Past Perfect

by Leila Sales

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.

Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off-limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

I read this one because of Susan’s fantastic review, and I’m so glad I did!

First of all, the setting of this story is what really makes it stand out.  I mean, a Colonial Village reenactment…how much more original can you get?  It was really fun for me to read, because something my mom, sister, and I did a lot when I was growing up was visit sites like these.  So to “see the other side” was very entertaining.  And to see it from Chelsea’s perspective, well…that took it to an even higher level of awesome.

One thing I adored about this book (aside from its oh-so-cute cover) was the laugh-out-loud quality of the writing.  Chelsea is a wonderful character to read.  Not a single dull moment exists when you’re in her head.  All the characters in this book are full of life and realistic, it’s super easy to get sucked into.

Plus, the boys.  Oh the boys!  And the kissing!  It’s fantastic.

If you’re looking for a fun, light read with a great romantic side, definitely pick this one up.  I enjoyed it immensely.  The bonus is how cute it looks on my bookshelf. 

Have any of you read it?  What did you think?