Goodreads summary:
Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.
Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….
My review:
This book was so much more than I thought it would be. When I started it, I was hoping for a cute, quick contemporary read, and while yes, it is TOTALLY cute and adorable, there's so much more to it than that. Stir Me Up was so good I stayed up late to finish it despite having to get up early for school the next day. :) I can say with certainty that I'll definitely be reading this author's future work!
While the romance is swoon-worthy, that's not all the story is about. There's a big focus on Cami and her decisions about her future - planning her career and figuring out whether or not she should go to college. I really love how Elkins stressed the importance of being responsible and thinking about your future.
Which brings me to my next point: Cami. What I loved about her is how she's so responsible and mature, a refreshing change from most main characters. She puts others first, spends time studying, and takes her job seriously. And she does all this without ever seeming stuffy or too perfect. I could really relate to her and admired what a strong character she was. And Julian? Major swoon, y'all. I loved how the relationship between him and Cami slowly developed from dislike to hesitant friendship to love. There aren't enough adjectives to describe how cute and swoony and romantic their love story is!
I also loved the theme of how important family is. Cami cares deeply about pleasing her dad, and she's patient with her stepmom when she's stressed out. (By the way, I love how the stepmom is so genuinely kind; that seems so rare in most books!) It was very sweet to see how much the whole family had grown closer by the end of the book.
Stir Me Up is more than a love story; it's also a story about the importance of family and deciding your future. This book was both adorable and thought-provoking, and I can't wait for more books by Sabrina Elkins!
* Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
~ Kaitlyn
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