Book Review: Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Flat-Out Love
Author:  Jessica Park
Publisher:  Self-published
Publication Date:  April 11, 2011

From Goodreads:
He was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.

So, that was Matt. Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot. But there is also Finn. Who she flat out loves.

Complicated? Awkward? Completely.

But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother's? This was all supposed to be temporary. Julie wasn't supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers. Especially the one she's never quite met. But what does that really matter? Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection.

But here's the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves. And no one ever escapes unscathed.

New York Times Best-selling author Jessica Park mines the territory of love’s growing pains with wit, sharp insights, and a discernible heat and heartbeat. 

Review:
I loved this book.  I loved the quirky characters, unique plot, and unconventional love triangle.  I felt such a connection with all of them.  Julie is smart and independent, away from home for the first time and finding herself suddenly part of this very eccentric, dysfunctional family.  She's a bit pushy, but she cares and ends up becoming exactly what each one of them  needs.  Celeste is the thirteen-year-old whose just trying to cope in a very unusual way.  And Matt, oh Matt, how I felt for him.  Having to play the grown-up (his parents are absent a lot, both physically and mentally) and take care of Celeste, along with his studies at MIT.  His choice of t-shirt always made me smile.  And then there's Finn, the traveling brother who everyone misses and who Julie starts feeling a connection with over e-mail.  I loved their exchanges and I also loved her conversations and bantering with Matt, who is just such a lovable geek.  (How many times can I use some variation of the word love?)

This book evoked such emotions from me.  I laughed, got teary-eyed, smiled, said awwww.  

Even if you figure out the secret early on (which I did for some reason, I never do that) it will not keep you from absolutely loving this book (ok that was the the sixth time).  It will stick with you for a long time.  And I'm not one to reread a book, but I will definitely be rereading this one.  

Posted by:  Pam