Confessions Of An Almost Girlfriend

By Louise Rozett

ROSE ZARELLI 2.0 here – 2.0, as in innovative…superior…improved.

Improved how? Glad you asked. This year, I will not:

1. Do things just because other people want me to.
2. Randomly shoot off my mouth.
3. Worry about whether I'm someone's girlfriend – or not.

So, what will I do this year?

1. Find my thing and be who I want to be.
2. Learn when to speak up – and when to shut up.
3. Tell off Jamie Forta and move on.

I'm older and smarter now – I can totally pull this off. How hard can it be?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781743641644

Louise Rozett

Louise Rozett made her debut as a YA author with Confessions of an Angry Girl, published by HarlequinTEEN. The sequel, Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, is due out in July 2013. She lives with her awesome, 120-pound Bernese mountain dog Lester—named after Lester Freamon from The Wire—in one of the world’s greatest literary meccas, Brooklyn. Visit www.Louiserozett.com for more info.

Book preview

Rose Zarelli 2.0 here—2.0, as in, innovative...superior...improved.

Improved how? Glad you asked. This year, I will not:

#1 Do things just because other people want me to.

#2 Randomly shoot off my mouth.

#3 Worry about whether I’m someone’s girlfriend —or not.

So, what will I do this year?

#1 Find my thing and be who I want to be.

#2 Learn when to speak up—and when to shut up.

#3 Tell off Jamie Forta and move on.

I’m older and smarter now—I can totally pull this off. How hard can it be?

Go help your savior-complex girlfriend, Conrad says. Leave me the hell alone.

I’m trying to figure out who the savior-complex girlfriend is and why she needs help when I’m lifted straight out of the pool and set down—dripping wet, mascara running, silk T-shirt and white capris probably see-through—on the deck. The warm hands feel familiar on my arms, and I know who it is instantly. But even though I’ve been waiting an entire summer to see him again, it still takes me a second before I can look up into the beautiful, furious face of Jamie Forta.

* * *

PRAISE FOR LOUISE ROZETT’S DEBUT NOVEL

CONFESSIONS OF AN ANGRY GIRL

The familiar story of smart girl meets bad boy is enhanced by Rose’s intelligent and authentic voice.

—Kirkus Reviews

"Louise Rozett creates the perfect read—one full of teenage angst, drama, loss and young love. I adored everything about Confessions of an Angry Girl and you simply have to read it!"

—Donna at Book Passion for Life blog

I felt it tackled some very real issues and Rozett did an amazing job portraying them realistically. Nothing is dumbed down here or glossed over.

—Charlotte’s Reviews

"Funny, emotional and angst-y, Confessions of an Angry Girl is a fantastic story!"

—Nereyda at Mostly YA Book Obsessed blog

Louise Rozett definitely knows how to write kissing scenes.

—Bewitched Bookworms blog

Rose’s journey through grief and trying to acclimate to high school was both humorous and heartbreaking. She is the kind of character you want to champion because she’s strong, makes good choices and she isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right.

—Jenuine Cupcakes blog

CONFESSIONS OF AN ALMOST GIRLFRIEND

Louise Rozett

www.harlequinbooks.com.au

In honor of the fifteenth anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death

For Matthew Shepard and Tyler Clementi and young people everywhere who are just trying to be who they are

Contents

Summer

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Fall

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Winter

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Spring

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Acknowledgments

Rose's Random Playlist

Q & A with Louise Rozett

SUMMER

homophobic (noun): scared of homosexuality

(see also: the Swim Thugs, and half of Union High)

1

JUMP, FAGGOT! JUMP!

And just like that, summer is over.

Symbolically, anyway.

I’ve been at this party for sixty seconds and already the tyranny of the swim thugs is so suffocating, it’s like I never even had summer break to detox from freshman year.

Not that summer can really be considered a break when you spend the whole thing either folding clothes at the Gap or in therapy. With your mother. Talking about how you had every right to go behind her back and build a memorial website for your dad.

Who’s dead.

Obviously. Hence, memorial.

Come on, homo! Let’s go!

Mike Darren’s backyard is packed with students from every level of Union High’s caste system, but it’s obvious that this is a swim-team-initiation party. As Mike struts around checking the beer level of the bottomless red plastic cups that were given only to the prettiest freshman girls when they skittered through the tiki-torch gauntlet, Matt Hallis and the rest of the swim thugs are lined up on the edge of the pool like a firing squad. A freshman swimmer dressed in a red polo shirt, rolled-up white jeans and loafers with no socks stands on the diving board, backing away from them, inching closer and closer to the end while looking down at the water every other second. Matt ceremoniously raises his arm in the air and then shows off those leadership qualities that got him elected swim captain even though he’s just a sophomore: he fires the first shot, hurling his cup of beer at the freshman.

Thanks to the fact that Matt is an annoyingly talented athlete whose parents paid for him to spend the whole summer in a weight room, it’s a perfect throw with a ridiculous amount of force behind it. The beer splatters on the freshman’s blond head, the impact nearly knocking him backward as liquid pours down his cheeks, nose and neck, drenching his perfectly pressed shirt. His legs shake a little with the force of the blow and he jostles the diving board. For a second I think he’s going to fall—loafers and all—into the kidney-shaped pool with blue floodlights shimmering just beneath the waterline. He throws his arms out to the sides and steadies himself, and I can tell by the relieved expression on his face that he thinks he survived, that the hazing wasn’t so bad after all.

He slowly lowers his arms and takes a defiant step toward the firing squad. The relief on his face disappears as Matt’s underlings lift their cups in the air to follow their leader’s example.

Jump or die, fag! yells Matt, his drunken slurring making his speech sound even less intelligent than usual, which is hard to do. The cups nail the freshman like a spray of bullets, and he staggers backward, arms pinwheeling as he tries to cope with the beer in his eyes and mouth. He missteps and falls into the water on his back. The thugs cheer as loafers pop up and float on the pool’s surface.

Ironically, Take it Off by Ke$ha starts playing.

"What are we doing here?" Tracy asks next to me as she watches her ex-boyfriend parade around collecting high fives. It occurs to me that this is exactly the kind of party that Matt spent time at last summer, before freshman year, which is probably what turned him from the nice guy he was in eighth grade to the total jerk he is now.

I look at my best friend. A year ago, all she could talk about was how she couldn’t wait to be at parties like this in her cheerleading uniform with her swimmer boyfriend. Now, she’s dressed like a normal person—well, a very fashionable normal person—and she can’t remember why she wanted to be here in the first place.

I’m so proud of her.

‘We are putting in an appearance at the biggest party of the summer so we can start sophomore year on Tuesday with our heads held high,’ I say, quoting her.

What a dumb idea, she replies.

The freshman hauls himself out of the pool with no help from anyone. He is shivering a little in his soaked clothes, probably trying to figure out whether he should fight back, leave or grab some beer and pretend everything is cool. There’s a radius around him of about 10 feet, as if being the swim thugs’ target of choice is a communicable disease. He takes a towel off a wicker stand and tries to dry his shirt.

He picked the wrong team—in more ways than one, Tracy says. Not that being gay is a choice, she quickly adds, repeating what our health teacher from last year, Ms. Maso, drilled into us, even though she probably could have gotten fired for stating as fact what some people think is just a belief about homosexuality. As far as we can tell, Ms. Maso’s the only teacher at Union High who is actually interested in giving kids useful—aka truthful—information.

Matt stumbles over to kiss Lena, the new captain of the cheerleading team who he had sex with a lot last year while claiming he was a virgin in order to get Tracy—his girlfriend at the time—to sleep with him.

Which, eventually, she did.

I glance at Tracy to see if she cares that Matt and Lena are making out in front of half of Union, but she’s not looking at them. She’s watching the freshman as he leans over the water with one of those long-handled nets for cleaning the pool. He nabs his shoes and lifts them, dripping, out of the water. The chlorine is going to totally trash that leather. God, those look like Gucci, don’t they?

I’m about to remind my fashionista friend that I wouldn’t know a Gucci loafer from a loaf of bread when suddenly Kristin is standing right in front of us. In her uniform. With her pom-poms.

Tracy! You can’t quit! We can’t do it without you! she shrieks. Or actually, screeches. Kristin, the only freshman to make The Squad last year besides Tracy, has a voice straight out of a nightmare. In fact, at Tracy’s big Halloween cheer party, she dressed up as some sort of weird demon fairy, with creepy little wings sprouting from her back. It really suited her.

Now that Regina’s off the squad for good... Kristin trails off, her eyes finding their way to me as if it’s my fault that Regina Deladdo made my life a living hell last year and then got kicked off the squad, even though she was supposed to be the new captain.

I wonder if being captain was going to be the pinnacle of Regina Deladdo’s high school career. Or maybe her whole life. I try to muster up sympathy for her but I can’t. It’s hard to feel anything other than deep dislike for someone who spent half the year writing 911 Bitch on all my desks and lockers after I sort of blew the whistle on a homecoming after-party.

Regina should have written Boyfriend Stealer instead, since that’s what she was really mad at me for. Not that I stole her boyfriend. All I did was like him. And it sort of seemed, for a minute there, that he liked me, too.

But that was just me, being an idiot. Because Jamie Forta does not like me.

How do I know? Two ways. 1: I haven’t seen or spoken to him all summer—not since Regina got him arrested right before he was supposed to pick me up for his junior prom. The last I heard from Jamie Forta was a note, delivered by his best friend Angelo, that said, Rose. Like I said. I am not right for you. I’m different. Believe me. Be good.

Whatever that means.

2: Jamie only became my friend because my brother Peter asked him to. Peter was worried about me when he left for college—or actually, maybe it was my mother he was worried about. Anyway, Peter wanted someone to keep an eye on me. Which Jamie did.

And then...there was some kissing.

But he’s not my boyfriend. I think his note made that pretty clear.

So, what is a guy who broke up with somebody else and asked you to the prom? Who spent a whole year looking out for you? Who gave you the best first kiss in the history of kissing?

I can see every second of that kiss like I’m watching a movie. It happened in the parking lot during homecoming. He was at the dance with Regina. I was there with Robert. But still, somehow, Jamie and I ended up sitting in a car together. And then he kissed me. This junior I’ve had a crush on since the first time I saw him play hockey when I was in seventh grade.

It was surreal.

It was also the only good thing that had happened to me since my dad died right before I started at Union High.

I miss Jamie. I missed him all summer, even though I tried not to. What’s the point in missing someone who tells you flat out that he’s not right for you?

This year? Kristin is saying to Tracy, looking a little manic, like if she doesn’t lock Tracy down, the world as she knows it is going to implode. "We want you to be our choreographer! Wouldn’t that be perfect? I mean, look, last year was kind of lame. But we’re actually going to dance this year, with totally hot moves."

Kristin says this as if choreography is a novel concept for a cheerleading team.

You don’t need me, Tracy says. It’s not like we’re a competition team. Even with a choreographer, we’ll still just be bouncing around in bad polyester blend.

Kristin scowls, looking seriously offended by the idea that her cheers are just bouncing around.

"What’s the problem, Trace? Is it that Lena’s with Matt? Because they’re just hooking up. It’s not like she’s his ‘girlfriend with a capital G.’" Kristin uses her pom-poms to make little air quotes as she says this, and I consider grabbing them and throwing them in the pool.

I wonder if I actually made a move to do it because Tracy shoots me a look. Tracy has had a lot of talks with me about my anti-cheerleader stance, reminding me that not all cheerleaders are like Regina, citing herself and a bunch of other nice, smart girls on last year’s team as examples. While I see her point, I still haven’t managed to let go of the idea that, in general, cheerleaders suck.

I recognize that this viewpoint may be indicative of a character flaw on my part, and I’m okay with that.

In a fake, buttery voice, Kristin says, Trace, let’s go talk in private for a sec, ’kay? Official business, she barks at me as she threads her arm through Tracy’s. Tracy looks at me and rolls her eyes as Kristin yanks her toward the patio, her thick blond ponytail swaying with determination. My hand automatically goes to my hair, which is doing what it always does—hanging limply around my shoulders, straight and thin and mousy brown.

I take out the hand-me-down iPhone that Peter gave me before he went back to Tufts, even though I know I have no messages because the only person who has ever called or texted me since I’ve had it is Tracy. And my mother, of course. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about these phones, it’s that they can make you look busy when you have absolutely nothing to do.

Normally, when I’m trying to look busy, I click on my vocab app and study for the PSAT, which is six weeks away. This year is just a practice run, but I need to totally rock it so I can show my mother that I’ll be able to get scholarships and go to college even if she never sees the insurance money my dad’s company promised and somehow hasn’t managed to deliver yet. But the idea of getting busted studying for the PSATs at a party is kind of horrifying, so I click on Photos instead and continue my project—deleting all the pictures Peter left on the phone when he gave it to me.

At first I was annoyed that my mother insisted Peter give me his old iPhone—which looked like it had been drop-kicked multiple times—rather than letting me get a new one with my own money. But when I synced the phone to my laptop for the first time and the computer asked if I wanted to erase everything on it, I realized that Peter’s phone contained all sorts of information about his life that he had stopped sharing with me the minute he set foot on a college campus and got a girlfriend.

There are over 800 photos on his phone, and my plan is to look at every single one before I make room for mine. I’m hoping it’ll give me an idea of just how bad things are with him. So far, I’ve learned that he smokes and drinks a lot, and takes pictures of his friends smoking and drinking a lot. No surprises there, I guess.

I get through ten pictures of Peter’s friends having a much better time at a party than I currently am. Then I look up, see people talking to other human beings, feel like a dumbass and decide to go find something to drink.

I push past the freshman girls huddled together for safety as the swim thugs circle like sharks, and find my way to a cooler that’s filled with all sorts of things we’re not allowed to drink yet, and soda. It takes me a full minute to find a Diet Coke buried under all the ice. I can barely feel my hand when I pull it back out.

Wouldn’t you rather have some Red Bull and vodka, Rose?

It takes me a second to recognize Robert, probably because he looks happier than I have ever seen him look in four years. It could also be because he let his hair grow long and he seems somehow...cooler. Or maybe it’s just because he has his arm around one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen, and she’s smiling. At him. Like he’s a god.

Holly, this is Rose Zarelli. Rose, meet Holly Taylor. She just moved here from L.A. I postpone studying the beautiful new girl by noticing two more things about Robert: he is calling me Rose instead of Rosie—which he’s been calling me since the day we first met in sixth grade—and he is sipping his drink in a way that suggests he’s at a cocktail party at a swanky country club, not a kegger in a backyard.

When I can no longer put it off, I turn my attention to Holly. You’d think I’d know better than to shake hands with someone at a high school party, but because I’m a little intimidated by the amount of beauty in front of me, I stick my hand out like a giant dork. Holly graciously does the same, and she doesn’t even wince when my hand—frozen and wet from my arctic Diet Coke expedition—touches hers.

Not only is she pretty, she’s classy. No wonder Robert has that idiotic grin on his face.

Hi! she says. Her teeth are shockingly, blindingly white, and they immediately make me sure that I’ve got spinach stuck in mine. I’m new at Union. My dad’s teaching drama at Yale.

The reply that immediately comes to mind is: I’m not new at Union. My dad was blown to pieces in Iraq. It’s accompanied by some horror-movie images that I can’t seem to keep out of my head these days.

Hi, I say too cheerfully, trying to drive away the carnage in my brain. I know that I should offer Holly some interesting piece of information about myself but I’m unsure of what, exactly, that would be.

Definitely not the thing about Dad. Nothing shuts down a conversation faster than telling someone your father was killed by an IED in Iraq.

Holly, it turns out, has totally perfect, long, dark hair that’s super thick and looks like it’s been flat-ironed by a professional. Her eyes are huge and brown, I can’t even tell if she’s wearing makeup and she smiles like she does it for a living. She has on lots of silver jewelry that clanks and jingles when she moves, and she’s so petite that I actually stop inhaling in order to feel smaller.

Rose is the...friend I told you about, Robert adds meaningfully, with a slight hesitation before the word friend. Holly nods, and I wonder what he told her—I used to think I was in love with Rose or Rose treated me like crap last year or Rose is the one with the dead dad. Holly and I got cast opposite each other in the drama department’s summer show, Robert says. Leading man and leading lady hook up—total cliché, right? He smiles down at her and plants a kiss on the tip of her perfect nose.

If Robert weren’t standing here with his arm around Holly, there is no way I would ever believe that she was his girlfriend. First of all, Robert has some problems with telling the truth—he likes the things he makes up more than he likes reality. Second of all, Holly Taylor seems out of his league. Like, way out of his league. But here they are, all entangled and entwined and so very couple-y.

"Did you see the show, Rose? Robby was the best Joe in the history of Damn Yankees." Holly is literally beaming up at Robert.

And Holly was the hottest Lola, he says, grinning at her like she’s the only girl in the world.

I’m torn between irritation at her calling him Robby and embarrassment over all the hours I spent at the beginning of summer daydreaming about getting cast as Lola. Last spring, after my mom took me to see the opera La Bohème, I decided that I want to be a singer. Not an opera singer, though I did learn this summer, when no one else was around, that I can sing really loud. Just...a singer. Of some kind. So I considered auditioning for Union High’s summer musical. I wanted to sing my heart out onstage as Lola—a vixen in a red dress and heels—and make everyone see me in a totally new way. But now, standing here with the person who actually played Lola, I’m suddenly so mortified that I feel like I have to leave the party immediately. I mean, how dumb could I be? Lola is beautiful and sexy, and the whole point of her character is that she can seduce anyone and get anything. Her big number is literally called, Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.

I can’t even get the guy I like to call me back.

Standing here in front of Holly Taylor in an outfit that my best friend put together for me with things from her closet, I’m painfully aware that I ain’t no Lola.

Holly’s dad is a stage, TV and film actor, Robert says, obviously proud of himself for using the word film instead of movie. You’d totally recognize him.

Holly looks embarrassed and quickly changes the subject. Do you act, Rose?

Rose is a runner. She plays the French horn, too, Robert answers for me, like I’m a kindergartener who needs positive reinforcement for her cookie choice at snack time.

It pisses me off.

Actually, I’m not playing French horn this year. I’m trying out for the musical, I tell Holly.

Robert could win an Academy Award for the series of looks that cross his face in the next five seconds. First startled, then stunned, then irritated, then worried and then falsely happy. I feel like I scored a point or something.

I believe that would qualify as petty.

You’re auditioning? That’s great! Holly says. "Maybe we’ll all be in it together. It’s Anything Goes. Do you know it? Maybe you could be Reno Sweeney! Can you tap dance? Reno’s the best part. Although Hope is a great part, too. Ooh, but then there’s the funny one...what’s her name? She has that great number, right, babe?"

It’s then, when Holly turns to Robert, that I see Regina. She’s with Anthony Parrina, the huge hockey player she’s dating just to make Jamie mad. For a second, I’m worried about retaliation. But then I just feel...shame.

After Regina had Jamie arrested, I decided to finally tell Principal Chen that Regina was my graffiti stalker. The principal personally stopped Regina and Anthony at the entrance to the prom. I heard Regina threw a fit in a sequined blue tube dress and four-inch heels, and it actually caused her up-do to fall down. It must have been some fit, considering how much hairspray she uses. She was suspended and banned from cheerleading, and she missed finals and had to go to summer school so that she’d be able to graduate on time this year.

The thought of Regina leaving the prom in disgrace made me smile for a few hours. Then it made me feel pathetic, like I’d just gone running to the principal. Which I had.

When Regina turns toward me, my first instinct is to get a very important phone call. But it actually doesn’t matter what I do because she doesn’t notice me. She’s staring at the freshman who is now pinned against the house by the garden-hose-wielding swim thugs, who claim that they are helping him by rinsing the chlorine off his clothes.

Anthony bursts out laughing so loud that some of the thugs turn to see who’s making all the noise. When their eyes land on Regina, they actually step back, like they’re trying to distance themselves from what’s happening, terrified of facing the Wrath of Regina. But Regina is standing stock-still, her face frozen.

Do you want some, Rose? I hear Holly ask.

Holly hands a joint to Robert as she exhales. The smoke settles

Reviews for Confessions Of An Almost Girlfriend

[thelittlebookworm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Little BookwormRose is trying to be the 2.0 version of herself, a less angry, going to forget Jamie Forta version of herself for her sophmore year. But that is easier said than done. Rose is stuck going to therapy with her mom, dealing her brother and once again trying to make it through high school.One of the worst things about reading an ARC is that it extends the amount of time between books in a series. I assume there will be another one (please let this be a thing that happens) because I need to know more about Rose and about Jamie and about them together pretty much right now. I finished Confessions of an Angry Girl and immediately picked up Almost-Girlfriend. And I finished it in one night. I haven't been this enamored of a book in a long time and certainly not this invested in a teenage girl since Ruby Oliver. Sometimes characters just strike the right chord. Rose did that for me. She just feels so real. I feel bad for her. She wants to be a good person but then she lashes out because she is hurt or angry or embarrassed and sometimes she is sorry and sometimes she is not. And there is nothing wrong with not feeling sorry but there is something wrong with expressing your emotions in the worst way. She is so hard on herself and thinks everything is her fault and doesn't appreciate anything good about herself which is sad. And so very 15. And Jamie doesn't help with his hot/cold business. But that boy is hot and I might have a book crush on him. He is the kind of guy I would have liked at this age but I never would have ended up making out with him on his car in the middle of the night (sadly). He is another one that tries to do the right thing and have it blow up in his face. I like them together but I think they both have a lot to deal with. But their chemistry is excellent.I was also happy to see more of Rose's best friend Tracy and their friendship. It can be hard at the high school level to maintain long standing friendship but they are trying their best. And I love seeing that in a book. Often you get girls fighting and breaking up friendships but it is unfortunately rare to see two teenage girls trying to keep their friendships together in YA books. Tracy definitely gains more depth in this book but that might be because we see more of her. I love that she is willing to put up with Rose's hostility but still expects to be treated right. And that she stands up for herself and takes ownership of her reputation rather than let the school bullies do it for her.I could go on but I have a book hangover from staying up to late. My husband told me I was going to be tired today. But I honestly could not stop reading. It was worth it.

[emily_anne-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow...I just... wow. I think I liked this book in the series even more than the first. The characters just keep getting more and more dimensional through the pages! By the end I was amazed at the story and people Rozett created.

Let's start with Rose. She is a complex character that I couldn't help but root for in the end. However, there were times when I wanted to smack her. In anger or frustration, she often shoots off her mouth, and ends up severely hurting other's feelings. And along with the times I wanted to shoot off my own mouth at her, I wanted to just hug her. Overall, Rose is one of the most realistic contemporary heroines I have come across.

There is one character I am very curious to find out more about is Jamie. What will his part be in the next book? I am very conflicted in what I feel for him now, but I think he is overall a good guy. He just needs a little bit of help. Also, I am pretty sure the Rose/Jamie thing won't work out. There are just to many secrets that got in the way. (If you read the book, What do think about where the relationship is headed?) I still kind of want them together though, after all the drama in the first two book. As long as they are happy, I am happy I guess.

The end of the book... the very last page basically, really touched my heart. Angelo, Jamie's friend, is one of my favorite characters and I love the way he gave Rose confidence through out the book, and at the end. He never fails to be there for her. I won't say more... no spoilers. Maybe they will get together? That would be pretty awesome!

Also, there are those family problems presented between Rose and her mother, and her brother. Everything is quite strained in her household. Thankfully, I think things might be healing a bit. Who knows? We are also presented with some problems with the family Jamie grew up with, I'm not saying anymore. However, these parts made me a little depressed and sad. They were done so well though! Rozett knows how to handle heavy ideas.

Overall, this was an amazing installment in the Confessions series. I can't wait to read more about Rose and company whenever the next book comes out!

Please note that I received this book for review through Firstreads. However, it didn't effect my thoughts in any way, this is a 100% honest review.

[kcarrigan-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So I liked that it dealt *some* with homophobia and bullying, but Girl needs to get her act together and not pick d-bags for boyfriends! She's grieving her dad and her mom's not liking how she chooses to remember her dad. Her brother gets involved with the wrong girl and goes addict on them all. Okay, so everyone deals with death differently. I get that. But what is up with girls picking jerks to date? You deserve better, girls!

[corazie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantastic second book in a series. It is totally accessible for readers who are new to the series and yet the summaries of the previous book is so subtle that I don't think it will be intrusive to readers invested in the series already. I definitely will be reading the first book. Just my cup of tea.

It is well written in general. The narrative style is like a comfortable pair of pyjamas, something you know you can rely on for comfort after a hard day. It's easily accessible and easy to read.

The characters are also refreshingly REAL. Rose is a particular favourite - she knows when she's being a bitch and she goes back and makes things better. She lets her emotions simmer and build. She's a normal teenager, confused about life.

When I was thirteen, I was collecting horse stickers.

This whole book could have easily been a depressing pity party. But it's not. It's upbeat and makes you think pleasant thoughts.

I didn't like the nickname "Sweater". In the UK, it means something completely different. I found myself wondering whether Rose showered or used antiperspirant.

Thank you to Mira Ink via NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[ahandfulofconfetti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have not been shy when it comes to announcing exactly how much I loved Confessions of An Angry Girl. I find Rose refreshingly real, with an indomitable spirit, quick wit, and sharp tongue, who I can easily relate to on pretty much every single level. Her journey in the first book made me laugh, cringe and cry in equal measures, and I knew that she would quickly become one of my favorite fictional narrators. I therefore dove into Confessions of An Almost-Girlfriend with eager joy, hoping and praying that it would be as good as the first. And not only is it as good, it's actually even better; I came away from this book with more feelings than I knew what to do with, much like Rose herself.What I love most about Rose is the way she is trying her best to cope with her life. She's still grieving over her father's death, but now has an incommunicado Jamie on her hands, who she can't stop thinking about. Add to that her brother's own personal issues, and finding herself once again caught up in some sort of school scandal, and it's pretty clear that Rose isn't going to get the peaceful sophomore year she was hoping for. This book was very much about Rose's personal journey: she's searching for who she wants to be and reconciling that with who she actually is. I loved the steps she took to actually find some happiness and to find herself; her introspection at times brought tears to my eyes with the depth of emotions she's feeling pretty much constantly. I can't imagine having all of what she's dealing with going through my head at one time.Along with Rose, though, is an amazing supporting cast of characters, each with their own set of issues and their own unique personalities. I loved the addition of Holly, who is just a really nice person. I liked the growth and change in Tracy and Rose's friendship, and the reintroduction of a newly-revamped Angelo. And then, of course, there's Jamie, who still makes me swoon even when I kind of want to smack him. I was so happy to finally get some background on him, because it allowed not only Rose but the reader as well to feel like they finally knew him. Or, at least, knew him better than before. The way Ms. Rozett wrote the relationship between Rose and Jamie was so well done, with the awkward conversations and the way he really seemed to get her, and her him. There were so many scenes between the two that I wanted to highlight and keep in order to re-read them over and over - Christmas Eve, outside Tracy's house, the restaurant - and even when their interactions didn't go the way I was wanting them to, I still loved them because of the end result: a stronger, more sure of herself Rose. And since Rose is the main draw of these books, ultimately it's her I'm rooting for more than anything else.There are also so many issues tackled in each of these books: peer pressure, bullying, abuse, tolerance, etc., and they're all handled in such an understated and strong way. While Rose keeps telling herself she's not going to get involved in other people's problems, it becomes quite apparent that she just can't let things be when she knows she should act. I especially liked the whole dynamic with Conrad - another very strongly crafted character - and the way he really forced her to rethink and re-evaluate her choices, decisions, and preconceived notions.All I can really say is that, if you haven't read these books yet, you are seriously missing out. There is so much to love about these books: a realistic portrayal of high school, a strong main character who's doing her best to find herself, a swoon-worthy love interest, and the way issues are handled in a sensitive way that really make you think. Just do yourself a favor, and check them out as soon as you can!An e-galley was provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[vanyadrum · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received the eARC through Netgalley. Thanks!

I really like this series. It's cute, it's brave. But for some reason I felt like something was missing. Perhaps the end came kind of soon or something.

Anyway, I'd like to point out that there's considerable growth in Rose since book one and I was seriously impressed. She'd become a girl who could count on herself to know what's right and what's not. And she knows how to figure out exactly what she wants.

The writing itself is also improved. the author has made serious progress in style and ways of expression. I really enjoyed the story, the pacing, the characters. Everything, basically.

So, Rose Zarelli. The girl with the confessions returns for another round of high-school slash family slash romantic drama. At school the bullies are back, now even more fierce and intent on causing serious damage. At home things aren't any better. Rose's brother comes home carrying secrets of his own and her mom is pushing her to see a family shrink.

And if none of that's enough, Jamie Forta is back in her life acting hot and cold again. Apparently, the life of a teenage girl could be extremely confusing, especially when extraordinary circumstances come into play. Like a passionate, desperate kiss. Or a jealous ex-girlfriend. Or said ex-girlfriend's gay brother. Or someone's abusive father.

Well, all of that is more than enough to make any girl shatter/break/close off. But not Rose Zarelli. Because even though she's once again been blamed for making the right choice, this time she knows that she's actually done the right thing. And so, now she could move on with her own life. Figure out her own dreams. Get to know her own self.

I'm extremely proud of Rose. She didn't sound or act like a silly little girl anymore. She fully (or almost) realized that her happiness doesn't lie in someone else, but in her own hands.

Jamie Forta could only feel sorry he didn't see how special Rose truly was. I would be happy to give Jamie some choice words of my own, but you know what? This time he's not really worth it. Perhaps book three would redeem him somehow, present him in a different light or whatever, and I'd get to like him once again. For now though, he deserves nothing.

[hbeck-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

" It's a Strange Feeling to be standing in a driveway at a keg party, fully clothed but soaking wet and wrapped in an oversized towel, talking-or not talking, as the case may be-to the guy who may or may not like you and who you haven't seen in months, who is standing next to your worst enemy, who may or may not be his ex-girlfriend. Throw in the pacing, wet victim of a Union High hazing and a few onlookers, and you've officially got a three-ring circus."


Summers almost over and Rose can't wait to go back to school, yeah right. If Roses Freshman year was any indication of how her high school career is going to turn out, Sophomore year is no different, expect for the fact that she is learning more of who she is. Louise has written a series that is true to the life of high school. Not only is she getting into what it's like for us girls who weren't the most popular in school but she is also hitting topics like Sex, sexual orientation, bullying, abuse, love, and empowerment to name a few. Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend had me reliving my time in school and some of that was good and some parts brought back those days where school was not the place I wanted to spend my time, it had me wishing these books were around then.

Rose and her best friend Tracy start the year off by heading to a party, and we know how parties turn out of these two. This one is no different, Rose gets in the middle of the swim teams hazing and ends up in the pool herself. After of being avoided all summer by Jamie the guy she wishes was her boyfriend, she finally gets to see him when he pulls her from the pool. Of course, this doesn't just stay at the party and the school finds out and Rose gets to spend a lot of her time in the principals office this year. Teachers maybe praising her for her actions Freshman year and hopping they can count o her this year, but does she really want to be noticed by the other students for telling on them again? Then theres Jamie, he may have said he is no good for her but he just can't stay away, whats a girl to do? Rose has a lot on her plate this year and she even is going to try out for the school musical because she found out she's a great singer and is pretty sure thats where her future lays. This year there is just so much going on for Rose and all the other characters it's hard to give you guys just a snippet of whats happening. But trust me that this book is just as good as the first. If you have lived through High School then you can relate to at least one person in this book. You wont be disappointed when you pick up Rozett's second installment in the Confessions series.


I received this copy by the publisher through Netgalley for my honest review.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Since I really enjoyed the first book, I knew I had to read this one. It had so much plot and emotion that at the end of the book I didn’t even know how to process it.Plot: Rose life is pretty much one big giant ball of drama. She is facing lost of a parent as well as lost of love. This plot held up its own with such creativity. It really felt like real life action. Not over done drama but stuff that people deal with everyday. It propelled with deep sentiments in friendship as well as character growth in Rose.Love: At first, I felt so bad for Rose. No matter what she said or didn’t say it always came back to bite her in the butt. After finishing the book, I come to realize it’s not Rose. It’s the people around her. The one that she loves does not have his priority straight therefore, Rose got the brute of himself. He always stood up for other people but never Rose. WHY DUDE WHY? In the end, Rose finally takes control of what she wants. Another words, she is tired of being dealt the crappy hand and is not having it anymore. To see Rose put her foot down and stand up for herself (since everyone she loved fail to do it) she became someone new. I can not wait to read more of that Rose.Ending: *Sigh* Although the ending is not a cliff ending, it breaks my heart. Rose is once again trap in the middle and getting blamed. I’m hoping in the next book Rose 2.0 will come out and put people in their place cause I’m done watching her be a meek Rose. And the dude? Yeah, he best BEG for Rose forgiveness!!A riveting tale that succeeds in creating a solid sequel, Confession Of An Almost-Girlfriend is amazing. Capturing a coming of age tale with great clarity, Rozett’s well crafted tale of an angry yet evolving teenage girl is sensational. Superbly written, Confession Of An Almost-Girlfriend is awesome.