Rule #1 of falling in love with the girl you left behind: This time, stay.
Even when said girl is the one pushing you out the door.
Ten years ago, Nate Madison left Gulf City when his parents divorced, splitting up their family. He never expected to return, to have to face everyone he left behind.
When he crashes in the most important surf competition of his career, it takes away the one … it takes away the one thing he’s always relied on, a love for the ocean.
And he isn’t sure he wants it back.
Broken, he returns to the last place he remembers feeling safe, the last people who loved him. Only, none of them are the children they were when they last parted.
Not his two siblings.
Not the girl next door, the one who’d been his best friend, his everything.
Samantha Reed thinks she’s invisible, that no one sees the girl beyond the illness clouding her days.
But he does. The more time Nate spends letting Sam heal the rift between him and the sea, the more he realizes all he sees is her.
When his old life comes calling, will he have to choose between Sam and the future he always saw for himself?
Beware of strong girls overcoming struggles, cute surfer boys, and definite beach envy.
The Gulf City High series:
Jesse and the Ice Princess
Roman and the Hopeless Romantic
Spencer and the Younger Girl
Nate and the Invisible Girl
more
I’ve loved every book in this series, but this might be my favourite! It hit close to home…
I don’t have ataxia, like our female MC, but I’ve been suffering from terrible migraine since my teens. When you have migraine 15-20 days per month, it’s bound to have an affect on both your work and social life. I can truly relate to some of the things that Sammy goes through, like having to cancel things on short notice to spend the day in bed – not because you want to, but because you have to. I’ve had the same thoughts, that I don’t want my migraine to decide what to do or who I am. But also days when I just wanted to give up. Fortunatly, unlike ataxia, migraine has treatments that can make a difference. You just have to find the things that work för YOU. It’ll probably take some time, though. For me, about 35 years… But now I have a migraine about 15 days per YEAR. It’s made a huge difference, of course, and I’m so thankful for that.
So maybe I’m a bit biased here, but even if you don’t suffer from any chronic illness I’m sure you will enjoy this book. Great characters, heartbreaking moments, first love and food for thought!
* I received an ARC from the author and I’m giving my honest review. *
Another heartbreaking, yet hopeful and at times funny, beautifully written story in the series. Sam and Nate are interesting main characters. They both have plenty of baggage to deal with, and it was satisfying to watch them both grow and learn to deal with their personal demons.
Add to that their developing romance, plus a healthy dose of family drama and hilarity (looking at you, Oliver!), and you get a gratifying, enjoyable read.
4.5 / 5 stars
I love each story in this series. This one was as fantastic and touching as I expected. I really enjoyed Nate and Sam’s story. They have great chemistry and wonderful growth as individual characters. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy young adult contemporary romance with a realistic feel.
Nate and the Invisible Girl is the fourth book in the Gulf City High series.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Final Rating: 5 Stars
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I will be ordering an autographed copy when it is available.
This book spoke to me on so many levels. Ms. MacQueen did a good job handling the difficult topics of divorce and the loss of a parent. We see how the friendship between 2 families has been tested – 1 facing the divorce and 1 facing the loss of a parent. There was such raw emotion displayed between the 2 situations. Ms. MacQueen didn’t sugar coat or brush over the characters feelings.
I love how the story developed and we got to see the friendships between the characters grow, heal and expand into love (between 2 of the characters). There are a lot of lessons to be learned about forgiveness, acceptance and not treating someone different and/or taking advantage of them for how they are. Ms. MacQueen handled these aspects of the relationships really well. It didn’t feel forced, but natural.
I also learned about a new (to me) medical condition – ataxia. I felt like I walked away with a new understanding of the condition and a desire to learn more.
Nate and the Invisible Girl by Michelle MacQueen is a contemporary, young adult, friends to lovers romance told in third person, dual POV. It’s the fourth book in the Gulf City High series and can be read as a standalone.
Sam feels invisible. She doesn’t think people can see past her illness to truly see her. But things begin to change when her former best friend unexpectedly returns to town.
After crashing in an important surf competition, a series of events drives Nate to leave his father’s California home and return to Florida where his mother and siblings live. It’s been ten years since he’s seen or spoken to any of them, and coming back isn’t easy.
Sam and Nate quickly reconnect. Despite the fact that he’s been gone for years, they easily relate to each other and the strength of their bond grows as they spend time together. But Nate never planned on staying in Florida permanently. What will happen when it’s time for him to leave again?
I loved Nate and Sam’s story! They were both great characters, and I was invested in finding out how things would turn out. The story explored themes of identity, loss, living with illness, and family dynamics. It was a sweet, touching story about friendship, family, hope, and love. Highly recommended.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***