I managed to snag a copy of this beauty from one of my favorites! If you've never read anything by LM Preston, I recommend you fix that injustice, immediately! :-D In fact, I'm even putting the links at the bottom of my review for your convenience. At the time of me posting this, it's at 99 cents!
LM Preston is one of those authors that lift my moods, even when I'm having a bad day. I happened to pick this one up when I was having one of those days, and once again, I wasn't disappointed.
Though I was a little concerned at first. I won't deny it. From page one, you get to know Sorina and what a train wreck her family is dealing with. They literally lost everything. They have almost no money, lost their house, and are even seemingly living separate lives, just trying to rebuild. Serina's dad is off looking for a job, Serina and her mom are trying to make ends meet on their end while praying they have a roof over their heads, even for the night, and Serina's young brother is living with her aunt, where he is fully cared for and oblivious to the hardships the others are dealing with.
Serina's mother bought her a season pass to an amusement park, against her father's wishes. It seemed like a silly, frivolous expense, but it was probably the best thing she could have done for her daughter. It was a distraction for Serina, somewhere for her to spend her time, and somewhere to make a friend or two. On her first day there, she even met Tristan, a guy who immediately caught her attention. He asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend for the day, and she was hooked. Once their friendship started to develop, Tristan even offered her a job to help her situation.
The characters are overall likable, believable, and interesting. The author captures both the carefree nature of teenagers, while showing Serina's struggle to come to terms with having to put some of that behind her so she and her family can survive. The constant battle between wanting to have fun and fighting for survival had me hooked, even when I was a little iffy about the mood at first. However, you'll also notice that something just isn't right that has nothing to do with Serina's homeless situation. Although the story is short, there is still room for a few twists, and that room was fully taken advantage of.
And honestly, that's one of my favorite things about LM Preston's contemporary stories. I can read them in a sitting for a quick pick-me-up. But they're also full, developed stories that never allow me to feel shorted in any way.
Links for Double Trouble Luv
