The Art of Falling For You

After reading Maya Hughes’ The Art of Falling For You, I cannot wait for the next book in this series! I need to know how Bay and Dare’s story continues. So far, I think this might be my favorite plot line Hughes has come up with.

The Art of Falling for You introduces us to Bay and Dare’s relationship as it began senior year in high school. Bay is The New Girl (or TNG), even though she started school there her sophomore year, and kind of just flies under the radar. Dare is the broody football player with a troubled home life. They eventually come together toward the end of their time in high school and keep their relationship relatively secret except for Bay’s mother and best friend, Piper, and after a long while Dare’s best friend, Knox. Throughout their relationship, we see their love form, but by the end of the book they’re done and wind up going their separate ways.

This book made me feel so deeply for both Bay and Dare. The characters are well thought out, and you can really start to understand their actions and motivations. They each have their own set of issues they’re dealing with like Bay’s grief over losing her father suddenly and having been labeled TNG at school. Dare, on the other hand, has a abusive drunk for a father that’s rarely around coupled with never having had a mother, because she died shortly after giving birth to him. Throughout the book, we see them navigating their own circumstances, and it’s at times so desperately sad. When Bay and Dare finally come together, they’re so sweet and cute and seem to find a way to begin to heal just by being there for each other. But, by the end of the book, their high school romance is irreversibly damaged and totally done.

The Art of Falling for You is written as a flashback. The first and last chapters are set just after college. I love that it was written that way. You’re able to get a good grasp of the gravity of their short-lived relationship and it’s obvious that it’s not something either Bay or Dare could easily move on from.

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next installment in this series. Hughes created two rather damaged characters that I’m totally rooting for, and I need to know what happens next in their story. This is an absolute must read if you’re into angst-filled romances.

*ARC provided for an honest review*