If you take a glance at my profile here on Her Campus, you’ll notice I tend to write a lot about books. I’ve said it countless times, but I truly am a huge reader. From a young age I loved storytelling and picking apart different elements of stories.
Summer is one of my favorite times to read. There’s just something so peaceful about sitting outside on my front porch and cracking open a new book. I’ve read some great novels this season, but one, in particular, stands out to me.
I was blessed with the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the debut novel from Julie Navickas. Navickas is a professor at the School of Communications here at Illinois State, and I took her Magazine Production and Design course last fall. Navickas has years of experience with different kinds of writing, so being able to get a glance at her take on a romance novel was super exciting.
“I Loved You Yesterday” was officially released in August and it’s the first book in a new trilogy. The story centers around Mavis Benson and Josh Templton, two childhood sweethearts that have lost touch years later. After Mavis skips town, Josh is left to pick up the pieces. However, after confiding in his brother Austin about her secret pregnancy, her heart is torn between the two Templton brothers. Years later, Josh decides he wants Mavis back, but Austin wants her love as well. Mavis is caught in the middle and unsure if the truth will do more damage than the lies she has told.
One of my favorite tropes in romance novels is a second chance romance. I don’t know why, but I adore seeing the past and present dynamics of a relationship intertwine. In this book specifically, readers get to see glimpses of Mavis and Josh’s relationship as teenagers. These flashbacks only heighten the tension present between them as adults and make their relationship much more complex.
Another trope in this book is a classic staple of many romance novels: a love triangle. What makes this one particularly interesting though is that it is with twin brothers. At times, this trope can be a hit or miss for me. I need to enjoy both love interests and believe in their motivations as characters. Though I rooted for Josh the entire time, Austin was definitely dynamic enough to hold my attention. I knew who Mavis should end up with, but the deep ties she had with each brother made it enough of a guessing game that kept me on my toes until the very end.
Mavis herself was a great female lead, but I felt much more drawn to Josh and his struggles to balance his remembrance of the past and his hopes for the future. I wanted to reach through the book at times just to scream at him and tell him he deserved much more out of life than what he had, even if that meant being a little selfish along the way.
And, I may be a bit biased as a Chicago girl, but all of the scenes in Mavis and her roommate Casey’s apartment were a light contrast to the tension and angst between Mavis, Josh, and Austin.
Overall, “I Loved You Yesterday” is a great addition to your reading list. I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel, and hopefully you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did.