. It is Peaches’ worst nightmare, and when her heart breaks yours does too.

So what’s my rating? 5 OUT OF 5 PEACHES! And it’s super cheap. You can’t go wrong :)