Come Back to Texas by K. K. Hendin {Review}

Come Back to Texas by K. K. Hendin
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Review Copy Via XpressoReads

Summary 

Everyone thought we’d be the ones who made it through high school. The ones who’d get married and stay married forever. The example of how young love can work.

We thought so, too.

Too bad life had other plans.

It’s been three years since Hayley and Nate broke each other’s hearts. Three years, and a lot has changed. Hayley’s a freshman in Bushwick University, and the only things keeping her sane are stress baking, and her a cappella group, Twelve Beats in a Bar.

Nate’s a Marine, stationed in Afghanistan. The only thing that’s keeping him sane is the last picture he has of him and Hayley, and the hope that maybe when the hell of deployment is over, he can find her again and apologize.

One explosion will change everything.

When a bomb kills all of Nate’s unit, leaving him missing a leg and eyesight in one eye, he’s sent back home to Texas. Texas, where he loved Hayley more than he could possibly imagine ever loving anyone else.

With seemingly endless amounts of free time and needing something to distract himself, Nate starts making YouTube videos, imploring Hayley to come back to him, and come back to Texas.

Hayley’s life is wrapped around the Beats, making sure she doesn’t flunk out of biology class, and babysitting Ohio’s smallest monster, Brandon. She doesn't want to admit it, but she misses Nate more than anything.

It’s too bad she doesn’t know just how much he misses her, too…

First off, I’d like to say that I’m from Texas, but not the small town- everybody knows everyone- complete lack of secrets that our lovely main characters are from. I mean Hayley and Nate’s town doesn’t even have 1000 people. My high school has more than that. I think. . .yeah it does. But, I’ve heard the ask for a coke then they ask what kind and then you (or I) say Dr. Pepper. I call my friends honey pie or sweet pea and all that, sometimes affectionately, sometimes in a manner that has them knowing that what they just said was rather idiotic. I also listen to some country music. And it’s really where you get the ice tea at that makes all the difference. The sky is prettier here (or at least where I am) and it does seem to go on forever. I think the everyone being nice and smiling at strangers in more in where my friends from (Louisiana) or so I’ve heard. I do have a pair of seriously sweet boots, I know how to ride a horse, but I don’t own a gun. I know; how shocking. Now that all that jazz it out of the way, let’s get to the book.

This book had me humming country songs all the way home on that ten hour car ride. Especially Jolene and Stealing Cinderella. Oh, right in the feels, y’all. Right. In. The. Feels. Something about this book, these characters, the whole off to college and in the military, losing and loving and finding yourself, really hit home with me. Come Back to Texas has something in it that has me feeling all warm and fuzzy and hopeful. The characters who help the book reach such heights? Nate and Hayley.

Nate is just, he just so. Nate is all kinds of screwed up and he has this, Oh lordy, I don’t even know how to describe him. I can’t say that Hayley fixes all this problems (because she doesn’t) and I can’t say that he makes Hayley a better person (because he doesn’t) but I can say that he really does try when it comes to her. And he really does love her. If that last picture and the “Come Back to Texas” YouTube campaign doesn’t say much other than that. His childhood and Afghanistan and leaving Hayley messed him up.

Hayley and the Beats. Twelve Beats in a Bar. Or in a Hallway. They’re sisters. The non-blood relative kind. She got real lucky with those college friends of hers. They’re lucky to have her. I really want to try those pies she’s so famous for. Just-lemon? I think yes. She really is bigger than the 600-something town she comes from. She’s meant for more. But it’s really sweet, the town she comes from, the place that she comes from.

Things I Wish Were In There a Bit More but Weren’t

·         I wish that there was more small-town feel about her small town. I mean, yes, it was a relatively poor atmosphere (from the trailer park), and that does say something for the community. I wish we got more interaction with the actual community, the people. I think it would have developed Hayley’s character a little bit more since she has been there her whole life.

·         I wish we got to know the other beats a little bit better. I didn’t really get to know them that much. They seemed nice from what I gathered.

·         I wish we got a few more videos. I freaking LOVED those. I mean, how sweet. How. SWWWWEET. Can you tell I though Nate was just a sweetie pie in general? Even if he really freaking messed up. I personally would have slapped him when I saw him. Even if the videos melted my not-so-ice-cold heart.

So yeah. Go forth and read. It was lovely. And now I must read all her books. All of them.