The Art of Lainey

Wow, wow wow! I could not put this down! Paula Stokes really scores with The Art of Lainey!

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads:

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with, if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

We all can relate to this story where the girl gets dumped and then tries to win her love back by trying to create jealousy and ends up find out that what she really wants might not be what she originally though she did. This coming of age story is a wonderful reminder that self-discovery is always there and we just have to be open to change and seeing ourselves not as who we think we should be but who we really are in our hearts.

This story is well written and so rich that you can really see it play out as a movie. I was hooked instantly by the story and could not put it down until 2am. The characters are real and believable and you really begin to root for them each so rich and unique and yet we all know people like each of the characters. I can't even begin to tell you the FEELS that will come along with this book...soooo good! The banter back and forth was witty and hilarous and really had me giggling out loud while reading.

This book should not be missed. It's not going to change your life but it's one of those reads that will help make life more enjoyable! Make sure to add this one to your TBR pile today!