It Had to be You by Lizzy Charles Series: Brokemore Academy #1
Published by Entangled on May 15th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Goodreads
James Parson has a problem. His military dad is going to yank him out of his expensive boarding school if James doesn’t prove he’s no longer hooking up, pulling pranks, and charming his way out of consequences. What better way to show he’s now responsible than becoming the committed boyfriend of a U.S. diplomat’s daughter?
Level-headed, book-smart Edelweiss may have traveled the world thanks to her dad’s job, but when it comes to friends and boys, she knows exactly nothing. Newly enrolled in boarding school, Edel is now on a mission to learn it all. James says he’ll help her experience the ultimate high school life—if she’ll be his fake girlfriend. And fake is perfect, because he’s exactly the kind of player she’d never date.
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains red-hot romance, all the feels, and a soul-mate bad boy.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, this does not influence this review or my thoughts on the book.
I’ve always been a fan of cute romances and and when I saw the premise for It Had to Be You, I knew I had to pick it up.
Edelweiss, Edel for short, is an intelligent girl who has travelled all over the world with her diplomat parents but had never been at a high school. For her senior year, she manages to convince her parents to allow her to enrol in a high school, even if it is one of the most elite private schools in the world. James, on the other hand, is a prankster that is determined to make sure he stays enrolled this year. If he’s caught being up to anything, his military father will pull him out of school. As James starts feeling pressure from his father to be a good student, he decides that fake-dating Edel is perfect for his plan, as their parents are really close. Edel goes along because it’ll help her have the full high school experience. But with most fake dating situations, soon the feelings turn real as well as the relationship complications.
I am a huge sucker for the ‘fake dating’ trope and this one totally didn’t disappoint on that front. Edel and James were totally cute and I loved reading about their growing relationship. They were both interesting characters, though I did find them to be a bit too one-dimensional sometimes. There were moments that they did have depth but I think some sources of angst in the novel were a bit shallow. I did like the boarding school setting and I am thrilled to see that this is the first in a series that takes place in the school. In addition, I did find some parts of the novel, especially the end, to be a bit too cheesy for my taste but I still enjoyed it overall.
Overall, It Had to Be You was an adorable romance that I highly recommend to contemporary readers!
