This author was recommended to me by a friend and fellow book-club attender, so this particular book was just the first one I grabbed off the shelf.

I liked the book overall,

I thought that the main character Lake was actually portrayed pretty realistically. She thought of herself (just turned 18) as pretty grown up, and declares that she can act as such to both Will and to her mother. But then she also is constantly jumping to conclusions and stomping around in a hissy fit and is slamming doors in a teenager fashion left and right. So she wasn't particularly mature, and I felt didn't deserve to have the relationship with Will.
Will, at 21, is very mature after having to suddenly take over the responsibility of raising his younger brother after his parents have died. I didn't see why these two were so attracted to each other. Will was a bit goofy during their first date, but there was a familiarity between the characters that I thought was too convenient, I wanted there to be more hesitancy and delicious tingles, not 'felt comfy, like we'd been doing this for years'. However, most of Will's personality disappears after this first date. He is obviously concerned about losing his job and how their relationship may affect his parenting his brother, but at every moment he is this generically perfect guy. He always seems to do the responsible thing and say just the right line. I guess he has these "lapses in judgement" and makes out with Lake (still don't understand why he would like her) and does punch that guy Javi supposedly from jealousy, but overall I was more rolling my eyes at Will's too-perfect-ness and the fact that he was a big tease.
I didn't feel that Lake's dad needed to be dead, other than to set up that they would be orphaned by the end, and that I guess that was a "reason" for Lake to be close to her own brother, and to have something in common with Will.
Also, this was in the general adult fiction section and was in no way marked New Adult or YA, so I was expecting more than kisses. It wasn't weird that there wasn't more physical stuff considering how new the relationship was and then the constraints, but it did feel a tiny bit like punches were being pulled.
For me, the relationship on Pretty Little Liars between Ezra and Aria was much better, though actually illegal and had higher stakes because Ezra was an actual teacher not just a student teacher. Anyway, I get why Ezra and Aria connect and their chemistry seemed better, and they seemed to work together and talk to try to make things work, unlike Lake and Will who just were like "No" "why not? (whiny)" "because job and brother".
The poetry was interesting to read, and I enjoyed it but didn't love it. It felt like the most real and probably best written bits.

I had a nice time reading this book, thought it was entertaining despite some of the flaws. I think I will try some more of Colleen Hoover.