You Say it First – Katie Cotugno

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meg has her entire life set up perfectly: her boyfriend Mason is sweet and supportive, she and her best friend Emily plan to head to Cornell together this year and she even finds times to clock shifts phonbanking at a voter registration call centre in her Philadelphia suburb. But, everything changes when one of those calls connects her to a stranger from small-town Ohio, who gets under her skin from the moment he picks up the phone.

Colby is stuck in a rut, reeling from a family tragedy and working a dead-end job – unsure what his future holds, or if he even cares. The last thing he has time for is some privileged rich girl preaching the sanctity of the political process. So, he says the worst thing he can think of and hangs up.

But, things don’t end there.

This is the first book by Katie Cotugno that I’ve read but it won’t be the last. This was a fun, quick and heart-warming story that I throughly enjoyed. I went into this book not really knowing what to expect but I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed it and have quickly I read it.

Meg and Colby are two very different characters from two very different walks of life. But, I was a fan of them both. There seems like there is absolutely no chance that they would work together as friends, let alone as a couple. They have their ups and downs and wow are their arguments rough! I enjoyed their flaws, their differences and the way that they interact. Colby is a sweetheart and deserves all the joy in the world. Meg is headstrong and amazing and a joy of a character who knows her mind.

There are some points in this book where the plot sort of slows down and I found myself losing interest. But, these bits were only for a few pages and then the plot picked back up again. I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the plot and pace were consistent throughout the book. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the best friend storyline. I have issues with how Emily dealt with things and how she treated Meg but that is my view and I’m sure other people will enjoy the storyline.

Overall, I would love to read more books by Katie Cotugno and if you are looking for a quick, heart-warming and fun read then this is the book for you! You Say it First was a lot of fun to read and I would highly recommend it!

Trigger warnings: Heavy mentions of suicide, alcoholism, anxiety and depression.