Summary
Huck’s intentions were good. He can’t help his highly observational nature. With so few people in the class, it was obvious the instructor was refusing to call on girls in the class. Huck offered to speak up, but the instructor’s primary target said no. So Huck took the video as proof to share with his friends from his old school.
He never meant to post it.
He never meant for it to go viral.
He never meant for a picture of one of his classmates to be turned into a slew of unflattering memes.
So Huck is learning from his mistake. He’s keeping his mouth closed and his observations mostly to himself. He’s doing extra work with Ms. Gregoire and also reading Sherlock Holmes. And he’s pining for his crush, Win, who goes to another school. Any excuse he can find to hang out with Win’s older brother Curtis, Huck takes so he can maybe see Win.
Huck’s observational skills get a workout with Win’s family. There are a lot of unspoken things in the family that are practically screaming at Huck. He saw what happened last time he tried to fix something.
But when Huck discovers someone is pulling a smear campaign on Win that is costing him friends, the trust of his family, and a chance to transfer to Huck’s school, he promises Win he’s going to figure out the mystery. Just like Holmes would. Although that means Huck needs to stay objective about the case. No dating Win until the mystery is solved.
Review
I was devastated to read this would be the last of the Bookish Boyfriends series, “at least for now” according to the author. I have adored this series from the first book. Each new book is my “series fave” – until the next book is released. Books 2 and 3 were in my most favorite of favorites lists for the years when I read them. I adore the premise of the series, the characters, the humor, the charm, the books, and the romances.
Huck feels like a young Shawn Spencer (from the show Psych) although with more emotional insight and self-awareness. His observational skills are (usually) brilliant and on target. He’s also charming like Shawn (and unlike Sherlock Holmes), so he’s adorable, someone you are cheering for from the beginning.
I loved the mystery in this. It was a pretty intense situation for such a fun and funny series. It made for a lovely contrast. And the severity really highlights some of the issues Win is dealing with. Huck learns some good lessons about boundaries as he wrestles with the best course of action to both solve the mystery and protect Win.
The emotional and relational pieces of the story are excellent as always. All of my favorite series characters are here. The interplay is great; the chemistry between Win and Huck is delightful. And I loved watching what it meant to Win to have someone who really sees him and believes him in his corner, fighting with and for him.
If every teenager named in this book was given a story of their own, I would buy every last one. This series is such a breath of fresh air for me. It always makes me laugh and always leaves me with warm feelings about the main couple. These are perfect examples of comfort books – the ones you go back to time and time again because you know they will provide the perfect escape. Do not miss the fourth book in this incredible series.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding