Review: Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman

 

Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance
by Danielle Younge-Ullman

May 5, 2015

304 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Lola Carlyle is lonely, out of sorts, and in for a boring summer. So when her best friend, Sydney, calls to rave about her stay at a posh Malibu rehab and reveals that the love of Lola’s life, Wade Miller, is being admitted, she knows what she has to do.Never mind that her worst addiction is decaf cappuccino; Lola is going to rehab.

Lola arrives at Sunrise Rehab intent solely on finding Wade, saving him from himself, and—naturally—making him fall in love with her…only to discover she’s actually expected to be an addict. And get treatment. And talk about her issues with her parents, and with herself. Plus she has insane roommates, and an irritatingly attractive mentor, Adam, who’s determined to thwart her at every turn.

Oh, and Sydney? She’s gone.

Turns out, once her pride, her defenses, and her best friend are stripped away, Lola realizes she’s actually got a lot to overcome…if she can open her heart long enough to let it happen.

Review

I went into this book not knowing what to expect but wow did I ever enjoy it! So darn much. I was addicted (hee) and read it in one sitting. It was laugh-out-loud hilarious!!

 

Basically Lola comes from a rich family where her divorced parents don't pay much attention to her so she gets away with things. When she learns her long-time crush is at the same rehab center (more like a spa) as her best friend, she decides to get herself admitted. What follows is a string of hilarious events as Lola slowly comes to realize that she actually does have some rehabilitating to do.

 

This book is so funny! The mood of the book was light and playful at first with things eventually becoming more sobering during the second half. A warning that there is a fair bit of language in this book. I personally loved it and felt it contributed to the reality of Lola's situation but some may be bothered by it. The words do fly out pretty easily.

 

Lola is such a riot!! She's witty, snarky, sarcastic, you name it. More than a few times, I burst out laughing because of something she said or did. I was just smiling and laughing all over the place. On a more serious note, her always-joking attitude was her way of shielding herself from hurt and disappointment. I'm sad that her parents were the source of it all. Because of her past experiences with them, she refuses to expose her vulnerability, choosing instead to joke about everything. I could tell that she really just needed to confront her demon parents and let it all out.

 

Lucky Lola has Adam! I'd totally sign up for rehab just to have him be my mentor. He is so supportive and beyond sweet. I just knew he was going to fall for Lola because she's so different from his serious demeanor. The attraction was apparent and their interactions after a certain confession were deliciously heart-pounding!

Was the 12 step plan just a reference to rehab since it wasn't very present in the story? Putting aside the reason Lola went to Sunrise in the first place, I loved all the development she made once there. She was brave to admit her faults/mistakes. It was convincing that things weren't perfect by the end because that's real life. Conflicts don't resolve so easily but Lola's at a good place to start healing and patching up relationships. 

I was the tiniest bit bothered by how some characters didn't have to face the consequences of their actions. They weren't all that important but I felt like I lacked an ending from them. I think it's safe to say they failed at grasping the meaning of rehab.

The story ended on a nice note. There was closure but I'm a little sad because it felt rushed. I wish I was given more time to fully revel in the cuteness that is Lola and Adam. Nevertheless, this will be a story I reread for all the funny roll-on-floor-laughing moments!

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.