This was a really good book. I thought it was going to be boring at first. But then, it quickly turned around.

The story is about Reena (Serena) Montero and her life as a single-teenager mother. She was brought up in a Catholic household, so the story details some of that as well. But the real plot of the story involved her dealings with her baby's father, Sawyer LeGrande.

I have mixed feelings about Sawyer, but that's only because old Sawyer was a dick and new and improved Sawyer is seeking redemption. He was a messed up kid who fell in with the wrong crowd and did the wrong things. His decisions, unfortunately, hurt his relationship with Reena. By the end of the book, though, I am a Sawyer fan because I could see that he was really trying to make up for his mistakes and be a part of Reena's (and his daughter's) lives.

Reena's character was a bit of a bore for me, most of the time. It seemed like she didn't really have a mind of her own, always doing what Allie, Sawyer, or whomever wanted. I couldn't really connect with her because I kept feeling like I wasn't seeing her. I don't know if that was Cotugno's intention, but I would like to think that it was because Sawyer (and a few other characters) mentions how Reena seems to close herself off a lot. What finally turns my opinion for Reena into a positive one is when Reena & Sawyer's families are having dinner together, after Sawyer's return, and she explodes from pent up frustration. I had mad respect for her from that point on. Because that took a lot of guts. Granted, the aftermath wasn't great, but she needed to have that outburst.

Now Reena's father, whose name I cannot recall, was a strict Catholic man. I knew immediate how he would be portrayed in this book, especially when it came to his daughter having sex and getting pregnant. So his reactions to and interactions with Reena weren't a shock to me at all. It was upsetting to see how he treated her, but he was true textbook description of my experience with experience (not personal) Catholic fathers.

Allie, one of Reena's best friends, was someone whom I didn't really like to begin with. She seemed like an underhanded person, who would stoop quite low to get what she wanted. And she does. Quite a bit in this book. I wrote her off within a few chapters.

Shelby, Reena's other best friend, was a good character. She was honest, direct, and didn't put up with Reena's BS. I admired that. Of all characters throughout this book, she is definitely in my top two for favorites.

Cotugno's writing was very easily to understand and painted a great story, while I understand the need for the alternating "Before Sawyer Left" and "After Sawyer Returns" chapters, it was a little annoying to have to toggle back and forth. Especially if a section in one of the "after" chapters got really good. Switching to a "before" segment, frustrated me a little.

Overall, solid debut effort. It was a nice read and told a great story. I especially enjoyed the ending. It was a nice ambiguous, but pleasing close to a hopefully happily ever after.