Book Review: What If

What If

By: Rebecca Donovan

Published By: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Page Count: 352

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: New Adult - Contemporary

I have been a huge fan of Rebecca Donovan's since I read her Breathing series. When I found out she had another novel coming out, I was ecstatic! What If did not disappoint. 

Cal Logan is about to start his sophomore year in college. He's still hung up on his high school crush/ex-best friend, Nicole Bentley. But no one seems to know what happened to the beautiful brunette after graduation. She was supposed to go to Harvard, but none of her friends have heard from her.

Cal was best friends with Richelle and Rae growing up. They added Nicole Bentley to their little circle the minute she moved onto their street the summer before fourth grade. Nicole's family was different from the rest of them. Her father was controlling and Nicole was expected to behave very properly at all times. Richelle had play clothes for Nicole at her house so she wouldn't get her pretty dresses and shoes messed up while they were playing in the woods and the treehouse Cal's father was building. Then Richelle suddenly moved away in eighth grade. That summer, Nicole went away for a few weeks and when she came back, she wouldn't talk to Cal and Rae, nor have anything to do with them. 

When Cal is in college, he sees a girl he swears is Nicole Bentley. But her name is actually Nyelle Preston. He is convinced she is Nicole, but as he gets to know her, Cal finds out Nyelle is the complete opposite of Nicole. Nyelle is a free spirit. Nyelle does what she feels like in the moment and doesn't have any future plans or direction. But what if Nyelle really is Nicole? What happened to her? Why is she behaving this way? And how did she end up at Cal's college instead of Harvard?

The book goes back and forth between the present and the past, showing the developing relationships between the four friends, and the subsequent demise of their friendship. Rae and Cal are the only two who remain friends. Many secrets unfold and untold stories come to light as we discover the truth of what happened to Richelle and Nicole. 

This was a fantastic New Adult book and I highly recommend it!

Content: There is some language and a few sexual situations. But let me tell you, no one writes a better clean love scene than Rebecca Donovan! 

Summary:

What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time?

Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago.

Except this girl isn't Nicole.

She looks exactly like Cal's shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she's hiding, the less he wants to know.

When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems.