Review: The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot

I received this book for free from William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot comes the sweetly humorous story of a man who has to face his past in order to find his future.

Sometimes to move forward, you have to go back…

One post. That’s all it took to destroy the care free, glamorous life of pro golfer Reed Stewart. One tiny post on the Internet.

Then again, it’s not like Reed’s been winning many tournaments lately, and his uncle isn’t the only one who says it’s because of the unfinished business he left behind back home in Bloomville, Indiana—namely Reed’s father, the Honorable Judge Richard P. Stewart, and the only girl Reed ever loved, Becky Flowers.

But Reed hasn’t spoken to either his father or Becky in over a decade.

Until that post on the Internet. Suddenly, Reed’s family has become a national laughingstock, his publicist won’t stop calling, his siblings are begging for help, and Reed realizes he has no other choice: He’s got to go home to face his past . . . the Judge and the girl he left behind.

Becky’s worked hard to build her successful senior relocation business, but she’s worked even harder to forget Reed Stewart ever existed—which hasn’t been easy, considering he’s their hometown’s golden boy, and all anyone ever talks about. It was fine while they were thousands of miles apart, but now he’s back in Bloomville. She has absolutely no intention of seeing him—until his family hires her to help save his parents.

Now Reed and Becky can’t avoid one another…or the memories of that one fateful night.

Can the quirky residents of Bloomville bring these two young people back together, or will Reed and Becky continue to allow their pasts to deny them the future they deserve?

This warm, thought-provoking book, told entirely in texts, emails, and journal entries, is as much about the enduring bond of families as it is about second chances at love, and will delight as much as it entertains.

Earlier this year, Remembrance came out – an adult add-on to one of my favorite series growing up – and I was d.i.s.a.p.p.o.i.n.t.e.d. I had come to expect so much from Meg Cabot but the book failed to deliver and I was filled with sadness. But when I heard about The Boy is Back, I was pumped and ready to dive into the book. Fortunately, The Boy is Back is as amazing as a Cabot book should be and filled with all the sugary goodness that makes me squeal with delight.  

I am trash for good second chance romance novels and even though it was Meg Cabot,  I was a little vary because I hate the second chance romances where two people were in love in HS and 10 years later, still aren’t over each other. It’s awkward and perhaps even a tad unrealistic. I mean how much of the world have you really seen at 18? How can the person you loved when you were 18 be “the one” 10 years later when you haven’t interacted with them at all in those 10 years? IDK but Meg Cabot made it work for me. I can see why they Becky and Reed work well together and I love that while there is some dancing around, it isn’t stretched for any longer than it should be.

This book is told through text convos, diary entries, newspaper articles, interviews, etc and that worked for the most part except for a few diary entries that read more like first person POV rather than diary entries. I feel like I should elaborate a little bit more on the “worked for the most part” because I actually REALLY enjoyed the format except for some of those diary entries (they were awkward.) Meg Cabot is one of the few people who can write a book in that format and make it work like an actual novel.

The other thing that bothered me was that certain individuals were mostly characterized by stereotypes rather than actual characteristics. Like Reed’s parents for example. I think the stereotypes probably made it harder to explore in depth some real-world issues that were at play in the novel.

Having said that, I do think Cabot does a good job of bringing up some real-world problems in a humorous setting. There is LOTS of humour but she uses it to highlight problems and makes us question the society in which the elderly can be abused so easily and taken advantage of.

The characters that are less stereotypes and more human beings are WONDERFUL. I LOVE THEM because they are all adorable and I want to give them all hugs. Reed and Becky who are at the heart of this novel are so much fun to read about because they have lives outside of each other. Their relationships with their families and friends is so much fun to read. It’s also why Cabot’s books are so great. She creates these amazing social environments that draw you in until you are invested in everyone’s lives and pretty much want to be part of their families/friends circles. Plus people support each other, call each other out and engage is communication and cuteness.

If you adore Meg Cabot, you should read this book. If you haven’t read this series but are curious, you should read the book (because the books are stand alones featuring different characters and are set in different locations). If you adore cute romances set in cute little towns, YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. Basically, just read it.

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Rashika

Rashika has been tired since 2013. There are very few things that spark joy for her besides a nice cup of tea, warm, baked goods, good books and good TV shows. She is here to pile onto your giant TBRs and to-watch lists. Offer her a cookie and she might be nice to you.

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