Synopsis: 
It was a hot summer day when I met him on the construction site next to my parents’ house. Under the sweat and dirt, Manning Sutter was as handsome as the sun was bright. He was older, darker, experienced. I wore a smiley-face t-shirt and had never even been kissed. Yet we saw something in each other that would link us in ways that couldn’t be broken…no matter how hard we tried.
I loved Manning before I knew the meaning of the word. I was too young, he said. I would wait. Through all the carefully-chosen words hiding what we knew to be true, through his struggle to keep me innocent, and through infinitely-starry nights—I would wait. But I’d learn that life isn’t always fair. That no matter how much you achieve, none of it matters if you suffer the heartbreak that comes with falling for someone you can never have. Because even though I saw Manning first, that didn’t matter. My older sister saw him next.
Favorite Lines:
“There’s no hidden prize or anything. Just understanding that comes with time and age.”
“…but we had this-the stars, the lovers, the night.”
“All this time, I’d thought he was asking me to read between the lines, to hear the things he couldn’t say.”
My Opinion:
I stumbled across this book on a random Facebook sponsored ad. When I went to look it up, I expected it to be another Kindle book that I wouldn’t have access through on my Nook. It was actually available in the Nook store for the low price of $3.99. It was hard to pass up a book as cheap as that and bought it right away because it sounded like a good read for a good deal.
This book is just one in a series of 4 books (so far), I will admit that it was written in a more simple format than I was used to and I finished it in just a few short hours. However, despite being a quick read it was still a well written tale. The story revolves around a girl falling in love with an older guy in the 90s’. It wouldn’t be a romance novel without a love triangle, the girl’s sister is the third piece of the puzzle. I also love love love when they show dual POV, seeing what both characters are thinking brings so much more depth and emotion to a plot. By seeing what she thought about him and what he thought about her, you get to really become a part of the world. Often times, books only show the story play out through one characters eyes; its always a special treat to get to see what goes through both main characters heads. Throughout the story, you see different sides of the characters as more aspects of their pasts and personalities are revealed. Character development is something that I always find interesting throughout stories and I’m a sucker for a quiet, seemingly weak character turning into someone strong and sure about themselves. As the lives of these characters become more intertwined, their character development becomes more predominant.
I can’t tell you what I don’t like about the book without too many spoilers so I will try to be as cryptic as possible and if you read it, you will end up knowing what I mean. If you don’t read the book then just hang in there for a second. I didn’t like the almost stereotypical personality of the sister but I did like the underlying side to her personality. Being a huge romantic at heart, I had difficulty reading about the love triangle when I thought the choice was so clear. The distinction between protection and interest was too wide when I personally feel it should be both. I get the whole forbidden love thing so I understand it was an important aspect of the story, it just rubbed me the wrong way. For those of you who never get around to reading the book, that probably will make no sense to you. But for those of you who do, you’ll see what I mean.
Summary:
Overall, Something in the Way had a lot of relatable aspects to it that forced me to reflect on some of my life experiences and how I have viewed decisions I have made in the past. Having been in a position where I just want to please everyone without making decisions for myself, I feel for the main character and I hope that she will learn to grow on her own just as I have been learning to do.
There are 3 more books (so far) to read in the series and I hope to not only see my ship together but also see the characters develop further into their potential selves. If you do decide to read this book, I urge you to look at the characters and try to understand their actions at a deeper level. This book is definitely a good book for self-reflection if you want to think more deeply or just as a casual, quick read for entertainment; the choice is yours to make but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Likely Story 