THE MAP TO YOU (Next Stop Love #2) by Rachel Stockbridge
- Publisher: Self-Published, January 25, 2022
- Genre: Romance
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 314 pages
- My Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.
3.5 stars.
The Map to You opens with a very long prologue, and then we skip ten months ahead. I believe that time gap is covered in the previous book, Next Stop Love, and while it would be nice to have the context in the first book, it is not necessary to enjoy this second installment.
Varsity soccer player Sasha Deforest (21) likes the grumpy, artsy Kinsey Han (Chinese American) even before they became roommates. Now that they are no longer living together and the third person in their best friend squad Beatrice is not around, Sasha and Kinsey’s friendship quickly turns a bit awkward. But when Kinsey’s mother is hospitalized six hundred miles away, Sasha immediately volunteers to drive Kinsey, never mind all the classes they’re going to miss. Throughout the journey, Kinsey also begins to realize that Sasha is not as happy-go-lucky as she seems to be.
Sasha and Kinsey are so cute together! Their own insecurities led themselves to believe that they’re both unlovable, and it made me so happy to see them acknowledging their feelings and working through problems. Yes, they’re both frustrating at times, but being a new adult (or in any period of life, really) is about learning through mistakes and growing more comfortable and confident in oneself.
A large part of the story surrounds Sasha’s relationship with her drug addict mother. While not all drug addicts try to get money for drugs in the guise of asking for food money, that is what her mother has been doing since Sasha was a child. I like how even though Sasha knew she couldn’t rely on her mother to change, she still held out the wish of being cared for. The want of being loved is so real, and losing hope and letting go are always difficult. It was especially painful for Sasha to realize that the loving relationship of the Hans (Kinsey’s parents are so awesome) is something she would never have.
While Sasha and Kinsey’s budding romance is great, I find the dialogues and thoughts feel a bit repetitive. I get that Sasha uses flirtation and joking to dodge questions, Kinsey doesn’t think Sasha would like her grumpy self, etc., but these are reiterated so many times I started to wonder what other facets of their lives we could have seen if the story wasn’t so fixated on these things.
Stockbridge created characters that are easy for readers to care for, and The Map to You was definitely worth the read. Also, I believe the author illustrates her own cover. How cute is that?
content warnings: child abuse (neglect), drug abuse, hospitalization of side characters, alcohol (intoxication), past abusive relationships
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from Rachel Stockbridge via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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