Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Published: June 26, 2007
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Synopsis: There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

****

I’m not sure if I said this before, but I started reading 7 years ago and I’ve read quite good books. However, this is the first book I’ve read and a book that lead me to one of my favorite genre, Chick-Lit. I loved it. At that time, I didn’t really care and didn’t really know much about writing styles, but the synopsis grabbed my attention right away. Especially this line: There are two sides to every breakup. 

It’s true and this book really shows and explains it well that there are two stories in a breakup. When Jordan dumped Courtney, she thought he didn’t love her anymore and he met someone other than her. She was heartbroken. Additionally, she found out that Jordan indeed dumbed her for a girl on the internet. Jordan didn’t have a choice but to break things off with Courtney. He knew she would be heartbroken and that she will hate him; however, he decided it can’t be compared to the secret he has been keeping and needs to keep. He kept the secret to himself, break Courtney’s heart, and suffering by himself to protect Courtney. See! Two sides, two stories!

I loved Courtney and Jordan together; they are a really good couple. I loved how the book goes back and forth; it shows the relationship Courtney and Jordan had (the romance between them was a delight to read), and how they are dealing with the break up. Barnholdt did a great job in showing each person side through inner thoughts. I loved that the characters have a sense of humor especially Courtney’s friend, Jocelyn and Jordan’s friend, B.J.’s. It made the story so much better and allowed me to be more invested in them as a couple. The characters were great, the storyline was great. 

The ending is predictable but I liked it. I was left with questions that I would have liked answered: Are they going to keep dating? Or what will happen to Courtney’s family? 

Overall, I loved it. A good summer read, with a slight seriousness to it. I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers due to many profanity words. 

Rating: 5/5 (Recommend it; so buy it, devour it, love it)