Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt.
Publisher: Simon Pulse.
Pages: 320.
Release Date: July 12th.

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...

Sometimes It Happens is the very first book I’ve read from author Lauren Barnholdt. And let me tell you, I am officially a fangirl. Her realistic teenage characters and voices make the story so authentic and entertaining. Pair that with dizzying romance drama and you’ve got one hell of a summer read.

There are quite a few books out there with the “girl falls for best friend’s boyfriend” plot. I tend to avoid them because I know I‘ll end up rolling my eyes and putting it down halfway through. I went into this book with the firm idea that I’d end up hating Hannah because I knew she was going to hurt Ava by messing with Noah. (Admittedly, I’ve been on the “best friend” side of this kind of drama before and I know how much it sucks) But surprisingly, I didn’t want to punch Hannah in the face. Ava wasn’t written to be evil, but she was definitely irritating. And the relationship between her and Hannah was flawed. Of course, that’s no excuse. But the title for this book is spot on: Sometimes It Happens. Hannah and Noah don’t just decide they went to mess around behind Ava’s back. Their feelings develop over the summer, slowly, and even that relationship is flawed. It just seemed really believable without all of the sugarcoating.

Overall, I loved this book. And if I was able to set aside my preconceived notions and judgments and actually love the book, it was a successful reading experience. Told in alternating chapters between the summer and the first day of school, Sometimes It Happens is romantic and emotional and authentic and gah! I just have way too many good things to say.

Other reviews for Sometimes It Happens:
I Eat Words.
Chick Loves Lit.
The Compulsive Reader.
Katie's Book Blog.