March 23, 2015

ARC Review: Discovering April by Sheena Hutchinson

Discovering April
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*I received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Get a copy here!

THE ENDING, oh God, the ending…..
Okay, I know I’m being a tease, lol, can’t help it really.
Discovering April is a new adult contemporary romance by Sheena Hutchinson with first person POV (heroine). I always found it interesting to read a book by author who belongs ‘new’ to me. Writing style is always my first anticipation. I began by reading one chapter first and despite the appearance of annoying character (yes, Hunter indeed) I knew I’d enjoy this book because of Ms. Hutchinson’s writing style. At first, I was thinking that this book would be a light read with minor climax but then in the end of chapter 29 I dropped my jaw and had to welcome myself into weeping state…


All her life, April Landau didn’t realize that she had a need of labeling herself before stepping up to the outside world. As a kid, it was always Jared and April. Jared, the neighbor slash childhood best friend who was slowly drifted apart one summer during high school. Growing, it changed into Hunter and April. It was always two of them against the world. Whenever Hunter happened to mess up and they had one of their little break-ups, April would be like a lost puppy not knowing what to do or where to go. So when one day they broke it up for real, April lost herself. Or seemed like it. She avoided the crowd, she didn’t come out, she practically locked herself up at home. Then came Jared. Jared, the neighbor slash old best friend slash stranger. It’s been years since they last talked to each other. Been years since Jared’s parents died and he shut himself out to focus onto work. Jared came around one day when April was weeping over the ‘real’ breakup she had with Hunter. Slowly the old best friends started to hang out together again. But things were different now. They were not just two old friends tried to catch up the missing years. April might be oblivious but Jared couldn’t deny the buried feeling he had for years. When the two of them finally realized their own feelings, it was time to be true to each other. Jared helped April to find herself again, to pick up the pieces that lost by being a shadow on previous relationship. Jared managed to make April believe that she needed no label whatsoever to live her life. It was no need to be back to Jared and April. It should always be April Landau. And Jared on the frame was not as the light or as the shadow; he was simply as the company. When they thought things finally fell into its places, they were once again faced with the hurdle that could break them apart or tighten them even more.

I actually thought that Discovering April started slow in the beginning chapters. Even when it passed 50%, I admit I thought this was going to end in such cliché heroine-have-a-happily-ever-after-with-the-childhood-crush-slash-neighbour kind of ending and I was a bit scared that there was no such thing that would make great memory that will flashing on my mind every time this book is mentioned in the future. 

But then...
then Ms. Hutchinson made a hard kick around 76% and made me weeping over and over again from chapter 30 to the end. This couple might have a slow and smooth beginning but then again… there’s no true love that wasn’t touch by God’s test. So, yeah, the climax wrapping made me gasping for air. Some people might think that it was a bit dramatic but God, I looooooove it so much!

I disliked April’s character at first. The repeating cycle of breakup with Hunter was really a big minus for me. Added it with her overreacting and hysterical demeanor. Then Jared came and that’s when I started to like April. When she started to get a grip of her old self, April was actually kind of cool. I loved it that Jared came back was not just for his own benefit, but he came to help April became the one he used to know before, he came to help April discover herself. Jared, even though I found him a bit closed and has a strange habit of taking April on sudden trips, was kind of sweet and understanding.
“Chivalrous acts are done as a sign of respect to you. Men, real men, that is, do these things for women not because we have to, but because we feel they deserve to be honored in some small, tiny way every single day.”
(Jared Hoffman; Chapter XX, Discovering April)
Yes, Jared, I’m in love with you.....
Err.. I mean, I agree with you!
GO, good boy!
I wanted so bad to share what I felt from chapter 30 to the rest but I don’t want to make any spoilers or anything. So I’ll just say that I couldn’t stop crying and aww-ing. I’m usually not a drama-lover type of reader but this one, though… this one had me gripping tightly to my e-reader. And oh, the HEA… <3
Thanks, Ms. Hutchinson for creating such a lovely ending for both of them! :)

Love, read, and review,
Cynthia D.

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