BLOG TOUR STOP: Review of Confessions #2 by Louise Rozett

Today I am ridiculously excited to be hosting a stop on the Blog Tour for Confessions of An Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett, hosted by YA Bound. I ADORED the first book in this series, so jumped at the chance to read the sequel. Rose breaks my heart, Jamie makes me swoon, and I honestly couldn’t ask for any more from these books. To check out all of the stops for this tour, please visit the list HERE!

Confessions of An Almost-Girlfriend
(Confessions #2) by Louise Rozett
Harlequin Teen, 2013
[Goodreads] [Amazon] [B&N]

Previous Installment: Confessions of An Angry Girl

Rose Zarelli has big plans for sophomore year—everything is going to be different. This year, she’s going to be the talented singer with the killer voice, the fabulous girl with the fashionista best friend, the brainiac who refuses to let Jamie Forta jerk her around…

…but if she’s not careful, she’s also going to be the sister who misses the signals, the daughter who can only think about her own pain, the “good girl” who finds herself in mid-scandal again (because no good deed goes unpunished) and possibly worst of all…the almost-girlfriend.

When all else fails, stop looking for love and go find yourself.

I have not been shy when it comes to announcing exactly how much I loved Confessions of An Angry Girl. I find Rose refreshingly real, with an indomitable spirit, quick wit, and sharp tongue, who I can easily relate to on pretty much every single level. Her journey in the first book made me laugh, cringe and cry in equal measures, and I knew that she would quickly become one of my favorite fictional narrators. I therefore dove into Confessions of An Almost-Girlfriend with eager joy, hoping and praying that it would be as good as the first. And not only is it as good, it’s actually even better; I came away from this book with more feelings than I knew what to do with, much like Rose herself.

What I love most about Rose is the way she is trying her best to cope with her life. She’s still grieving over her father’s death, but now has an incommunicado Jamie on her hands, who she can’t stop thinking about. Add to that her brother’s own personal issues, and finding herself once again caught up in some sort of school scandal, and it’s pretty clear that Rose isn’t going to get the peaceful sophomore year she was hoping for. This book was very much about Rose’s personal journey: she’s searching for who she wants to be and reconciling that with who she actually is. I loved the steps she took to actually find some happiness and to find herself; her introspection at times brought tears to my eyes with the depth of emotions she’s feeling pretty much constantly. I can’t imagine having all of what she’s dealing with going through my head at one time.

Along with Rose, though, is an amazing supporting cast of characters, each with their own set of issues and their own unique personalities. I loved the addition of Holly, who is just a really nice person. I liked the growth and change in Tracy and Rose’s friendship, and the reintroduction of a newly-revamped Angelo. And then, of course, there’s Jamie, who still makes me swoon even when I kind of want to smack him. I was so happy to finally get some background on him, because it allowed not only Rose but the reader as well to feel like they finally knew him. Or, at least, knew him better than before. The way Ms. Rozett wrote the relationship between Rose and Jamie was so well done, with the awkward conversations and the way he really seemed to get her, and her him. There were so many scenes between the two that I wanted to highlight and keep in order to re-read them over and over – Christmas Eve, outside Tracy’s house, the restaurant – and even when their interactions didn’t go the way I was wanting them to, I still loved them because of the end result: a stronger, more sure of herself Rose. And since Rose is the main draw of these books, ultimately it’s her I’m rooting for more than anything else.

There are also so many issues tackled in each of these books: peer pressure, bullying, abuse, tolerance, etc., and they’re all handled in such an understated and strong way. While Rose keeps telling herself she’s not going to get involved in other people’s problems, it becomes quite apparent that she just can’t let things be when she knows she should act. I especially liked the whole dynamic with Conrad – another very strongly crafted character – and the way he really forced her to rethink and re-evaluate her choices, decisions, and preconceived notions.

All I can really say is that, if you haven’t read these books yet, you are seriously missing out. There is so much to love about these books: a realistic portrayal of high school, a strong main character who’s doing her best to find herself, a swoon-worthy love interest, and the way issues are handled in a sensitive way that really make you think. Just do yourself a favor, and check them out as soon as you can!

An e-galley was provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway Opportunity

Enter for your chance to be the lucky winner of [1] signed copy of Confessions of An Angry Girl, [1] signed copy of Confessions of An Almost-Girlfriend, and [1] $25 iTunes gift card! Giveaway is for US only. Please go to Rafflecopter HERE to enter. Good luck!

About the Author:

Louise Rozett is an author, a playwright, and a recovering performer. She made her YA debut with Confessions of an Angry Girl, published by Harlequin Teen. The next book in the series, Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, is due out June 2013. She lives with her 120-pound Bernese Mountain dog Lester (named after Lester Freamon from THE WIRE, of course) in one of the world’s greatest literary meccas, Brooklyn…and also in sunny Los Angeles. (Being bi-coastal is fun!)

You can connect with Louise at the following links:
Website│Blog│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Pinterest