{Review} The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Page Count: 327

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Published on: September 3, 2019

Format: audio from Libby + physical (bought by me)

Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

~ ~ ~

Hey, guys!

When it comes to Adrienne Young, I cannot get enough of her work. Her style is everything that I love and her characters are always so fascinating. The worlds that she creates are so intriguing and hit all of the points that I desire. I love how she's taken from Norse mythology and made her own set of gods and mythology for her world. Unfortunately, The Girl the Sea Gave Back really fell flat for me.

When it comes to TGTSGB, I was incredibly disappointed. I had attempted to immerse myself into this book three or four times before finally sitting down and listening/reading to it this go around because I was just tired of not knowing how I felt about it. (Also, Alex has been waiting forever for me to finish it. It was time.) Unfortunately, it was just hard to continue after putting down. I found the characters to be incredibly boring and lacking and had the hardest connecting with their stories and trials. I also found that the intense and emotional parts that pertain to the ending just fell flat for me.  I feel like because of the disconnect that I was feeling throughout the entire book, that I had just lost the last of my interest in how the book would conclude.  

To me, I felt like the book lacked the urgent pacing that one would expect of a story that took place over a couple of days. The story is so action-packed and there is so much information thrown at you, but you don't get any sort of semblance of the setting and the characters just lacked depth for you to care about the events surrounding them and happening to them. Also! There was romance in this book, but their chemistry was practically nonexistent? I honestly didn't expect them to shack up? I thought they were just friends connected by fate or something, but I guess that was the romance? That was just hardcore lacking. I was so sad. 

Overall, this book lacked the depth and intensity that Sky in the Deep had. This book felt more like a debut that Sky in the Deep did. I adored Sky. It's probably one of my all-time favorites, but Sea was just not it for me.  

What did you think of this book? Let's discuss!
Happy reading!
Olivia
Liv the Book Nerd
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{Review & Blog Tour} Tweet Cute by Emma Lord + EXCERPT

Page Count: 368

Published On: January 21, 2020

Published By: Wednesday Books

Genre(s): YA contemporary romance

Source: eARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

~ ~ ~

This eARC was sent to me for an honest review. All thoughts, feelings, and opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was provided for this review.

Hey, guys!

Welcome to the first review of the year! I can't believe that it's already that time! It seems like just yesterday that I was starting up this blog, yet here we are. We're amidst the sixth year of book blogging. Six years of reviews, tags, wrap ups, hauls, and rambles. Thank you for sticking it out with me. I'm so thankful for every single one of you.

Tweet Cute is absolutely what the synopsis says. It's a rom-com through and through. This hilarious, fluffy romance will make you crack up with laughter within the first few chapters and continue to amuse and bring joy as it continues. I'm usually quite wary of books that use social media for their conflict or main twists, however, I really liked how Emma Lord used Twitter throughout. Sometimes an author will put so much emphasis on the influence of social media that it almost becomes unrealistic or obnoxious, however, Emma Lord utilized the app and its functionalities as they are used by today's users. That is, it's just an everyday part of life. 

The romance in this book was really fun, but not my favorite. However, there aren't any technical reasons why I didn't enjoy it. I just wasn't jiving with the characters and I wasn't in the right mood to get invested in them. That's on me. I thought their chemistry and their interactions were quite cute and fun. The slow-ish burn romance that took place was golden. I love their wacky personalities and their brands of humor. 

I'm getting to the point of my life where high school romances don't particularly excite me. I really enjoyed that it followed seniors, however. Their worries about their futures and the angst that they felt about the oncoming changes that were going to rattle their worlds was really wonderfully done. As a senior in college who is just barely on the brink of full-on adulthood and job-searching, their worries and angst about their lives changing really spoke to me.

While reading, I also felt like the pacing was just a little bit off. There were a couple of moments where I felt like the novel was being led to a conclusion or could be led to a conclusion or resolution, but then another layer of conflict was added on. Sometimes this story just felt so long. I'm not sure if it should be shorter, but I felt like some of the story could have been tightened to fully utilize the really fantastic aspects of the story. 

One of the shining bits of the story was the conflict between Pepper's family's burger company and Jack's family's deli. I really love how that conflict was explained toward the end of the novel. I felt like the resolution and explanation were the best part of the book because it made me laugh and it made so much sense. The entire situation was fairly morally gray and the reasoning behind each persons' actions was partially justified and I just really enjoyed that not everything was just black and white.

Though this wasn't my favorite YA rom-com, it was still so much fun. I enjoyed the characters and the conflict and the originality of it. If you enjoy witty banter, twitter drama, discussions on food and baking, genuinely wholesome relationships, and oblivious teens, you will adore this story. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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Read An Excerpt Below!

JACK

“Look.” I glance into the classroom, where Ethan is thoroughly distracted by Stephen and no longer keeping an eye on us. “I may have . . . overreacted.”

Pepper shakes her head. “I told you. I get it. It’s your family.”

“Yeah. But it’s also—well, to be honest, this has been kind of good for business.”

Pepper’s brow furrows, that one little crease returning. “What, the tweets?”

“Yeah.” I scratch the back of my neck, sheepish. “Actually, we had a line out the door yesterday. It was kind of intense.”

“That’s . . . that’s good, right?”

The tone of my voice is clearly not matching up with the words I’m saying, but if I’m being honest, I’m still wary of this whole overnight business boom. And if I’m being honest, I’m even more wary of Pepper. If this really is as much of a family business as she claims it is—to the point where she’s helping run the Twitter handle, when even I know enough about corporate Twitter accounts to know entire teams of experienced people get paid to do that—then she might have had more of a hand in this whole recipe theft thing than she’s letting on.

The fact of the matter is, I can’t trust her. To the point of not knowing whether I can even trust her knowing how our business is doing, or just how badly we need it.

“Yeah, um, I guess.” I try to make it sound noncommittal. My acting skills, much like my breakfast-packing skills, leave much to be desired.

“So . . .”

“So.”

Pepper presses her lips into a thin line, a question in her eyes.

“So, I guess—if your mom really wants you to keep tweeting . . .”

“Wait. Yesterday you were pissed. Two minutes ago you were pissed.”

“I am pissed. You stole from us,” I reiterate. “You stole from an eighty-five-year-old woman.”

“I didn’t—”

“Yeah, yeah, but still. You’re them, and I’m . . . her. It’s like a choose your fighter situation, and we just happen to be the ones up to bat.”

“So you’re saying—you don’t not want me to keep this up?”

“The way I see it, you don’t have to make your mom mad, and we get a few more customers in the door too.”

Pepper takes a breath like she’s going to say something, like she’s going to correct me, but after a moment, she lets it go. Her face can’t quite settle on an expression, toeing the line between dread and relief.

“You’re sure?”

I answer by opening the container she handed me. The smell that immediately wafts out of it should honestly be illegal; it stops kids I’ve never even spoken to in their tracks.

“Are you a witch?” I ask, reaching in and taking a bite of one. It’s like Monster Cake, the Sequel—freaking Christmas in my mouth. I already want more before I’ve even managed to chew. My eyes close as if I’m experiencing an actual drug high—and maybe I am, because I forget myself entirely and say, “This might even be better than our Kitchen Sink Macaroons.”

“Kitchen Sink Macaroons?”

Eyes open again. Yikes. Note to self: dessert is the greatest weapon in Pepper’s arsenal. I swallow my bite so I can answer her.

“It’s kind of well-known, at least in the East Village. It even got in some Hub Seed roundup once. I’d tell you to try some, but you might steal the recipe, so.”

Pepper smiles, then—actually smiles, instead of the little smirk she usually does. It’s not startling, but what it does to me in that moment kind of is.

Before I can examine the unfamiliar lurch in my stomach, the bell rings and knocks the smile right off her face. I follow just behind her, wondering why it suddenly seems too hot in here, like they cranked the air up for December instead of October. I dismiss it by the time I get to my desk—probably just all the Twitter drama and the glory of So Sorry Blondies getting to my head.

“One rule,” she says, as we sit in the last two desks in the back of the room.

I raise my eyebrows at her.

“We don’t take any of it personally.” She leans forward on her desk, leveling with me, her bangs falling into her face. “No more getting mad at each other. Cheese and state.”

“What happens on Twitter stays on Twitter,” I say with a nod of agreement. “Okay, then, second rule: no kid gloves.”

Mrs. Fairchild is giving that stern look over the room that never quite successfully quiets anyone down. Pepper frowns, waiting for me to elaborate.

“I mean—no going easy on each other. If we’re going to play at this, we’re both going to give it our A game, okay? No holding back because we’re . . .”

Friends, I almost say. No, I’m going to say. But then—

“I’d appreciate it if even one of you acknowledged the bell with your silence,” Mrs. Fairchild grumbles.

I turn to Pepper, expecting to find her snapping to attention the way she always does when an adult comes within a hundred feet of disciplining her. But her eyes are still intent on me, like she is sizing something up—like she’s looking forward to something I haven’t anticipated yet.

“All right. No taking it personally. And no holding back.”

She holds her hand out for me to shake again, under the desk so Mrs. Fairchild won’t see it. I smile and shake my head, wondering how someone can be so aggressively seventeen and seventy-five at the same time, and then I take it. Her hand is warm and small in mine, but her grip is surprisingly firm, with a pressure that almost feels like she’s still got her fingers wrapped around mine even after we let go.

I turn back to the whiteboard, a ghost of a smirk on my face. “Let the games begin.”

About the Author

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.

{Review} Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Page Count: 416

Published On: September 24, 2019

Published By: Viking Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): YA, Horror, Mystery 

Source: paperback ARC provided by publisher and Bookish First
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3 stars

TW: suicide attempt, death of a loved one, loss of a sibling, domestic abuse, child abuse, murder, death, and gore







Goodreads synopsis:

In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs.

Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her--and who won't make it out of the woods?

It's been exactly one year since Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn't know whether her former friends no longer like her...or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to "play the game" and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca--before she's lost forever. And even though she's hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends--and their cameras--following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.

~~~

TW: suicide attempt, death of a loved one, loss of a sibling, domestic abuse, child abuse, murder, death, and gore

Hey, guys!

When going into this book, I really thought I was going into a psychological thriller that I would be completely blown away by. This was not the case.

When I first read this book's sneak peek, I was so excited to read the story and finally be impressed with a YA horror novel. I've never really been one for a spooky, ghosty story -- I love a monster story, but this just wasn't the monster that I wanted. I truly expected a psychological thriller, rather than a fantastical horror situation.

I really liked the concept behind the format of this book, but, unfortunately, the format really inhibited me from connecting to the characters, their personalities, and their stories. I really wanted to care about them, but it really felt jarring when you would go from format to format and perspective to perspective. It was also really hard to differentiate between the characters and remember who they were.

Overall, this was a pretty fun book. I wasn't terrified, but the twists and turns were fun. I guessed some of them, but I was surprised enough to be entertained. It was also really great to have such a wonderfully diverse cast. They were great. 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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(Review} Storm (Elementals #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Page Count: 432

Published On: April 24, 2012

Published By: Kensington

Genre(s): Fantasy, Paranormal, YA

Source: ebook - personally purchased
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3 stars

Trigger warnings for rape, attempted rape, and violence

Goodreads synopsis:

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys-- the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her.

Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water--just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming...

~~~~

Hey, guys!
Please enjoy this ramble-y review of this fun book by Brigid Kemmerer, a queen of fantasy and contemporary romance -- and now she's a queen of paranormal fiction in my heart. 


Trigger warnings for rape, attempted rape, and violence

This story has a lot of promise but was obviously from the early 2010s if not the late 2000s. This isn't a negative point, but I just felt it was pretty obvious. (And I was correct! It was originally published in 2012. Point to Olivia!)

Overall, this wasn't Brigid's best work, but it was her first published novel! It was a wonderful paranormal novel and I enjoyed it immensely, but it just could not compare to her recent YA contemporaries and A Curse So Dark and Lonely.

I really enjoyed the four brothers. They were super fun and I loved to get to know them. However, their classic white boy names(TM) really confused me sometimes. They were just too similar and they were all mainly names that came from the Bible -- angel's names too. I kept getting Gabriel and Michael mixed up. Their voices were also quite similar to each other so, sometimes I would forget who was talking. I know that Brigid's skill for name differentiating wholly improves, so I'm not particularly worried about the rest of the books.

Becca was a really fun character to get to know too. She was so strong-willed and independent and I love her for that. The horrific things that happen to her, I feel, were a bit glazed over, but I also think that that is because of the internal shame that she feels about it.

I guess the only nit-picky thing I have to say about it is that I wish that there were actual trigger warnings for it in the book. I'm not typically triggered by rape or rape-centered discussions, but I really felt Becca's panic and hurt surrounding the events and I wish that there was some sort of warning. I cannot imagine what it would feel like if I just read something like this if that was something that triggered me. I personally think that the book is feminist af and great, but I wasn't those who read my reviews to be aware that this is in the book.

Overall, this was a really fun paranormal novel and I will absolutely be continuing on with the series. I'm completely attached to these characters and the story that she introduced. I love elemental magic and this is the ATLA-high school drama-paranormal contemporary-goodness that I need in my life.

I was also blessed enough to snag the ebook on Amazon for $1.99 and it is still a discounted price, so hop on that, friends!



Happy reading!

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Page Count: 453

Published On: November 8, 2016

Published By: Feiwel and Friends

Genre(s): YA, fantasy, retelling, romance

Source: personally purchased

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

~~~

Hey, guys!

I've been such a fan of Marissa Meyer for years, but this story did not live up to my hopes. I bought this book a long time ago, knowing that because it was Marissa Meyer that I would enjoy it. While the book was entertaining and interesting, I was just bored and sick of the main character by the end of it. 


Though this was a really fascinating retelling and back story to the Queen of Hearts, I felt like the amount of buildup toward her eventual end was really slow. Sometimes getting through this book felt like a dredge through a muddy pond. The book started out so nicely -- from the bizarre introduction to the world of Hearts to the immense amounts of baking that Cath partook in. However, once you got into the book it was as if the madness and bizarre-ness of the world of Wonderland were completely thrown out the window. Granted, a lot of the events that occurred were bizarre and the characters were wildly strange, but they just weren't what I would expect of the characters of Wonderland. I wish that it had been more consistent. 

The plot was also not the best. The majority of the plot was just Cath whining about what she didn't want to do. She didn't do much of anything. She was just obnoxiously whiney. I felt like she refused to stand up for herself when it meant the most, she constantly ignored the advice of others and did whatever she wanted even though it was obvious that she wasn't the best at making decisions. Actually, she never really made many decisions. Not the decisions that counted. She also was just really dumb and wouldn't support herself until she had the help of a dude. I felt like the book really lacked the feminism that Meyer had frequently shown in her other works.

When it comes to Marissa Meyer, I know that I can count on her to create a really dimensional and romantic relationship bloom from the most annoying characters. This was not the case in Heartless. While I really liked Jest's character. I wish the book had been a dual perspective between Jest and Cath (though I know why MM didn't use that technique). Their relationship was just a bit too annoying for me. She really just gave us the reasons to ship the two characters, I felt like it wasn't shown enough to actually make me connected to their relationship or feelings. Just not my cup of tea. 

Overall, the book was underwhelming and kind of boring. I didn't like the main character, the romance was bleh, and there should have been more feminism, stabbing, and more murder from the Jabberwocky. There was hardly any plot to make it worth it to me. Though I didn't like the bits that tend to make or break the book, I really did enjoy the magic, the side characters (Hatta, Cheshire, and more), the world of Chess, the Jabberwocky conflict, and the baking. I wish that I had loved this book, but I just didn't click with it. I know so many adore this book. I definitely would have loved it more in 2016 when it first came out. 

I have a review for Marissa Meyer's other series, The Lunar Chronicles. It's absolutely one of my favorite series. 

Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review + Excerpt} Waiting on Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

Page Count: 320

Published On: June 11, 2019

Published By: Berkley

Genre(s): Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult

Source: e-book via NetGalley

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 3.25 stars 

Goodread synopsis:

Can a romcom-obssessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey.

Annie is twenty-seven years old, single, and obsessed with romantic comedies (she and her mother watched them religiously before her mom died). Her dating life is limited by the expectations she’s formed from these movies. She is not as open to new experiences as she might be, because she’s waiting for her Tom Hanks–i.e., a guy she’ll find in the perfect, meet-cute romantic comedy way. When Annie does finally meet her perfect match, it’s not quite in the way she expected, and she’s forced to reckon with the walls she’s built around herself over the years.

~~~

My request on NetGalley was graciously accepted by Penguin/Berkley. Thank you Penguin/Berkley for allowing me to access this book. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

This romantic-comedy-esque novel follows 27-year-old Annie. Annie is absolutely obsessed with romantic comedies. She especially looks up to the characters that Tom Hanks plays. Because of the oodles of romantic comedies that she has watched over her life, her expectations are unreasonably high when it comes to getting into dating. When a Hollywood movie crew comes to her town to shoot a romantic comedy, Annie is coerced by her caring uncle to find a job among the crewmen. Thankfully, her uncle knows the director and gets her a job being his assistant. Through her job, she meets A-list celebrities, including the leading man. 

This was such a fun idea for a rom-com novel, however, I really didn't enjoy the constant and repetitive references to Tom Hank's movies. It would be really cute if there had been less, but it was just a bit water-logged with references. It got old quickly. 

Overall, I really liked the side characters, rather than the main character. Up until the end of the book, I just disliked her...However, that's pretty typical in any rom-com. This was fun, but I wish I had liked Annie better. (I actually know a fantastic Annie that loves movies. Check out her YouTube!) She eventually redeemed herself, but my feelings for her were really rough at the beginning.

This book was also pretty predictable but in the best rom-com way. It reminded me of the fun rom-coms from the 90s. I won't spoil anything about the actual happenings of the story because that defeats the point. You go into a rom-com with vague ideas of whether it's good in a good way or bad in a good way. The cheesiness is the point. 

This was a nice testament to the rom-com genre. I honestly haven't watched any of Tom Hanks' romantic comedies, but after reading this, I'll have to. 

This fun book comes out June 11! Pre-order your copy now before it's too late!

Here's a super fun excerpt from the book! 

Happy reading!

Olivia

~Liv the Book Nerd ~

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~ ~ ~

Exclusive Excerpt from the Novel:

I blink a few times, staring straight into Drew Danforth’s face. It’s like when you’re a kid and there’s a solar eclipse, and all the teachers are like, “Don’t look directly into the sun! You’ll destroy your retinas!” but there’s always that one kid (Johnny Berger, in our class) who can’t stop staring.

In this situation, I’m Johnny Berger. And I guess Drew Danforth is the sun.

“Are you okay?” he asks again, enunciating his words even more as if me understanding him is the problem. His brown eyes, I notice, are flecked with tiny bits of gold, which is something you can’t see when you watch him on TV. His hair is just as voluminous as it seems in pictures, but in person, I have the almost overwhelming urge to touch it, to reach out and pull on that one lock of hair that hangs over his forehead.

“She’s not responding.” He turns to Chloe. “Is something wrong?”

“She’s French,” Chloe says without missing a beat. “She only speaks French.”

“I’m not French,” I say, breaking my silence. Chloe and Drew’s heads swivel to look at me.

“I’m sorry about your coat,” I whisper, then I run toward Nick’s.

Chloe bursts in the door behind me, the bell jingling in her wake. “I’m not French?” she screeches. “Those are the first words you spoke to Drew Danforth? Really?”

“Well then, why did you tell him I was French?” I shout, ignoring the curious stares of everyone working on their laptops and the calming melody of whatever Nick put on to replace the Doobies.

“I don’t know!” She throws her hands in the air. “You weren’t talking, so I thought I’d give you an interesting backstory!”

I put my hands over my face. “This is ridiculous.”

“No,” Chloe says, grabbing me by the shoulders. “This is your meet-cute, and now you need to go back out there and find him and say something that isn’t a negation of your Frenchness or an apology for destroying his probably very expensive coat.”

“Meet what?”

Nick stares at us from behind the counter, a dishtowel in his hand.

“A meet-cute,” Chloe stands up straight, shoulders back, as if she’s delivering a Romantic Comedy 101 lecture to Nick and his patrons, “is the quirky, adorable, cute way the hero and heroine of a romantic comedy meet.”

Everyone stares at her blankly.

“Or hero and hero. Or heroine and heroine. Not to be heteronormative,” she clarifies.

“Like how me and Martha met at her wedding,” Gary says.

Chloe thinks about it. “I don’t know that I would necessarily call that one a meet-cute, but sure, Gary.”

“Did you just make that up?” Nick asks, arms crossed.

I shake my head. “No. It’s a thing.”

“Watch a romantic comedy, dude,” Tobin says.

Nick rolls his eyes.

“Anyway,” Chloe continues, “Annie straight up ran into Drew Danforth and spilled a cup of coffee all over his coat, which is, like, the cutest of meets.”

“That doesn’t sound very cute,” Nick says skeptically, rubbing the scruff on his chin. “Was it still hot?”

“Scalding,” I say, sinking into my chair and resting my head on the table.

“Sounds like a meet painful,” says Gary, and a few people laugh.

“Thanks,” I mutter. “I’m so glad you all find my embarrassment entertaining.”

“Annie!” Chloe sits down across from me as a customer walks in and the rest of the shop stops paying attention to us. “This isn’t embarrassing. This is merely a story I’ll tell in my toast at your wedding to Drew.”

I lift my head to look at her. “I hate to break this to you, but I don’t think he’s my Tom Hanks. I think he’s just a famous guy with a possible third-degree burn on his chest. And now my first day on set is going to be super awkward because I accidentally assaulted the lead actor with a beverage.”

Chloe’s about to say something, but then a song starts and she closes her mouth, looking up toward the speakers. “I swear to God, I told Nick not to play any more Bon Iver. It makes people look up their exes on Instagram, not buy coffee. I’m gonna go put on some Hall and Oates.”

As she walks away, I rest my head on the table again. As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough to have my uncle get me a job on set, now I have to deal with this.