Last Train Home by Megan Nugen Isbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last Train Home is the first book in the Home series by Megan Nugen Isbell. Written in first person, we follow Riley’s story as she’s forced to move across the country to her Mum’s hometown. While set in high school, this book is filled with more than just your typical teenage drama. I was hooked after the very first chapter and know I have found a new series to fall in love with!

Riley Regas has spent her entire seventeen-years on the planet in her beloved Boston. So when her mother announces they are packing up and moving to Carver, Kansas, Riley is less than impressed. She’s only visited her mother’s hometown a handful of times before and she has no desire to spend her senior year surrounded by country folk. Despite a rocky start, and a run-in with Queen Bee Adrianne, Riley starts to find her feet. Then she meets Alex Bettencourt. While Adrianna teasing only seems to get worse because of this, Riley finds herself drawn to the gorgeous guy with the brown eyes that make her melt. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she could be happy her, but that’s exactly how Alex has made her feel. But her new friends are sceptical, with Jesse Baylor warning Riley about Alex’s character. She struggles to find a balance between her friends and Alex and then the unthinkable happens. One decision changes everything and Riley finds herself unable to cope with what she’s done. So she makes another decision: one that will risk her losing everything she’s come to love.

I love myself a young-adult read, especially one with a bit of romance! At seventeen-years-old, the characters in this book are slowly creeping into the new-adult genre, and this just makes them all the more interesting to read about. During a pivotal time in her life, we meet Riley. She’s lived a good life, so being told she’s moving from big-city Boston to middle-of-nowhere Carver, she is furious with her mother. This is a theme that runs throughout the book, and while it might seem like Riley comes across as whinging and bratty (yes, I admit I did think this at points!) it’s integral to the overarching plot of the book. And that isn’t the only problem Riley has to deal with. No one likes starting a new school, especially not for their senior year. So Riley’s reaction to this was perfect, made even more so by that immediate run in with Adrianna. Wow, what a piece of work that girl is! Luckily, she’s saved by Holly, meaning we are introduced to the most wonderful group of friends! I love these guys, as their lunchtime scenes were always comical and fun.

But who am I kidding? You want to know about the boys in Riley’s life. Alex or Jesse? Jesse or Alex? What a choice. If you’ve read the book, you’ll know the answer is easy. But don’t worry, no spoilers here. Intiial impressions of both guys are good, so I’ll let you read and make you own mind up. I’d like to say though, I was firmly on * someone’s * side from the moment we met him!

Upon finishing this book, what have I done? Jumped straight into the next one of course! So expect a review for that soon; yes, I really have read that much already! I have completely fallen in love with this series and I know you will too. So, what are you waiting for? Read this book now!

Review by @ashleighw

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