Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A sweet and sizzling love story from Myracle. Wren and Charlie are just about to graduate from their Atlanta high school when their eyes lock and everything changes. Single-child Wren is beginning to take her first baby steps away from her loving but overprotective parents, eschewing freshman year at Emory for a gap year in Guatemala with a service organization. Foster-child Charlie is struggling to separate, too, but from a long-standing toxic relationship, not his supportive family; he's got a scholarship to Georgia Tech. Alternating chapters that move between Wren's and Charlie's third-person perspectives describe their gorgeous summer romance, capturing each as they work to define themselves as individuals and as part of a couple. Myracle applies a light touch even with heavy issues--Charlie's life has not been an easy one--allowing readers to discover the characters even as they get to know each other. She wisely restrains herself from a potentially melodramatic foreshadowed meltdown, turning what could have been a narrative disaster into another opportunity for the characters to grow. The scenes of sexual intimacy are described with innocently erotic frankness, offering an ideal (if not idealized) model for readers on the cusp; this is Forever… for a new generation, offering character depth Cath and Michael never achieved. Summer love has never been so good. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A sweet and sizzling love story from Myracle. Wren and Charlie are just about to graduate from their Atlanta high school when their eyes lock and everything changes. Single-child Wren is beginning to take her first baby steps away from her loving but overprotective parents, eschewing freshman year at Emory for a gap year in Guatemala with a service organization. Foster-child Charlie is struggling to separate, too, but from a long-standing toxic relationship, not his supportive family; he's got a scholarship to Georgia Tech. Alternating chapters that move between Wren's and Charlie's third-person perspectives describe their gorgeous summer romance, capturing each as they work to define themselves as individuals and as part of a couple. Myracle applies a light touch even with heavy issues--Charlie's life has not been an easy one--allowing readers to discover the characters even as they get to know each other. She wisely restrains herself from a potentially melodramatic foreshadowed meltdown, turning what could have been a narrative disaster into another opportunity for the characters to grow. The scenes of sexual intimacy are described with innocently erotic frankness, offering an ideal (if not idealized) model for readers on the cusp; this is Forever… for a new generation, offering character depth Cath and Michael never achieved. Summer love has never been so good. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Horn Book

Charlie and Wren start dating just after high school graduation. They have an immediate intellectual bond, sharing secrets and dreams, as well as a quick sexual connection. They spend the summer growing closer, uncertain of what will happen when fall comes. The explicit but tender sex scenes feel honest in this story of love, trust, and finding your path.

ALA Booklist

In this sweet and steamy romance, Myracle captures first love, in all its topsy-turvy, tangled, passionate, and breathless glory. Wren Gray, only child and perfect daughter, is desperate to break free of her family's predetermined plans for her, and so she defers Emory for a chance to travel to Guatemala with an organization for a year. Charlie Parker, on the other hand, has bounced around foster homes finally finding a family to call his own and earning a scholarship to Georgia Tech. Charlie has always loved Wren, and when their eyes lock at graduation, they fall hard and deep. There are intimate conversations: "Sometimes the things we hide en't they the parts that matter most?"; cute text messages; and meditations on an uncertain future. And, yes, there's sex nsual, erotic, and meaningful tween two responsible people in love who trust one another wholeheartedly. While there are some plot missteps towrds the end, many teens will gravitate to this sensitive and emotionally wrought update of Judy Blume's classic Forever and will see themselves reflected back in the characters, who love fiercely, as if life were one infinite moment. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Myracle's stellar reputation, plus sexy subject matter, equals a surefire hit with teens.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Myracle is no stranger to having her work challenged on the basis of -inappropriate- content, and this love story between two high school graduates may attract similar attention. But underlying some explicit and erotic scenes in which Wren Gray and Charlie Parker open their bodies to each other-along with their hearts, minds, and souls-is a rewarding account of two young people whose insecurities and personal histories weigh on the romance they work to build with each other. Poised and accomplished, Wren has always done what her parents have expected of her, while Charlie is a foster child, self-conscious about his often unpleasant upbringing, but fiercely protective of his current family. Will some readers be unable to see past the sex in the book? Yes. Will they be adults? Probably. In contrast to unhealthy depictions of sex and relationships that teenagers (and adults) are often exposed to in media and entertainment, Myracle offers up a passionate romance built on a bedrock of love, respect, and trust. And it-s difficult to see that as a bad thing. Ages 14-up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Aug.)

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-Wren Gray has spent her first 18 years pleasing her parents, earning perfect grades and early acceptance into the school and program her dad was hoping for, and, of course, keeping clear of boyfriends. Charlie Parker has spent his first 18 years navigating through foster homes and maintaing his position under the radar. He has loved Wren since the first time he saw her. When chance brings them together for their first conversation, it's electric, and they both know that neither one of them will ever be the same. Wren just might have the courage to look for what she wants out of life-and Charlie just might finally know what true love is. This charming romance has multidimensional characters, straightforward sexuality, and a pace that lets readers fall in love with the main characters. Myracle expertly captures the intense connection of first love, from the need to spend every moment together to trying to figure out how to communicate with one another. The abrupt ending feels out of sync with the rest of the book, but readers should be pleased with it nonetheless. Myracle does not remove the physical aspects of two teens in love, bringing to mind Judy Blume's Forever . A romantic read that doesn't shy away from steaminess. Emily Moore, Camden County Library System, NJ