Book Review: You Were Mine by Abbi Glines

I Almost Won't Admit I Read This. . . 

But I did, and I liked it!

I once again preface this with my disclaimer that I get a stack of books and I read them without knowing anything about most of them ahead of time. Sometimes the reputation of a book precedes it and I have an inkling. Other times, I have read something by the author beforehand and that gives me a little bit of an idea of what to anticipate.

Other times, I have no idea. That is the case with this one although the cover suggested something with a lot of romance (as well as the title) and some idea that the relationship may be a little, ahem, possessive. . .

It turns out now that I'm looking into it, after reading this book (well maybe devouring), that this is Book 9 in a series that takes place at "Rosemary Beach". Maybe, just maybe, I may look into getting a few more from this line although they each feature different couples and it might be that I just liked these two characters.

When I began this book the first chapter took place in the past and they characters were teenagers. I thought this might be a teen romance but I soon learned that the book alternated between past and present. Not that dealing with a 22 and 26 year old is really in my peers but it did help to justify my continuing. . .  Sidenote, in reading Abbi Glines' bio on Amazon, she indeed does write teen fiction as well so maybe I'm  not really that far off?

This story tells the story of Tripp and and Bethy. Eight years ago Tripp was spending one last summer at the resort in a condo given to him by his grandfather, feeling pressured into a life he did not want that had privilege but with ties. He was set to go to Yale and work in his father's firm. During that summer he felt an attraction to a 16 year old girl from the other side of town but realized that he shouldn't be with her. . . See, I'm cringing even writing this but I'm going to go on. . . Long story short, he fell in love with her but knew he had to leave at the end of the summer to become independent with a plan to come back for her. Events lead to him not coming back in time and Bethy ended up with someone else. Six years later, tragedy struck and Bethy was alone. Tripp wants to come back and rescue her, at least make sure she is safe.

Yes, I really read it. I read it and it was a guilty pleasure despite all the romance stereotypes and the male is caveman elements that sometimes are just a little bit romantic. I enjoyed this one thoroughly. Not a hard read by any standards but a fun one. The story alternates between Tripp and Bethy's voice, and between present and past. Lots of cliches but oh so much fun.

Yes, I looked on Amazon and I can buy the first 5 in the series in one fell swoop. I may just do it. . .