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This is how I feel. I cannot even put into words how much I enjoyed this book, But damnit, I'm gonna try.
I got taken on an unexpected emotional journey. From the very beginning I related to Allison's social anxieties and seclusion so much. I felt like I was in the room with her trying to think of the best way to avoid people. This is literally me.... ALL DAY. But she was able to blossom because of the truly extraordinary people who entered her life. They were all so remarkable- Her adoptive and phenomenal father, her loyal and fierce best friend who encouraged Allison to be brave, and the oh so swoon-worthy, patient, and incredible Esban. At one point I thought, about all of them, that everyone needs someone like them in their lives.
But let's give my baby, Esban, lots of extra attention. He was the very epitome of what a book boyfriend should be. I felt like I didn't even breathe between Esban and Allison's scenes together. He was caring, genuinely kind, and just all around lovable and loving. He wanted to make the world a better place and, even more, took steps to try and make that better world a reality. Allison and his relationship had me smiling so much and wishing there were a hell of a lot more guys like him around.
Another aspect I really liked in this story was social media and the positive effect it can have when use for the right things.
There was heartbreak, in a way I never expected, but trust me when I tell you, it ripped my heart out and had me in the car and house crying sad, and then happy tears.
I loved, LOVED this book and am definitely about to go look up more work from this author.

I am in love with this book! Once I started to read this book I couldn't stop. The whole premise of 180 seconds makes you stop and think. Allison has had it bad her whole life and tries her best to be invisible. Esben is the popular one, the one who looks to be visible. When Allison gets dragged into one of his social experiments she has no idea her whole life is about to change.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

You know how people sometimes get tattoos of phrases from their favorite books? Well I want to get the entire text of 180 Seconds on my skin. 180 Seconds is the kind of book that after you read it, you realize how lackluster every other supposed five-star book you’ve ever read has been. You think you’ve read ugly cry books? This book had me sobbing for pages, my body heaving I was crying so hard. Jessica Park weaves magic in between the pages of everything she writes, but this book, this book made my heart bleed.

The catalyst for the story is similar to a video you may have seen floating around social media that featured performance artist Marina Abramovic who sat at a table one minute at a time in complete silence with total strangers. The performance takes an emotional turn when the lover that she had not seen for over 20 years shows up across from her. In Park’s story, Allison is a jaded foster kid who was adopted late in life. The story starts at the beginning of her third year of college where she continues to excel at keeping everyone at a distance. Until she accidentally stumbles upon a social experiment. Esben is well known on campus and on social media as someone who finds the good in people. His friendly, open demeanor is a complete contrast to Allison’s closed off nature. Walking back to campus Allison unexpectedly finds herself taking part in one of Esben’s experiments – the two sit across from each other in total silence while maintaining eye contact for 180 seconds. Reading this description it may be hard to believe those 180 seconds would have such a profound effect on Allison and Esben, but Park’s description of how the pair reacts to each moment will make you feel like you’re the one sitting in the chair. After the experiment, Allison and Esben try to figure out what the experience meant to one another. It sounds simple, but their journey is a beautiful push and pull of letting yourself become open to the idea of love as well as the constant struggle to find the good in people.

I loved this book for so many reasons, but one of the emotional triggers for me was the ache Allison had to be loved. As someone who was adopted when she was “sixteen and a half” Allison struggles to let anyone in, including her father, Simon. The only true friend she has is Steffi, a fellow foster kid who Allison considers a sister. Besides these two people, Allison has convinced herself that she is fine without anyone else in her life and that she enjoys being alone instead of being bothered by stereotypical college idiots. As I was reading I could totally relate to Allison. I’m an introvert and I’d much rather stay at home than be invited to a party, or read a book instead of a girls night. Right? As a military spouse, I move around so much that it’s hard to make friends, but that doesn’t bother me. At least I tell myself that it doesn’t. As I continued on reading there is a pivotal moment in the book when Allison is faced with the decision to open herself up to making new friendships or continue isolating herself. She sits in her bed and weeps at what she has become and truthfully recognizes she doesn’t want to be alone. The whole scene is maybe a page and a half, but I felt it to my core. How easy is it for us to lie or have a sarcastic comment when we see other people having fun instead of being honest and acknowledging we crave those same connections. Yes, there are times when I would truly rather sit in my pajamas on the couch and binge watch The 100 on Netflix rather than go to a bar. But there have also been many times when I’ve been jealous of people who seem to make friendships so easily while I sit in a restaurant alone. It’s a testament to the author’s writing that she can not only make you connect so deeply with the characters but that her words make you reflect on your own life.

There are so many things I loved about this book. I could honestly pick it apart and analyze it for days. There wasn’t one moment I didn’t fall in love with the characters or the writing. 180 Seconds is one of the best books I have ever read, and its message has resonated deeply. There isn’t one person that wouldn’t benefit from reading this book. It’s perfect.

'180 Seconds' by Jessica Park is a book that will make you believe in people again. If trust issues are things that you're dealing with - it's a perfect book for you. The plot being gripping and very up-to-date will make you read the book at one go. I spent the last 35% of the book crying. The topics like cancer, forster care, rape and trust issues are not easy but the author writes about them in a very sensitive and moving way.

180 Seconds is my first Jessica Park read. I have several book friends who have raved about her in the past, which tends to make me a little nervous, but the blurb drew me in and I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist. I went into the book expecting a YA/NA story of self-discovery and romance and, while the book definitely delivered on both fronts, it turned out to be so much more than the sum of its parts, an ode to love in all its forms and hidden in places you least expect to find it.

There is something inherently relatable about Jessica’s characters, right down to the supporting ones. Their quirkiness, emotionality, and authenticity can be found to some varying degree in any reader and it’s truly a gift to be able to write characters with whom a wide array of readers will be able to connect. This book made me feel on such a deep level that at times I found myself putting it down, just so I could take a minute to focus on the way those moments had touched me.

I don’t think I could overstate how perfect Esben is as the romantic lead. He is the kind of guy that I wish for my daughters to find as they grow older and I hope they don’t settle for anyone who doesn’t possess his levels of patience, gentleness, empathy, and ability to love freely. In a time when it feels like the alpha male reigns supreme as the romantic hero archetype, 180 Seconds provides proof positive that the romance world needs more of these incredible, highly underrated beta men.

A lovely and refreshing breath of fresh air, 180 Seconds is perhaps the most heartfelt, joyful novel that I have had the pleasure of reading in quite a while and I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a little life inspiration. You’ll love what you find hiding between the pages.

4.5 Stars!

180 Seconds was a moving and heartfelt story. It gripped me from the first page and took me on a journey of self-discovery and love. I could not put this book down and it really resonated with me for days after I finished. If you are looking for a story with fantastic writing, characters that are relatable, and storyline that was both unique and modern… you need to pick up 180 Seconds.

Allison Dennis is our main character, and she is entering her junior year at college. Allison grew up in foster care, and was adopted when she was in her teens. She doesn’t open herself up to people, and has social anxiety. She avoids contact with others as much as possible. It’s almost as if she is tip toeing herself through life.

During her first week back at school Allison unexpectedly finds herself thrust into a second social experiment. She has to sit and stare at another person without speaking for 180 seconds. The person sitting across from her is Esben Baylor – a social media star known for his social experiments. Needless to say this experiment does not go as plan. The 180 seconds really changes the trajectory of Allison’s life.

This book was so much more than a love story. Although, I loved Esben and I thought her was the perfect love interest for this story. This story was really about Allison and how she was able to let go of her past, develop new relationships, and find herself. I also adored Allison’s adoptive father Simon, and how their relationship developed over the course of the story.

Allison closest friend is Steffi – another former foster child that she was placed with briefly. Steffi plays such a pivotal role in this story, and I wish that we could have had some insight and backstory into their relationship. I loved the way Steffi was written… I just wanted more.

I absolutely loved how social media played such a big role in this story. It really put a modern spin on this story for me. For that reason I think this is a story that will really appeal to all, but especially new adults who are just discovering romance genre.

This was a fantastic story that I really enjoyed and I definitely recommend it. I can’t wait for more from Jessica Park.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

'180 Seconds' a sweet feel good read that had all the pieces crafted cleverly together to make it also heart wrenching. I enjoyed the characters and storyline while trying in earnest to connect with them and not to label it all as 'tropey'.

Allison our main character has had a rough life in foster care. While her past is sad, her present life is close to perfect. A sophomore in college, she is well looked after by her adoptive father who is desperate for any connection from Allison. (He was pretty awesome, and patient). Allison in the beginning is described as quite the obsessive compulsive introvert who frowned upon any human interaction. That major part of her personality quickly and drastically changed, which I'm not sure if that presented itself as completely realistic. (Even if it was for a cute guy).

Esben was portrayed as pretty amazing! Maybe I'm just cynical and untrusting, but his perfection seemed a little over the top and frankly made me anxious. (Just waiting for that other shoe to drop, the whole book). Any attempt by the author to tarnish him and show kinks in his armor clearly proved unsuccessful after the pedestal he undoubtedly was placed on.

Overall I was entertained, the author has a enthralling writing style that flows, making her words memorable and moving. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a easy, but sad, feel good read. 3.5 stars.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

180 Seconds was a fun, touching story and I enjoyed most of it. This is first Jessica Park book that I have read and I will most likely read other books of hers in the future.

My only problem was the dialogue between the characters. I found at times it was too much, a bit repetitive and hard to relate to. I really loved the story, but this just made it a bit hard for me.

Overall it was nice, a mix between Fangirl, Papertowns and All the Bright Places.

I anxiously await every new release Jessica Park puts out. After she wrote one of my all-time favorite reads, Left Drowning, she has become an auto-read author for me. When I read the blurb for 180 Seconds and saw the gorgeous cover, I knew I had to have it. I preordered that paperback the very second I saw it live on Amazon. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I was hyped up for this release and had very high expectations. I was expecting a book that made me FEEL, one that made me FALL IN LOVE. I am happy to say I got both of those things from this book.

Allison Dennis spent most of her life in the foster care system. She is starting her third year of college and is one of those people who keeps to herself. The only two people she has in her life is the man who adopted her at 16, Simon, and her best friend, Steffie. Steffie and Allison have a beautiful friendship. They are each others person and more like family than anything. Steffie is the only family Allison has ever known and the only person she’s ever truly let in.

Things start to change one day when Allison is minding her own business and gets pulled into a social experiment of sorts. It’s here she meets Esben. Esben and Allison sit across from each other for 180 seconds. Those seconds, those moments, they are so powerful. Honestly, reading that was so moving. I thought it was such a brilliant way to introduce the main characters. You felt their spark, the strong connection they shared. You felt everything.

When Allison gets to know Esben and slowly lets him in, she starts to change. Watching the change in her was such a beautiful thing. Allison was a real and flawed character. I felt for her. I loved how raw and real she was. Esben was pretty perfect. Almost too good to be true. As was Simon. I just adored him. I loved a lot of the characters in this one. I loved the romance between Esben and Allison, but I loved even more that it wasn’t the entire focus of the book. This story is so much more that a romance. It’s an epic journey for Allison. It’s her finding who she is and embracing it. It's her learning to let people in.



180 Seconds has all the things I love in a book. A broken character, emotion, heartbreak, and heartwarming moments. It was’t a sad book per se, but boy did it bring out the tears for me. But there weren't only tears, there was also a lot of laughter and love. Park’s writing is fantastic and her stories are always unique and beautifully written. Allison’s story was genuine and from the heart. I recommend for anyone looking for an emotional NA read.

WOW!!! This book was just...everything. This was my very first Jessica Park book and I was completely blown away. I loved the whole premise of the book, starting with the 180 seconds experiment and Esben's desire to bring about positive things in the world. I love that he and Allison seemed to be complete opposites, but that ultimately made them perfect for each other...a perfect balance of sorts. Allison's friendship with Steffi was beautiful and heartbreaking. The secondary characters of the book were also engaging and added so much to the story as a whole. Simon was AWESOME!!! Tissues were a must for me while reading this book, just to be completely honest. This book brought out all the feels. Amazing 5 Star Read. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

180 Seconds is a sweet, romantic and heart-wrenching story about university life and being able to move on from your past, however bad it might have been.

I found this book really entertaining. Jessica Park’s writing is easy and simple to read, meaning it feels as if you’re flying through chapters – even the emotionally weighty ones.

Allison was a protagonist that I found easily relatable. She had her flaws and her dark past that had informed her life and while her specific dealings in the foster care system wasn’t something I would directly relate to, her mental health due to it was. Park spent great care to focus on this idea of growth and overcoming your own limitations to become more. Allison is a girl who finds it difficult to trust, has to have everything in a very specific way to feel ordered, and over the course of the story, she forces herself to leave her own self-isolation and place herself in the world she has been shielding from.

And it all starts because of 180 seconds.

Allison grew up in foster care, not knowing a stable home, the only person she had was Steffi, her best friend-come-sister. Starting her third-year of college, following weeks of being an isolated shut-in avoiding as many people as she could, Allison gets roped into a 180-second social experiment where she must maintain eye contact with a local hottie. At first, the walls she's fought so hard to maintain throughout her life seem to terrify Esben, but as the clock ticks by, something incredible happens and as the 180-second time mark is called, they embark on a kiss that will take over the internet.

Okay, so my thoughts and feelings on this book are competing for spotlight right now. I really enjoyed reading this book, Allison was interesting as a character and Esben was a perfect book-boyfriend (and his social-media influencer status is great to read about too). The ending to the book ripped my heart in pieces and I found myself in the middle of a very very ugly cry. This book moved me, and it's been a while since a book has done that to me.

However, I have a couple of issues with the book that I'm trying not to take notice of, as it doesn't take away my enjoyment whilst reading. Mainly, this book is incredibly unrealistic - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since not all books have to be perfectly real and sometimes they can just be a dreamy escapism fantasy. Things like Esben's perfectness, the first-time sex scene, the perfectness of Allison's foster-father and the kindness of so many strangers. They were all too unrealistic for me and whilst I enjoyed it and wished people really did have experiences like this, I couldn't help but feel like it was niggling at my mind a little bit.

I really enjoyed reading this book and Park is definitely a brilliant writer. She gave me all the feels and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

180 Seconds

Jessica Park


Holy cow! What a beautiful story 180 SECONDS is. I finished reading it with tears in my eyes, a huge lump in my throat, and a big stupid smile on my face. My emotions were all over the place and my heart broke over and over again. What an emotional story that is going to stay with me for a long long time. I’ve never read Jessica Park before, but she is now on my auto buy list of authors and I will read everything she writes. She blew me and my heart away with the this moving story of Allison Dennis.

Allison grew up in foster care and wasn’t adopted out until she was sixteen. Her biological mother and father didn’t want her, they were married to other people. She is very closed off and always anxious, but somehow she manages to go through the motions of going to college. While she is there, she is approached to do a social experiment that will change her life forever. The experiment only lasts for 180 SECONDS and happens to be with Esben Baylor, who is a social media icon, but Allison knows nothing thing about it or him. The video from the experiment goes viral and Steffi flies out from LA to get her to talk to Esben about what he did to her life. He has torn down her walls and she needs to understand why.

Allison only has one friend in her life, Steffi, and she plays a huge role in 180 SECONDS. She grew up in foster care too and has always been a very good friend to Allison. They are more like sisters and it warmed my heart that Allison had her as well as Simon, the man who adopted Allison, in her life. She needed them so badly, as she soon finds out. Simon won my heart from the very beginning of the story and never loses his love for her or his faith in her as well.

After reading 180 SECONDS I’m so excited to read more by Jessica Park. She captivated my heart from the very first page and never let it go. 180 SECONDS is going be that book that after you are finished, you are going to want to share it with everyone. Jessica puts just the right amount of humor in her writing so you aren’t totally falling apart the whole time and will actually find yourself smiling like an idiot at some parts. Then the very next second, you are sobbing! I fell in love with all the characters in this heart breaking but also heart warming story. I love when an author does that to me. Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride……….I really have book hangover right now and I owe it all to Jessica Park!

**4.5 Stars**

Emotionally evocative and thought-provoking, 180 Seconds is a moving story of a young woman coming into and accepting herself. Park managed to delve into the mindset of someone socially and emotionally walled off from the world due to years of foster care, and to slowly bring her out of her shell in the most beautiful and inspiring way. A way in which it lightens your heart and brings absolute joy to the reader.

The idea that 180 seconds could be life-altering initially felt too steep of a concept, but in the context of this novel, I was so very moved by how Allison was affected by the connection she managed to create in a short time with both her internal self and Esben. Park not only managed to show every moment of this incredible change, in the moment, but continued to carry that on throughout the novel. Her and Esben’s relationship made me giddy as it progressed and it became impossible not to love everything about him and what he represented. And what he represented for her was a way to unleash her barriers, to accept she’s worthy of love, and he essentially became the catalyst for her self-realization. A safe spot for her to become an open, ever-moving canvas. But it was more than a novel about a boy falling in love with a girl; it was about friendship and family and the beauty of humankind.

One of the best aspects of 180 Seconds was how Park played with the concept of social media, bringing out the absolute positive aspect of it and weaving it into this story. It’s a feel-good book with a complex main character that battles her own concepts of self, others, and life, but with some very powerful emotional aspects, too. I sobbed from hurt, pain, and elation while reading because it’s the kind of novel that forces an array of emotional responses. I so loved the journey felt its warmth and growth at every turn.

The concept of this book was so interesting, especially since I've been watching those recently viral videos of strangers interacting on video. Allison and Esben's relationship was realistic and sweet, this is a great New Adult book about finding love, but more importantly, finding yourself.

Wow!! Jus, wow! My heart is so full after reading this book. Jessica really knows how to throw the punches and rip your heart out in the process, but in the most generous way possible. I cannot give enough praises for 180 Seconds, it is beautifully written and the characters are so relax and honest. I would definitely buy any book that she writes!

Apparently, I'm the only one who doesn't love this book. Huh.

*Unpopular opinion, alert!*

I want to start off by saying that I'm a HUGE Jessica Park fan. Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Celeste are both 5-star reads for me and total comfort food. I adored the quirky, fun humor of those books, and I was fully on board trying any and all Jessica Park stories. However, 180 Seconds was nothing like I was expecting.

My overall feeling after finishing the story was that I was emotionally manipulated. Now, of course it is the author's job to make the readers feel, but that all has to happen organically. It is the author's job to get the readers so immersed in the story, so in tune with the characters that they can't help but feel what the characters are feeling. However, that takes skill and effort. It is far simpler to use tried and true "heart-tuggers" as easy ploys to get the reader to experience emotion, but that isn't how I like to read a story. Don't try to manipulate me with plot twists that have been done time and time again and expect me to feel strong feelings.

I'm pretty surprised at the overwhelming love that I've seen so far for this story. Truth be told, the basic plot is one that I've read many times in different forms. I've read a lot of romances about former foster kids, and more stories about homeless teens, foster kids, and adoptees than I can count. However, this one was... different than most.

I was expecting a lot of angst and pain due to Allison's past, but I'd even go so far to say that this book was... cushy. Though Allison ended up in foster care and was bounced around a lot, the emotional effects of which I could never begin to comprehend, the Allison that we see in the story has a great life. She goes to an elite private college, is objectively pretty, and has access to all the trappings of life. Allison's adoptive dad is patient, loyal, handsome and RICH. In fact, he is an example of one of the MANY "golden figures" in the story. 180 Seconds suffers from a rash of characters without flaws, characters who are portrayed as perfect and don't waver from that ideal throughout the book.

I've been putting off discussing Esben, whose name I mistakenly read as Esteban at first (but, no, no persons of color in this lily-white story). I really didn't get Esben. He is a god-like combo of Brandon from Humans of New York and any other of the "do-gooders" portrayed on Instagram. While Esben's motivations are revealed more and more throughout the story, I didn't get him as a character at all. He is this unrealistic combo of patient, loving, kind, devoted, and smart, and Jessica Park never falters from that portrayal. He can literally do no wrong. His character hearkens back to flawless fairy-tales heroes, and goes so far away from a nuanced, full-bodied portrayal that I had trouble even engaging in his parts of the story. To top it off, he is a (view spoiler) because, OF COURSE he is. Truth be told, there is nothing that magical about Esben being a good person for his hundreds of thousands of followers. He isn't working with refugees in Syria or bringing water to people in Somalia, and in today's world, that is what would have impressed me.

The book was almost syrupy sweet, and I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. In fact, I had a very good inkling as to what was going to happen, and it turns out I was right. Which was... anticlimactic. I know that we, as readers, were supposed to feel a lot by the twists and turns at the end, but I felt, as I said before, manipulated and jaded.

While this book is undoubtedly well-meaning and will please a lot of readers, it was a disappointment for me. I was expecting something witty and clever, and I got something that felt very done before. Also, it felt surprisingly YA for a story set at the tail end of college. Actually, if these characters had been 16, the tone would have fit better and I might have been impressed with the story. All in all, though I know some Jessica Park fans will be thrilled by this one, I think many seasoned romance readers will find it lack-luster. Bummer.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

180 SECONDS will rip your heart out and leave you weeping before gracefully putting it back together. Raw, emotional, joyful, hopeful, gut wrenching, and funny are just a few of the myriad of emotions readers will experience when reading this incredible book. Fans of Colleen Hoover will LOVE this book. Can't recommend this book highly enough.

Allison is an introverted girl, just getting through life. She grew up moving in and out of foster families, although she never had it too bad, she never had anything consistent for too long. Until she was adopted at 16 years old. Even though she now has a dad, she's still very closed off and holds her cards very close to her chest. Hell, they are practically in her pocket. The only person who she trusts is her best friend Steffi who she met in the system!

That all changes after she spends 180 seconds staring into the eyes of a stranger named Esben Baylor. During that time something transpires between these two that neither of them has ever experienced before. Something intimate and indescribable. Something beautiful. What comes after is a story about falling in love, and letting yourself love.

This is actually my first Jessica Park read! I've only ever heard great things about her work so I decided to dive in! This was a great new adult read. The romance between Esben and Allison was so sweet and the build up made it feel so real. I really enjoyed reading about these two coming together. Some parts were pretty angsty, and I swear I cried for about 10% of the book. Like sobbing ugly tears. It's emotional and beautiful. If you like new adult, with very very tame love scenes, a dash of angst, and a whole box of feels... then I highly recommend you pick up 180 seconds! Such a great read!