Parker wasn’t always a bad boy. It wasn’t until his life seemed to lose meaning that things started spiraling out of control. Nothing mattered though, not without her around. That was until he met Maggie, the introverted beauty that had taken one too many verbal beatings.
Maggie wasn’t exactly shy, but she definitely wasn’t confident either. Until now she had been happy existing in her small world, but she was ready for a change. She vowed to make friends in college. Simple, right? Not quite. Maggie discovers she was in store for more than just friendship. Instead she finds a painful crush on an emotionally unavailable guy.
As Maggie and Parker each head down the path of self-discovery, they learn it isn’t always easy to keep the ones you love when you are becoming the person you want to be.
Finding You Finding Me by Shealy James is a coming of age story showing how no matter what perceptions of yourself others may have, you can rise above and be strong and independent. That with determination to not cower to thoughts of others, you can achieve a confidence that you never knew you possessed inside you, and maybe even fall in love along the way.
"I was falling for Parker, and he didn't feel the same."
Maggie was excited for her first year of college, to be away from the scrutinizing stare of her over-bearing mother and on her own for the first time, living by her rules way. Leaving the safety net of Savannah's elite society behind with her best friend Max she seems to be ready to embark on the adventure of a life-time, hopefully making a few friends along the way, something she has never had before, and maybe even falling in love. On move-in day her and Max meet their respective roommates, Parker and Sarah, and that is where the story of friendship, heartache, acceptance and growth begin.
Maggie, Max, Parker and Sarah become a foursome, doing almost everything together that first year. They become super close, spending time together in and out of the classroom and on the soccer field, which both Maggie and Parker are both starters on their team. The epitome of best friends, they are always there for each other in times of weakness as support and also in times of strength when they celebrate their accomplishments.
The story of Maggie, Parker, Max and Sarah takes place over the four years they spend in college. There are many things that happen throughout that time that both weaken and strengthen their friendships, but they always make it through, together. The reader is able to see the love between Parker and Maggie grow, even though neither one of them acts on it, until the unthinkable happens when they are seniors and Maggie is faced with the possibility of losing one of the two men that mean the most to her in her life, her father. Parker finally realized that the feelings he has been having for Maggie can no longer be ignored and he needs to tell her how he feels. And he finally does just that is one of the most sad and romantic ways possible.
This is an absolute must read!! You would definitely be missing out if you don't one-click this book!
Shealy James is Georgia native who teaches middle school math during the day and disappears into fiction at night. She is an avid reader and a writer who laughs in the face of middle school angst and welcomes humor, drama, and the all-important happy ending. Shealy is the author of Finding Me, Finding You (Finding Series Book 1), Finding Us (Finding Series Book 2) and Whole Life Re-Do (Whole Life Series Book 1).
