BLOG TOUR | Love Somebody by Rachel Roasek
AUTHOR: Rachel Roasek
PUBLISHER: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
RELEASE DATE: January 11th, 2022
GENRES: YOUNG ADULT FICTION---Contemporary, Romance
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SYNOPSIS:
A sparkling YA debut rom-com about a popular high-school girl, her ex-boyfriend-turned-best-friend, and the girl they both fall for--perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli or Casey McQuiston.
Sam Dickson is a charismatic actress, ambitious and popular with big plans for her future. Ros Shew is one of the smartest people in school--but she's a loner, and prefers to keep it that way. Then there's Christian Powell, the darling of the high school soccer team. He's not the best with communication, which is why he and Sam broke up after dating for six months; but he makes up for it by being genuine, effusive, and kind, which is why they're still best friends.
When Christian falls for Ros on first sight, their first interaction is a disaster, so he enlists Sam's help to get through to her. Sam, with motives of her own, agrees to coach Christian from the sidelines on how to soften Ros's notorious walls. But as Ros starts to suspect Christian is acting differently, and Sam starts to realize the complexity of her own feelings, their fragile relationships threaten to fall apart.
This fresh romantic comedy from debut author Rachel Roasek is a heartfelt story about falling in love--with a partner, with your friends, or just with yourself--and about how maybe, the bravest thing to do in the face of change is just love somebody.
My Thoughts:
I think I know why I gravitate toward romantic young adult novels: my inner 17-18 year old is living vicariously through their characters. I mentioned the same thing to my husband after watching the To All The Boys I've Loved Before Trilogy, and I was told high school as portrayed through media doesn't happen in real life.
Love Somebody is a love triangle of sorts. I don't think there is enough comedy in it to be considered a romantic comedy (as the synopsis mentioned) but it has it's funny moments. In Love Somebody, Sam and Christian are friends. When Christian falls for Ros, he asks Sam to help him get close to her. Sam hesitates at first, then changes her mind when she found out she lost to Ros to speak at their school assembly.
There are a few things I quite enjoyed about this novel.
First, Sam, Christian and Ros are all set up as if they have their lives figured out. Sam with her good grades, talent, popularity. Christian with soccer, and niceness. Ros with her intelligence, wit, and I'm going to assume great grades as well. But then, we are hit with the truth that each of them are going through inner crises only they can deal with themselves. Sam with her fear of being forgotten. Christian and his lack of a backbone. Ros struggling to find her identity.
Secondly, their sexual identity is just is. There was mention of it , but I appreciate that there was no need to elaborate.
Lastly, the character development. We see each of the main characters go through changes in their outlook, and behaviour throughout the book. We also see their walls slowly crumble.
Did I enjoy reading book? Yes I did. Although I haven't read Cyrano de Bergerac so I can't really compare them.
Would I recommend this book? Yes I would.
Thank you to Turn The Page Tours, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Rachel Roasek for providing me with a copy for review, and for letting me be a part of this tour.
Giveaway Information:
Up for grabs will be TWO (2) finished copies of Love Somebody by Rachel Roasek. This giveaway will run from January 10th through January 15th at 11:59 PM CST via Rafflecopter. Open to US residents only. Enter by clicking the link below!
Author bio:
Rachel Roasek received her BA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2017, with a degree in Drama and two minors in Sign Language and Anthropology. When not coming up with fictional worlds, she works as both a voice actor and stage technician. She currently lives in Raleigh with a few dying plants and her dog, Lupe.
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