Review: Maybe Someday

Maybe Someday
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: March 18, 2014
Paperback, 370 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her;and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

Hoover has officially become my favourite New Adult writer. She takes what all of us want in NA and makes it a really story, unlike other NAs I've read. She has a way with words and characters that make me want to read the story over and over again, and Maybe Someday was no exception. Sydney's 22nd birthday starts off horribly - discovering that her boyfriend is sleeping with her roommate and best friend.  So she leaves and somehow ends up at her neighbour's apartment, the mysterious Ridge who plays his guitar on his balcony just for her. What starts out as an awkward encounter soon turns into an awkward friendship. They begin writing music together and feelings begin to emerge - feelings that shouldn't be since Ridge is in a serious relationship. 

Yes, I know, a love triangle! But for once (well there have been a few times) this love triangle wasn't cringe-worthy. Told from both Sydney and Ridge's perspectives, we get to see how each of them are trying to cope with the feelings inside them. And although I don't condemn cheating, I do understand how couples can drift apart, especially if you are in two very different places in life. and Hoover delivers us a story that will break your heart not only for Ridge and his girlfriend, but for Sydney as the other woman trying desperately not to fall in love with him. This story is truly heartbreaking and Hoover loves to add in twists and plot points that make you re-think everything you've felt until that point, making this an unforgettable journey.

Ridge is not the kind of love interest you see in books these days. It's wonderful that Hoover explores this whole other world, and the way she treats it with respect is fantastic. I don't mean to be vague, but I don't want to spoil anything. It took a character who could very well be like every other love interest and turned him into something completely different. Sydney has never met anyone like him, but the way she reacts to it is beautiful and heart-warming, the way you hope everyone would. It was amazing and I hope more authors take a risk like this to show people that there are more diverse people in the world - not everyone is just a bad boy with issues.

What I loved most about this book was the music aspect. Hoover joined up with Griffin Peterson to create the soundtrack to this book. The songs Sydney and Ridge write in the book can be listened to while reading and it turned this book into an experience. The songs are touching and tender, just enough to send you into a tailspin of tears and mixed emotions - just like Sydney and Ridge. They sum up the relationship perfectly and follow along as Sydney and Ridge try to figure out how to live this life they know they should both walk away from. This book will take you through every emotion on the spectrum, but it will leave you smiling and singing along. Hoover gives me faith in the NA genre.

“We try so hard to hide everything we're really feeling from those who probably need to know our true feelings the most.”

“Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective.”