Two Way Street: Review

Title: Two Way Street
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Release Date: June 2007
Published By: Simon & Schuester
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 288
Goodreads Rating: 3.89 stars

Review: Lauren Barnholdt is one of my favorite authors, and for good reason! While I love gritty, dark books, sometimes they can be so emotionally draining that it's nice to kick back and relax with an adorable romance. But even though I relax with those kinds of books, I still want ones with real characters that struggle with at least some issues that go beyond "does he or doesn't he like me". That's where Barnholdt comes in. I can always count on her books providing a cute and fun read that isn't totally mindless, and TWO WAY STREET was no exception.

Jordan and Courtney were the perfect couple. Some people thought they were an odd pairing, but there was no denying that they were in love, and since they were going to the same college, they planned a road trip together to go to orientation. Except before the trip, Jordan dumped her for some girl he met on the Internet. It's too late to dump the trip as well, so Courtney is forced to go with him. She decides to pretend not to care about any of it, but she does. And there are secrets Jordan's not telling her - secrets about why, exactly, they broke up.

This book was written in dual perspective, alternating between Jordan and Courtney. I'm uncertain how I stand when it comes to multiple POVs, but in this case, I thought it worked really well. Courtney was biased when it came to Jordan and vice versa, so having both perspectives made it easier to see what was really going on. There were also flashbacks to when they first started going out and the situation with Courtney's family, and while I worried they would make the book confusing, everything was clear.

Overall, this book was an easy, light read that could be finished in one or two sittings. I loved the cute romance and also the deeper issues that the author probed, and found it to be the perfect novel to relax with. TWO WAY STREET is a nice break from tougher books and while not very memorable, provides for a good hour or two of enjoyment. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and sweet read.