Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer
by Emery Lord
Read: March 5 - 6, 2014
Published: April 15th 2014 by Walker (Bloomsbury) **UPCOMING**
Source: ALA
Category: Contemporary YA, celebrity friends
Find: Goodreads | Amazon

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.








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I liked Open Road Summer so much! This book made me smile and swoon, and wish that I had a best friend musician to take me on tour with her in her souped-up bus. But amidst the 'behind the scenes' look we got at the life of a celebrity through the eyes of her best friend - a storyline that never fails to hook me - are real characters and an honest story. And who doesn't love a sweet guy who writes songs about the girl he likes? 

Five reasons Open Road Summer will make you long for hot days and this book in your hands:

1) This story is as much about Reagan's friendship with Dee as it is a romance. I was as invested in their relationship and what was going on in Dee's life, as I was in Reagan's personal growth and love story. I did think of Dee as Taylor Swift for a large part of this book, though she is definitely not a carbon copy. And I found Dee's part of this story to be especially poignant. 

2) The importance placed on friendships, including in romantic relationships, is refreshing.  Reagan and her love interest Matt take the time to hang out, build trust and get to know each other. I love that the thrill of the start of a relationship wasn't rushed over. Reagan and Dee on the other hand have known each other forever. Watching both their hilarious moments and their arguments, it's clear how close they are. Reagan is rarely as open as she is with her best friend. 

3) Matt Finch!! His persistence, song writing abilities, meaningful tattoo and overall swooniness are only some of his great qualities. 

4) Reagan grows up. Regan is an angry, hurt girl when this book begins. She can come across as pretty abrasive because of that, but she also acknowledges that she's made some major mistakes, which she's trying to correct. The one thing that never changes in this story is her complete loyalty to her best friend Dee. Reagan is trying desperately to change the path she's been on, but it's a work in progress. One of the most satisfying and relatable parts of Reagan's growth is watching her perception change about herself and other characters when she starts to loosen her anger at the world. 

5) Within the fun celebrity/friend plot and sweet romance, these characters are still messy and real at the end of the book. Life is a work in progress and relationships take effort. But they can also be amazingly worth it. I love the positive/happy message without too neat a bow.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone