Book Review: (Never) Again by Theresa Paolo

(Never) Again
Author: Theresa Paolo
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 15th 2013
Review Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Berkley Penguin Group

Just when she had finally moved on…

…He moved back.

When college freshman Liz Wagner hears her ex's voice for the first time since he moved clear across the freaking country, she does what any respectable girl would do: Dive into the girls' bathroom.

Zach Roberts—the Zach Roberts—is back. And he’s everywhere Liz looks—infiltrating her friend group, buddy-buddy with her brother. It’s enough to ruin college altogether. But what choice does she have but to put on a happy face and pretend he didn't leave her vulnerable and alone in a pile of emotional wreckage?

Pretending works, until tragedy strikes and the only person available for comfort is the one person she wants to stay away from. When Zach turns out not to be the jerk she convinced herself he was, but the boy she used to love, Liz needs to decide whether to open her heart again to the boy who tore it out.

(Never) Again is a sweet story about a girl with a broken heart. When Liz is finally willing to move on, her ex-boyfriend appears out of nowhere. During her dark moments, Liz falls into depression and misses out on many of her dreams, such as attending the college of her dreams.

Even though this was a sweet story, my issue with this book is the lack of chemistry between the main characters. In addition, I felt like I was reading a YA novel. I felt the characters immature for their age. Zach and Liz didn’t resolve their issues as adults. She never confronted him, even though she was hurt, it was her rights to know the truth. Instead, she decided to run the other way. Her constant “v-card” mentioning annoyed me to the end. In the other hand, Zach’s a great guy. He is caring and very down to earth. He wants Liz to forgive him but doesn’t push her, which I respected him for that.

This was a quick read. It deals with a topic many of us have encountered – a breakup. Sometimes some of us do not know how to deal with it and act like little kids, something that Liz did. I was disappointed the way she acted instead of being an adult.