What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat. 


His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.


When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.


My Thoughts/Review:

I liked this book, but it seemed like the author was trying to communicate with an extreme amount of emotion, and it just wasn't working for her. It was emotional, but not in a heart-wrenching way. I think the author may have meant it to be heart-wrenching. It was cute, and a sweet romance, but there just wasn't enough emotion to really make it all work the way it could have.

I enjoyed the character of Jake, and I sympathize with his muteness, but he seemed really up and down all the time. Sometimes he's a great guy, sometimes he's a bit of an ass. It's confusing. His character's personality changed just a bit too often for my tastes. Sam was interesting, but I really want to know what the chances are that a mute guy and a riding-under-the-system girl were going to find each other and fall in love.

It seems a bit unbelievable, yes? I thought so too. It was a cute book, and really sweet, but it was really only average for me. I feel bad about this review, because I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it seems that when it all ended, all the problems with the book were right on the surface. So, all in all, I enjoyed it, but it's not really my thing.


*I received this book via NetGalley*
♠♠♠
Favorite Quote:I had a decision to make in that moment. I could let this accident, this insane thing that had happened to me, ruin my life. It wouldn't be hard to let it consume me. It would be really easy to get mad at life and to just give up.