The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
Published by Bloomsbury on March 31, 2015

Summary: "It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?" -- From Goodreads

Can you imagine how awkward it would be if you got branded "the girl whose boyfriend died"?  Emery Lord gracefully tackles this sticky subject in The Start of Me and You.  

I really liked Paige.  She was finally coming back to life after her boyfriend died in a freak swimming accident.  Paige struggled with the pity that came with being "the girl whose boyfriend died".  She had only been together with her old boyfriend for about four months, and his death impacted her for far longer.  

And Max.  LOVED HIM.  Any boy that loves Firefly already owns a piece of my heart.  I also loved how Lord incorporated geeky things into the story.  Why don't girls already know that geeky boys make the best boyfriends?

Overall, this is a great contemporary story.  I loved Paige and Max's story.

Disclosure: I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.