Review: Wait For You

Title: Wait For You (Wait For You #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout (J. Lynn)
Publisher: Harper Fiction
Released: 24th April 2013
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

So I guess I should admit right off the bat that Wait For You is my first JLA book (and now I'm pretty sure I can hear cries of 'Hallelujah!' and 'What took you so long?').  You guys were right.  This author is the definition of amazing.  And I don't even want to admit how obsessed I am with this book.  Seriously, it's embarrassing.  I wish I could just say I love this book and be done with it, but since I can't...

Avery is looking forward to a fresh start at her college, having moved to a new state to escape her past.  Nobody knows her here, and finally she can leave Halloween night five years ago behind.  She just has to keep her head down, her bracelet on, and if she's lucky she might even make a few friends.  What she doesn't count on is Cam, who seems to be everywhere after she crashes into him on her first day.  Cam draws out feelings she didn't expect to feel - feelings she doesn't want to feel - but it's impossible to stay away from him, especially with his habit of seeking her out.  At the same time she's receiving emails and phone calls that are echoes of the comments back home, and Avery is forced to confront her past.  The question is if anyone will find out.  And if Cam discovers the truth, will that destroy their relationship?  Heaven knows it destroyed every relationship she had before she moved, with everyone from her parents to classmates turning against her.  Having history repeat itself isn't a risk she's willing to take.

I loved Avery's voice right from the start.  Actually, that beginning was pretty much perfect because I could relate to it.  Her attitude towards being late is exactly the same as mine, and I will go to more or less the same lengths as her to avoid it.  The reasons are very different, but I do absolutely loathe being late.  But moving on from that, Avery was a character very easy to sympathise with.  She's a remarkably strong character, but it's also extremely clear how vulnerable she is.  Her awkwardness was endearing, but there were times when it was simply that she was overly jumpy, and it was obvious that she was still massively affected by what had happened to her.  Armentrout managed to drop clues about her past while still creating suspense, and I really wanted to know what had happened to this girl.  I hated how she started college with no-one, not even her parents, because of their prejudice against her.  I couldn't take the coldness of her parents, and it was wonderful to see first the small acts of rebellion, and then Avery actually confronting them.

Now, how do I begin to describe Cam?   How do I begin to describe how much I loved Cam?  I loved how open and straightforward he was; it was quite refreshing to see the level of communication on his part, and he struck me as very mature - well, as long as we leave his overconfidence to the side.  For all his cockiness, he is a genuinely good guy.  The conversations and interactions between him and Avery were amusing and had me smiling constantly, and it was easy to appreciate how much he went out of his way to spend some time with her.  I did grow frustrated with Avery when she kept pushing him away, kept refusing to tell him the truth even after he admitted his own past, although I could understand it at the same time.  These two together are just amazing, and their relationship is wondrously slow.  It was lovely to see Avery slowly let him in, see how Cam picked up on certain things, and his reaction when he learned the truth was perfect.  He proved himself to be supportive and honest and just...perfect.

This review isn't all that great, I know, but really.  Ask me to tell you how much I loved this book and why, and no answer I give you will be adequate.  I know, too, that some are getting bored with New Adult because it can be predictable.  And it is, although to be honest I'm so addicted right now, and in such a contemporary mood, that I truly don't mind.  But the characters here are incredibly vivid, and this book really made me feel.  I can see I'm going to have to read more of this author, and soon.