What is the Book about?
Riley Tanner has a best friend, the best friend a girl could ask for. He’s supportive, loyal, honest, trustworthy, kind, and thoughtful. He’s also the biggest player in school.
Their relationship has always been easy and affectionate, but after Riley’s month long vacation, things become a little strange. She starts to look at him in ways that go way beyond the ‘friend zone’. Add in her best friend’s rival, and things become a whole lot more complicated.
What did I think about the Book?
From the very beginning of the book, I was hooked. I loved the two main characters Riley and Clay and their relationship.What I really like about this book is that the characters already know each other and have this amazingly close bond before the book starts. With most books, it starts with the two characters meeting for the first time and shows the evolution of their relationship/friendship until it blossoms into the love all loves.
Riley returns from her summer holiday in England, and starts at her new school where she doesn't have any friends, apart from her next door neighbour and best friend, Clay. From the moment you start reading, you are hit with the realisation that Clay wants to be more than friends with Riley, however, Riley doesn't see Clay as anything more than her best friend. It also doesn't help that Clay has girls falling all over themselves to get near him and he has a reputation as a player.
"Riley Bear, you're the only one for me. I don't want a girlfriend if it's not you." - Clay
While Clay drops hints to Riley that he wants to be more than just friends, Riley meets Blake, high school graduate at one of Clay's football games. At the beginning Riley and Blake hit it off and go on a couple of dates, he meets her parents and she gives him a couple of kisses. This obviously does not go over for poor Clay, however, he tries to keep his thoughts to himself, at time he is more successful than others. Anyway Riley and Blake spend more time together, Riley realises that there is something unsettling about Blake and starts to pull away from him. In the meantime, Clay and Riley's relationship has started to change, with Riley and Clay sharing a couple of kisses, which causes Riley to start developing feelings other than friendship for Clay.
At this point of the book, I thought YAY they are going to realise that the feelings that they have for each other are not one sided. (happy face)
Well, obviously it can't be that easy because where is the fun in that right? so Riley wakes up one more after a particularly exciting night, to find that Clay is no longer laying next to her in bed. This causes Riley to start to tail spin, thinking that Clay has played her, like he does with all the other girls in school. Moments later when Clay resurfaces from the bathroom, Riley has decided that they need to forget the the previous night happened in order to save their friendship. So with this new realisation that Riley and Clay can never be more than just friends, she starts to date Blake again to try to keep her new found feelings for Clay hidden.
One night, Clay and Riley have a real heart to heart and share their true feelings with each other.
"i just needed you to know finally, that I'm in love with you. I've been in love with as long as I can remember." - Clay
From this point on, Riley and Clay's love for each other grows and their relationship develops into new levels of dedication. Even with both of them only being in high school, they really go understand what the true meaning of love and fight for their relationship.
"Love doesn't have an age." - Riley
As the story continues to progress, they have to learn to overcome the challenges and obstacles that come their way. Will some of their obstacles too big for the two love birds to overcome?
"I've got news for you buster, you're stuck with me forever." - Riley
This book is a true masterpiece in my eyes. Kirsty Moseley as always has written the book beautifully, with the characters being engaging and enthralling. You will find yourself becoming more and more emotionally connected with each page that you turn. I have tried to pin point what is it about Kirsty Moseley's books that I love so much, and my only conclusion so far is the layout for the book. Always You has a similar layout to The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window (another Kirsty Moseley must read, by the way everyone), however the stories are very different. I really do recommend that everyone read this book, if you haven't already. It is bittersweet because once you start reading you can't put it down, but once you start reading, it is a book that you wish would never end!
