Liis' Bookshelf: Feature & Review: You Were Mine by Abbi Glines

Gossip is the ultimate currency in Rosemary Beach, but Bethy and Tripp have managed to keep one big secret to themselves.

Eight years ago, Tripp Newark was dating a rich girl he didn’t like and was on his way to Yale—and a future he didn’t want. The only way he could escape his predictable life would be to give up the money and power that came with his family’s name. And that’s exactly what he planned to do. At the end of the summer, he was going to ride off on his Harley and never look back.

That was before he met Beth Lowry.

It was only supposed to be a summer fling. She was a sixteen-year-old trailer-park girl who served drinks to his friends at Kerrington Country Club. They didn’t run in the same social circles. No one even knew they were friends, let alone lovers. Yet, for one summer, Bethy became his entire world.

But he couldn’t give up on his plan. He needed to leave Rosemary Beach, but he vowed he would come back for her.

Problem was, by the time he came back—years later than promised—it was too late. His cousin, Jace, had already claimed the woman he loved. . . .

Add YOU WERE MINE on Goodreads

MY REVIEW

This was the time for Bethy and Tripp. Their story couldn't have been written after Rush and Blaire. If it would have come before Grant and Woods, I would have seriously disliked it and would have been disappointed. But the author chose the perfect time for Bethy and Tripp to get their moment in the Rosemary Beach sun.

Though it has taken many, many books, I think the development of Bethy's character is one of the best I've read in a very long time. First time I was 'introduced' to her, she was a confident, outgoing, carefree girl looking for a good time. Throughout this series, she's come to learn her worth, but has also had to deal with major heartbreak that couldn't have been resolved in three chapters. I think that Bethy really needed to fall to the pits of her personal hell and in some ways become the pariah in her circle of friends and acquaintances in order to discover what she's really made of.

I know this is a story about who Bethy and Tripp were, and the people that they've become, but for me, it was all about Bethy. I went from appreciating her for being a friend to Blaire, to admiring her for not willing to settle for being a piece on the side, to feeling nothing but pity when she decided to go for that fateful swim that changed everything, to being her cheerleader when she finally got her groove back.

I'm a huge fan of Abbi Glines, and this story was by far one of her best. I'll say this as I'm running for cover from the inevitable rocks that might be thrown but... I think You Were Mine is better than anything Rush and Blaire can dish out (running to a safe hiding place)!

About the Author

Abbi Glines is the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, and Existence series. A devoted booklover, Abbi lives with her family in Alabama. She maintains a Twitter addiction at @AbbiGlines and can also be found at Facebook.com/AbbiGlinesAuthor and AbbiGlines.com.