Book Review: Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea

About the Book:

Title: Woke Up Like This

Author: Amy Lea

Page Length: 300

Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio

Synopsis: Planning the perfect prom is one last “to do” on ultra-organized Charlotte Wu’s high school bucket list. So far, so good, if not for a decorating accident that sends Charlotte crash-landing off a ladder, face-first into her obnoxiously ripped archnemesis J. T. Renner. Worse? When Charlotte wakes up, she finds herself in an unfamiliar bed at thirty years old, with her bearded fiancé, Renner, by her side.

Either they’ve lost their minds or they’ve been drop-kicked into adulthood, forever trapped in the thirty-year-old bodies of their future selves. With each other as their only constant, Charlotte and Renner discover all that’s changed in the time they’ve missed. Charlotte also learns there’s more to Renner than irritating-jock charm, and that reaching the next milestone isn’t as important as what happens in between.

Navigating a series of adventures and a confounding new normal, Charlotte and Renner will do whatever it takes to find a way back to seventeen. But when―and if―they do, what then?

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

Amy Lea’s Woke Up Like This is a charming and fun YA romance with great characters and messages. I love the 13 Going on 30 vibes and the high school nostalgia the book evokes.

Wanting to create the perfect prom, Charlotte’s plans go awry when she falls off a ladder into her enemy’s arms and wakes up thirteen years older and in bed with and engaged to said nemesis. Stuck in new lives, Char and Renner notice all of the things they missed and what led them to the reality their living in.

Amy Lea has a way of writing realistic and relatable characters that you want to root for, and Charlotte and Renner are the perfect examples. Super involved and organized, Char keeps a lot of her feelings bottled up rather than rocking the boat and causing problems with her friends. In some ways, she is very mature and driven, and in others, she is not, especially when it comes to owning her feelings and looking at the bigger picture. Her growth over the course of the story is fantastic.

As a 30-year-old, Char explores how her life has changed over the years, including friendships, family relationships, her career goals, and her romantic relationships. She also grows closer to Renner, whose character is as interesting as Char. I loved Renner! He’s the perfect match for Char. As the pair opens up to and becomes more vulnerable with each other, they have several revelations about their relationship and their friends, including one who hasn’t been entirely honest with them. It’s interesting to see what they do with all of this knowledge when they return to their teen selves.

Speaking of Char and Renner getting closer… I love their enemies-to-lovers romance! It’s sweet and charming, and they have so much chemistry you can almost see the sparks flying. It is clear that their feelings are deeper than either will initially admit, but the connection between them is irresistible. Their slow-burn love story made my heart smile, and I loved their verbal sparring as much as their more tender moments. But as much as it’s a love story, it’s also a story about high school, friendships, family, and more.

This is a great coming-of-age YA romance and one I could see myself rereading. It’s full of nostalgia, thought-provoking messages and themes, and amazing characters. Plus, the romance is a delight! Special thanks to the publisher and MB Communications for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance.

• The character growth.

• The messages.

Tropes:

• enemies to lovers
• time travel