Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Title: I'll Meet You There
Author: Heather Demetrios
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Hardcover, 400 Pages
Published February 2015
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Summary: If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

Amber and I received a copy as this book as a giveaway prize, and we honestly don't remember which one of us entered because we were both interested in it. So we both decided to read it (and I got to read it first - muahahahahahaha >:D). 

And let me just say, this is my favorite book I've read this year by far. The story is about a teen girl named Skylar who seems to be stuck in the middle of nowhere - Creek View. A town in California where you spend your weekends drinking beers by the creek and ending up pregnant and living in a trailer with a handful of babies. And that's not the life Skylar wants to live. Not at all. (Even if it is the life that her best friend Dylan lives.)

So Skylar gets a full ride to an art school in San Francisco. And she's more than excited until Josh Mitchell, egomaniac extraordinaire, comes back from serving as a Marine in Afghanistan.

And he's missing a leg.

All of a sudden, Josh isn't the guy Skylar originally thought he was. And to her horror, she's beginning to fall for him...and considering giving up all she's ever worked for to get out of Creek View, only to stay with him.

This was such a fantastic book. Seriously. I just can't sing enough praises about it. From the minute I picked this book up, I couldn't make myself put it down. I was captivated by Skylar's story and her sad background and the loss of her dad. I was incredulous at the way her mother treated her when another man walked into her life. (And then she forgave her like everything was all perfect and okay??? That ticked me off a little but didn't take away from the quality of the book whatsoever.)

And the charisma between Skylar and Josh....gosh. Just let me fangirl for a second here:

omgadghdkfghlsdhfjglhabsfhaljsdlwoaldkglahwotwaruwetligalcbasgvbljadfbgldbgkblkbablaeblbiqhalieblabgladbgkjlbalkbwlkbatlkbrelkbsglkbslkgbskjwaiugtlhalgslhslkhgalkhelkthalkhglakhglshglawlihrlhwrlhwalhlwhwlhwlwwwwwwwwwlsehglkdshglkhrfkdlhgkj!!!!!!

Okay, I'm done now. Calm and collected. Kind of.

The romance developing between these two was that undeniable, but paced perfectly. There wasn't a drop of insta-love, which is good because romance that progresses too fast is one of my biggest pet peeves. Skylar first couldn't stand Josh, and then she warmed up to him, and then relied on his friendship, and then...something more.

Speaking of that "something more," feel free to skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want anything spoiled for you. ....The love scenes between Josh and Skylar were so adorable that I was squealing and sending screenshots to my co-blogger all night long. Demetrios creates witty, adorable, characters with just the perfect balance of snark and seriousness. The relationship dynamic between these two when Skylar gave Josh her all....asdfghjkl. Lots of fangirl keyboard-pounding. 

As for the ending? I was surprisingly satisfied. An epilogue would have been nice if only for the reason that I just never wanted this book to end and another chapter would've prolonged its ending. And I want to see where Skylar and Josh pick up from that ending.

If I can sum my review up in a fangirl-induced sentence: UGH, JUST READ THIS BOOK I PROMISE YOU WILL LOVE IT FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER.

All in all, I'll Meet You There has officially climbed to the rank of my favorite book of 2015 as of right now. I devoured this book and was sad to have it come to an end. I'm so so so glad we won this in a giveaway because I probably wouldn't have picked it up as soon as I did otherwise (it probably would have ended up MIA in my TBR list since it's growing by the day and I very rarely seem to make a dent in it). I recommend this book to anybody looking for a sweet, different read, something gripping and totally emotional. Pretty much anybody and everybody needs to pick this book up. Read it!! Do it now!!

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