There is a story behind how I wound up binge reading the series featured in today's post, and it once again has something to do with my best friend Rachel (who blogs over at Hello, Chelly, but it's likely you already knew that)! We had a conversation about romances over breakfast in Iceland one morning, and I ended up buying a ton of her favorites on to binge read since that was the sort of reading mood I was in at the time. (P.S. You might want to check out her recommendations for binge-worthy new adult romances!) Fast forward to nearly two weeks later, where I ended up binge reading the entirety of this series over a weekend - and it was such a fun ride!
Normal and Okay are the first two novels of the series. While they obviously have a central romantic plot, it's also the story of a girl who is trying to make peace with her past. Rory has transferred to a new town for her senior year, hoping her anonymity will help her leave her past behind. But it isn't long before her anxiety is triggered in her new environment, and it just so happens that it's the moment when Sam enters her life. The two of them have an instant connection, a romantic tension that only grows as their relationship develops. But can two people who have experienced so much trauma find a way to move forward together? You'll have to read the books to find out! 
The next two novels in the series - In Ruins and In Pieces - are companion novels set a couple of years after the first two featuring secondary characters as the main couple of each story. (This also means familiar faces pop up while you read!) In Pieces tackles a second chance romance, specifically in the form of exploring the next chapter in Tucker and Carleigh's relationship after their messy break-up. In Ruins, on the other hand, explores one of my favorite romance tropes ever - the little sister in love with her brother's best friend (who reciprocates the feelings). 
These novels are heavier on the angst than I normally prefer in my romance novels (especially Normal and Okay), but I still enjoyed them overall. Danielle Pearl is a new writer for to add to my "I will check out anything she writes" list because her stories are well-executed. The series demonstrates her ability to write excellent characters (main and secondary), well-paced plots and well-written dialogue (especially the banter and the swoony declarations). Her books were so easy to immerse myself in, and I spent hours just flying through the pages in my eagerness to discover what comes next. It's such a great series, and I'm truly glad I listened to Rachel when she told me to read them!
Publisher: Self-published (#1-2) / Forever (#3-4)
Publication Date: March 2016 (#1-2) / October 4, 2016 / October 10, 2017
Source: Purchased the Kindle e-books
I love that you are reading so much lovely :D Yay for reading these books because your friend told you to, hih <3 That is awesome. And I'm thrilled you ended up mostly loving them too :D They are not for me, but I like those covers a lot. <3 Great reviews Alexa :) Hugs.
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