If You Change Your Mind

All the smiles for this delightful summer read! IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND is a charming YA contemporary romance about Harry during the summer before his senior year. Harry dreams of leaving his Florida town behind and becoming a screenwriter. He is currently working on a screenplay for a gay superhero rom-com that he hopes to enter into a big contest. This is a big summer for him, not only because of the screenplay he must finish but also because of all the guys who seem to be coming into his life.

Harry's heart was broken by Grant the last summer, when he basically disappeared and just let him know by text that his family had moved away. It took Harry a while to recover, but he got there - only to run into Grant this summer, and Grant reveals a secret that could shake his best friendship. As Grant seems eager to spend more time with him, Harry is also drawn towards the awkward new guy, Logan, who is really sweet and genuine. This summer is sure to be anything but boring.

What I loved: This was such a charming and delightful read from start to finish. The romance was really strong, and the juxtaposition of healthy and unhealthy relationships was really intriguing. Harry feels pulled in a few directions, as he is not always sure of exactly what he wants. As per a lot of teens, he has a lot of dreams and hopes but he is still struggling to put together the now and his potential future. This plot will really resonate with readers, who may also be considering colleges, their locations, and how to define their now and later. At the same time, the romance elements are really strong with lots of feelings all around. There were definitely nail-biting moments as Harry tries to determine what he wants out of his relationships and his feelings.

Themes around honesty, family, friendship, defining yourself, determining your future, the weight of relationships, and the way things can change in a summer are really intriguing and keep the reader invested in the story. Harry is a really genuine and fun main character, and it was easy to get pulled into his story and invested in his heart. Logan is also a really compelling character, and it was easy to fall in love with him. Other side characters were also really fantastic, including Harry's sisters and Foster. There are many imperfect characters, but they felt so much more real as a result, and it was so easy to love them all.

The book is interspersed with Harry's screenplay, and this was an interesting touch, as it parallels his story and further processes what is happening along the way. Another cute thing was all the rom-com references in the story and in the chapter titles. Fans of rom-coms will enjoy these references as well as Harry's journey.

Final verdict: A delightful summer YA romance read, IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND is a charming and genuine story that is sure to leave readers smiling. Highly recommend for fans of SO THIS IS EVER AFTER, RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE, and THE (UN)POPULAR VOTE.