When It Happens [Hardcover]

When her senior year starts, Sara's attention is focused on college and on Dave. Dave is a new student and a popular athlete, and Sara thinks he may just be a candidate for the "something real" she wants to find. Tobey, however, is focused on his music and on Sara. He wants Sara to fall in love with him (as he is in love with her, despite the fact that the two are not close), but unfortunately he's got Dave as competition.

Despite Sara's attraction to Dave, Tobey and Sara are obviously meant to be together. They're almost unrealistically compatible, having even the little things--such as how they eat their onion rings--in common. Even more importantly, they both want the same thing. They're both searching for "the one," a soulmate, what Sara calls "something real"--could they find it in each other? Even if they do, there are still some obstacles. Tobey and Sara want different things from their futures, but can they overcome that?

WHEN IT HAPPENS is a wonderful story told in the fresh voices of Tobey and Sara. It's a romance, certainly, but there's more to it than that. Tobey and Sara are fantastic, likeable, and believable characters, with lives outside of each other, which adds an extra dimension to what would otherwise just be one of a million cheesy romance novels, but is instead a wonderfully written and almost too-good-to-be-true story of two teenagers looking for love.

I've not read anything by Susane Colasanti before, but I've had a couple of her books on my wish list for a while. I did something I rarely do with an author I've not tried before, and actually ordered 2 of her books together, this one and 'Take Me There'. I started with this one and was very happy with what I found, and glad I took the chance and ordered two of her books.

Sara is smart, like, really smart and she doesn't go for slackers. But she's a romantic as well and searching for a serious love, something that will last, someone who can be her everything. Tobey is a slacker, he doesn't work at anything but still manages to do okay in his exams. He's determined not to go to college and to make it on the music scene with his band anyway. But he's also in love with Sara. He's certain they'll be perfect together and that one of the most popular guys in school, who's just asked her out, isn't nearly good enough for her. When Tobey starts making his interest clear, sparks start to fly.

Okay, so I admit this is a fairly predictable, slightly fluffy, young adult romance, but I really enjoyed it. It's told in alternating POV's from Tobey and Sara, and we get to see the same events through both eyes at times. Which to start with, took a little getting used to as it meant it kept jumping back a little to go forward. But it does work, really well. And it makes for a good way to tell the story of these characters who were easy to like and easy to relate to. The whole high school dynamic, the geeks, the jocks, the popular girls, was all there. It wasn't softened, ignored, or over used. It was just 'this is high school' and could easily be any high school.

The way Sara and Tobey thought, the way they see things, felt very realistic. And without giving anything away, the different male/female attitudes towards sex. And while I did really like both characters, there were times I didn't like them completely. Which for me, is a good thing. Makes them more real, because you never like someone, even someone you love, every second of every day, of every year. It just doesn't happen. I love characters I can get behind and get mad at and forgive. It makes them more real, makes them more interesting and makes for a better book.

I did mention that this book is a little fluffy at times. But that doesn't mean romance is all there is and it doesn't mean it doesn't come with some problems. There are a some little twists, things that could easily happen to anyone, that raise issues they have to deal with. The development of both characters over the course of the book is aided by their friends as well. Both of them have two best friends, and the relationships between them all add to the depth of the book, but also show how friendships can affect things as well. There are little side stories with the friends that we get to see parts of as well, which I liked. It meant they had more purpose than simply 'best friend of...'

Overall, it was a really enjoyable read, and one I struggled to put down. I was rooting for Sara and Tobey separately and together, hoping they'd grow and learn from everything going on and that they'd get what they were looking for. However, the last quarter of the book or so did feel a little rushed. Not badly, but it didn't feel like it quite had the depth the earlier part did. The timeline jumps got bigger and somethings seemed like they got skipped over a little. But the ending did tie things up nicely and satisfied me. It's not a huge issue, but it did let it down just slightly for me. Still a really good read, and exactly the type of book I wanted to read at that moment. Will be getting the rest of Susane's backlist very soon!

This story is a love story about Tobey and Sara, he's a slacker wannabe musician and by the way he was described he sounds freakin' hot to me and she's super intelligent and of course she's beautiful.

I think this is a beautiful love story because it's about two people headed in two completely different directions that just spontaneously collide and make sparks fly and end up realising they have so much in common and inveitably fall in love not just any kinda love but a 'mean to be' kinda love.

This is like my favorite book right now I've read it atleast 3 times after I first did.