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Maris Brown has been told two things about her destiny:
1. She will fall happily and madly in love.
2. She could be dead before she turns eighteen.
The summer before that fateful birthday, Maris is in the wealthy beach town of Cross Cove with her estranged father and his new family--and the infamous Duvals. Since the youngest member of the Duval family, Edison, is back from college and back in the arms of Maris's new stepsister, her summer looks to be a long string of lazy days on the Duval's lush beach.
But Edison is hiding something. And the more Maris learns about him, the more she's given signs that she should stay as far away from him as possible. As wrong as it is, Maris is drawn to him. Around Edison, she feels truly alive and she's not willing to give that up. Even if it means a collision course with destiny.
Review:
From the description given on Goodreads, one would think Madly and Happily, by Alexis Bass is a novel about forbidden summer love. It is. But it is also a fast-paced thriller filled with shady business deals, mysterious characters, and complicated relationships. Set against a backdrop of a summer resort town, this book was a page-turner.
What I Liked:
Setting:The beach town of Cross Cove, with its mix of local residents and wealthy visitors, reminds me of my hometown of Santa Barbara, California. Hidden behind the glitzy exteriors of shops and restaurants that cater to tourists lies a seedy underbelly. In the case of Santa Barbara, there is a huge homeless problem. In fictional Cross Cove, the glamorous location hides drug trafficking, pay-offs, and possibly murder!
Characters:
Maris is the kind of broken teen that you know will make all the wrong choices in this story. She is reckless, sullen, and although she claims she is responsible for her own decisions, blames her father for what has gone wrong in her life. I liked Maris. She was conflicted about many of the hurtful things she did, but she shows us how people can justify bad behavior. She is a flawed human.
I really liked Sepp, Edison's brother. He is not one of the main characters, but he is really important to the story. I liked that, in an atmosphere where there were so many secrets, he was always a straight shooter. I would say that he is almost the moral compass for this story. Almost, because even though he points out how wrong everything is, he still is part of the sketchy goings-on.
Story:
I enjoy a good thriller and this was certainly a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The wealthy Duval family seem too perfect to be real, and they are. Even though Edison is dating Chelsea, Maris's step-sister, it seems excessive that the Duvals take such an interest in Maris's whole family. The reasons become clear as the story progresses. There are some shady dealings going on. Could George, Maris's father, be involved?
The novel is fluctuates between a story about forbidden love and a criminal mystery. It certainly kept me guessing.
What I Was Mixed About:
The Romance:I know Edison is supposed to be Mr. Charming, getting his way with just a brilliant smile. But I was taken aback by how he often shifted the blame of what he was doing to Maris. At one point in the story he tells her, "I hate it that you have to lie for me". He doesn't give her a choice, just points out that she will get in trouble if she doesn't do what he wants. It was extremely manipulative. I hated that Maris didn't seem to have a backbone with him. If she finds him so irresistible then I think she would want to lie for him, anyway. But it made Maris seem very insecure to be able to be convinced that she had as much to lose as him. She really didn't.
I also didn't like that Maris tries to justify betraying Chelsea by thinking it's fine because it somehow evens out what George (Maris's dad) did to Maris and her mother. One betrayal doesn't make another one okay.
Rating:
Release Date: May 21st, 2019
Author: Alexis Bass
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: YA Thriller
Page Length: 352 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: A page-turning YA Thriller that would make a great summer beach read.
Ooh nice review! I've been eyeing this one as I love a good thriller! The YA genre has a real good pool of them too! Glad to see that this one was a winner!
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