Book Review: What Are The Chances?

What Are The Chances? (Britannia Beach #2)

By: D.R. Graham

Published By: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: August 26, 2016

Page Count: 256

Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary

Review of Book #1: Put It Out There

Derian (aka Deri)'s senior year has come and gone in this installment. After spending time in Europe, Deri is home at her beloved inn in Britannia Beach. The inn has already been sold, but her grandfather is helping the new owners transition into their new role before he officially retires and moves off the premises. Deri is still sad about the sale of the inn, but she has come to terms with her grandfather's choice. She realizes that he can't run the inn forever and he should be able to enjoy his retirement. 

While Deri's grandfather seems to have his future sorted, hers is still up in the air. She has received a scholarship to the University of Toronto, but it's across the country, which means she would be far away from home, her family, and her best friend/love interest, Trevor. Since Trevor doesn't seem to want a romantic entanglement, Deri is set on accepting the scholarship and moving to Toronto, but she keeps thinking about her acceptance to the university in Vancouver that Trevor attends. She needs to know his true feelings before she makes a choice about the next four years. Should she choose to stay close to the familiar or venture out to reinvent herself?

Deri's decisions are further complicated by a summer fling with the handsome Mason Cartwright and some heart to hearts with Trevor. Deri will have to choose not only a university, but also which guy truly deserves her heart. Mason and Trevor certainly will not make her choice easy. I'm not a huge fan of love triangles, but I liked that Deri had two viable options. I was always firmly in Trevor's camp, but I could see Mason's appeal. I liked getting to know Mason more this time around as he was more of a superficial character in the first novel.

In addition to the romance, I love the relationship between Deri and her best friend, Sophie. These girls are truly there for one another and are an excellent example of how friendship should work. There is no pettiness and competition between these two. 

I'm also intrigued by the relationship Deri has with her mom. These two often have to navigate rocky currents with one another, but you can tell that deep down they care deeply. I hope that in the next novel they will make more strides towards repairing the rift that tore them apart after Deri's father died.

There is also a hint of magical realism in this series as Deri's strong intuition manifests as visions. She often sees accidents before they happen. In this novel, she is learning more about how to use the visions to prevent issues rather than seeing them after the fact. 

I'm anxious to read the next novel to see how things will work out for Deri. I've truly enjoyed my time in Britannia Beach getting to know these characters.

One Last Gripe: I felt like the plot was more dramatic in book #1 while this one focused more on Deri's relationships. That isn't a bad thing, but I did miss the action and tension.

Favorite Thing About This Book: Deri's friendships with Sophie and Trevor

First Sentence: The bells on the front door of the Inn jingled and my best friend Sophie Sakamoto walked through the archway into the dining room.

Favorite Character: Deri

Least Favorite Character: The creepy guy at the inn

Summary:

The Inn is sold and Derian Lafleur has been accepted to two universities—one close by and one across the country. Before leaving Britannia Beach for good Deri wants to enjoy one last summer of sun and fun. However her best friend, Sophie Sakamoto, is more interested in making sure Derian has one last summer romance. The question is, with whom? Deri has had a crush on childhood friend Trevor Maverty since forever. But he’s already taken. And Mason Cartwright is back in town after a year abroad. But will he remember her?

Faced with tough choices, emotional revelations, and heart-breaking goodbyes, Derian knows that whatever happens it’s definitely going to be an eventful summer….