Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray is a YA contemporary re-telling of the play, Cyrano de Bergerac. In Ray’s novel, CeCe Edmonds (this version’s Cyrano) has been left with a large scar on her face after being in a car accident as a child. Teased and whispered about growing up, she has formed a hard and tough persona as her shield. Now a senior in high school, she’s never cared about her looks at least until the new transfer student, Emmett Brady, becomes her new literature critique partner. CeCe may be attracted to him, but to her dismay, he seems to have eyes for her beautiful volleyball teammate Bryn DeNeuville, who seems to clam up when talking to boys, specifically Emmett.

So Bryn asks CeCe to help her talk to Emmett via emails and texts, which CeCe agrees to do. And just like in Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac this good deed definitely does not bode well for the players, especially as CeCe begins to fall more and more for Emmett, while he’s falling for the wrong girl!

Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray follows Cyrano de Bergerac in regards to the highlights from the play like the deception, the love interest Emmett (Roxanne character) falling for the wrong person and not realizing who the messages are really coming from, and the ending with the revelation. So if you're familiar with Cyrano de Bergerac, the tale fits that well worn narrative, but Ms. Ray gives us a story filled with humor and characters who are both endearing and interesting, in their own modern setting and situations.

While reading, I was completely reminded of the 1996 movie The Truth about Cats and Dogs with Janeane Garofalo and Uma Thurman. And just like with that movie that I loved, I felt Emmett really should have been able to tell the difference between CeCe and Bryn especially after talking with Bryn in person! The connection and chemistry between CeCe and Emmett was so palatable that it drove me crazy how CeCe was not telling Emmett the truth and how Emmett was completely blind to who really was the girl behind the emails and texts.

All in all, Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray was a well-written novel, of a timeless tale, filled with romance, laughter, and learning to love oneself just as you are, no matter the outer shell. I happily recommend.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review.)

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray! Katie Ray has previously published works under the name of Katie Kacvinsky and her books have been popular with my library patrons. I believe that this new book of Katie's will be a popular read also. Don't Kiss the Messenger is a retelling of sorts. The story line is similar to the play, Cyrano de Bergerac where inner beauty overpowers outer beauty. This book is intelligent and eloquent in many ways, while still staying a young adult contemporary story! CeCe and Emmett take turns by alternating points of view throughout the book. CeCe has a scar on the right side of her face that she prefers to not be the focal point when she meets someone for the first time. Emmett is new to the school and a known high school football player. They both attend Honors Shakespeare class and are partnered on the first day. CeCe and Emmett share the trait of clever wit and they have tremendous similarities with their tastes in and knowledge of music and literature. They are both intense and dedicated athletes also; CeCe is the captain of the volleyball team and Emmett is the star quarterback. I love this book with its romantic gestures, self-esteem building thoughts and loyalty and friendship. 5 stars for this amazing realistic fiction read!

Don’t Kiss the Messenger is supposed to be a modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac but that’s not something I’m familiar with. So, I went into this story only knowing what the synopsis told me. I knew there would be deceit with Cece writing Emmett on Bryn’s behalf but I honestly thought it would only be in the beginning. I had no idea Cece would keep the farce up throughout the entire book.

Because of Cece’s facial scar from a car accident, she’s used to people looking at her differently. She’s always known how to deal with the people who are rude, and it also helps that her classmates all have her back. Cece’s definitely not a woe-is-me character. She’s strong, smart, and is fully capable of handling her own against others. However, when two new transfers come in, Cece’s world starts to get complicated. For some reason, Cece agrees to write emails on behalf of her fellow teammate who is crushing hard on the new kid. Apparently the girl gets tongue-tied when she’s around him and needs Cece’s help. What was supposed to be only a one-time-deal to help break the ice between the two snowballs way out of control. Pretty soon Cece is feeding her lines while they are on a date, she’s wearing Bryn’s clothes and hiding in the shadows, yelling poetic things up to his room to help out when they get into a fight, and she continues to email him her thoughts and feelings. To say she took it too far is an understatement.
“I felt like an actor, standing in the shadows, calling out all the lines but never taking the stage…”

I think for me, the deceit is what really did me in. If it was a one-time thing just to help break the ice, okay. However, Cece continues to do it throughout their entire relationship. She’s become very good friends with Emmett, is even falling in love with him, and she’s still emailing him as if she’s Bryn! Not to mention that Bryn didn’t even deserve him. I mean, she craves and loves the attention from a different boy, is too busy ordering shoes online to pay attention to his musical piece he’s preforming… for her, and is just so incredibly shallow I don’t know why Cece helped her out. I mean, the girl obviously didn’t care about Emmett, she just wanted in his pants. So, for me, I really REALLY disliked all the lying that took place because it went on for far too long and the girl wasn’t even invested in the guy she was trying to obtain/hold onto. I just didn’t get it.

This book messed with my emotions. I loved it, even hated it sometimes and I pretty much struggled to rate it. Although this book was frustrating, I did end up enjoying it.

Cece’s life has never been the same after the accident left her with a permanent scar on her face. Emmett is the first guy in a while who sees Cece for who she is but just like everybody, Bryn, the new girl in Cece’s volleyball team catches his eye. Cece agrees to be the fake messenger between Bryn and Emmett leading him to believe all the text and emails are from Bryn. But soon enough, Cece is falling head over heels in love with Emmett. It’s up to her to decide if she wants to remain behind the facade or confess her feelings for him.

Although the plot of this book was clichéd, I enjoyed the execution. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the plot hadn’t been so similar to one my favourite Bollywood movie (Mujhse Dosti Karoge). After Bryn is unable to say anything witty or charming to Emmett’s messages, she persuades Cece who reluctantly agrees to be the secret messenger between them. What starts as one simple reply develops into something much more over the period of time they spend talking to each other.

Cece is someone who stays away from the emotional stuff after her accident which left her with a permanent scar on her face. I could somewhat empathize with her because although not quite the same, I suffer from body image issues as well. And when Emmett actually understands her for what she is, she can’t stop the facade of hiding behind someone else because it’s the only way she could make Emmett look at her as he looks at Bryn. But I don’t know why she agreed to be the messenger between them in the first place and even after continuously getting hurt, why she didn’t stop. I kind of understood what the heck was going on but it frustrated me to no end, she should have come out with the truth way earlier.

Another thing that I felt angry and frustrated with was Emmett. He understood Cece so well yet he couldn’t decipher it was she who was behind the texts and the emails. I think he didn’t want to and I definitely agreed with Cece’s thoughts in this matter. And Bryn, oh my god, this girl was so superficial. She was not a really bad person but I have to say, she definitely was a crappy friend, unlike Tuba. I loved Tuba’s character, she is a true and loyal best friend that Cece could ever have and I loved continuous push that finally helped Cece to confess everything. But I wish we got more of Cece and Emmett together, it doesn’t happen until 75% of the book, which was disappointing.

Ultimately, I think I have a love-hate relationship with this book. I enjoyed the plot and the characters but there were equally negative factors as well. Nonetheless, I loved the writing, it was smooth and beautiful and the pace was even throughout the book.

Recommend it?

Yes.

Don't Kiss the Messenger was an absolutely adorable, quick read. After reading that it is a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, I wanted to immediately go read the original.

Cece is an incredibly smart, vivacious character. Captain of the varsity volleyball team at a school where sports are everything, she should be one of the most popular students at school. However, the large scar on her face from a childhood accident seems to define her to her classmates more than anything else. I loved how tough and resilient Cece was in general (with the exception of one scene where she was more of a bully). The glimpses we get of what lay beneath her hardened exterior really rounded her out as a character.

Her developing relationship with Emmett was adorable. I was rooting for them from their very first interaction in English class. Emmett himself was another interesting character, the football player and musician. Both main characters were very well-developed and multidimensional. However, the secondary characters, particularly Bryn, weren't well-developed. I had a difficult time believing that Emmett seriously didn't at least have an idea that Bryn wasn't the girl he was messaging.

I'm fully supportive of the messaging confusion plot in the book but Bryn really didn't have to be such an airhead. Very little time is spent on her athletic abilities or the training and determination it took to get her there. Instead, Cece is portrayed as the well-rounded person who is also an incredible athlete while Bryn is a shallow person who has no other thoughts than rating a guy's hotness. Other than one mention at the beginning, we don't really hear about her performance on the team. The main focus is on how gorgeous she is and how boys are incredibly attracted to her. The author does Bryn a disservice by not developing her more fully.

Overall, this story was a quick and enjoyable read. I would recommend to fans of light YA contemporaries.

3.5 “Scars, Sports & Illusions” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Entangled Teen (Crush).

I'm still not sure how to rate this book, to be completely honest. While the main character took me on an emotional ride, giving me all the feels, I had problems with how the romance was portrayed here among other things.

Don't Kiss the Messenger didn't go at all as I expected. I've read my fair share of Entangled Crush books to expect sweet and cute stories with popular tropes (like the "falling in love with someone while thinking they're someone else" one). I didn't get sweet and cute from this book, though. This isn't exactly a critique, since I'm all in for angsty, smart and mature love stories, but getting that when I was expecting something else threw me off for a while.

This is a book about mature teenagers with a smart language and lots of references to literature and classic music--this last subjectisn't something I'm particularly familiar with, but I still enjoyed how it added layers to the story. You know when sometimes you read something and you feel like the characters and writer are way smarter than you? That's how I felt reading this. It isn't something that bothers me, because I'm always open to learning new things, but... again, it wasn't something I was expecting.

CeCe, the main and my favorite character, was a strong teenager with a rich backstory and a dry sense of humor that spoke to me. She was tough--and I LOVE though female characters. I love when they aren't afraid to show themselves as leaders and as someone with strong personalities. I don't know if CeCe was always that way, but after the car accident that left her with a scar taking over the entire left side of her face, she had to adapt and be tougher than those bullying her.

I high-fived her every time she stood up for herself. She had some "Ella Harper" (from Paper Princess) moments, and I LOVE myself some of that.

CeCe's journey made me laugh, root for her, want to slap her so she got her mind and actions straight, and even made me a little emotional toward the end. Despite disagreeing with how far she took things as the "fake Bryn", I still connected with her enough to want to follow her journey and get all the feels while I did it.

But while CeCe won me over, Emmet and Bryn, the two other major players in this story, didn't.

My problem with Bryn's storyline was more related to how people treated her (including the author) than with the girl herself. Look, I'm a bit tired of how people tend ot make girls who are into fashion, celebrities and hot boys into the dumb ones. Sure Bryn didn't show a lot of deapth, but I'm blaming that entired on how the author wanted to portray her. Being into celebrities and fashion doesn't necessarily mean that's all you're into, and it doesn't make you unable to have conversations about other things. I thought the way Bryn was written was unrealistic, stereotypical and damaging. Not to say unecessary. The author could've easily kept her as someone smart enough to have a conversation that didn't involve the words "hot" and "hair" and "make out" and still make her the wrong match for Emmet. There was no need to label her the "dumb girl".

CeCe's reactions to Bryn were some of the opportunities when she got on my nerves. She could be so condesceding at times. I think she really cared for Bryn and was initially trying to help her, but I wasn't okay with how she was basically rolling her eyes every time Bryn spoke. It felt too close to slut-shaming (which is something I'm finding myself less and less tolerant with, especially in YA)...except it was like dumb-shaming, or something in that sense.

Emmet, for his turn, didn't get the chance to dumb-shame Bryn, but that's only because he never got to know the real girl. He was too busy staring at her or making out with her to realize she wasn't exactly who she thought he was. I mean, come on, it was pretty obvious. Whenever he talked with CeCe, she spoke like the girl who emailed and texted her, but it never even crossed his mind that she was the one behind the e-messages he was getting from "Bryn". Really? I think CeCe's conclusion toward the end was spot on: Emmet was too busy wanting everything--the perfect face and the perfect brain in the same girl--to even consider anything else.

Emmet wasn't a bad character. I liked how smart he was. How he balanced his love for music with his love for football. How he never thought of CeCe as "the girl with the scar". He had some good things going for him, but the fact that he remained clueless for so long irritated me.

That and watching Bryn and Emmet get together. I mean, I was disappointed at the romance development here. I didn't pick this book up so I could read about Emmet and Bryn making out. I knew it was a possibility from the blurb, but I expected Emmet and CeCe to do some making out of their own, since this was supposed to be their love story. It took way too long to get to that, which made the whole romance aspect of the story (which was supposed to be the main aspect of the story) lacking.

Having said all of that, I can't say I disliked the book. It wasn't what I expected, but it still kept me reading. I liked how smart it was, how developed CeCe was as a character and how different the setting was. I was initially confused at the whole live-on-campus high school system, but I can see a lot of promise there for future books in the series. I only thought it was a bit strange to have all those high school students living in dorms without any supervision, since I'm assuming most of them were underage. Is that common? *shrugs*

Overall, I think this book deserves a mostly positive rating because of CeCe and her journey.

CeCe is a strong girl who needed to protect herself from the comments and looks of others because of a scar on her face. She, unlike other girls, is not interested in gorgeous boys, shoes and clothes, for her it is important to be a great volleyball player, to enjoy her books and to have a very peculiar taste for music. She does everything not to be noticed, but after Bryn enters in despair and asks her to help answer a message from Emmett, CeCe discovers that the new boy and football idol has more in common with her than Bryn and begins to suffer from the fact that he does not realize who actually writes the messages.

Emmett, like every hormone-filled teenager, is charmed by the beautiful new student Bryn, and when she responds to his messages and emails in a totally intellectual way using a lot of references that he also likes, he thinks that he is falling in love , believing that he has found the ideal girl :beautiful and smart.

Bryn in turn just wants to enjoy life and realizing that the gorgeous Emmett is interested in her, begins to insinuate herself even though she does not understand anything of what he writes for her.

The exchange of messages brings a great playlist, full of lyrical and romantic phrases. The relationships and intrigues that occur at this highschool brings a lot of dynamic moments to the book.

I really enjoyed the way the writer has managed to overcome Emmett and CeCe's problems, their relationship with family and friends, the advice of Tuba (Friend of CeCe) and Frank (musician, friend of Emmett).

I'm already hoping the writer will create love stories for CeCe's friends so I can see more of this cute couple.

What I did not like very much was that the writer put a lot of emphasis on the chemistry between Emmett and Bryn following the line of inspiration in Cyrano de Bergerac and this blindness of Emmett irritated me in several scenes of the book, as in the other book too, but like I loved Emmett's redemption, and as CeCe and Emmett began to understand, it made up for the part that made me angry and ended up sighing so sweetly.

Highly recommend.
4/5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1960385173

I received the ARC for "Don't Kiss the Messenger" by Katie Ray from Entangled Publishing.

I have to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this book, because the description DID NOT do it JUSTICE! It was beautiful. The writing, the people, the whole package. I loved it.

Cece is a strong girl, confident, capable, but utterly damaged. Her scar doesn't define her, but others don't see the girl, they only see her scar.
Emmett is more than just a football player. He is soulful, talented, a little naive, but eventually gets there. He has a bit of a sad past, but he is still a pretty happy guy.

I love both characters. The author did a great job of giving them depth and life. It is a beautiful story. I can't wait to read more by Katie.

I loved everything about Don't Kiss the Messenger! For me, this story was very much driven by the varied cast of characters. I loved that they weren't cast as ideals, but with the flaws and hangups that we all can relate to.

CeCe Edmonds was in a devasting crash that left her scarred in what was probably the worst place for a girl/woman... her face. For her entire life, she had to endure the stares, the comments, even the outright cruel jeers. Eventually, she learned to cope by accepting it and herself as she was, dealing with it with a combination of humor and outright badassery.

Emmett Brady is the new guy at school, popular and gorgeous. But he also has his own story and his own baggage. CeCe is instantly attracted to him, but does nothing about it because she knows there is no way someone like him would ever consider being more than friends with someone who looked like her.

And this belief is solidified when he meets Bryn DeNeuville, the new girl. Bryn is CeCe's friend, but her polar opposite. Where CeCe is into interesting music and thought-provoking literature, Bryn is all about everything that is popular. And she has set her eyes on Emmett. The only problem? He seems to be the one guy she can't talk to OR relate to. So, she turns to CeCe to help her.

It is Cyrano de Bergerac all over again, but modernized and set in the world of teenagers. There are emotional ups and downs, funny moments and sad. There were times when I wanted to jump into the book and talk some sense into one character or another. It is a story that really makes you think about love, relationships, friendships, real beauty, and what it means to be true to yourself. An amazing read!

DON'T KISS THE MESSENGER is a fun read about love, identity, self-awareness, self acceptance, and friendship. When I first learned that Katie Ray had a new book coming out for Entangled Crush, it immediately went on my TBR list. I was vaguely aware of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, I enjoy reading retellings, and I was interested in reading Katie Ray’s YA retelling of this story.


Straight off, I was a fan of CeCe and her no-nonsense "this is me, just as I am" self. And for other reasons, it was easy to relate to CeCe. Oh man, how did I know how CeCe felt, having a connection and then falling for the one who is falling for your friend. Too often I heard dreaded words, “Can you talk to her for me?” Bryn and CeCe’s situation was a little different, since she was helping Bryn with talking to Emmett, but the feeling of resignation is there because of course you want to help your friend find love with the one she is falling for.


I loved CeCe’s beautiful words in her emails to Emmett. They are poetry and show that it is easier to reveal your true self behind a veil. She had so much depth and knew how to express her emotions, it’s just too bad that she couldn’t use them for herself, but instead used them to give Bryn a voice.


I just know there was more to Bryn, but it was overshadowed by the intimidation of Emmett's intensity. I would've liked to see more of Bryn outside of who she was when she was with Emmett. It was easy to identify with that side of her too. Sometimes you are at a loss for words, but CeCe knew there was more substance to Bryn, and I wanted to see more of THAT girl.


What I liked:

CeCe and Tuba’s friendship - I loved the humor, the knowing looks, the fun!
The characters were athletes and intellectuals - you can be both!
Some REAL TALK between CeCe and her mother - especially when CeCe tells her mother that she needs to let her be broken. She can’t always be strong.



Some Favorite Quotes:


“I didn’t read to escape. I didn’t even read to be entertained. It was more elemental, more essential than that. I read because my imagination was the only thing that elevated me beyond my own reality.”


“I just live by the credence that life is at its best when accompanied by music.”


“Why did people associate alone time for lonely time?”

I really enjoyed DON'T KISS THE MESSENGER and I want to know the other characters. Will Tuba get her own story? Please say YES! I’m looking forward to reading more books in the Edgelake High series and more books by Katie Ray.

Overall rating 4.5 of 5

Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray.......What a fun sweet book that brought me back to my high school. This book hooked me from the beginning to the last word. I loved Emmett the new high school jock that is hot and a mystery. CeCe is beautiful inside and out, but has a scar on her face and doesn't date, thinking no one will like her for more than a friend. She is everything Emmett wants, but Bryn is in the way, will they figure it out before it is to late. I highly recommend this book. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 out of 5 stars Don't Kiss the Messenger is a young adult contemporary read based on the story of Cyrano de Bergerac. As Cece tries convincing herself that she's only helping out her friend, Bryn win the new hot guy on campus she herself is slowly falling for Emmett who she doesn't believe would ever consider her due to physical imperfections. I enjoyed reading this cute read with likable characters. I do believe Cyrano would be proud of Cece with the antics Ms. Ray puts her through to finally realize she is worthy of love.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

I really enjoyed reading this fun, light, YA contemporary. At first I was a bit confused about the main characters' ages because they acted (at least the main female and male leads) very mature for their ages. The high school and college apparently share a campus, so maybe that's why the high school students act more mature for their ages? Anyways, CeCe and Emmett are great! I love that Emmett is a complex character instead of a two dimensional football player. He thinks in music, which is his love, instead of the typical jock. Cece, with her scarred face, is a tough gal to crack. She's built this mental armor around herself so she doesn't fall into heartache. Of course, mild heartache happens anyways (otherwise it wouldn't be YA, right?), but Emmett turns out to be smarter than the typical teenage male and wisens up enough to land the right girl.

Leaving reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

If your only exposure to Cyrano de Bergerac is Steve Martin's rendition in Roxanne, then you need to read this book. (Sorry, if you actually liked that movie). Attending the live production is the best way to go, but until you have the opportunity, you should definitely read this YA retelling.

CeCe has a huge scar across one side of her face from an automobile accident she was involved in, and it's gnarly enough that she frequently is stared at, gawked at, and whispered about. What I love about this book is that it doesn't make her the victim. No, she doesn't feel she'll ever have a boyfriend because of it. And she does struggle internally, but she doesn't crawl into a hole and feel sorry for herself. She is the captain of the volleyball team and when others make fun, she puts them in their place.

I loved her crush, Emmett, as well. Yes, he is a football player. But not a stereotypical one. His true love is music. He has a deep, complex and fragile soul. He's actually the one I felt bad for for most of the book, because he thinks he's falling in love with one girl who is writing him beautiful letters, but like in the Wizard of Oz, there is someone else behind the screen.

There was one thing that bothered me about the book, though. CeCe and Emmett attend a private high school that borders a college campus. The kids sleep there in dorms, eat there, etc. It seemed like such an unnatural environment for high school kids, and there was a lot of emphasis on teenage sex. Almost like it was intended for college kids, but then she quickly changed the ages so it would be a YA book.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book and am giving it 4 out of 5 Stars.

I had difficulty rating this book, as my love would peak many times but then I'd lose hope that this would be a really good book. In the end, I can say I enjoyed it but there was still something wrong. Maybe it's the problem when you treat this sort of plot seriously, and the author went a long way into the conflicts.

So that's why I'm giving it a 3.5.

CeCe has a terrible scar on half of her face and this has inhibited her from really enjoying life. It feels that the transfer student Emmett is the only guy who is able to see the person below it but his focus is a mostly on the other transfer student and beauty of the campus—and a major airhead—Bryn. For some reason, now CeCe is exchanging emails with Emmett in Bryn's behalf and the plot just gets messier, for she's never been this honest as now she's pretending to be someone else.

Geez, Emmett takes so long to notice what is wrong that no wonder I felt anxious for most of the story. The author didn't want to stay safe and she went all out in having Emmett really thinking he is in love with Bryn. Do you see how bad that is for CeCe? So yeah, while I'm glad she didn't use clichés like "But he feels he doesn't really love her", the awkwardness didn't help me cheer for the couple.

I also wasn't too fond of CeCe, being this incredible volleyball player, who is a Chemistry nerd and can quote Shakespeare. Like, isn't that overkill? I didn't hold any negative feelings either, so I don't think she's the type who would irritate a reader. I'd just find it hilarious how she could do so much so perfectly.

Putting those complaints aside, this was a fun book. The surroundings a little different from your usual YA, sounding a little more like college. Because the main characters are athletes, they were scouted from many places and need to leave near the school. So they all group in houses, and they call the place campus. It was refreshing not to have your typical high school. But they're still high schoolers, and this is no NA. I liked this.

I also loved CeCe's group of friends. The scenes are all so much fun I wish I were their roommate. Tuba was surely my favorite, such an interesting girl! I wonder if there's place for a book dedicated to her? Bryn isn't that much of a friend, for CeCe has only met her but, believe it or not she was also one of my favorite characters. Indeed, at times it was hard to believe she could be so... intelligence-challenged? but it was worth it exaggerating that trait—or lack of one—in her personality. I do see why even CeCe would end up helping her despite all the trouble that ensued.

By the way, the scenes featuring Bryn, when she's trying to speak to Emmett what CeCe told her to were my favorite.

As you can see, I had trouble getting over the awkwardness but the book had many great scenes as well.

This is 100% a case of "it's not you, it's me." I should have paid more attention to the blurb and less attention to the author - whom I have read before and thoroughly enjoyed. This "Cyrano de Bergerac" storyline is not for me though. I was almost immediately frustrated and impatient with Brynn because I felt like she was just in the way of the good stuff. I liked CeCe and adored Emmett - but the road to their happily ever ending stressed me out to the point where I chose not to continue with the story.

Again, that's on me. The writing is great. The character building is great. If I had paid more attention to the type of story this was (or really thought that through), I'd have known better than to request this one. I do look forward to more from this author!

What a delightful read! CeCe Edmonds is a volleyball star but she is afraid to show her true self to the world because of a horrible scar on part of her face. CeCe isn't used to positive attention so when she meets the very dreamy Emmett Brady, she finds her self keeping up her defenses, even as they spend time in Shakespeare class together. Being a good friend and teammate, CeCe helps her volleyball teammate Bryn work her magic on Emmett in a very Cryrano de Bergerac kind of way. Unknown to Emmett, the girl he is falling for is CeCe! This is a story about how love can grown even when you aren't looking for it and beauty is more than skin deep. Well written and full of swoonworthy moments, I couldn't put this story down!

I absolutely adored this book! It was beautiful and real.

Well written and I loved the alternating point of views!

Ugh. I can't recall ever reading a romance less satisfying.
Which is a shame considering the promising premise of a prominently scarred heroine. The thing is, had the author left out the entire romance part and focused on CeCe's character and her struggles, her friendships and family drama instead, it might have been a great book, as those were the passages that really touched me deeply.

The love story, however, has left me wanting for so much more. I wasn't expecting anything profound. I was anticipating something cute and romantic, something to make me swoon and giggle a little. But, while I'm in no way someone who needs my romances "safe", there's certainly nothing romantic about having to read about the hero doting on, getting together and incessantly making out with another girl, while the heroine suffers through her crush on said guy who's too blinded by beauty to see what's right before him - up until 80% in when the other girl breaks up and comes clean with him.
Had at least the ending been more convincing, I could've bought into it all. As it is, it all just wrapped up too conveniently for me to believe in a HEA for the two main characters.

Seriously disappointed.