It Started With Goodbye is a spin on a modern day Cinderella story. We meet the main character, Tatum Elsea, who is nearing the end of the school year and ends up in a bit of trouble. With a stepmother who Tate feels is a bit overbearing, and a stepsister whom is nearly perfect in her stepmother's eyes, and a father who travels the world to help others, Tate feels a bit excluded.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time leads Tate to have one of the worsts, and yet one of the bests summers. It is little slow to read, but it was a cute story.

4 out of 5 stars.

I received an advanced copy from the author, publisher and NetGalley; and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.

contemporary take on Cinderella but had a hard time really getting into this plot and really clicking with the characters and plot line, Wasn't my fav

One of the few YA books I’ve read lately and I was pleasantly surprised. Would read more from this author.

Even for young adult this book felt like it had no real meat on its bones. It’s a fine story, but overall bland

This is a story of friendship and family and figuring out how you fit in when you feel left out.

Tatum is miserable, feeling like no one trusts her or believes her. She feels like her only allies are gone… her best friend isn’t speaking to her and her dad is out of the country. She has just her step-mother, who Tatum knows hates her. Her step-sister… same deal, and her step-grandmother, who thankfully seems to accept Tatum, or at least like her.

During community service, Tatum finds some new friends in Abby and Hunter, both there for school credits. She also decides to take her small graphic design gig to a new level and picks up some new clients, including the flirty SK, to whom Tate is instantly drawn.

Eventually Tatum learns that not everything is as it always seems. She finds an ally in an unexpected new client who helps her to look at things a little differently. By the end of the summer life looks a bit different, as some old faces return to her life… and some new ones turn out to be pretty promising.

I rode a roller coaster of feelings with Tate throughout the book, relating to her feelings of isolation and loneliness… and especially to her feeling of being an outsider within her own family. Ultimately this was a fun read as Tatum and company learned and grew throughout the story.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Disclaimer : I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Content Warning: crime, alcohol mention, overbearing parents, police mention

This was alright. It was nothing super special and if I didn't know it was supposed to be a "Cinderella" retelling, I wouldn't have guessed that. There were some cute moments between our main character and her love interest, but it felt pretty middle of the road.

I did like the way that Tatum and her step sister worked together, that Tatum and Ashlynn both took accountability for their actions, and the inclusion of creativity and arts in this. But I wasn't a huge fan of how a lot of the conflict was resolved - it was all too easy and while Ashlynn explained to Tatum's father, she never told the police the truth. So now Tatum still has to live with the conviction??

I would have liked a bit more depth to all the characters, especially the side characters. It was easier to characterize them by either their interest (journalism, music, cello, dance) or their love interest, rather than think about them as whole and complete people.

If you already have this on your shelf, or have it on hold at the library, still read it! Otherwise, it's a pass for me.

I had a hard time getting into this book, but I stuck to it. The cover is amazing, but the connection I felt to the characters was slim to none. I will try it again soon, but for now it wasn't great, but it wasn't that bad.

I’m still in love with this cover however when picking this up I wasn’t able to get into the book. I do hope to give it another try in the future.

I found this book absolutely delightful. It is full of fun, well-developed characters, friendships, and a little romance. It is a perfect beach read (or a snowed-in-but-wish-it-was-summer read). By the end, you will be wishing for step-grandmother Blanche to come stay at your house!

This book seemed ok. It seemed reminiscent of Cinderella and a Morgan Matson summer contemporary. The characters went rememberable me and story fell flat and bit predictable (which isn't completely bad since it is a retelling) it was still a decent read.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of It Started With Goodbye by Christina June.

Tatum is in big trouble. After being an unknowing runaway car for a crime committed by her bff and boyfriend of bff, her dad has condemned her of a summer of community service. Even worse, it's with her step-mother and step-sister, both of whom she does not get along with.

But she has also covertly started her own side hustle of graphic design, and it turns out that she has a knack for it, and people are hiring her. So after a summer of hard work, new friends, a new job prospect, and maybe even a new understanding of her family, Tatum will be okay after all.

This was a very sweet, if not a little slow YA novel. It addresses friendship, consequences, being misunderstood, romance, and struggling with family. It is full of good messages and meaningful connection. I would recommend it to a young adult.

While I found the main character difficult to connect too and the story full of cliches (with no added depth to make it interesting) this was a cute, funny, quick read. Therefore, I'd recommend it if you like Cinderella retellings and are in the mood for something to pass an afternoon in the sun.

If you're a fan of Cinderella, this is the book for you, an emotional and charming Cinderella retelling that will have you smile, laugh and many young people will most definitely relate.

A modern play on the Cinderella story arc, IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE by Christina June shows us that sometimes going after what you want means breaking the rules.

After reading reviews of It Started with Goodbye by Christina June, I just now realized that it's a Cinderella retelling but now that I think about it, it was pretty obvious with the stepmonster, stepsister, fairy grandmother and all. It was a pretty cute summer book, a lot of the plot is actually about family and friends and not romance, if you're not into that haha. Would definitely recommend it! Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook copy in exchange of an honest review.

This book felt SO authentic. The conflict was real and emotional. I just wanted to give our main character a million hugs. I think so many teens would relate to this story. I was so glad the book had lots of humor and created such a well balanced plot. I didn’t know this was a Cinderella like retelling going in but I think it was done well.

IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE is a charming contemporary reimagining of Cinderella. Tatum Elsea is essentially under house arrest after a misunderstanding leaves her with a summer of community service and a fine to pay off. To earn money, she starts taking on a few design clients, including the enigmatic SK, who is on vacation with his family in Ireland but needs her help with a website for college applications. While I enjoyed the funny, warm romance, what I loved most about this retelling is that it wasn't just about the romance--it was also about Tatum's friendships and her family relationships.

Ya contemporary with average characters. My tastes have changed in the last few years so I might have enjoyed it more before

DNF
Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. Unfortunately, presently I have no interest in reading this title as I am in a YA slump. I may come back to it when I am in the mood in the future. I apologize for the convenience.

I don't read a lot of YA anymore but I really liked this one and will look out for future books by Christina June. Even though I'm in my 30s I could relate to the feelings - and I definitely loved the modern Cinderella retelling.