Review: The Sum of These Things by Emily O'Beirne (The Story of Now #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Another voltaic little thrill passes through Claire as she follows him down the steps to the car parked in the shade of the ash tree. It amazes her that she still responds so instantly to her presence, that Mia continues to happen to her over and over again, even after all this time. She wonders if she will ever stop feeling like that.

Claire Pearson has spent the summer falling for Mia Prince and while happily-ever-after is the ideal for stories like this, the reality of being in a new relationship sets in. Claire has already loved once before and had her heart broken after her boyfriend went off to university and discovered there was life outside of their relationship. Trusting Mia and their feelings for each other should sounds easy enough, what with Mia being the amazing person that she is. But when factors like Mia moving away from Melbourne, new friends that Mia seems to be enjoying herself with, and deciding on whether or not to tell their families and closest friends about their relationship begin to chip away at Claire's resolve, doubts begin to creep in. Mia's the best thing to happen to Claire, but will Claire's insecurities and issues sabotage their happiness?

The Sum of These Things is the sequel to one of my top reads for 2015, The Story of Now. The fact that this is only author Emily O'Beirne's second novel highlights just how talented of a writer she is. The last time we saw twenty-year-old Claire Pearson, she was happy and had a girlfriend in the person of Mia Prince. But with all stories that give us the happily-ever-after we look for in romance novels, you wonder about what happens after. Stories continue, after all, because that's how real life works and not everything can be as perfect as it may seem. In the case of Claire and Mia, their relationship is still in that honeymoon stage where it feels as if the possibilities are endless. Of course, with the possibility of things going right is the real possibility of things going awry and how Claire deals with the latter is at the very crux of this story.

Claire is still finding her footing in the world she lives in, although she's making inroads as to which direction she'd like to go career-wise. The pressure to create a more solid life plan is constantly there, courtesy of her overbearing but concerned mother. Volunteering at a community center during the day and working at the bar at night gives her purpose and a source of income, respectively, but leaves little time for Claire to indulge in her still-new relationship with Mia and that becomes part of the reason why she feels as if Mia's forging new friendships with people that Claire knows little to nothing of affects her more than you would expect. Claire and Mia react to things differently and that becomes even clearer in this sequel. The both have patterns of behavior that they need to break free from or risk losing each other.

What I love best about this book duet is that it isn't merely about Claire's love story with Mia; it's about Claire's life story right now. Her situation, that of trying to figure out what it is she wants to do in the near and distant future, is a familiar one. She may not necessarily choose the same path that others think is best for her, but this is her journey, and if she gets lost along the way or takes a longer route, it still remains her journey. I think that's just one of the reasons that Claire was such an easy main character for me to relate to. I see a lot of me in her, both at that age and now. Claire, Mia, and their friends are all works in progress, as we all are, and witnessing their struggles and triumphs makes for a very endearing read. The Sum of These Things joins its fab predecessor on my list of 2015 favorites. I happily give it five-plus stars. ♥

Read my review of the The Story of Now series: 

The Story of Now (book one) - five-plus stars - My Review

The Sum of These Things (book two) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

Limited Release Date: 02 December 2015

Wide Release Date: 16 December 2015

Date Read: 02 December 2015

Learn more about Emily O'Beirne.

Purchase The Sum of These Things on Ylva Publishing.

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