The Natural History of Us - Rachel Harris

Title: The Natural History of Us
Author: Rachel Harris
Rating: 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Spencer Hill Press for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.

One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who's forever owned his heart. Justin Carter has a secret. He's not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy...and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she'd ever forgive him. Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she's done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she'll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first. For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate's given him a shot at redemption, he's determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton...well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.

Sometimes, there are books that hook me right from the start. And when these books happen to be ARCs, I feel even more grateful for having received those. The Natural History of Us is one of those books. And it's also one of my favourite reads this year. We're only five months into 2016, but I can already tell that much.

Something about this book, the story plus the writing, held me captivated right from the start. Sure, this kind of story - sort of a second chance romance novel - has been told a million times already. Normally, I dislike reading about the same topics over and over again. But it was different here. There was so much more to it than the ever lasting misunderstandings, though yes, these appear too.

So, Peyton and Justin have been broken up for about three years now when suddenly a school assignment forces them to work together again. While Peyton isn't exactly happy about the current situation, Justin finally sees a chance to make things right, to explain why he did what he did three years ago. It's then that Peyton realizes she may not be as over him as she originally thought.

And yes, that sounds very predictable, I understand your doubts. But I think every Rachel Harris fan (which I am now. Definitely! Even though it was my first book by her) will agree when I say this is a masterpiece. It truly is. The chemistry between the two main characters is too strong to deny. I often blushed myself, because I was so lost in the story, so deeply in love with it. I hate not pointing out certain things specifically, but seriously... I'm still so over the moon by this book that it's impossible for me to find the right words describing it. The excitement leaves me speechless.

If I wanted to name a thing I kinda of disliked about The Natural History of Us, it would be the rodeo thing. But that's because I don't like horses. The rest about the story, the illness, the characters, their story, their past, their new beginning... That was all really beautiful and so well sorted out. Whatever feelings Peyton or Justin felt, it was like their feelings were copied on me. I love when an author is capable of doing so. It's a really hard task making the reader feel the emotions, and Rachel Harris did a fabulous job.

Again, this book is one of my ultimate favourites this year, which I'm a bit surprised about, because these days, I usually prefer new adult romances over young adult romances. And while it isn't immature in the least, it's also not as heavy as an adult romance. I loved it very much.