I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Has to Be Love by Jolene Perry from Albert Whitman & Company, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.
Years ago, Clara survived a vicious bear attack. She’s used to getting sympathetic looks around town, but meeting strangers is a different story. Yet her dreams go far beyond Knik, Alaska, and now she’s got a secret that’s both thrilling and terrifying—an acceptance letter from Columbia University. But it turns out her scars aren’t as fixable as she hoped, and when her boyfriend begins to press for a forever commitment, she has second thoughts about New York. Then Rhodes, a student teacher in her English class, forces her to acknowledge her writing talent, and everything becomes even more confusing—especially with the feelings she’s starting to have about him. Now all Clara wants to do is hide from the tough choices she has to make. When her world comes crashing down around her, Clara has to confront her problems and find her way to a decision. Will she choose the life of her dreams or the life that someone she loves has chosen? Which choice is scarier?
Publication Date: September 25, 2015.
Please note that I marked Has to Be Love as Did Not Finish (DNF) at 23%.
Initially I had high hopes for Has to Be Love. I really wanted to know what happened to Clara and if she came to terms with her scars, or if she got her scars fixed. yet quickly into reading Has to Be Love, I realized that this book just wasn’t for me. Which is disappointing, because I genuinely did want to end up liking this book.
What I didn’t like about this novel was that I did not like the attraction that Clara had towards her new student-teacher that is still, technically, a student himself. That’s what drew me away from finishing the rest of this novel.
I give Has to Be Love, 1 star.
Happy Reading!
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