I've read all Morgan Matson's other books and really enjoyed them, so it was a no-brainer to pick this one up at the library. And I was not disappointed.
It's a romance that initially is set up to be like the Before Sunrise movies, where the whole story plays out in one night. That's actually what the main character, Darcy, wants it to be. She's a romantic who adores movies like this and has been hanging out for her own moment of magic.
Of course though, things never quite work out the way they do in the movies...
The weekend before leaving to go to college on the East Coast, Darcy throws caution to the wind and goes with an acquaintance to a music festival. Her dad's favourite band, the one she grew up listening to, is playing and she's excited to experience it firsthand. All this happens before the book actually starts, and we catch up with Darcy after the festival, after her "friend" ditched her and left her to take the bus back to LA. The bus breaks down, leaving her stranded at a remote bus station in Nevada. Her phone's almost out of charge and her friend accidentally took her charger, so she has no way to top it up. Her flight to college is the next night, so the clock starts ticking the moment the bus breaks down and she's told a replacement won't be able to get there until the next morning.
Russell is also stranded at the bus station. He and Darcy cross paths because news travels that she's looking for a charger. He doesn't have one either, and his phone is dead too, but suggests they go for a walk into town to see if they can find one. She agrees and they set out together. As they walk and talk, they start getting to know each other and there's a clear attraction between them. By the time they discover this is a town that basically closes on a Sunday afternoon, things are going really well. Sparks are flying and Darcy starts to think this is the romance she's been dreaming of.
Then they get caught swimming in a motel pool and everything changes. It turns out Russell's phone isn't dead after all when he has to make call to his dad to keep them from being arrested for trespassing. And then the truth about who Russell really is comes out and Darcy finds herself flung into an entirely different adventure.
I won't reveal any more of the plot because what's so enjoyable about this book is how far away from the expected it takes you. After setting up to be the meet-cute-one-night-romance, it becomes something very different, but no less enjoyable.
Darcy and Russell are delightful protagonists with real flaws and charms, and backstories that inform their current situations in the best possible way. The people they come across along their adventure are also very engaging and interesting and even Darcy's best friends who we never meet, but hear from through the voices in her head, are very well drawn.
So, I'd recommend this one. It's fun and light and romantic, even though it isn't the romance it promises to be in the first few chapters.
But don't just listen to me. Here's the blurb:
Darcy believes in love at first sight. Even though it’s never happened to her, she’s spent her whole life waiting for that magical moment, hoping that when she meets the right guy, everything will fall into place perfectly.
But right now, her life is anything but perfect. Heading home from a music festival, engine trouble means she’s stranded at a Nevada bus station until morning. Even worse, it’s the day before she leaves for college, her phone is dead, and she has no cash. Darcy’s convinced nothing good can come of this night…but then she meets Russell. Cute, nice, funny, and kind, this is the guy—and the moment—she’s been waiting for. As they walk and talk, the two connect, and Darcy is able to put aside all her fears and doubts about the future to focus on this perfect guy.
Over the course of one fateful night, Darcy and Russell discover things they never imagined about each other and themselves. But can you really know someone after only a handful of hours? Is it possible to fall in love in less than day? Before they part, both their lives will be changed, and Darcy and Russell will have to decide if it’s worth saying hello when you know you’re destined for a goodbye.
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