Speed Date: Summer's Desire by Olivia Lynde

The Plot: Seth's life has not been easy, living with his neglectful, drug-addict mother. The only good thing about his life is pretty much his Grandmother, with whom his mom leaves him when she disappears for weeks and months on end. Until the year he's 7 and 5-year old Summer Moore came to live with Mrs. Lewis, who fostered kids from time to time.

Orphaned but a few months before, Summer suffers from awful night terrors that have gotten her kicked out of at least 5 other foster homes already. But from the moment she and Seth look at each other, even as young as they were, they know that they are finally home again.

From the first time Seth wakes her from her nightmares and they realize she doesn't get them when he's around, they become inseparable. They do everything together whenever they can, and pin for each other when they are apart - a rare occurrence during the following six years, even though they are at different grades in school and Seth's mom tries to take him away sometimes.

But then they are separated and betrayed and many years pass before they can find their way back to each other. But even then, their battle to be together again, isn't over.

First Date: I'm sensing a bit of a fan-fictioney vibe here. It's not bad, just kind of how things are set up. I do believe the bond between Seth and Summer, even if it is a bit over the top. 

Second Date: All right, I admit I got a little misty eyed sometimes. Now we are in the Big Misunderstanding Part of the Book and it's fun, a little frustrating but then I remember that they are sixteen and almost eighteen - even if they don't always sound that way - and it'a ok I can buy into it. Jessica and some of the other characters are a bit one dimensional. 

Third Date: Well... was that a bit on the unrealistic side? yeah, kinda, but it was a fun romp none the less. Lots of drama and cray-cray stuff but it was fun to read. And I have to say I liked the ending. 

Relationship Status: Going Steady.

Summer's Desire is not a perfect book, it's melodramatic and over the top and what have you, but Ms Lynde has a very engaging voice and she makes you care for and like her characters so much and so fast that you stick to them and watch them jump hoops (no matter how out there some of them are) and you root for them. She's a really good story teller.

Sometimes, however, I did feel like I was reading a fanfiction - one of those really good ones that you can't stop reading and check obsessively to see if there are any new entries - it just has that vibe, and I honestly don't mean it in a bad way, just a descriptive, and it doesn't have to do with the quality of the writing really, again, it's just a vibe I got.

On the other hand, I did love Seth and Summer, the nature of their relationship could have gotten out of hand and turned into a Twilight/Beautiful Disaster/That-Type-Of-Book Clone, but it doesn't. Seth is overprotective and what have you but Summer keeps him in check, doesn't want to just hang to his coat-tails and is adamant about taking care of him, just as much as he has about taking care of her.

And I honestly couldn't stop reading, I stayed up most of the nigh reading because Summer's Desire was just that compelling. And I already want to check out Olivia Lynde's next book. 

 (just for the lot of fun I got reading this story).

PS - Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all). (I totally failed at the word limit this time! SORRY!)

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm