Yours and Mine (Freshman Forty 2)
by Christine Duval
Publication Date: February 10th 2017
Genre(s): Contemporary, New Adult
Pages: 158
Picking up from the dramatic ending of Positively Mine, Yours and Mine continues the Freshman Forty series as we meet Danny Santoro, Laurel’s baby’s father, for the first time.
It’s been almost a year since he last saw her, that sultry morning she walked off the beach before dawn had even cracked the August sky. It seemed from her silence, she was out of his life forever.
But Laurel’s timing couldn’t be worse to tell him he’s a father. The last year hasn’t been easy. Danny’s own father was arrested for a DUI, his mother moved out, and Danny started sleeping with his brother’s old high school, drug-abusing girlfriend.
After Laurel shocks him with the news, she attempts to relinquish Danny of any parental responsibility leading to a heated custody battle. In an unorthodox arrangement, an eccentric judge orders Danny and Laurel to spend alternating weekends with each other for the upcoming school year.
Told from Danny’s point of view, Yours and Mine explores the second chapter of a romance that never got off the ground, the challenges of young parenting, and the hope of rekindled love.
Happy belated release day to Yours and Mine by Christine Duval! As part of the book tour for Yours and Mine, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours, I’ll be sharing my review of the book. Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this tour here.
Be sure to read to the end of this post to enter in the giveaway!
MY REVIEW
I’m surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this book, especially after my experience with the first book, which did not go too well. I flew by this story fairly quickly, wanting to see what would become of the two main characters. While it did feel predictable at major turning points, it was still a book I’d reluctantly put down.
Besides a few points of the story where I felt like character development could use more work, the characters themselves in this book felt a lot more lively. I found Danny to be more likable than Laurel, and I actually felt sympathy for the challenges he endured. Danny had real motives and real feelings, so I felt that the story was correctly chosen to be told in his POV. I genuinely wished for a good outcome for him.
However, I did find a few inconsistencies with personality. For example, Danny is portrayed as an intelligent and mature young adult, but will still be thinking thoughts such as:
I can’t help but stare at her ass that peeks out through the bottom of her shorts. […] She is hot with this new mommy body of hers.
Yes, I understand that he’s still young and it’s normal, but compared to many of his actions and much of his speech, these couple of sentences just seem really out of place and throw me off. There are probably hundreds of different ways the author could have written that while keeping the idea the same.
Speaking of the writing, I find that it has definitely improved from the last book, but I still find the odd line that strikes me as … weird.
“I hate when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Look at me like that. It is so intense.”
“Well I’m an intense guy.”
And she’s blushing after this.
I don’t know, this dialogue just doesn’t sound realistic to me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed this little adventure with Laurel and Danny. I rate this book a 3 stars out of 5, and would recommend it if you can push through the first book. 😅
THE AUTHOR
Christine Duval lives in New Jersey with her family. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Women Who Write, and the Authors Guild.
When not creating fictional characters or organizing carpools, you can find her walking through houses and writing about them for an upscale real estate company. She also has an extensive social media background and has worked for several well-known magazines.
THE GIVEAWAY
The Details
→ International Giveaway
→ Win a $20 Amazon gift card and a Kindle copy of Positively Mine
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Jinxed Goblet 