AUTHOR: Jolene B. Perry and Stephanie Campbell
RATING: 4 STARS (4.5 STARS)
PUBLISHED: May 2012 - Jolene B. Perry and Stephanie Campbell
SERIES: No
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"For Tobin and Delia, everything was always equal.
A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.
A kiss for a kiss.
Your shirt for mine.
Break my heart, I’ll break yours.
Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.
When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn't healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.
In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?"
MY REVIEW:
"Every piece of the mess that I am makes me smile." - Taken from My Heart for Yours
Tobin and Delia dated each other in high school. They came from different worlds, but they were the perfect match. They were extremely happy together. They were very much in love.
But along the way, Tobin and Delia fell apart.
After a year apart, Tobin and Delia are brought back into each other's lives. Can they find their way back into each others arms after everything they have been through? Or will their past heartbreak keep them from a future?
I just finished reading My Heart for Yours by Jolene B. Perry and Stephanie Campbell, and now I am sitting here, trying to put into words all of the things that made this novel REMARKABLE.
First off, this novel is written by two splendid authors. Prior to this novel, I had the pleasure of reading The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry and Grounding Quinn by Stephanie Campbell. I'd already had wonderful experiences with both authors so I was really looking forward to reading something that was created by their joint effort. Honestly, I had pretty high expectations going into this novel, and in the end, My Heart for Yours surpassed all of them.
The first word that comes to mind when I think about this story is lyrical. Everything in this novel, from the authors writing styles, to the poetry, to the story, to the actual characters, was stunning. Everything came together in perfect harmony.
Another fabulous thing about this story is that both of the main characters are a little flawed. They BOTH made mistakes in the past; neither one of them was totally innocent. I really appreciate characters with flaws. Nobody is perfect. Therefore, perfect characters aren't realistic. In my opinion, Tobin and Delia are realistically created characters that young adults can relate to. Honestly, the reason their past relationship fell apart was because they were both too young to handle all of the obstacles that life threw at them. Crap, Delia's dad alone would have been a lot to handle, and he wasn't even their only obstacle. In my opinion, the characters handled their past and present selves realistically.
Another great thing about this novel is that it's told from both Tobin and Delia's perspectives. Through flashbacks and in current time, I discovered who the characters were and who they are now. I learned about the characters history as they recalled the major events from their past: their first date, their first kiss, their first time getting caught sneaking out, their first fight, the first time they said "I love you", and the first time they made love. Their past helped me understand how much they matured.
This isn't a happy, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, but it's not a dark and depressing novel either. It falls somewhere in the middle, and it has a little bit of everything! There were definitely moments that made me laugh and smile, but I also got riled up and teary-eyed. Overall, this story touched on a wide array of my emotions.
Did I mention that this book takes place down south in Louisiana?! Woo hoo! I think this was one of few books that did the south justice. More often than not, authors make the mistake of overdoing the southern drawl and the southern charm which comes across as over the top and cheesy. In my opinion, Ms. Perry and Ms. Campbell did a wonderful job representing the south. They used a little bit of southern drawl here and there, but it was extremely realistic. It was perfect; it wasn't over the top or cheesy!
I gave My Heart for Yours by Jolene B. Perry and Stephanie Campbell 4 STARS (4.5 STARS). This is a phenomenal young adult romance novel about real life and real love. I strongly recommend this novel.
