Review: Senior Year Bucket List by J.M. Miller

Senior Year Bucket List by J.M. Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an advanced copy via the author in exchange for an honest review. My honest review is that I couldn't put this down and I loved it!  This will be out July 29, 2019.

This follows Celia and Caleb in the wake of Merilyn's death. Mer was a thrill seeker from an early age and she turned her love of adventure and doing crazy things into a way of life. She had a YouTube channel and a huge following, and it all started with the Senior Year Bucket List she and Celia started their senior year of high school. Celia and Mer were best friends, Celia the more reserved quiet friend and as you can imagine Mer the one pushing her out of her comfort zone. They kept a notebook of all of the things they wanted to do before they graduated from the mundane to the adventurous. Mer's younger brother, Caleb also joined in on the bucket list, but he also tormented Celia every step of the way. He also broke her heart. When Caleb and Celia are reunited at Merilyn's wake, they aren't quite sure what to make of each other. Caleb approaches Celia about Mer's final wish in her will that they recreate and complete the remaining items on their bucket list spreading her ashes in all of the places they visit.

Caleb asks her to walk down memory lane and they agree that they can do this one last thing for Mer. They don't take long to make up for lost time rekindling what they lost. Unfortunately their second chance romance does not go perfectly. Caleb and Celia film their adventures reliving Celia and Mer's senior year, but someone is leaking the footage. Celia isn't completely sure she can trust Caleb after the last time he destroyed her, and Caleb isn't sure he can live with losing her a second time.

This was just the story I needed. I don't read a ton of romance but when I do it needs to grab my attention and not let go. This did just that and more! This hits all the right emotions at the right times. You get some romance, steamy scenes, humor, adventure, and a good message about following your heart in love and in life. I really loved getting to know Caleb and Celia both when they were in high school and in their 20s. This alternates between Caleb and Celia's perspectives both now when they are in their 20s, and then when they were 17 and 18 respectively. The alternating timeline and perspectives was done very well, and we get to know Merilyn as well as the opposing character through the other's eyes.

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