Reviewed by Aspen, a high school student

Running Back to You tells the story of Millie, a girl who values honesty above everything else after her mother’s affair hurt her family. When a classmate unexpectedly asks if she has ever been kissed, Millie panics and lies. Determined to make her lie come true before anyone finds out, she sets out to get her first kiss and a date to the spring dance.

The writing is engaging and relatable, capturing the awkwardness and emotions of middle school life. This is the perfect middle grade romance book, and reminded me a lot of rom-coms like “10 Things I Hate About You” and other movies. Beyond that, it conveys important messages about honesty and learning from mistakes, highlighting how, when you try and fix a lie with more lies, things get worse before they get better. I especially liked how the track and field element was tied in as an athlete. Sarah Henning mixes sports and romance wonderfully, and I would highly recommend this book for middle level readers looking for a funny and romantic coming-of-age story.