Review: Eyes on Me by Rachel Harris

Title: Eyes on Me

Author: Rachel Harris
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Published: March 26, 2019
Pages: 320
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Ebook
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Look up the word “nerd” and you’ll find Lily Bailey’s picture. She’s got one goal: first stop valedictorian, next stop Harvard. Until a stint in the hospital from too much stress lands her in the last place a klutz like her ever expected to be: salsa dance lessons.

Look up the word “popular” and you’ll find Stone Torres’s picture. His life seems perfect—star of the football team, small-town hero, lots of friends. But his family is struggling to make ends meet, so if pitching in at his mom's dance studio helps, he’ll do it.

When Lily’s dad offers Stone extra cash to volunteer as Lily’s permanent dance partner, he can’t refuse. But with each dip and turn, each moment her hand is in his, his side job starts to feel all too real. Lily shows Stone he's more than his impressive football stats, and he introduces her to a world outside of studying. But with the lines blurred, can their relationship survive the secret he's been hiding?

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers.

A book about a nerd girl that doesn't handle stress very well? *raises hand* Yes, that sounds like someone I know quite well. The main character is dealing with loads of stress, which is something that I can relate to with my anxiety disorder. I was curious to see how the author portrayed this angle. Plus, this book sounded too adorable to pass up. And don't get me started on that too-cute-for-words cover. The adorable in it could melt your eyes. This book was a delight, and I was not disappointed. 

I loved the dual perspectives in this story. I always love knowing what is going through the mind of both love interests as the story progresses. It makes the "falling in love" part of the story really feel intense when you know what is going through both heads from the beginning. 

I loved both the main characters. Lily was a great character and she experienced so much growth in the story. Her character was extremely realistic and I think that her character dealt with many things that can go unsaid. Her mother died of cancer at the start of her freshman year of high school and then her father pretty much checks out at that point. She has to deal with her grief on her own so she throws herself into her studies. She has a single friend that is normally occupied with family things so she has to deal with loneliness as well. She also develops anxiety. She puts too much on her plate and the stress causes her to start puking up blood, and this is where we meet our lead character. 

Stone's character was good too, though he didn't have as much depth as Lily's character. Stone basically doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. His family's dance studio has hit a rough patch and the threat of losing it hangs in the balance. Stone loves his family and would do anything to stop the dance studio from going under. Since Stone doesn't have a big after-high-school-plan like most teenagers, he is just pretty much going through the motions and putting on a happy face for everyone. 

When Lily and Stone come together they see that they have more in common than they think. From the outside, they would seem like total opposites. Lily, the overachieving nerd that doesn't have fun and who no one gives a second glance. Stone, the football quarterback that has everyone's attention and is the life of the party. They discover that Lily is hiding behind her books just as much as Stone is hiding behind football. When they come together they find that they can be themselves around one another and relax. They also bring out the best parts of each other. Stone shows Lily that life is worth living and she shows him that it's okay not to have it all figured out. 

The romance was kind of adorable, though I felt that it came on a little too quickly. They don't kiss until about halfway through the book and then they are automatically boyfriend and girlfriend. And them becoming a couple isn't even a scene that we get to see in the book. Lily mentions it. It just felt too fast to me. Though I can't deny that they are undeniably cute together. And I love how attentive and loving Stone is with Lily. You can sense his comfort when he is around her and his love for her by the things that he says and does for her. And okay, the nerd in me had a field party inside my mind when Lily explained how he asked her to Homecoming. The Harry Potter arts and crafts proposition was melting my heart. 

I loved the themes of friendship and family in this book. They really rounded everything out nicely. The friendship between Lily, Angela, and Sydney was beautiful. I loved what Lily did for her on the anniversary of her being five years cancer free. I felt that Angela's personality really meshed well with them. I liked the friendship between Chase and Stone. It was obvious that their friendship ran deep. I even loved the friendship between Lily and Stone. Before they kissed for the first time they were friends. And yes, they were falling in love, but they still did things that friends do. Helped each other, pushed each other, and did thoughtful things for each other. I loved the representation of the different family dynamics. Stone' family is amazing. They have barbecues together, would do anything for each other, and are so welcoming to others. Lily's father is a workaholic so he's never around, though it is clear that he loves his daughter. And Chase's parents are not around and seem to not care at all. I loved that Chase was like family at the Torres home. 

The plot of the story was okay. I could definitely see where things were going and I wasn't surprised by anything, but I still enjoyed the story. 

Overall, this was quite an adorable story. The story is fun, engaging, has a sweet romance, and touches upon some good topics for teenagers. I definitely recommend this one. 

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- 2019 New Release Challenge
- Contemporary Romance Challenge

Check out my 2019 Challenge Page to see my progress!

Sometimes you just need a good opposites-attract romance to hit the spot. This one definitely worked for me. What other opposites-attract romances can you recommend? Tell me the last book that you finished.