Review: XOXO by Christina Lee
SYNOPSIS:
Lark Levitt doesn’t belong at Roosevelt College, at least in theory. Most students who attend the private university come from wealthy families, and Lark is only a scholarship and a bus ride away from the trailer park where he lives. It’s also a dream come true because dance is his life, and their program is one of the most prestigious in the country. But there are bumps in the road, like running into someone from a difficult time in his childhood. Someone who now pretends he doesn’t exist.
Henry Albrecht survived childhood cancer and is now a Roosevelt quarterback and model student. His past is something his father insists Henry keep private, and though his dad has his reasons, it makes his remission feel like a dirty secret instead of a triumph. He has few precious memories from that time in his life, except for a kid from the hospital who made his recovery manageable. A kid who’s all grown up now and at Roosevelt, jeopardizing everything Henry’s carefully kept under wraps.
They decide the best course of action is to keep their distance. Easier said than done. Their renewed connection brings solace, clarity, and a raw intensity that awakens a spark between them. But hiding their history is exhausting, and soon enough their secret meetups are in danger of being exposed. Henry will need to face his fears—and his father—or lose the only person who’s ever understood the real him.
REVIEW:
I enjoyed this read; it was a nice, refreshing tender romance in a college setting. While the characters themselves tackle tough topics, such as past cancer diagnoses, anxiety, mental health illness, and unbearable peer/family pressure; the romance was solitude, safety, and security.
I loved the history between Lark and Henry and how Christina Lee made them work to reconnect. It wasn’t instantaneous and while the attraction was there for both of them, they truly got to know each other as ‘healthy’ adults and not cancer in-patient kids. The friendship morphed into a lot more and I adored the pacing. Things felt natural and real, and the romance was positively enchanting. In terms of character growth and development, I liked how hard topics and conversations were traversed. While it sometimes feels as if the romance can get lost in the drama and history, it doesn’t here…in this story the romance blooms.
I adored how much Henry grew throughout this story, he really found his own voice. But what I especially appreciated was how the ‘realness’ carried over here. The story didn’t end with things perfect for any character. But it ended with them growing, learning, and trying. A true comfort read that will leave you feeling positively charmed.
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