Review: My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

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You say it was all meant to be. You and me. The way
we met. Our secrets in the woods. Even the way it all
exploded. It was simply a matter of fate.

Maybe if you were here to tell me again, to explain it one more time, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so uncertain. But I’m going back to the beginning on my own. To see what happened and why.

Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.

Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart?

The summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating. My Best Everything is Lulu’s letter to Mason – though is it an apology, a good-bye, or a love letter?

  I tried to love this book. I really, really tried. As soon as I heard about My Best Everything, I thought it'd be for me. Appalachians, moonshine, and a romance? Yes, please! But My Best Everything quickly became a letdown for me.

  My biggest complaint with this one is that it seemed so damn long. It became such a chore to finish this book. I felt like I'd read for an hour and only get through 5% of it on my Kindle. For me, the writing style is what slowed this book down. It's written as a letter from the main character, Lulu, to the love interest, Mason. For the first few chapters, it was quirky and cute. I liked it. But after 15% of the awkward writing, I was completely over it. It would have been better to post a paragraph or two in letter form at the beginning of the chapters or something. Anything but the way it was written would be an improvement.

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  Aside from my issues with the writing style, I did find myself enjoying parts of My Best Everything. As a fellow Appalachian small town girl, I understood where Lulu was coming from and her desire need to spread her wings. There was a connection between us because of that. But what I couldn't understand were her decisions. Lulu was able to plot up a devious and lucrative plan to rake in money illegally. But she lacked so much common sense.

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  I know it sounds like I disliked this book so much. But I really didn't; I promise! My hopes were just a bit too high, I think. Teenagers will enjoy My Best Everything. It's got a slow burn romance that I enjoyed, a bit of finding yourself through illegal means, and the bittersweet feeling of being on the brink of adulthood. Overall, My Best Everything was an enjoyable read. I just wish that a more complete story had been told without the letter!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.