You're the One for Me • The Way You Make Me Feel (+ Gift Guide for Clara)

When one of Clara’s pranks goes too far, she finds herself sentenced to a summer working in her dad’s food truck, the KoBra… alongside her ‘nemesis’ Rose Carver. It’s definitely not what Clara had in mind for her summer plans! But the unexpected turn her summer takes soon shows her that maybe she cares more about her dad’s business than she thought. That maybe Rose is actually not what she expected… in a good way. That maybe opening yourself up to seriously care about people and other things, though it can be scary, isn’t such a bad thing after all...

I read and enjoyed I Believe in a Thing Called Love last year, so you can bet your fern (or whatever you feel like you’d like to use as collateral, really) that I was really eager to get my hands on this completely unrelated stand-alone novel that also promised a story that would be equally heartwarming and fun. It just heightened my excitement when I realized it involved a food truck (!) and because it hinted at an interesting father-daughter dynamic.

I loved The Way You Make Me Feel, friends.

This novel was equal parts charming and heartfelt. It evoked an emotional response from me that is not unlike how I feel after watching a really good rom-com: satisfied, entertained, happy. It made me laugh out loud (more than I’d care to admit and at a volume that had folks on the subway looking at me strangely). It made me cry (while I was reading during my office lunch break, so that was a little awkward). It was sweet and funny; it was relatable, too. I just adored every single minute I spent reading it, and I’m already itching to reread my favorite bits again!

Essentially, The Way You Make Me Feel focuses on two things: Clara’s personal growth and Clara’s complicated relationships (with her dad, her mom, her friends old and new). Clara is very different from me - a prankster who doesn’t take things too seriously, smart, sassy, not quite invested emotionally in most things. It’s so interesting to watch as she progresses from someone who takes things with a grain of salt to someone who starts to open herself up to forming stronger emotional ties. It’s easy to see how the shifts in all her relationships go hand in hand with these changes in herself, too. There’s a lot of honesty (with herself and from others) that results in a fresh perspective and self-acceptance for Clara. The portrayal of both these things is so incredibly well-done, so I definitely have to give props to Maurene Goo for accomplishing that and still giving us an adorable romance, as well as the food truck shenanigans, to round it all out.

The Way You Make Me Feel was wonderful. It’s the kind of YA contemporary that just pulls at my heartstrings even while keeping me entertained, which is already great. It’s even better that Maurene Goo has brought Clara - a character that I adored immediately and was incredibly invested in from the start - to life with her words. Perfect for those looking for something to make them feel all warm and fuzzy and happy when they finish, I would highly recommend checking out The Way You Make Me Feel when it releases tomorrow.

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) | Publication Date: May 8, 2018

Source: ARC received from the publisher (Thank you!)

I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for The Way You Make Me Feel because (a) I loved this book so dang much and (b) it was fun to put together a gift guide inspired by the story. I hope this gives you a little more insight into who Clara is and what she experiences throughout the course of the story, and that it adds to your need to snag a copy to read for yourself!

mirrored aviator sunglasses | Living in California, it's no surprise that sunglasses are an integral part of Clara's everyday wardrobe. I think she would totally rock these particular pair!

leather jacket | One of the most iconic moments in the book happens at prom - and Clara throws on a similar jacket to complete her look for the night.

fun tee shirt | I think Clara would get a kick out of this shirt, especially after the events in the book. She really comes to appreciate her dad's food truck and the work that goes into it, so it seems fitting!

Dodgers cap | Here's another foil for the constant sunshine - a well-worn cap. Clara's dad owns a cap similar to this that Clara often 'steals' for her own use.

tank dress | There's an important occasion that Clara ends up dressing up for in the novel (*winks*). Her version of dressing up is still pretty casual, but I think she'd rock this tank dress.

leather sandals | Clara has plans to go on vacation with her mom in Tulum during the summer. For an island resort trip, she's definitely going to need a pair of cute leather sandals.

tumbler | Clara has iced coffee pretty much every single morning, so I think it would be a great idea to get her a reusable tumbler as a present. This one, I think, would suit her!

Cool Ranch Doritos | Clara has grown up enjoying all sorts of delicious food (thanks to her dad and her neighborhood offerings), but there's nothing like the comfort of a favorite type of potato chips.

masala chai tea | This is one of Clara's favorite things to drink in the morning, especially when it's prepared especially by her dad! (Admittedly, I'm also fond of this comfortingly spicy tea too.)

ice cream | I'm sure that Clara and her dad embrace the full flavor spectrum of ice cream when they stock up for their own freezer. Ice cream is a necessity for warm weather days - and for folks who just like sweets in general.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour stops!

May 1 | Gone Pecan

May 2 | Summer Web

May 3 | Undeniably Book Nerdy

May 4 | YA Bibliophile

May 6 | Super Space Chick

May 7 | Alexa Loves Books (me!)

May 8 | Swoony Boys Podcast