Frayed

Willow Springs Series, Book 1

By: Laura Pavlov

Narrated by: Virginia Rose, Lee Samuels

Bad boy football star. Innocent girl next door. Two different worlds. One small town. A million reasons why they should have stayed away from one another.

My name is Adelaide Edington, and my life was mapped out for me before I even entered the world: who I'd date, where I’d attend college, what I'd be when I grew up.

But there comes a time in everyone's life when they face a fork in the road. Should I go left, or should I go right? It didn't matter as long as I didn't remain stagnant any longer.

Jett Stone opened me up to a whole new world, reminding me that it was okay to find my own way. I could have roots in Willow Springs and still spread my wings and fly. What I didn't expect was to fall in love with the broody football player.

The boy I’d known since kindergarten. The boy who I wasn’t supposed to be with—but had somehow become my everything.

This is book one in the Willow Springs series, but it can be listened to as a complete standalone. HEA is guaranteed!

©2022 Laura Pavlov (P)2022 Podium Audio

Young adult

I was surprised when I started this. It was Laura Pavlov, so I just one clicked and didn’t read the synopsis. I’m not usually into this genre but I was surprised I enjoyed it.

high-school romance you always wanted

beautiful story about making your own decisions as you grow up. ✨️ 💕 I loved it. I identified alot.

Coming of age story

This was a great coming of age story with substance. It had a lot of elements that showed growth for a number of the characters which I love.💗

Who doesn’t love a happy ending. And so nice to see a guy from the wrong side make his way in the world. Surprised that Adeline’s father shared his similar upbringing to Jett.

Sweet and Soft but Not Quite for Me

This one surprised me in both good and not-so-good ways, and ultimately landed at about three out of five stars for me.

Frayed is a small-town, high school romance, which I didn’t fully realize going in, and that alone may have shaped my overall feelings. High school romances aren’t usually my favorite, and this one definitely leaned into that sweet and innocent vibe.

The story centers on Addie, who’s lived her entire life in Willow Springs with her future seemingly mapped out for her. She’s been dating her mom’s best friend’s son forever, her mother is the town mayor’s wife, and expectations are heavy. When she discovers her longtime boyfriend has been cheating, Addie finally chooses herself, and that decision pulls her toward Jett, the town’s so-called bad boy who’s actually been quietly kind and steady her whole life.

Their romance has a mild Romeo-and-Juliet, wrong-side-of-the-tracks feel, and to be fair:
• Jett is genuinely sweet and patient
• Addie is admirable and easy to root for
• The small-town atmosphere is cozy and familiar

That said, there was a bit of an ick factor for me, especially once the relationship turned sexual. Nothing overtly wrong. It just reminded me that I’m not always the target audience for high school romance, and that disconnect pulled me out of the story at times.

If you’re in the mood for something soft, heartfelt, and mostly innocent, with strong small-town vibes and a guaranteed HEA, this will absolutely work for you. For me, though, it’s not a standout compared to my favorite Laura Pavlov books.

A solid, sweet start to the Willow Springs series, just not one that fully landed for me.

It was cute!

A cute coming of age story! Good way to pass my 12 hour shift by!