What If You Fall For Me First? by G.F. Miller

What's summer without a little romance to add to those beach or pool hours...or just sitting in the sun. Or next to the air conditioner? 

Okay, reading is possible everywhere. 

Today's read hits the romance direction (obviously) but doesn't steer into the YA branch. Rather, this one is for those upper middle graders out there. I'm assuming there will be middle school drama and quite a bit of situation humor. I hope there's a lot of humor, anyway.

Let's jump in and see how this one goes!

WHAT IF YOU FALL FOR ME FIRST?

by G.F. Miller

Aladdin

Upper Middle Grade Romance

368 pages

ages 10 and up

COMING...

JUNE 10th!!!

A girl determined to ditch her goody-two-shoes image and the cool guy classmate she enlists to help her get more than they bargained for in this relatable and swoon-worthy middle grade rom-com.

Sofia has had enough of everyone thinking she’s sooo nice. “Sweet,” “innocent,” and “goody two-shoes” are how her classmates would describe her, but there’s more to her than that. She wants everyone—especially her forever crush, Mark Chen—to see that she has other sides.

To help her level up to Official Cool Girl, Sofia enlists trendy and confident Holden—the guy who everyone else has written off as a total player and a first-class jerk. Under Holden’s guidance, Sofia learns to revamp her style, ride a skateboard, and stand up for herself. At the same time, Holden learns that when he’s alone with Sofia, it’s safe to drop the cool guy act and just be himself.

When their efforts start to pay off, Sofia is faced with a choice. Should she stick with the plan—and risk losing herself in the process—or take a chance on the person everyone says will break her heart?

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Fans of middle school drama with fun characters and awkward situations are sure to enjoy this read quite a bit.

Sofia is sick of being seen as the super nice, sweet girl and wishes she had more sass. Not only is she very small for her age, but her clothes are purchased by her grandmother (not a fashion guru). All of this combined make her desire to win over her crush's heart nearly impossible...especially since he's after a girl who screams power on the volleyball team. So, Sofia ends up seeking help from the 'bad boy' of the class, Holden, who agrees to help her change her image in exchange for letting him use her metamorphosis to gain more viewers on his social media. Since his divorced parents shove tons of money his way, he even happily agrees to flip the bill. While the visual changes in Sofia are undeniable and she's picking up some edgier skills, her underlining niceness is hard to mutate. And that will cause either defeat or victory...depending on what the true goal really is.

This book nods back to the first one in the series. So, it's a good idea to read that one first even though this second book concentrates on different main characters and takes on a life of its own.

Sofia is easy to connect with and will find sympathy with many young readers as she struggles to fit, what she considers, the ideal...especially with thoughts focused on her crush. It's fun to watch her attempts to change and easy to root for her every step of the way. She makes mistakes, but most are more than understandable and make her sympathetic. There's a lot for her to go through to find herself, and the steps to this discovery are ones that readers can follow in their own lives or surroundings. The confusion and tough decisions she faces as she learns how to see herself and others is something this age group often faces themselves.

Holden offers the right zest to Sofia's awkwardness. While he first appears put together, it becomes more and more clear that he has his own problems to deal with and that he's not really the jerk he portrays himself to be. His way of coping with the divorce of his parents and their over-flood of money to him is also one some readers will be able to identify with. And it's nicely and naturally handled. He's a character, who grows on the reader, and is also easy to root for by the end.

This is a fun and grabbing read, and while there is quite a bit of drama, which might have been shortened just a teeny bit, it's exactly what fans of relationship difficulties and social life steering are sure to enjoy. Those who enjoyed the first book are going to want to take a look at this one as well.

And here she is...

G. F. Miller absolutely insists on a happy ending. Everything else is negotiable. She is living her Happily Ever After with the love of her life, three kids, two puppies, and some chickens. She cries at random times. She makes faces at herself in the mirror. She believes in the Oxford comma. And she’s always here for a dance party.

Not If You Break Up With Me First by G.F. Miller

When I first saw this one, I was like 'oh, a cute sounding YA romance'. Then, I noticed it's a middle grade read, which should head more toward humor than melting moments. 

Ah, middle grade romance!

My daughters hated watching the drama around them during those years. Both of them were a bit too...hmmm...in their own worlds(?) to throw a glance at any of the 'gross' guys. As a mom, it made my life easy. But the stories! The tears they told me about! The gossip wars! The revenge! (At least, on the girls' sides). And all of that within around a week's period before the couple usually broke up and a new one formed. Middle school is a very dramatic and whip-lash inducing time frame in our small town. 

I'm more than a little curious to see what situations the characters in this read will face because it could be quite a fun read.

NOT IF YOU BREAK UP WITH ME FIRST

by G.F. Miller

Aladdin

Middle Grade Romance

288 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

JUNE 4th!!!

Two friends who have unhappily found themselves in an accidental relationship try to drive the other one to call things off in this tongue-in-cheek middle grade romance.

Childhood friends Eve and Andrew are destined to be together— everyone says so, especially their friends and classmates who are all suddenly crush-obsessed. So when Eve and Andrew’s first eighth grade school dance rolls around and Eve, feeling the pressure, awkwardly asks Andrew to go with her, everyone assumes they are Officially Dating and Practically in Love. Overwhelmed, Eve and Andrew just…go with it.

And it’s weird. Neither of them wants this dating thing to mess up their friendship, and they don’t really see each other that way. But they also don’t want to be the one to call things off, the one to make things super awkward. So they both—separately—pledge to be the worst boyfriend or girlfriend ever, leaving it to the other person to break up with them. It would be genius…if the other person weren’t doing the exact same thing.

GOODREADS     /     SIMON & SCHUSTER

MY TIDBITS

The rollercoaster ride of middle grade emotions slams into the hyper-drive of crushes and peer pressure in a tale with heart, humor, and an entire truck load of drama.

After several months of separation, Eve can't wait for her forever-best-friend Andrew to come back from Florida, but the moment, he steps away from the terminal, it's clear some things have changed. Everything in her life seems to be doing that. Many of the kids at school are changing...and not only physically. Crushes are the hottest topic, and Eve's own parents can no longer seem to get along. She's steering everything as best she can. When all the girls at school push her to ask Andrew to an upcoming dance, claiming the two are the perfect couple, Eve decides to give in. After all, he's her best friend...but things don't go as planned. Everyone now claims the two are a couple, and even silly Andrew seems to think they should be one. At least, that's how he's sort of acting. After the dance goes askew in the most awkward way, Eve admits to her friends that she doesn't like him like that, but breaking up is even more difficult than getting together. She has to make him break up with her. Of course, he's well aware of this social rule, and unknown to her, decides on the same plan of attack thanks to his own friends. Add the storm of her fighting parents, a fact she's still trying to hide from everyone and somehow solve, and everything is about to become the biggest disaster ever.

Yep, this book is middle grade romance as I and my kids have come to know it. Eve might be level-headed for her age. but gossip and peer-pressure are a might force to be reckoned with, especially at that age. It's not that she's even a person, who is trying to make everyone like her (as in so many reads). Eve is just lost, trying to find footing when the world around her...and even she herself...don't make the same sense as before. The three month separation from Andrew did seem a little short considering all of the changes, but this pause does set the perfect stage for misunderstandings and uncertainties to settle in, which drive the entire read. The two know each other well, care for each other insanely, but have lost just enough contact to give wiggle room in their, otherwise, concrete connection.

The read does concentrate heavily on the back and forth between Eve and Andrew, giving very few of the other characters much depth. But then, these two do have enough drama on their own. Plus, Eve's parental problems come into play, demonstrating how looming divorces go way beyond the emotional status of the kids at home and sink into every other aspect of their life, unintentionally or not. It was nice to see this so subtly (while not being subtle) addressed. 

Most important, this is a read which does toss the emotions back and forth in the best ways. Eve and Andrew are never to be underestimated in their attacks on each other, which adds humor and gasp worthy surprises. On the other side, the non-severable care they have for each other leaks through to bring warm sighs. It's drama pure and is sure to be enjoyed by more than just a few middle grade readers.

And here she is...

G. F. Miller absolutely insists on a happy ending. Everything else is negotiable. She is living her Happily Ever After with the love of her life, three kids, two puppies, and some chickens. She cries at random times. She makes faces at herself in the mirror. She believes in the Oxford comma. And she’s always here for a dance party.