Review: Distraction by Laura Clark (Westbrook #1)

Note: This ebook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Laila Patterson is just a month away from turning seventeen, but it seems that her not having hit that particular milestone still makes certain people around her see her as nothing more than a child. Then Sam Woodson finally notices that maybe she isn't the same little sister he's always seen her to be and all it takes is one kiss for them to suddenly make them more than what they once were. But with Sam being Laila's brother's best friend and knowing how protective Kyle is of her, both Sam and Laila agree to keep things quiet as they explore the new nuances of their relationship. Laila is more than thrilled at the fact that her very first ever boyfriend is none other than the guy she's had a crush on forever, but she never anticipated getting distracted by a friend from junior high who has returned all gorgeously grown up: Trevor Maddox.

Distraction is the first novel in the young adult (YA) series entitled Westbrook from author Laura Clark, and the fact that this also happens to be her first ever published work has me floored. Laila is sixteen (ALMOST seventeen) and as is the case with a girl her age, she's easily distracted by someone of the opposite sex who captures her attention. She may start the story with wanting Devon Mitchell to notice her, but when her longtime crush, Sam Woodson, who just happens to be her brother Kyle's best friend since childhood, is the one to do so, Devon becomes nothing more than a fleeting thing. The same can't be said for Trevor Maddox, who has turned into a hot seventeen-year-old in the three years since his family moved away. Catching the interest may seem like a dream come true, but it's way too distracting for Laila.

This was a story about a first love that doesn't go exactly as expected by the main character and it was one that countless people can relate to. Yes, the sweetness of having your feelings returned is there, but so is the bitterness when disappointment comes to rain on your parade. Laila is facing quite a few challenges when it comes to her relationship with Sam, with the top three being 1. how totally against it Kyle would be if he ever found out, 2. Sam being away in college while she's still in Westbrook High, and 3. Trevor. She's only sixteen (NEARLY seventeen) and she certainly acts like it, so there are definitely times where she makes the wrong choices and she allows her emotions and hormones to get the better of her. She is a teenager and expecting her to act like a mature adult would be unrealistic and really quite unfair, I believe.

It's really easy for us to put ourselves in Laila's shoes because even if what's happening to her here has never happened to us, I'm sure we know someone who's gone through it before. I didn't expect things unravel the way they did and then that cliffhanger ending had me wanting to pull my hair out because I so needed to know how everything was going to play out and get resolved. I found myself torn between Team Sam and Team Trevor (leaning just a bit more toward Trevor), though both these guys dropped the ball more than once when it came to dealing with their feelings for Laila. With this starter story, the Westbrook series is quickly shaping up to be a standout this year in YA romance arena and I now get why it's gotten the positive response it has from lots of readers and reviewers. Distraction easily gets five stars. ♥

Date Read: 13 November 2015 

Learn more about Laura Clark.

Purchase Distraction on Amazon.