Jacqueline's Reads: THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by Jennifer L. Armentrout [REVIEW]

For some people, silence is a weapon.

For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield.

Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

4.25 ADORABLE Stars

I love Jennifer L. Armentrout and I love her Young Adult books, so when I heard about this one, I was really excited for it. The thing that I love about YA books is that the books are so innocent, soft and there’s a lot of character buildup.

I did the audio version with The Problem with Forever and I think it really enhanced my reading experience. With audio books I tend to favor more descriptive writing and a slower pace. The Heroine of the read is very descriptive, to the point where the book is very meaty and you know exactly what she is thinking and feeling. The book is told in the Heroine’s POV and as much as I love a male POV, I thought the narrator did an excellent job. I love her pace, her voice transitions and I could honestly listen to her all day.

I highly recommend the audio version for this book.

This is a sweet tale about two friends with dark pasts. Mallory and Rider grew up in foster care together. The home they were in was not the best, with an abusive foster father, Mallory spent the majority of her youth in fear, but protective Rider was always there to save her.

I love the history between Mallory and Rider. I love that she is this scared little girl and Rider is like her protector even though they are the same age. When Mallory suddenly gets adopted and it’s four years until Rider and Mallory meet again in high school.

Most of the book is in the present with Mallory and Rider in high school. There are some flashbacks to give you an understanding of Mallory and Rider’s history. You will learn quickly that Mallory has a lot of hiccups. She was traumatized as a child so she barely talks, and that is where all the inner monologues come in.

Mallory is a tough cookie to like. She’s very damaged and weak. I’m use to strong Heroines from JLA, so it kind of surprises me what kind of character Mallory is, but there’s always room for improvement right? Rider is the star of the book and you will simply melt for him. He’s the reason why I enjoyed this story so much. He’s the tough alpha male character I’m use to reading in JLA’s books and I couldn’t get enough of him.

Rider is over the moon that Mallory is back in his life and although things are awkward at first because so much as changed in four years, the two sort of forge this odd relationship. There’s a lot more that happens in the book, since Mallory was adopted in a wealthy family and Rider is still in the foster system, it seems that there is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet storyline going in. I like the contrast between the two characters and it really added a bit of tension to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it very cute.

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The expression on her face said he gave great full frontal, and when he laughed, her pink lips split into a wide smile. Her smile transformed her from pretty to beautiful, but my attention swung away from her as tiny hairs rose all over my body. That laugh…it was deep, rich and somehow familiar. A shiver crept over my shoulders. That laugh…

He was walking backward, and I was rather amazed that he didn’t trip over anything, actually somewhat envious of that fact. And then I realized he was heading toward the last half circle. Toward me. I glanced around. There were only a few seats open, two on my left. The girl was following him. Not just following him. Touching him.
Touching him like she’d done it a lot.
Her slim arm was extended, her hand planted in the center of his stomach, just below his chest. She bit down on her lower lip as her hand drifted farther south. Golden bangles dangling from her wrist got awful close to the worn leather belt. My cheeks heated as the boy stepped out of her reach. There was something playful about his movements, as if this dance was a daily routine for them both.
He turned at the end of the desks, stepping behind the occupied chair, and my gaze tracked up narrow hips, over the stomach the girl had touched, up and up, and then I saw his face.
I stopped breathing.
My brain couldn’t perceive what I was seeing. It did not compute. I stared up at him, really saw him, saw a face that was familiar yet new to me, more mature than I remembered but still achingly beautiful. I knew him. Oh my God, I would know him anywhere, even if it had been four years and the last time I’d seen him, that last night that had been so horrible, had changed my life forever.
It was too surreal.
Now the reason why he’d popped in my head this morning made sense, because I’d seen him, but hadn’t realized it was him.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t get enough air into my lungs and couldn’t believe this was happening. My hands slipped off the desk, falling limply into my lap as he dipped into the seat next to me. His gaze was on the girl who took the seat next to him, and his profile, the strong jaw that had only been hinted at the last time I’d seen him, tilted as his eyes moved over the front of the room, across the wall-length chalkboard. He looked like he had back then, but bigger and with everything more…more defined. From the eyebrows darker than the mix of brown and black hair and thick lashes to the broad cheekbones and the slight scruff covering the curve of his jaw.
Goodness, he’d grown up in the way I’d thought he would when I was twelve and started to really look at him, to see him as a boy.
I couldn’t believe he was here. My heart was trying to claw itself out of my chest as lips—lips fuller that I remembered—tilted up, and a knot formed in my belly as the dimple formed in his right cheek. The only dimple he had. No matching set. Just one. My mind raced back through the years, and I could only think of a handful of times I’d seen him relaxed. Leaning back in the chair that seemed too small for him, he slowly turned his head toward me. Eyes that were brown with tiny flecks of gold met mine.
Eyes I’d never forgotten.
The easy, almost lazy smile I’d never seen on his face before froze. His lips parted and a paleness seeped under his tawny skin. Those eyes widened, the gold flecks seeming to expand. He recognized me; I had changed a lot since then, but still, recognition dawned in his features. He was moving again, leaning forward on his seat toward me. Four words roared out of the past and echoed in my head.
Don’t make a sound.
“Mouse?” he breathed.

I was so lucky to meet Jennifer at a book signing in Houston, Texas. I was really lucky that during the lunch break, she sat at the same table as me!!!! I totally fan-girled and I was a big mess. Jennifer is like the queen of the YA book world. I asked her how she liked Texas, she said it was very "different". I laughed. More photos HERE

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