I preferred Courtney, as she seemed slightly nicer and more well-rounded. The characters were good but had a few flaws, such as Margaret coming off as slightly flat. Perhaps, then, Courtney’s reason as to why she was back in town should have been shared later on in the novel. Although, I did forget what happened in the first chapter, and even forgot that Courtney’s father died, which is mentioned very quickly in the story. The first chapter was confusing because you don’t really know what is going on, but soon enough everything connects together. Initially I was not captivated by the first two chapters, but as I read on, I became really immersed in the story. The plot was organised well and made me want to keep reading. I also think that having the events unfold over more than one year made the story have more plot twists, overall influencing it to become more gripping and fast-paced. What I especially liked about it was how it was told, as it occurred mainly during the summer, which added to the romantic atmosphere of the story.

She looked infinitely more relaxed than the last time I’d seen her, as if in her element. Her long hair was now pulled into a side braid that rested on her shoulder. She’d glance up briefly and then go back to her page, biting her bottom lip in concentration. Courtney Carrington, still wearing the plaid skirt and the boots, sat there writing something in a notepad. ‘But it was the blonde sitting in the rocking chair in front of the store that snagged my focus. Their relationship goes through its struggles, and through it all, Margaret has to realise that she must make sacrifices for love. The story is told mostly in flashbacks, and revolves around the romance Margaret has with Courtney. She has mostly lives through High School unseen, but when city girl Courtney Carrington moves to her town, everything changes. In Strawberry Summer, Margaret Beringer lives on her family’s strawberry farm, helping out with the customers and trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.

Strawberry Summer by Melissa Brayden