R&R/ARC Review Friday: To the Steadfast by Briana Gaitan

Amazon  Goodreads

Stand-alone to date but another book in the works

Goodreads Blurb:

"Resolute. Firm. Unwavering

That was my love for him.
Steadfast for as long as I can remember.

As my best friend's brother, he ignored me before noticing me. He protected me, bought me my first beer, but eventually became my undoing. 

There was a time I would have died to get him to notice me, now I'd do anything to forget him. 
I'm not the one who can tame him, and he's not the guy who will change for me.
This isn't a story about falling in love, this is a story about falling out of love.
Unrequited love. 
And finding the strength to move on.
Here's to the steadfast.

*This is a first in a standalone series that crosses years from YA into NA genre, due to HEAVY subject matter this book is for ages 16 and up. This is not your typical love story.*"

Review:

Thank you to the author, Briana Gaitan, for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

First off, now that I've read the book, I love the cover even more because it showcases specific meaningful things mentioned in the book.  It really shows the story of Cody's love life and all the complications.

I'll just say this right away though: sometimes Cody infuriated me.  She made some terrible choices and was really naive when it came to Mischa.  She just needs to get her head on straight!  She did pull herself together near the ending (sort of...) which was just what I needed!

Speaking of the ending, let's talk about that for a minute.  I can't believe it ended like that!  It's a complete cliffhanger - let me assure you.  Think Crown of Midnight cliffhanger.  Despite that, I really liked how the ending was done.  It happened right as Cody is embarking on a new journey of her heart.

What I really, really liked about the structure of this book was how the author divided it into sections of Cody's life.  So instead of reading through months and years of boring stuff that doesn't particularly matter, it just say's 'one year later: new' or something of the sort.  It really organizes the book and allows you to follow the storyline quite easily.

In addition to being a love story, this is really a story about Cody finding herself and learning to trust herself and her decisions.  She doesn't exactly grow up in a loving household and a lot of other people's decisions are pushed on her from an early age.  She has different ways of dealing with it from rebelling and going to wild parties to actually giving in.

The Final Verdict:

Such an enjoyable read about the journey of life and love and learning to trust in yourself.  The ending is certainly memorable and the structure is so well done.

4.5 stars

Quotes:

"'Are you two planning on getting married anytime soon?' my mother asks, continuing her interrogation.

'Ummm...' I look to Bassam who, for some reason, is amused by my mother."

"'To love,' I say, knocking my knuckles against his.

'To infatuation,' he corrects, fist bumping me again.

'No, to the steadfast.'"