I'm a fan of Jennifer Armentrout's paranormal fantasy stories and now her realistic contemporary stories too. If There's No Tomorrow looks at the repercussions of a tragic accident senior year and the aftermath.

Author Jennifer Armentrout has created a book that explores the life of a teen, just looking to make it through high school and all that comes with living in a single-parent home who is suddenly thrust into a shattered life. All because of what she didn't say. How would any of us deal with this? Well written with an authentic voice.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the e-arc, all opinions are my own.

Lena Wise is about to start her senior year of high school. She is gearing up for volleyball season, enjoying the final days of summer with her best friends, and awaiting the return of the boy next door, who she also happens to be in love with. This story isn't just a romance. One poor decision. One tragic accident. And their lives are changed forever. This book explores love, friendship, guilt, grief, and forgiveness.

I wanted to like this one so much. I much preferred her previous realistic novel.

I wanted to like this one, and it's a solid cautionary tale. However, the slow pacing and somewhat flat characterization of the supplementary characters made this one more of a drag than it should have been.

Every book that I have read by Jennifer L. Armentrout has been amazing. This was no different. She is one of my favorite authors of all time.

Jennifer L. Armentrout really can do no wrong in my book. This was beautifully written and while it wasn't always the easiest subject matter to read about, it was heartbreakingly lovely. Another win for JLA!

This book tells the story of Lena, friends and romance. Her longtime best friend Sebastian is her secret crush, and just when it looks like they might get together, a tragic incident occurs resulting from teen drinking at a party. Lena is hurt herself and consumed with guilt for her role in the tragedy. I think this book might be great for a book club in which there could also be a lesson about peer pressure and making good decisions. I liked it but don't think it would appeal to my urban teen readers.

I'm a big fan of Jennifer Armentrout, I really enjoy her paranormal/fantasy stories. This is the first contemporary YA novel I have read by her. Since the book is basically broken up into before and after I thought I'd break my review up into the good and bad.

The Good

The set up - I really enjoyed how the tragedy was set up. You meet Lena, her friends and the boy next door. You can't help but connect with Lena and hope that Sebastian confesses his love for her. The car accident took me a little by surprise (even though I knew something was going to happen) and I may or may not have shed a few tears. I was just getting interested in these funny, complex characters and now some were taken away.
Lena's emotions - I have never been in that situation but I felt like her emotions were raw and accurate. She goes through a mix of denial, hopelessness, guilt and semi-acceptance. I liked how complex her feelings and emotions were and how she worked through them.
The Bad

The subject matter isn't original - There's nothing revolutionary about the story line, there are several well written YA books revolved around drunk driving and the aftermath of tragic car accidents. I wish this story stood out more.
Overly cheesy - Don't get me wrong, I love a good love story but I felt at times that the cheese factor was high. I wish the romantic aspect was as realistic as the car accident and Lena's emotions dealing with it.
Even though this wasn't my favorite book I'd still recommend it, especially to YA book lovers who enjoy contemporary realistic fiction.

What if There's No Tomorrow? When a horrible accident happens Lena has to face that question. This is a great book and the characters are so real you'll instantly fall in love with them.

Favorite Quotes:

I’d spent the last million years harboring a rabid case of bitter jealousy when it came to Skylar. But the worst part was that she was genuinely sweet, which made hating her a crime against humanity, puppies and rainbows.

I might seriously hit you, and since you weigh, like, eighty pounds wet and I have about a hundred on you, I’m going to snap you like a KitKat bar.

Yeah, he’s hot, but he’s also the school bike and everyone has had a ride…

Wait, why am I explaining different kisses to you two? No one in this room is a member of the hymen parade. You know the different types of kissing.

The home was on a massive farm, and it was the kind of house no one needed unless they were polygamists and had fifty children.

Time… time slowed down and moved too fast, all at once.

My Review:

I rarely (never) read YA but I have been hearing rave remarks and accolades about the marvelous stories and talent of the scribe known as Jennifer Armentrout for ages so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about; I hope the devil has thermal underwear as a freeze may be coming his way, I loved this exceptionally well-crafted book and couldn’t put it down. Yes, there was eye rolling, typically teenaged angst, family tensions, problems with parents, girlfriend spats, boyfriend drama, the debates about whether they “really, really like” someone, and only toes curling kisses to rate on the steam-ometer. But the storyline was unexpectedly poignant and deep and delved into the heavier issues of the aftermath of trauma, survivor’s guilt, grief, shame, depression, and cowardice.

Despite a large number of characters to keep straight, the writing was easy to follow, insightful, emotive, highly observant, and descriptive. Ms. Armentrout’s deftly written and clever arrangements of words pulled me right into Lena’s world and frequently stung my eyes, squeezed my heart, and tensed my frame. The storyline was written from the single POV of an uptight and emotionally stunted and buttoned-up seventeen-year-old girl who was the only survivor of a drunk-driver/single-car accident that critically injured four of her friends. As the only sober passenger, Lena felt responsible yet she was not making an effort to handle her all-consuming guilt, as her typical response to any conflict or emotional situation had always been to repress, deny, withdraw, and/or flee. Kudos to Ms. Armentrout for portraying the difficult issues and counseling process needed for individuals of all ages but particularly the vulnerable teen in dealing with the finality of death and poor decisions.

What a tough topic, yet one that is always in need of discussing - drinking and driving. It's such an important thing ti discuss with teens and I feel as though this book will make them think twice before drinking and driving or even just getting in a car with someone who is under the influence (alcohol/drugs).

Lena makes a rushed and poor decision and is now stuck with the consequences of her choice. Sadly, she feels that she cannot confide in anyone with how she is feeling and avoids conflict with others. Her self judgement is so critical that she begins to alienate herself from her friends and possible love interest. She thinks about the friends who will never get to see what their lives would have ended up being like, that they would have no tomorrow. And she felt guilty living and wouldn't let herself move on... why should she get a tomorrow, and a day after tomorrow and so on, when she could have made a different choice and possibly changed everything? Is it truly her fault? Will others think that she's to blame?

The one thing that let the light come through was her relationship with her best friend, Sebastien. He had always been her BFF, yet she had always been in love with him. Finally, they realize that they both have feelings for one another. She hides her memories about the accident from him as she feels that it would change the way he sees her and she's terrified to lose his love and friendship. He eventually shows her that he thinks more of her than she expects and supports her unconditionally. He's a great guy for her to be with and to navigate the aftermath of such a tragedy.

In the end, this book deals with what happens when you think "it will never happen to me", the grief, the loss, the expectations of making better choices, and what it's like to live with survivor's guilt.

"I knew I couldn’t go back and start a new beginning. I couldn’t rewrite the middle. All I could do was change tomorrow, as long as I had one."

I have enjoyed every JLA book that I've ever read and this one was no exception. It's well written for such an emotional and poignant topic. Give it a go, if you're looking to read a standalone by JLA.

Lena Wise is a good kid who makes a bad decision in Jennifer L. Arementrout’s newest YA release. As with JLA’s other YA books, the characters are well developed and relatable. However, unlike her other novels, the pacing of this novel is very slow. Lena’s mistake is the premise of this book, yet the reader is forced to wait until the middle of the book for it to happen. The pacing picks up there, but more could have been done in the beginning. Ultimately, this novel is good, just not as good as some of JLA’s previous work.

Lena is realizing there is a world outside of high school and she's ready to live for tomorrow, until tragedy strikes and she is forced to wonder, What if there's no tomorrow. Another winner by Jennifer Armentrout- a powerful and moving novel that should be given to every teenager, parents of teens, and guidance counselor!

If There’s No Tomorrow is a cautionary tale as much as it is a story that will hit you in all the feels. Perhaps it’s a plot that’s been done before, but it’s also a plot that needs to keep being written until its message truly sinks in for teenagers. Without giving spoilers, Lena’s story probably plays out more than we know about, certainly more than we would wish it did. The aftermath of what happens is handled realistically as well as compassionately.

Lena is a heroine I would want to be friends with, were I (please God, no) still in high school. She’s delightfully bookish and she’s in love with her best guy friend who lives next door. I really enjoyed her relationship with Sebastian, especially as it continues to develop during the story. I can’t say much more about that because … spoilers … but I will say that a frantic Sebastian who realizes what he nearly lost is quite heart-clenching.

Bottom Line: Keep a box of tissues close by while reading Armentrout’s latest! In typical angsty-YA fashion, it will slam you in the feels more than once. The nature of the first few pages(will keep you on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop, as you hold your breath to see how it relates to the plot and the characters. This was my first Jennifer Armentrout novel, but it won’t be my last!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I absolutely loved this book! I am a big fan of Jennifer Armentrout and she did not disappoint with this book!

I was given an e-ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I love Jen Lancaster and have read her memoirs and adult fiction. She tackled a tough subject with her usual snark and it worked. Also, sadly her characters (both the teens and parents) are very close to the driven familes I come in contact with every day as a teen librarian.

What I don't think will work for my teen patrons were all of the John Hughes movie references and the 80s rap references. I know that these are two topics that are close to Jen's heart but I don't think that teens will relate or even get some of the comments. Having said this, I still think that this book will fly off of our library shelf but it will be checked out by 40 somethings not their teenage children.

I would give this book 3.5 stars if possible or I'd give it a 4 if it was written as an adult novel instead of YA.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout! If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The story opens with Lena waking up and not knowing where she is. Time moves backward. Lena keeps to herself and has more than a crush on her neighbor, Sebastian. She's kind of a homebody and enjoys reading. We get to see into all aspects of Lena's life and the choices she makes. My heart stopped a few times during the story because of suspense. It also stopped because of the fear of what happened to Lena and her friends and, for a while, not knowing which friends were involved in the accident. This heartfelt story teaches us that we're all capable of making mistakes and wrong choices and we're also capable of healing. We also need people to help us overcome and handle grief. 5 stars for another great young adult book from Jennifer L. Armentrout!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration.

I’ll just start off by saying that If There’s No Tomorrow is one of those books I love to hate and hate to love. It reminded me so much of how I felt reading Beautiful Disaster or Ten Birthdays – I couldn’t put them down, but I also wanted to throw them across the room. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.

Seriously, though, despite some of my better judgement, I really enjoyed If There’s No Tomorrow. It’s YA through and through, from the overly dramatic characters to the adorably-naive conflicts. There are friendships and boys and summer jobs, and there are bullies and bad things and fights with parents. Really, what more could a girl want?

What drove me nuts, though, was the way Lena’s parents – and half the other adults in the book – handled what happened. (Which I can’t really tell you because it’d be a spoiler…) Anyway, there seemed to be a lot of disappointment and blame going around that frankly seemed inappropriate and unrealistic. Having never been in the situation Lena finds herself in, I could be totally wrong – but I can’t imagine any of the parents I know reacting quite the way Lena’s did at first. Shrug.

Even that wasn’t enough to keep me from reading If There’s No Tomorrow in one night. Like I said, I couldn’t put it down! Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in what makes a book good or bad or whathaveyou. The best stories transport you to a different time and place, and that’s what this one did for me. For one evening, I forgot everything and just lost myself in Lena’s story. If that’s not a book worth reading, I don’t know what is.

Thank you to Netgalley and the pubisher for allowing me to read and review this book!
I always know that reading Jennifer L. Armentrout will be a good read. She does not fail to bring characters that you root on. Lena and Sebastain are the main characters of this book and in Jennifer Armentrout style they are completly in need of each other. They fill a void in each other. The book stays true to her style of what young love and sacrifices bring us. It is a good, solid novel.