seriously romantic: crazy love by kendra c. highley

crazy love is a sequel of sorts to defying gravity. but given the characters' ages, the story has a different feel. luke madison has come home a semester short of finishing his business degree at asu. he lives and breathes snowboardcross and has a chance to make the national team and the olympics, but only if he focuses on his training.

charlotte understands about needing to focus, she has one last shot at passing her mcat's and getting into medical school. growing up dealing with a mom who suffers from multiple sclerosis, all she knows is that she wants to heal people.

charlotte tries not to be distracted by luke, but when he comes to her rescue when some jerk patrons of the diner she's spending her winter break at try a dine-and-dash it becomes impossible to ignore him. not only is he getting his meals comped for being a hero, he's also funny and nice and not at all who she assumed he would be.

luke used to be the guy charlotte thinks he is. but he wants to do better. not just because of charlotte, though she is part of the reason. but also because he's finally growing up. he knows that he has a lot to prove by following his dreams. he is letting his family down in some ways that can't be helped. but they are giving him the space to do it nonetheless.

both charlotte and luke are juggling their obligations to their families, the intense pressure of working hard to fulfill their dreams, along with their simmering attraction to each other. what they learn is that being apart is more of a distraction than being together. and that the love that they've discovered together is something worth fighting for.

i so enjoyed their story. there are moments where both luke and charlotte are forced to look at things from a completely different perspective and the way that they grow and find ways to compromise is so satisfying. the slightly more adult tone, while a change for highley, works because she does such a good job of crafting an emotionally fulfilling story while mixing the right amount of heat, angst, and fluff.

**crazy love will publish on january 22, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (embrace) in exchange for my honest review.