Review: Things I Know About Love by Kate le Vann

Things I know about love.

1. People don't always tell you the truth about how they feel.

2. Nothing that happens between two people is guaranteed to be private.

3. I don't know if you ever get over having your heart broken.

Livia Stowe's past experiences with love have been nothing but disappointing, but all that is about to change. After years of illness, she's boarding a plane for the first time to spend the summer in Princeton, New Jersey, with her brother who's studying abroad. This Brit is determined to make the most of her American summer and to record every moment of it in her private blog.
America is everything that Livia's ever dreamed of. And then she meets Adam.
Swept up in the promise of romance and the magical New York City that Adam shows her, Livia is smitten, but with all she knows about love, is Livia really ready to risk her heart again? (YA)

REVIEW:
**I want to thank Kate from I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read for sending this short but sweet story my way! Click here to read her review.**

Livia’s childhood was spent mostly in hospitals battling leukemia. She’s missed out on most of the things that teenage girls get to do and her love life has been limited as well.
Having never been outside of England and never flown on a plane, Livia takes her first trip to spend the summer with her brother who’s now a student at Princeton University, in NY. She’s hoping to take in the sights and maybe a have a fling with an American boy during the month she’s there.
To document her trip & her quest to find love she starts her American Summer Blog. Mostly to keep track of her past mistakes in the love department. She starts first with her rules for blogging:

“ First rule: I have to dispassionately review all my romantic experiences that have gone wrong and the bits that went right”

“Second rule: is that I have to have more experiences, or this blog will be pretty boring, I need to move on and take chances when they find me.”

“Third rule: is that I have to tell the truth, even when it makes me look bad I’m not going to learn anything about love if I skip the parts that make me want to hide behind the sofa.”

I just adored Livia! She’s had a pretty sheltered life and a sad one at that, but she never feels sorry for herself (even during the few times she borders on self-pity – it’s in a cheeky, get over it already manner). She is the epitome of the saying “when life gives you lemons – make lemonade!” Her attitude was contagious.
Of course when you try to plan things out life has a way of changing those plans and instead of meeting a sexy American boy for a fling she meets Adam, a fellow Brit – her brother’s friend and someone she already knows.
Adam is beyond swoon worthy. It’s not in the “he’s so hot” way (although he is described as good looking) but because he is just so unbelievably sweet and perfect for Livia in every way. She inspires him to start his own blog so you get a peek at Adam’s thoughts while they embark on their relationship. He helps her see all the things she’s been missing and gets her to really live for the first time in her life.
At 160 pages this is a really quick read but it ends right when it should. It’s a small snapshot of a period of time in these two people’s lives. I laughed out loud and I cried big fat tears. I really enjoyed this one!
Loved: Livia’s “brit – speak” I’m kind of a sucker for accents.
Nitpick: I wish it was a little longer just so I could spend more time with Livia and Adam.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4

Authors website: Kate le Vann
Buy the book! Things I Know About Love