High School ; Hard Cover, Fiction, Realistic, Romance - Spicy ; Recommended

Together We Caught Fire

What are the chances that your father would marry the mother of your secret crush and he would move into your house? But this is not what the cover art falsely sells it to be. It is so much better. Eva Gibson gives us Elaine Jamison — or Lane. Lane is complex. Lane has had a rough go. She found her mother in their bathroom dead from a brutal suicide. This brings nightmares on a regular basis. Then her father does remarry. And her new step-brother, Greyson, whom she secretly infatuates over, is dating her good friend Sadie. Lane doesn’t let her secret be known and continues to hang out with the couple which leads her to meet Connor, Sadie’s older brother. Sparks will fly between Connor and Lane, leaving her overwhelmed with emotions — but not just about the boys. Issues of homelessness, religious fundamentalism, and drug abuse will all rear their heads in addition to the grief around Lane’s mother’s death. Lane is raw and more mature than the average teen. The Connor vs. Greyson battle will come to the forefront eventually but it is not the book’s focus. Situations explode and then take time to resolve, like real life. This reader was happily surprised that the book was better than the cover and title and will recommend it to high school students.