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Just Like You Said It Would Be
How do you make something feel finished?
On New Year’s Eve seventeen-year-old Amira texts the Irish ex-boyfriend she’s been missing desperately since they broke up at the end of summer, when she returned to Canada. They agreed they wouldn’t be friends, that it would never be enough. But that was then—back when Amira’s separated parents had shipped her off to relatives in Dublin for the summer so they could test-drive the idea of getting back together on a long haul cruise. Back when Amira was torn away from a friend in need in Toronto only to fall in love with a Dublin screenwriting class and take a step closer to her dream career. And only to fall for cousin Zoey’s bandmate, Darragh, the guy who is first her friend, then her enemy and later something much more complicated—the guy she can say anything to, the guy who makes every inch of her feel wide awake in a way she hadn’t known was possible. The guy she confides in about the dead sister she has no living memories of but who has remained with Amira nonetheless. The guy she might never see again. Or is there, despite the distance, somehow still a chance for them?
Chock-full of movie references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of the extraordinary highs and shattering lows of first love that will appeal to fans of Jennifer Echols, Tara Kelly, Sarra Manning, Trish Doller, and Kirsty Eagar.
On New Year’s Eve seventeen-year-old Amira texts the Irish ex-boyfriend she’s been missing desperately since they broke up at the end of summer, when she returned to Canada. They agreed they wouldn’t be friends, that it would never be enough. But that was then—back when Amira’s separated parents had shipped her off to relatives in Dublin for the summer so they could test-drive the idea of getting back together on a long haul cruise. Back when Amira was torn away from a friend in need in Toronto only to fall in love with a Dublin screenwriting class and take a step closer to her dream career. And only to fall for cousin Zoey’s bandmate, Darragh, the guy who is first her friend, then her enemy and later something much more complicated—the guy she can say anything to, the guy who makes every inch of her feel wide awake in a way she hadn’t known was possible. The guy she confides in about the dead sister she has no living memories of but who has remained with Amira nonetheless. The guy she might never see again. Or is there, despite the distance, somehow still a chance for them?
Chock-full of movie references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of the extraordinary highs and shattering lows of first love that will appeal to fans of Jennifer Echols, Tara Kelly, Sarra Manning, Trish Doller, and Kirsty Eagar.
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First published February 15, 2017
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About the author
C.K. Kelly Martin
17 books328 followersLong before I was an author I was a fan of books about Winnie the Pooh, Babar, Madeline, Anne Shirley and anything by Judy Blume. Throughout high school my favourite class was English. No surprise, then, that most of my time spent at York University in Toronto was as an English major—not the traditional way to graduate with a B.A. (Hons) in film studies but a fine way to get a general arts education.
After getting my film studies degree I headed for Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of the nineties there in forgettable jobs meeting unforgettable people and enjoying the buzz. I always believed I'd get around to writing in earnest eventually, and I began writing my first novel in a flat in Dublin and finished it in a Toronto suburb. By then I'd discovered that fiction about young people felt the freshest and most exciting to me. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once.
Currently residing near Toronto with my Dub husband, I'm an aunt to twenty-one nieces and nephews, and a great-aunt to five great-nieces and two great-nephews. I became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continue to visit Dublin as often as I can while working on novels about young people.
My first young adult book, I Know It's Over, came out with Random House in September 2008, and was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and sci-fi thriller Yesterday. I released Yesterday's sequel, Tomorrow, in 2013 and put out my first adult novel, Come See About Me, as an ebook in June 2012. Two of my contemporary YA books, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing and Delicate, were published by Cormorant Books' Dancing Cat Books imprint in 2014 and 2015. They also published my middle grade sci-fi, Stricken.
My 2017 young adult novel, Just Like You Said It Would Be, is the book of my heart. Packed with movies references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of first love, full of confusion, elation, disappointment and its knack of making the ordinary seem amazing.
In 2019 I made my horror debut with DCB under the name Cara Martin. Booklist described Shantallow as "serious, literary and very scary" and Kirkus called it "gut-wrenching on various levels." It was an Ottawa Book Awards finalist and was longlisted for the Sunburst Award.
After getting my film studies degree I headed for Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of the nineties there in forgettable jobs meeting unforgettable people and enjoying the buzz. I always believed I'd get around to writing in earnest eventually, and I began writing my first novel in a flat in Dublin and finished it in a Toronto suburb. By then I'd discovered that fiction about young people felt the freshest and most exciting to me. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once.
Currently residing near Toronto with my Dub husband, I'm an aunt to twenty-one nieces and nephews, and a great-aunt to five great-nieces and two great-nephews. I became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continue to visit Dublin as often as I can while working on novels about young people.
My first young adult book, I Know It's Over, came out with Random House in September 2008, and was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and sci-fi thriller Yesterday. I released Yesterday's sequel, Tomorrow, in 2013 and put out my first adult novel, Come See About Me, as an ebook in June 2012. Two of my contemporary YA books, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing and Delicate, were published by Cormorant Books' Dancing Cat Books imprint in 2014 and 2015. They also published my middle grade sci-fi, Stricken.
My 2017 young adult novel, Just Like You Said It Would Be, is the book of my heart. Packed with movies references and giddy love for Dublin, Ireland, Just Like You Said It Would Be is a frank exploration of first love, full of confusion, elation, disappointment and its knack of making the ordinary seem amazing.
In 2019 I made my horror debut with DCB under the name Cara Martin. Booklist described Shantallow as "serious, literary and very scary" and Kirkus called it "gut-wrenching on various levels." It was an Ottawa Book Awards finalist and was longlisted for the Sunburst Award.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 17, 2017
Full Review on my blog!
I started this book and wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. I found it slow and took a while to get into the story, at one point I did stop reading, and kinda didn't want to continue reading it.. but I’m glad I did finish it.
Just Like You Said It Would Be, tells the story of Amira that lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but is sent to Dublin to spend the summer with family while her parents are on vacation trying to mend their marriage. Amira is soon introduced to Darragh, one of her cousin Zoey’s band mates, and I love/hate relationship quickly ensues. Regardless of the tension between them and attempts at only being friends, they soon find themselves confiding in one another, spending a lot of time together, and eventually they fall in love. They fall in love right at the end of summer, when Amira has to fly back home. But they reconnect, many months later when they both attend a wedding.
The story is beautifully written, and just so amazing. The chemistry between Amira and Darragh is sooo goood :3
I highly recommend reading it!
*a copy was provided by the Author, through Xpresso Book Tours*
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I started this book and wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. I found it slow and took a while to get into the story, at one point I did stop reading, and kinda didn't want to continue reading it.. but I’m glad I did finish it.
Just Like You Said It Would Be, tells the story of Amira that lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but is sent to Dublin to spend the summer with family while her parents are on vacation trying to mend their marriage. Amira is soon introduced to Darragh, one of her cousin Zoey’s band mates, and I love/hate relationship quickly ensues. Regardless of the tension between them and attempts at only being friends, they soon find themselves confiding in one another, spending a lot of time together, and eventually they fall in love. They fall in love right at the end of summer, when Amira has to fly back home. But they reconnect, many months later when they both attend a wedding.
The story is beautifully written, and just so amazing. The chemistry between Amira and Darragh is sooo goood :3
I highly recommend reading it!
*a copy was provided by the Author, through Xpresso Book Tours*
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | Store
March 27, 2017
This novel drew me in from the first page and I was not able to put it down – despite it being a Teen/YA novel. It was so well-written and full of different and complex characters that I found myself easily invested in. Although Amira and Darragh’s relationship is definitely the meat of the novel, there are several other subplots going on regarding friendships, family, education, dreams, and definitely disappointments in life. Teen and YA readers will easily identify with the uncertainty that comes with growing up, going away to college, first loves, etc. Adult readers – prepare to find yourself quickly being swept away in the nostalgia of your own experiences at the age. Whether it was joy, curiosity, anger, worry, or sadness, author C.K. Kelly Martin perfectly captures the varying emotions associated with that age.
While reading, I found myself cheering like crazy for Amira and Darragh, resulting in having to remind myself that first, it’s only a novel and second, they live on two different continents with their entire lives ahead of them. Amira with her talent and dreams of being a screenwriter and Darragh with his investment in his band made for a happily-ever-after not seem promising, but still, I hoped.
Reading about the author I learned that this was a long work in progress in which she poured her heart and soul, however, I do cross my fingers that she has more to tell the world about Amira and Darragh because I will be the first on in line to grab a copy!
**Many thanks to Xpresso book tours and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
While reading, I found myself cheering like crazy for Amira and Darragh, resulting in having to remind myself that first, it’s only a novel and second, they live on two different continents with their entire lives ahead of them. Amira with her talent and dreams of being a screenwriter and Darragh with his investment in his band made for a happily-ever-after not seem promising, but still, I hoped.
Reading about the author I learned that this was a long work in progress in which she poured her heart and soul, however, I do cross my fingers that she has more to tell the world about Amira and Darragh because I will be the first on in line to grab a copy!
**Many thanks to Xpresso book tours and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 1, 2017
When she's sixteen, Amira is shipped off to her aunt's home in Dublin while her parents try to sort out their marriage. Between writing to her dead sister Rana, dealing with her best friend Jocelyn's family problems, and writing a screenplay for her summer screenwriting course, Amira must deal with her conflicting feelings for Darragh, the songwriter, singer, and guitar player in her cousin band. What starts off as contempt, turns into friendship, and then something more. They finally get together, but is it too late for them? What will happen when she has to return home? And how will Amira ever achieve closure?
The beginning of the book is slow, and there is what feels like too much unnecessary and irrelevant information. As the book progresses, however, we see that everything is relevant. This is not just a sanitized summer romance, but a true coming-of-age story, featuring realistic scenarios, tense family dynamics, and teenagers behaving badly - just as they do in real life.
This is a touching tale of first love, growing up, and realizing that real life isn't a fairy tale.
Warnings: coarse language, underage drinking, sexual references, sex scenes.
Full blog post ( 1 April): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
The beginning of the book is slow, and there is what feels like too much unnecessary and irrelevant information. As the book progresses, however, we see that everything is relevant. This is not just a sanitized summer romance, but a true coming-of-age story, featuring realistic scenarios, tense family dynamics, and teenagers behaving badly - just as they do in real life.
This is a touching tale of first love, growing up, and realizing that real life isn't a fairy tale.
Warnings: coarse language, underage drinking, sexual references, sex scenes.
Full blog post ( 1 April): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
March 29, 2017
C. K. Kelly Martin's Just Like You said It Would Be is a highly descriptive and deeply affecting story about a 16 year old girl experiencing passion and romantic love for the first time. The passion she discovers in a writing course, and the love comes from a challenging young musician named Darragh. The story is told in both flashbacks and present time and solely through Amira's perspective and over a period of about a year.
Amira is perhaps one of the most most deeply introspective 16 year old that I've read. She has a rich internal dialogue and is also a character that is very empathetic and sympathetic. Shes experienced great loss, is facing the possible demise of her parents marriage. The summer she spends in Dublin opens her up to finding herself. Martin does an amazing job creating a character with the kind of personality open to the exploration and growth she embarks on. She's spirited and yet contemplative and smart enough to understand the impact of the vast change she is experiencing. Darragh is a big influence on her life, but I see this as less of a love story and more of a coming of age tale. As you'd expect, the story is punctuated by the drama that is inherent in the life of a 16 years old and the push pull relationship she and Darragh develop.
The writing is smooth and measured and follows up on all the secondary story lines that create Amira's world. Martin creates details and nuances that really fills out Amira's relationships, her parents, her best friend, her family in Dublin and even her deceased sister. Just like You Said it Would Be is a solid 4 star read and one I'd recommend.
Amira is perhaps one of the most most deeply introspective 16 year old that I've read. She has a rich internal dialogue and is also a character that is very empathetic and sympathetic. Shes experienced great loss, is facing the possible demise of her parents marriage. The summer she spends in Dublin opens her up to finding herself. Martin does an amazing job creating a character with the kind of personality open to the exploration and growth she embarks on. She's spirited and yet contemplative and smart enough to understand the impact of the vast change she is experiencing. Darragh is a big influence on her life, but I see this as less of a love story and more of a coming of age tale. As you'd expect, the story is punctuated by the drama that is inherent in the life of a 16 years old and the push pull relationship she and Darragh develop.
The writing is smooth and measured and follows up on all the secondary story lines that create Amira's world. Martin creates details and nuances that really fills out Amira's relationships, her parents, her best friend, her family in Dublin and even her deceased sister. Just like You Said it Would Be is a solid 4 star read and one I'd recommend.
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February 27, 2018I love CK Kelly Martin’s books and this one is up there with Come See About Me as a favorite.
March 30, 2017
This was a new to me author and I picked it to review because the blurb caught my attention. The story was great, the dialogue was well done, I loved the music aspect of the book. My only down fall for the book was that I never connected to the characters or was rooting for them. I did enjoy the book and I liked reading it but I just want to fall in love with the characters. It's kinda an important part of reading a book for me. Everything else was well done and I look forward to checking out this author again.
Review copy given in exchange for honest review
Review copy given in exchange for honest review
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September 16, 2017I love CK Kelly Martin's books and this one is no exception.
January 27, 2018
Let me just start by saying that I've always had a thing for obscure names, names that you don't hear very often or aren't overly popular. It was cool to read this book in that way because everyone had names that were different (at least to me). It was also cool because the book takes place mostly in Ireland, where their slang and word choice varies a pretty significant amount from what we have here in the U.S.
The setting was kind of easy to picture despite it being three thousand miles away and halfway across the globe, which was nice. I loved how she got there, that she didn't want to be there, but how quickly her view changed once she was there; it made me want to go to Ireland as well.
The book was a little slow in the beginning, but most romance novels are; you can't just dive into the love without development. This book definitely had development, though I feel like Darragh's 'player vibe' didn't really have much build-up and wasn't elaborated on. What the author wanted was clear, but she didn't quite hit the mark. But that was the only part of Darragh that didn't. I could picture him in my head: boyishly cute with sexy edges and that melancholy artist thing that was there but wasn't overly there; and obviously the accent. He was definitely my kind of character, and I fell in love with him. Despite his hang-ups with Ursula, he was able to get himself together and realize that "waiting" wasn't really a thing girls liked to do.
Especially not girls like Amira, or like me, as I found myself relating to her throughout the whole novel. The one thing about Amira that I didn't find particularly appealing was her instant feeling of monopoly she developed for Darragh, but even she hated it. I had a really easy time following her thought process because she was exactly my age when the THEN part of the story was being told. I felt connected to her in a way that I like to feel connected when reading.
The author did a really good job of making the story cliche without being cliche. It was the perfect mix of romance without it being overpoweringly infuriating like most love stories are. It was a perfect whirlwind, the kind of fast-paced love that makes you stay up and read until one in the morning because you need to know what happens (but I totally didn't do that...).
And the roller coaster of futility we took: three thousand miles, a limit of four weeks, disapproving parents. Everything is working against them. It's just so hopeless, but it doesn't feel hopeless. The book was extremely well-written in that way. This development of feelings was so real; it read like fiction but it didn't feel fake. Like the story like this could have totally happened the way it mapped out (except maybe some of the plane trips). I was captivated by the story and the characters, and I felt like I was part of the action, something a good book always needs.
Overall, the story (and Darragh)completely held my attention, and I would recommend this book to anyone who has the time to commit, because you aren't going to want to put it down. Agewise, I say maybe 15 or 16 and older because there is some sexual content but it's not overpowering or extremely graphic. Unlike a lot of stories that have this kind of content, however, it didn't detract from the novel's quality. I definitely recommend this read.
-T
The setting was kind of easy to picture despite it being three thousand miles away and halfway across the globe, which was nice. I loved how she got there, that she didn't want to be there, but how quickly her view changed once she was there; it made me want to go to Ireland as well.
The book was a little slow in the beginning, but most romance novels are; you can't just dive into the love without development. This book definitely had development, though I feel like Darragh's 'player vibe' didn't really have much build-up and wasn't elaborated on. What the author wanted was clear, but she didn't quite hit the mark. But that was the only part of Darragh that didn't. I could picture him in my head: boyishly cute with sexy edges and that melancholy artist thing that was there but wasn't overly there; and obviously the accent. He was definitely my kind of character, and I fell in love with him. Despite his hang-ups with Ursula, he was able to get himself together and realize that "waiting" wasn't really a thing girls liked to do.
Especially not girls like Amira, or like me, as I found myself relating to her throughout the whole novel. The one thing about Amira that I didn't find particularly appealing was her instant feeling of monopoly she developed for Darragh, but even she hated it. I had a really easy time following her thought process because she was exactly my age when the THEN part of the story was being told. I felt connected to her in a way that I like to feel connected when reading.
The author did a really good job of making the story cliche without being cliche. It was the perfect mix of romance without it being overpoweringly infuriating like most love stories are. It was a perfect whirlwind, the kind of fast-paced love that makes you stay up and read until one in the morning because you need to know what happens (but I totally didn't do that...).
And the roller coaster of futility we took: three thousand miles, a limit of four weeks, disapproving parents. Everything is working against them. It's just so hopeless, but it doesn't feel hopeless. The book was extremely well-written in that way. This development of feelings was so real; it read like fiction but it didn't feel fake. Like the story like this could have totally happened the way it mapped out (except maybe some of the plane trips). I was captivated by the story and the characters, and I felt like I was part of the action, something a good book always needs.
Overall, the story (and Darragh)completely held my attention, and I would recommend this book to anyone who has the time to commit, because you aren't going to want to put it down. Agewise, I say maybe 15 or 16 and older because there is some sexual content but it's not overpowering or extremely graphic. Unlike a lot of stories that have this kind of content, however, it didn't detract from the novel's quality. I definitely recommend this read.
-T
November 20, 2017
Very interesting sexy read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong characters. I want to read more from this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
March 24, 2017
4 1/2 stars
January 1, 2018
I'm not even sure what to say about Amira. She drove me almost insane trying to figure her out. I wanted to get inside her head and figure out what she was thinking, the exact thoughts she had the moment her eyes landed on Darragh. I was mad when she had to leave Ireland and head back home to Canada. I wanted her to stay but I know if she stayed, then there was no way Amira and Darragh's story would've went this way.
So Amira has been banished to her aunt and uncle's in Dublin for the summer while her parents go on a cruise to reignite their relationship after being separated for some time. Upon arriving it is her cousin's Zoey's birthday. Zoey gets her parents to allow Amira out with for a small bit to celebrate with her and her friends before Mir has to be home for curfew as she is only 16 at the time. That's when she meets Zoey's friend and bandmate Darragh.
At that moment Darragh is sort of seeing Ursala, a girl he has been seeing on and off for some time. Amira develops a thing for him and is mad when she sees him kissing or getting kissed by an apparent old flame after Battle of the Bands where they tied with another band for semi-finals. They fight and don't really speak to each other for some time.
Then they finally decide to make a go of trying figure out what's between them, Ursala's sister ends up in the hospital so he is torn of feeling like he has to be there for Ursala and wanting to be with Amira. So Amira suggests they be just friends. And they sort of stay that way until Darragh makes a trip to London to visit his mom and he comes back to tell Ursala what's going on with him and Amira and they call it quits, Darragh and Ursala that is. From there, and I might have the time a little wrong, Amira almost takes a trip home to Toronto because of her best friend, Joss, decided she needed to get away and no one could find her. But after only making it to London Joss finally calls her and tells her to go back to Dublin.
From there Amira and Darragh have a relationship and try not to think about her leaving at the end of August beginning of September to return home. He wants to visit her over Christmas but her parents say no because he will have nowhere to stay. And they insist he wasn't staying at their place. Especially after her uncle caught them in the flat on her uncle's property. Even if they didn't have sex.
Then it was time for her to leave. Darragh met her at the airport. She was hoping, sort of, that he wouldn't be able to make it in time. She hadn't wanted to say good-bye. He found her and stopped her from doing that to them.
What happened after she returned home? Will they see other again? Read Just Like You Said It Would Be to find out how it ends.
Just so you know, the ending had me wanting more of them. So much more. At first, I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish this book, sorry but I was having trouble putting myself in her place, it's how I read books and even how I write. I like to become the character. It's very rare that I never finish a book even if I can't get into it. But I'm glad this was one I stuck it out for. I was just sad that it ended. Sad that I couldn't follow and see where they ended up. I'm pretty sure I will be burying myself in more books by Martin. I can't wait.
**Received and read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
So Amira has been banished to her aunt and uncle's in Dublin for the summer while her parents go on a cruise to reignite their relationship after being separated for some time. Upon arriving it is her cousin's Zoey's birthday. Zoey gets her parents to allow Amira out with for a small bit to celebrate with her and her friends before Mir has to be home for curfew as she is only 16 at the time. That's when she meets Zoey's friend and bandmate Darragh.
At that moment Darragh is sort of seeing Ursala, a girl he has been seeing on and off for some time. Amira develops a thing for him and is mad when she sees him kissing or getting kissed by an apparent old flame after Battle of the Bands where they tied with another band for semi-finals. They fight and don't really speak to each other for some time.
Then they finally decide to make a go of trying figure out what's between them, Ursala's sister ends up in the hospital so he is torn of feeling like he has to be there for Ursala and wanting to be with Amira. So Amira suggests they be just friends. And they sort of stay that way until Darragh makes a trip to London to visit his mom and he comes back to tell Ursala what's going on with him and Amira and they call it quits, Darragh and Ursala that is. From there, and I might have the time a little wrong, Amira almost takes a trip home to Toronto because of her best friend, Joss, decided she needed to get away and no one could find her. But after only making it to London Joss finally calls her and tells her to go back to Dublin.
From there Amira and Darragh have a relationship and try not to think about her leaving at the end of August beginning of September to return home. He wants to visit her over Christmas but her parents say no because he will have nowhere to stay. And they insist he wasn't staying at their place. Especially after her uncle caught them in the flat on her uncle's property. Even if they didn't have sex.
Then it was time for her to leave. Darragh met her at the airport. She was hoping, sort of, that he wouldn't be able to make it in time. She hadn't wanted to say good-bye. He found her and stopped her from doing that to them.
What happened after she returned home? Will they see other again? Read Just Like You Said It Would Be to find out how it ends.
Just so you know, the ending had me wanting more of them. So much more. At first, I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish this book, sorry but I was having trouble putting myself in her place, it's how I read books and even how I write. I like to become the character. It's very rare that I never finish a book even if I can't get into it. But I'm glad this was one I stuck it out for. I was just sad that it ended. Sad that I couldn't follow and see where they ended up. I'm pretty sure I will be burying myself in more books by Martin. I can't wait.
**Received and read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**
June 3, 2018
Five stars!
I adored this novel. I fell in love with the characters so easily. They felt like old friends. This was deep but still easy to read. I could not put it down!
I adored this novel. I fell in love with the characters so easily. They felt like old friends. This was deep but still easy to read. I could not put it down!
February 14, 2017
YA. He may not have been hot in a South American soccer player sense, but he had this blue-eyed, pale boy musician thing happening in a pretty big way. (page 39)
In Just Like You Said It Would Be, Toronto-raised Amira gets sent to Ireland so her separated parents can figure out what they want to do with their relationship. Meanwhile, her friend back home is dealing with a family upheaval and Amira feels she might be partly to blame. Stuck in Ireland with nothing to latch onto, she's floating into an abyss.
And then: Darragh happens.
The lean and lovely guitarist in her cousin’s band, alluring Darragh, all blue eyes and authenticity. Not without his own problems, he still provides the ease for her angst, and soon he’s all she can think about. They move ahead, tentatively, carefully, and then with abandon, forging something that they can't possibly keep going, with Amira going back to Toronto. Or can they?
It’s FUN. It's got real emotion, and nuanced people that pop from the pages. The air feels crisper, and the world more alive than in most other YA. It’s filled with sass, and zippy dialogue, and tender feelings that have to be protected, and the cavernous, shaky unknown of… is this thing between them the best thing ever, or is it nothing at all?
It all feels real: the music and chaos of the band scenes; the panic as Amira likes someone who doesn't like her back, and then her terror when he does; the Irish streets and slang. It all made me feel like I was there. Just lovely stuff. Detailed and raw.
This could easily be a TV series -- a good one. Richly drawn characters, sympathetic lead, a central relationship with both sharp edges and soft spots, tons of conflict, great setting...
In Just Like You Said It Would Be, Toronto-raised Amira gets sent to Ireland so her separated parents can figure out what they want to do with their relationship. Meanwhile, her friend back home is dealing with a family upheaval and Amira feels she might be partly to blame. Stuck in Ireland with nothing to latch onto, she's floating into an abyss.
And then: Darragh happens.
The lean and lovely guitarist in her cousin’s band, alluring Darragh, all blue eyes and authenticity. Not without his own problems, he still provides the ease for her angst, and soon he’s all she can think about. They move ahead, tentatively, carefully, and then with abandon, forging something that they can't possibly keep going, with Amira going back to Toronto. Or can they?
It’s FUN. It's got real emotion, and nuanced people that pop from the pages. The air feels crisper, and the world more alive than in most other YA. It’s filled with sass, and zippy dialogue, and tender feelings that have to be protected, and the cavernous, shaky unknown of… is this thing between them the best thing ever, or is it nothing at all?
It all feels real: the music and chaos of the band scenes; the panic as Amira likes someone who doesn't like her back, and then her terror when he does; the Irish streets and slang. It all made me feel like I was there. Just lovely stuff. Detailed and raw.
This could easily be a TV series -- a good one. Richly drawn characters, sympathetic lead, a central relationship with both sharp edges and soft spots, tons of conflict, great setting...
June 14, 2017
Already missed writing an opinion in English again.
This is the first book I read from this author. I have to be honest and admit that it was not very easy to connect with the book and the story. It has a somewhat slow and strange beginning, but gradually it was able to attract my attention and, consequently, my four stars in the classification.
Basically and without ruining the reading to anyone putting spoilers in the opinion, this is the story of the young Amira and when she falls seriously in love for the first time .
Amira is a sixteen year old girl living in Canada. In the meantime, her parents reserve her a stay with their family in Dublin during the summer holidays. Amira is not satisfied with this because she wanted to stay close to her best friend, who was going through a complicated family phase. However, as a minor she is forced to go and spend the next two and a half months out of her territory and away from her best friend. Obviously, it was not going to be the best holiday in the world, or the one she wanted at all.
Opinião Completa / Full Review
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This is the first book I read from this author. I have to be honest and admit that it was not very easy to connect with the book and the story. It has a somewhat slow and strange beginning, but gradually it was able to attract my attention and, consequently, my four stars in the classification.
Basically and without ruining the reading to anyone putting spoilers in the opinion, this is the story of the young Amira and when she falls seriously in love for the first time .
Amira is a sixteen year old girl living in Canada. In the meantime, her parents reserve her a stay with their family in Dublin during the summer holidays. Amira is not satisfied with this because she wanted to stay close to her best friend, who was going through a complicated family phase. However, as a minor she is forced to go and spend the next two and a half months out of her territory and away from her best friend. Obviously, it was not going to be the best holiday in the world, or the one she wanted at all.
Opinião Completa / Full Review
http://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...
September 11, 2020
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is sweet and has a heartfelt romance at its core. The setting of Dublin is fun. It's also great that the main character, Amira, is mixed race. One problem is the plot. It centers on the romance, which is fine, but even in the relationship, not much happens between the two characters. There are a few scenes where the two really opened up to each other, developing their bond, but I never felt that anything specifically happened to bring them together. The main character was a bit off-putting at times with her attitude and temperament toward the guy she liked. However, she is 16-17 years old in the book, so in a way, it's realistic for her to act that way. Overall, it's a nice read.
This book is sweet and has a heartfelt romance at its core. The setting of Dublin is fun. It's also great that the main character, Amira, is mixed race. One problem is the plot. It centers on the romance, which is fine, but even in the relationship, not much happens between the two characters. There are a few scenes where the two really opened up to each other, developing their bond, but I never felt that anything specifically happened to bring them together. The main character was a bit off-putting at times with her attitude and temperament toward the guy she liked. However, she is 16-17 years old in the book, so in a way, it's realistic for her to act that way. Overall, it's a nice read.
April 1, 2017
Amira’s parents decide to take a cruise in order to see if they could patch up their relationship/marriage before they call it quits. So they send Amira to Ireland to spend the summer with her Aunt and Uncle and her cousin Zoey. Of course Amira doesn’t want to go to Ireland to stay with people she has only seen a few times in her life she wants to stay at home with her friend Joss in Canada. Besides Joss’ brother is on trial for dui and hitting a woman and Amira wants to be there for her.
While in Ireland Amira meets Darragh a member of Zoey’s band. Amira likes Darragh from the beginning but she knows they can never be a couple since she sees him kissing a different girl almost every weekend. Darragh’s relationships are kind of complicated which he has a hard time dealing with as he has a great big heart.
Darragh’s relationships with other girls is not their only problem as Amira is only seventeen and her parents will not let her date Darragh when she returns home. Amira doesn’t want to have a long distance relationship anyways as she doesn’t think it would ever work out and it would be too hard.
Amira is a very mature girl in lots of ways as she does abide by her parent’s wishes to not see Darragh when she returns home. I mean she could have told Darragh to come visit her and she would sneak out some how to see him but she didn’t and she also knew that it would be hard on both of them living so far apart to have a relationship.
But what I don’t get is why they didn’t discuss the fact that she would be eighteen in year and then she could legally do as she wished and would need her parent’s permission? I mean at eighteen she could walk into a bar legally order an alcoholic beverage so why could she not date who she wanted?
When I read the summary of Just Like You Said it Would Be I knew I had to read it and I wasn’t disappointed. I am so glad I decided to take the plunge and dived right in. Just Like You Said it Would Be was the perfect example of a coming of age story. If you like to read about teenage love and coming of age stories then you will love Just Like You Said it Would Be.
While in Ireland Amira meets Darragh a member of Zoey’s band. Amira likes Darragh from the beginning but she knows they can never be a couple since she sees him kissing a different girl almost every weekend. Darragh’s relationships are kind of complicated which he has a hard time dealing with as he has a great big heart.
Darragh’s relationships with other girls is not their only problem as Amira is only seventeen and her parents will not let her date Darragh when she returns home. Amira doesn’t want to have a long distance relationship anyways as she doesn’t think it would ever work out and it would be too hard.
Amira is a very mature girl in lots of ways as she does abide by her parent’s wishes to not see Darragh when she returns home. I mean she could have told Darragh to come visit her and she would sneak out some how to see him but she didn’t and she also knew that it would be hard on both of them living so far apart to have a relationship.
But what I don’t get is why they didn’t discuss the fact that she would be eighteen in year and then she could legally do as she wished and would need her parent’s permission? I mean at eighteen she could walk into a bar legally order an alcoholic beverage so why could she not date who she wanted?
When I read the summary of Just Like You Said it Would Be I knew I had to read it and I wasn’t disappointed. I am so glad I decided to take the plunge and dived right in. Just Like You Said it Would Be was the perfect example of a coming of age story. If you like to read about teenage love and coming of age stories then you will love Just Like You Said it Would Be.
October 20, 2017
My Review
I started this book and wasn't sure what to make of it at first. I found it started quite slow and took a while to get into the story, there was lots of information to set the scene. I felt that took up a lot of the book but I percivered with it and found it a really good and interesting book.
The book is set around a 16 year old girl Amira who lives in Toronto, Canada with her parents and has lots of friends, she has a desire to be a screen writer.
Her parents have a few problems and decided to sort them by going on a cruise together. Amira is sent to her aunty and uncles in Dublin.
This is where the book gets interesting with new characters as well as a love interest called Darragh a friend of her cousin's.
There is problems back home as well as in Dublin. Amira is torn between both and finds it really hard to sort her thoughts and feelings out. The story is written really well and gives you lots of details of what's going on as well as lots of thoughts and feelings. In some parts the story it is sad and quite emotional as well as really sweet.
A good read just stick with it I ended up really loving the story and looked forward to the new chapters.
March 29, 2017
Oh to be a teen again.....This book had me turning pages at a rate of knots once I got into it. The beginning was a little slow but it soon picked up pace. Amira's story, her meeting Darragh and their journey together and apart had me at every page.
The roller coaster of emotions, your first love and all the notions that go through your head and heart in that relationship are all in this book. Nostalgic yet painful.
The extra added touches of Rama supporting Amira, her existing friendships back home and forging new ones whilst in Ireland are raw and thought provoking and give the book more depth than just 'Amira and Darragh'
A great YA novel that is suitable for anyone that picks it up and want a good read.
I read this book as an ARC for 2 girls who love books blog in return for an honest review.
The roller coaster of emotions, your first love and all the notions that go through your head and heart in that relationship are all in this book. Nostalgic yet painful.
The extra added touches of Rama supporting Amira, her existing friendships back home and forging new ones whilst in Ireland are raw and thought provoking and give the book more depth than just 'Amira and Darragh'
A great YA novel that is suitable for anyone that picks it up and want a good read.
I read this book as an ARC for 2 girls who love books blog in return for an honest review.
March 30, 2017
The cast of characters within this book and their complexity and diversity stole the show. The primary focus of the novel is the relationship between the two protagonists, Amira and Darragh. However, the subplots and relationships between these different characters were really engaging and kept you reading through this contemporary novel. The music is almost a character itself within the novel and was an amazing element for this book. The plot of the book was engaging for me but the pacing was a little slow at the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and found the primary setting of Dublin to be stunning. This is a contemporary book that will leave you entranced with the complex characters and the overall plot.
March 30, 2017
Amira is a teen on the cusp of womanhood and she falls in love. Is there anything more potent, more intoxicating than first love? What I love about this diverse story is that like me, Amira lives in Toronto and also like me, she is Irish. Well, half Irish, and those things made me connect to her on a personal level.
Additionally, I loved the geography of the book, especially that most of it took place in Ireland. It gave the story a magical, almost ethereal quality at times and yet, it was also fresh and contemporary. A very interesting juxtaposition that I quite enjoyed.
I can’t imagine experiencing the intense feelings– love, lust, longing and even pain, thousands of miles away from the person responsible, though that is what Amira had to endure, along with other very complex issues in her life, that most teens don’t have to deal with. She approached all of these things with a maturity beyond her years, and I think that will appeal to older readers like myself.
As I mentioned, the writing is fresh and modern, the story is incredibly relatable, and the characters are dynamic and three-dimensional. All key ingredients needed to create a good novel, which C.K. Kelly Martin has done.
Just Like You said it Would be is an evocative story and I really enjoyed it. The fact that it was realistic and diverse made it even better and I would happily recommend it to anyone.
Rating… B+
Additionally, I loved the geography of the book, especially that most of it took place in Ireland. It gave the story a magical, almost ethereal quality at times and yet, it was also fresh and contemporary. A very interesting juxtaposition that I quite enjoyed.
I can’t imagine experiencing the intense feelings– love, lust, longing and even pain, thousands of miles away from the person responsible, though that is what Amira had to endure, along with other very complex issues in her life, that most teens don’t have to deal with. She approached all of these things with a maturity beyond her years, and I think that will appeal to older readers like myself.
As I mentioned, the writing is fresh and modern, the story is incredibly relatable, and the characters are dynamic and three-dimensional. All key ingredients needed to create a good novel, which C.K. Kelly Martin has done.
Just Like You said it Would be is an evocative story and I really enjoyed it. The fact that it was realistic and diverse made it even better and I would happily recommend it to anyone.
Rating… B+
March 31, 2017
I enjoyed this story I thought the end was a little sudden like it could have used another chapter after all the detail that the rest of the book had. The characters were really interesting and had lots of details that make them like a friend. So while I liked the ending I would have just liked a little more
April 1, 2017
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC of this book for a blog tour and honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I love how it passed between two times. The past and the present. Then and Now. My heart shattered quite a bit from reading the story. The heartbreak. I love that one of the characters is in (from) Dublin. I love Ireland and I wish I could go there.
I really enjoyed this book. I love how it passed between two times. The past and the present. Then and Now. My heart shattered quite a bit from reading the story. The heartbreak. I love that one of the characters is in (from) Dublin. I love Ireland and I wish I could go there.
April 1, 2017
I immediately liked Amira and sympathized with her situation. Not only with her separation from her boyfriend, but her parents, and friends. She cares deeply for the people in her life and loves with her whole heart. I found myself rooting for her Darragh. I wasn't disappointed. You will enjoy this well written story with a message for all of us.
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