This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Summer Unplugged on my blog now!
Bayleigh and Jace... oh how I (somewhat) remember your very interesting love story on a farm? Rural town? Bayleigh was banished to stay with her grandparents -- without her cell phone in hand -- after some not-so-wise decisions, which ultimately led to her romance with Jace. I went into this sequel with the hope that Bayleigh gained some critical thinking skills, and to my surprise, she is a touch more reasonable compared to her antics in Summer Unplugged.
With the school year gearing up to begin, Bayleigh is slightly insecure in her relationship with Jace -- he is experiencing an entirely different world compared to her beginning senior year of high school, and the time away from him after spending all summer is taking a toll on her. She certainly has enough time to have her phone confiscated by a teacher and land herself in detention approximately two minutes after gaining phone privileges back, but I would not expect anything less.
Jealousy is running ramped within Bayleigh, and every single time she sees Jace interact with a girl or friend a girl on Facebook, her mind goes to the worst case scenario, which essentially creates a ton of unnecessary drama between them. Most of the "arguments" that Jace and Bayleigh get into are resolved quickly, and honestly I was happy to see both of them using some common sense -- Jace definitely excels in that department compared to Bayleigh.
It was nice to see some additional side characters in this book, and Bayleigh certainly needed some guiding voices to keep her jealousy at bay. Jace continues to be a respectful boyfriend, and has a level of maturity I would not expect to come from a young adult lead. Bayleigh's mother was more involved this time around, and their dynamic has had a drastic improvement, considering in the first book she had Bayleigh sent to stay with her grandparents.
This sequel is a definitive improvement to the first installment, especially with Bayleigh's characterization. Keeping in mind that she is a teenager and has had poor luck with guys, I will give her some grace in the way that she acts, but here is to hoping that she has even more development as the series continues. I am definitely inclined to continue with this series when I have some free time, and they make excellent reads if you are looking for something to get you back into the reading groove.
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