When dreams don’t come true…

Synopsis

Paige thought she had it all: a job on a soap opera and a boyfriend who was trying to get discovered as a singer/songwriter. Then her part on the show is reduced to reoccurring status and her family pushes her to leave her acting dreams behind to major in journalism—what they call a “real job.” Her relationship with her wannabe pop star boyfriend ends only for her to find out he signed a recording contract right after their breakup. Then she reads online that his new album is about their relationship.

She gets an internship in the sports department at a TV station where she meets a college hockey player named Viktor who has trust issues from a past relationship. Now with Walker’s pop star dreams taking off, it leaves her questioning her acting career and self-worth.

Paige and Viktor begin to fall for each other, but Paige worries their worlds are too different for them to work as a couple. Plus, there’s the issue of her ex coming back into her life.

Now she must figure out what she really needs to be happy and fulfilled in life. Can Paige find both her purpose & true love?

My review

Paige is on the verge of having her big break, and see her dream finally come true. But when her part on the soap opera is being reduced, and her parents and family purse her to go for a  ‘real’ job and go for her major in journalism, that isn’t the only change in Paige’s life.
Because also her relationship with her boyfriend ends, and that just before he finally breaks through as a popstar and releases an album based on their relationship.
While working as an intern in the sports department at a TV station, she starts crossing paths with college hockey player Viktor.
But while Paige and Viktor start growing closer, their worlds couldn’t be more different from each other, and is Paige truly over her ex yet? And there is also Viktor’s ex that is somehow still a presence. But most important: Paige now has to figure out what truly makes her happy and make choices in her life…

Haven’t we all have been at a point in our lives where the realization of our dream (small or big one) was within reach, only to then see it slipping through your fingers?
And when you are several years already in adulthood, you aren’t that shaken up anymore by the missed opportunity.
But a young adult, like Paige, it can truly be devastating to see it all fall apart. And it for sure can be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back, making her doubt everything and everyone.

That is exactly what we see happening, as Paige suddenly finds herself at loss. She was so close to her big break, and losing it makes her see a lot of things in a negative way.
And while perhaps her decision to break up with her boyfriend was a rash one, I have to admit that the more I saw of him, even later on in the book, the more I just didn’t like him… And he didn’t start on a positive note either.

What I liked about Paige, was her positive attitude. Even if her big dream fell apart, she doesn’t show that during her internship. She is enterprising, ready for a challenge and eager. But she is also respectful and has standards. We see this especially when she is interviewing players. She doesn’t push them even deeper in the gutter but stays always very respectful and knows exactly what to ask and what not.

When she first meets Viktor, it doesn’t exactly start the fireworks, but it made this story only even sweeter. Because we see how both Paige and Viktor start to appreciate each other, but also listen to each other and understand each other. It was even sweeter to see how Viktor is there for Paige, from buying lovely gifts, or to be there when Paige needs actual help.

But Viktor too is having his own struggles. Not only isn’t he playing as much hockey as he would like, but he also is facing the end of his own relationship. Yet that doesn’t take away how considerate and just how sweet in fact he is.

I have to say, in several moments, we see the youth in the characters, as they act rather impulsive, and make wrong assumptions and wrong conclusions. But can you blame them, as they miss the life experience? 

In this book we see how young adults are trying to find their place in the world. They also try to understand what brings them happiness and they are also on a quest for love. Due their young age, it for sure is a path filled with trial and error. But that makes it more realistic and relatable, as we all have been through what Paige and also Viktor are going through, somehow. And that is exactly what made me enjoy reading this book!