(Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on May 3rd 2016
Genres: Dating & Sex, Family, Love & Romance, Marriage & Divorce, Social Issues, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Hadley St. Clair's life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.
Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably "feels like home" to Hadley. Hadley and Sam's connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.
Funny and passionate, Suffer Love is a story about first love, family dysfunction, and the fickle hand of fate.
It’s kind of crazy how some small pieces of paper stuck to a door can change your life so completely.
Hadley St. Clair’s life was pretty great and then suddenly it wasn’t. The truth about her father and what he’s done has caused her perfect family to fall apart.  When she meets Sam Bennett she thinks that things are maybe changing for the better… she has someone to talk to about what she’s been dealing with and how it’s made her feel and changed her life, but Sam’s got a secret of his own.
You find out pretty quickly that Hadley’s father was involved in an affair … and it wasn’t just a one-time thing. This lasted over a year and since finding out that her father isn’t the man she thought he was, Hadley’s somewhat lost. She once believed in her parent’s love story and hoped for the same for her, but now she no longer lives in that fairytale… instead hooking up with guys for a quick connection and then moving on.
I really loved that Ashley Herring Blake really delves into the effects that a parent having an affair can have on not just the adults in the relationship but in this case, the father/child relationship. Hadley’s disappointment in her father and the fact that this man she looked up to completely screwed up and is now trying to make amends and yet she can’t seem to get past the hurt and anger is so true to life. Ultimately the fact that her family life is in chaos is something she can’t seem to grasp and forgive.
Sam himself is dealing with some issues too, specifically trying to keep his family functioning since his father packed up and left and his mother’s anger and blame about why it happened. When he and Hadley have the opportunity to work together on a school assignment, he can’t help but connect with her through shared disappointments. But secrets have a way being exposed, and the one Sam’s keeping is a big one.
I really loved the flow and pacing of this story. Herring Blake had me riveted to the story of these families from the first page, and I found I couldn’t put the book down until I turned the last page.
Suffer Love is a complicated story of family, love, trust and ultimately forgiveness. It will have you running the gamut of emotions … The anger, sadness and grief jumps off the page but there is also a really well done romance here that will remind you that life isn’t always ugly. The relationship that builds between Sam and Hadley is beautiful and sweet and intense and the perfect contrast to the things that are going on in their lives.
If you’re looking for a beautiful story with authentic and captivating characters, an unflinching story of the fallout that happens when those you trust most betray you in the most heart-breaking way possible, then you must get this book. Fans of Contemporary YA, put this one on your TBR pile for when it arrives and read it as soon as you possibly can.
I’m incredibly excited for whatever Herring Blake shares with us next!
Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this title in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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