At the Stars (Evergreen Grove Book 1) - Elisabeth Staab

**ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

3.5 Stars Because I couldn't decide between giving it 3 stars or 4.

Jake couldn't believe this crazy girl standing in front of him. He had just pushed her out of the way of a semi, that she was standing in front of, in the rain, as if she wanted to die. She reassures him that she wasn't going to let the truck hit her, even though it certainly looked that way.

Her name is Cassie, and her car broke down, so Jake offers to give her a ride to the inn. He just met the girl, but for some reason he feels protective of her. Maybe saving her life will be his redemption from the horrible event that happened in his past.

Cassie had no intentions of stopping in Evergreen Grove. She was suppose to be done with small towns, making a change in her life, chasing her dreams. Struggling with the nature of her mother's death, she's determined to start over.

However, fate has other plans. Her car needs a new engine that she can't afford. She decides to stick around for a couple of weeks to earn enough money to get back on the road. The problem is, he heart doesn't seem to want to leave.

I like to read books, sometimes, that display the fact that life is not always perfect. (Although, I like my fairytales too.) This story certainly goes in that direction. Jake and Cassie are both running from their pasts. They both find it hard to trust anyone, but for some reason, Cassie trusted Jake to get her safely into town and to try and fix her car, right from the start. It took a little longer for Jake.

One of my favorite parts of the story was when he was trying to teach her to drive a stick shift. The moments, like the ones they shared in that scene, were why I really liked the book, but there were some places that went a little slow for me. Oh, and just in case you didn't know, Cassie says her favorite band was Better than Ezra, who just so happen to have a song called At the Stars. Coincidence? I think not!

You should give it a try if you like New Adult.