For the Students

Love and Luck by Jenna Evens Welch, is a charming, fast-paced novel; the plot is a perfect balance of sloppy sibling drama and rom-com-style romance. Addie Bennet a sixteen-year-old with a broken heart finds herself in The Emerald Isle for her MTV star aunt’s “fairytale wedding. However, as “Aunt Mel” and husband number three say their “I do’s” Addie is preoccupied with fistfighting her impossibly stubborn big brother. Although the first dozen pages of this book were mildly misleading as the plot unfolds you will fall in love with this heartwarming story. One disaster after another this plotline has no shortage of twists and turns. The writing was detailed and playful; brimming with vivid imagery, and uniquely loveable characters. Additionally, a key role of this book is the inserts from the unconventional travel guide Addie snagged from a Dublin hotel Ireland for the Heart Broken. This adds a dynamic flare to an already riveting story. This book is mildly cliche and often cringy in the humor department however as the reader dives deeper into the story it grows on you and everything comes full circle. Ultimately, Love and Luck is a fun read and an excellent sequel to Welch’s Love and Gelato. 

My Life With The Walter Boys is a newer Netflix series based on the book written by Ali Novak. Jackie is used to her perfect life in New York City. Her perfect grades, perfect family, and multitudes of extracurriculars all tie into her perfect life. That is all until her parents and older sister die in a car crash. She’s forced to leave NYC and everything she has ever known to live on a Colorado ranch in the middle of nowhere with her mom’s best friend. Not to mention the fact that she now has to live in a house full of twelve boys. Trying to cope with the loss of her family and adjusting to this new life, Jackie intends to make a name for herself at this new high school with these new people. Some of the Walter boys are not making this easier for her. *Cough* *Cough* Cole. All the girls are obsessed with him and for what? I mean he was the quarterback of the beloved football team and he’s quite popular but other than that? They call it “The Cole Effect”. Then there’s Alex who does help Jackie navigate this new life and is obsessed with The Lord Of The Rings series. He’s pretty charming and seems to know the right things to say at the right time. As Jackie gets to know the Walter boys she realizes that maybe they’re not half bad. Maybe there’s more to them than she thought… Through the highs and lows, all twelve of them are there for her whether she wants them to be or not. She learns about their past and hers and starts to fall for Alex… or maybe Cole? As I watched this show I immediately fell in love with the characters and the plot. It was so easy to be team Alex or team Cole, I think at one point I couldn’t decide! Both Alex and Cole go to great lengths to show Jackie that they care for her and some of the gestures are quite sweet. My personal favorite was when Cole fixed the teapot for Jackie which has such a deep meaning in the show. At times I was mad at the brothers, others I thought they would be perfect for Jackie. What really had me at the end was the Plot. Twist. I was not expecting that at all and I wonder how it’s all going to work out in the next season. I would rate this 5/5 stars. The characters are very relatable and likable and it’s great to see character development from all of them. If you’re looking for a binge-worthy show, My Life With The Walter Boys is for you!