Review: The Circle of Friends Book V Heather by L. Diane Wolfe

I just read L. Diane Wolfe's (who I interviewed yesterday) fifth book in The Circle of Friends series, featuring Heather. This is a YA series, and I had not read any of the previous books, but found that I was able to follow this book without any issue at all. Best of all, I enjoyed it tremendously!

Summary: Heather is in her mid-20's and has just landed her dream job as an assistant basketball coach at Clemson College. She seems tough and fierce, but life seems to be spinning out of control for her. Her father has cancer and does not have much longer to live, and she and her younger sister Dawn are always fighting, though it's more like Heather berating Dawn for every little thing. Lots of things are spinning out of control, and in the midst of everything, she also falls in love with an unexpected man, Mark, the older brother of her childhood best friend and crush, Matt.

My Thoughts: I was surprised to find that I really loved this book! I wasn't sure because it's part of a series and I hadn't read the others, and I've also been on a YA reading slump lately. I do prefer adult contemporary fiction to YA, but I found that this book could certainly appeal to BOTH groups, so it was quite a nice treat for me to read! The story was engaging with realistic characters that I wanted to keep reading about. I did not want to put this book down, even when my eyes were starting to close way best my "bedtime." Heather was not necessarily a likable character, but she was definitely an interesting one with a very intriguing story line. I also liked that she seemed to possibly grow a bit at the end of the story into a better person. Even though the book was not full of action and effects, I was drawn into Heather's world. I really enjoy reading realistic fiction. To me, it is just as interesting as fantasy because it's nice to take a peak into what seems to be someone's real life.

The Bottom Line: A great story for both teens and adults! This was a glimpse into a realistic and interesting life. I highly enjoyed it and am REALLY wanting to read the four previous books now.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Disclaimer: Though I received this book free of charge for review, these are my honest opinions.