We Cannot Make Amends

Expected Publication:  May 13th, 2014

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend (Broken Hearts and Revenge #1)

By: Katie Finn

Feiwel and Friends

ISBN-13:  9781250045249

Summer, boys, and friendships gone sour.  This new series has everything that perfect beach reads are made of!

Gemma just got dumped and is devastated.  She finds herself back in the Hamptons for the summer -- which puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friend that she wronged five years earlier.  Do people hold grudges that long?

When a small case of mistaken identity causes everyone, including Hallie and her dreamy brother Josh, to think she's someone else, Gemma decides to go along with it.  

Gemma's plan is working (she's finding it kind of hard to resist Josh), but she's finding herself in embarrasing situations (how could a bathing suit fall apart like that?!).  Is it coincidence, or is someone trying to expose her true identity?  And how will Josh react if he finds out who she is?

Review

     Gemma has been going out with Teddy for almost two years now.  She thinks they have the perfect relationship - so imagine her surprise when he dumps her in the candle aisle at Target.  And when she sees him less than a week later, and he's already with some other girl.  Her best friend Sophie is trying to pull her out of her funk, but things only get worse when Gemma has to spend the summer with her Dad in the Hamptons.  She hasn't been back there in five years, and doesn't want to go back now - especially after the horrible way she betrayed her (then) summer-best-friend Hallie.  So Gemma is not excited to go back, at all.  Then she meets Hallie's brother Josh, who mistakes her for someone else due to her new short, red hair and the name on her coffee being that of Sophie, and he introduces her to Hallie that way.  Gemma thinks she's been given a chance by the Universe to start over and make amends for all the wrongs she committed.  Instead it seems like the universe is out to get her and karma is getting its revenge, when nothing goes right (how was she supposed to know that bathing suit would fall apart?!).  But are things really as simple as that, or is there something more sinister behind all Gemma's mishaps...say, a little revenge?

     I will be honest - I read the first thirty percent or so of this book, and after that spent most of it skimming.  This book was extremely shallow.  I knew right when Gemma's bathing suit fell apart in the swimming pool (after she borrowed it from Hallie, who embarrassed her by telling her to dress formal to a pool party), that Hallie was behind it.  I mean seriously, like no one is going to recognize Gemma just because she dyed and cut her hair?  Yeah, right.  The whole thing with Josh was annoying because the first part of the book is all about how devastated Gemma was by the break up with Teddy and then the next thing you know, she's lusting after (and half in love with) Josh.  Honestly, the whole time I was reading this it felt like a Gossip Girl wannabe.  It had a bit more likeability and relatability to it than that, but at its core it was a shallow, revenge centered piece of fluff.  I was disappointed because it did show some moments of heart, especially in the scenes between Sophie and Gemma.  But I think Gemma stealing Sophie's identity kind of axed that out.  Overall, I majorly disliked it and didn't really find anything worthwhile in it.  Won't be reading the next one.

VERDICT:  1/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published May 13th, 2014.*