[Review] The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse

The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse

Rating: 4 stars

Published: June 14, 2018 

Format: ARC

Goodreads Synopsis:

Aubrey and Rae have been planning their trip around Europe practically from the moment they became BFFs in primary school. And, now, it ought to be the perfect way to spend their last summer together before university.
But things are more complicated at eighteen than they were at ten. There's Jonah, Aubrey's seemingly perfect boyfriend, and his best friend Gabe, the boy Aubrey may have accidentally kissed. And there's Clara, the friend Rae is crushing on, hard, even though there's no hope because Clara is definitely into guys, not girls.
Five friends. Ten days. Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Florence, Barcelona. And a messy, complicated, can-this-really-be happening love story, or two ... because how could there not be?

A pre-college adventure!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one - it brought back memories to my own pre-college summer adventures and self-discoveries. What a trip. 

Aubrey, Jonah, Gabe, Clara, and Rae set off on a cross-continent European summer trip before they head to different parts of the world for college. They deal with conflicting emotions and worries about friendships and relationships - each worrying if they'll remain intact for the duration of the trip. 

So I'm happy that despite the tension and drama, it wasn't too over the top with it. It felt realistic, and the characters dealt with their issues in a mature way. The romances weren't too sudden, either - I'm glad that they were friends before this trip, so their actions during the trip didn't seem out of the blue. 

It was all very sweet, the way everything ended. And everything ended on a good note! 

What a nostalgic, cute summer read. It's a perfect lighthearted contemporary for the beach or the park!