In the beginning it was funny but after a while I just couldn’t grasp how her FATHER found out the secrets before her? Even when Bailey and Porter’s relationship starts moving a little bit too quickly it doesn’t feel unexpected or unrealistic and it’s discussed in a very sex positive way too, which is heartening to see in a teen-oriented book.

I really loved Grace, and I thought she made for an awesome side-kick, who was a rock for Bailey a lot of times.The reason for the restriction to four stars is just that although the gender depictions are great for the main characters, the depictions of Grace, the black best friend, and another gay character felt tokenistic. I also really liked the depiction of Bailey's approach to intimacy and sex, balancing the shyness about approaching a first time with wanting sex and instigating intimacy in a way that wasn't ashamed by those wants and needs - it's a really healthy approach for the sort of audience this book is written for. Alex, though, still thinks she lives on the East Coast, and doesn't know her real name--Bailey's mom is a high-powered divorce attorney, and Bailey is all too familiar with the value of privacy. One key message of Alex, Approximately is to not make assumptions about others because we are all complex and often conceal certain parts of us.

Turns out there might exist a heart under this tough stone cold exterior that hands out lit matches to every other book she reads. It’s not often that I discover a heroine is very much like me, but I was glad to see lots of my teenage self in Bailey. Or, rather, I feel like I've been misled, because somehow I thought that I'd get a)funny online convos, b)some kind of TENSION with the slow realization that appearances can be deceptive, perhaps the characters actually FINDING OUT THE TRUTH OR SOMETHING. It’s the sort of book that is so hard to put down that you decide to forego all your chores, and in the end, you don’t even care, because reading the book was an indescribable experience.I was expecting Porter to be a great guy, but I was still surprised by how much I wound up loving him.

His devotion to his family, his cocky attitude and his love for surfing made him all the more attractive to me. I love that Bailey not only adores classic movies, just like Porter, but she also leaves her house with the best hair and outfits that mirror the style of Lana Turner. I hate books that are cringey, and I hate books that are pretentious, but it’s so rare for me to get the opportunity to hate one that is BOTH! Once again Bennett has written a romantic story that I cannot wait to pick up again, so I can re-experience all the laughs, swoons, and sexy sarcasm that overpowers this book.The one perk of moving is that "Alex," her favorite chat-mate on a classic-film fan forum, lives there too, and she plans to surprise him--not that they know one another's real names (she goes by "Mink" online). Jenn Bennett has created a cast of well-rounded, entertaining, and loveable characters to accompany this message. Once he starts to open himself up to Bailey and the possibility of knowing her, we get to discover the other facets of his personality. Okay I've heard so much about this book and how it's a YA, cute ass retelling of You've Got Mail and I reallllly wanted to read it. Strong character development makes this a must form romancereaders: bottled-up Bailey has plenty of secrets in her past, and Porter's family dynamics, plus his Hawaiian background and disintegrating friendship with a troubled fellow surfer, give him depth.

For example, when Bailey meets the forty-year-old cop girlfriend of her father, guess what said cop says?but I never felt full-on annoyance, which seems to be a recurring theme lately on all the books I choose to pick up.