Melt My Heart was probably one of my most anticipated releases in 2020. You see, UKYA is easily still lagging behind the States when it comes to a push for diversity, so this was an exciting prospect. And this is not to say it’s not a good book - there were myriad things I enjoyed about it - but it is to say that I, perhaps, did not enjoy it so much as I expected to.

The novel follows Lily Rose during the summer following her A-levels, as she waits for results and decides what she does (or does not) want to do with her life. In this time, she meets a boy who she likes, gets into some frank discussions with her twin sister, and realises she’s in love with her best friend.

I think what I liked about this book the most was the main character. Her arc throughout the book is great and one that I think you can easily sympathise with. It’s also a different viewpoint on the question of going to university than a lot of books (which, I think, is always welcome). And it shows that, if you make a decision you are later not comfortable with, you do not have to force yourself through it.

The second best thing about this book is the way in which Lily Rose comes to realise she is in love with her best friend. It’s one of those ones where you, the reader, can see it coming, you know she is in love, but she is oblivious to it. But when she finally realises? It’s beautiful.

Perhaps the only thing I liked less about this book is that the romance does feel a little bland, for want of a better word. I don’t quite know how to describe it, really. It was cute and everything, as you would expect from friends to lovers, but it was just somewhat dry. (I also read the main character as experiencing comphet with the male love interest to be honest. Though, I think that might just be another aspect of the romance(s) seeming a little bland really.)

So overall, this was a cute friends to lovers YA contemporary. It was just also a little...plain.

Melt My Heart is a funny and inspiring coming of age YA, that deals with the discovery of sexual identity, finding one’s path in life, anxiety, body confidence, and racial discrimination.

Lily Rose is making the most of her last summer home, before heading to university in the fall. She is working at an ice cream stand with her best friend Cassie, a beautiful half British- half Jamaican girl, and she’s trying to find her own identity, separated from her twin, Daisy, a thinner version of herself. She is full of anxiety about going to university, as she will be far from her sister, who chose to go to Bristol, while she chose Leeds, and her best friend Cassie, who has decided to do a foundation art course in a local college.

Everything changes when Lily is approached by Cal, a handsome guy from New Zealand: she doesn’t know how to react to the attentions of a fit boy, who would “normally” never go for her. But there is also something she can’t pin point, and has new and confusing feelings towards her best friend that come to the surface.

In Melt My Heart Lily also finds herself fighting against a new racist streak in her home town, battling it with inclusive posters that celebrate diversity within her community: she matures throughout the summer, which proves stressful, especially because she feels anxiety at the thought of moving away from home, from Cassie.

I really enjoyed this book because for some aspects I think it’s something I would’ve liked to read when I was a teenager: I was always the “fat” friend, and although I felt comfortable in my own body, I never felt desirable and worthy of attention. Bethany Rutter also describes the confusion that discovery of sexual identity can provoke in young people, showing that it’s not a black and white affair: it’s a hard, heartbreaking but beautiful process.

This novel also teaches the reader that it is ok to change plans, to change your mind if what you thought was good for you isn’t any more: Lily has a hard time understanding that she doesn’t have to go to university, but can take some time off to figure out what she really wants to do. She also has an incredible support system that follows her through each step of her journey.

I definitely recommend this book, especially to young adults!

I loved Bethany's debut novel, 'No Big Deal', so I was so excited when I first saw this on Netgalley. It's just as good. In fact, I might even prefer it. It's the story of Lily Rose, who spends her life feeling second best to her twin sister Daisy. Since becoming best friends with Cassie, Lily has found a lease of life and increased sense of confident & self. Now her exams are over, she's ready to have the best summer ever, working with her best friend on an ice cream stand and trying something new everyday. But with A-Level results day looming, Lily doesn't feel ready to leave her beloved home to go to a university where she doesn't know anyone. Not to mention a burgeoning romance with Cal, who is everything she's ever wanted. Isn't he?
This was such a wonderful story that I couldn't resist binging! Lily is a very relatable character, written with such care and love. Her ever-present anxiety is written so believably as are the dramas that occur within her life. It's an inclusive story, so tenderly written and impossible not to root for. A perfect summer read!

I loved Bethany Rutter's YA debut last year so I was incredibly excited for her second but overall I was slightly disappointed. Whilst I think this book had great potential, it attempted to deal with too many important topics in such a short story, such as sexuality, body postivity, hate crimes, family drama, racism, moving to university etc. This meant that none of these issues were fully explored properly so it just didn't have the impact that I wanted it to have. I wish it had either been longer, or dealt with less topics because it just all felt a bit too much. I still enjoyed reading it as I found the main character to be really interesting and I loved the seaside setting, but overall I was hoping for more.

Melt My Heart is full of heart and oozes positivity. It tackles lots of issues that many young people struggle with and is extremely topical and relevant.

Melt My Heart is an absolute delight. Lily is spending her last summer at home before going to university- where she’ll be away from her twin sister Daisy for the first time in her life. Bethany Rutter perfectly captures the essence of being a teenage girl, dealing with body issues, summer love and figuring out what she wants out of life. All the characters in the book are fully realised and you really root for all of them which is impressive in a short novel. I know the teenagers in my book group will love this and I can’t wait til it’s published so we can read it together.

(Thanks for the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

A really lovely summer read that cleverly deals with contemporary issues in an honest and hopeful way. Thoroughly enjoyable

Lily is spending her last summer before university very busy, between hanging out with best friend Cassie and working at the ice cream stand together, she falls for Cal, who just happens to be her twin sister Daisys crush.

However when she starts to get feelings like not wanting to go to university and crushing on her friend, things get complicated can she solve all her summer dilemmas?

Bethany always writes great body positive fiction and this one was as usual fabulous again. Lily faces a lot and the relationship with her boyfriend shows how a lot of girls can feel about why a boy likes them despite their looks as we see her compare herself to her twin a lot throughout the book. The sisters relationship was very realistic as they face years apart at uni separately and struggle to adapt to the thought. Overall it was a serious but still fab positive read!

Many thanks to publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Brilliant YA novel. I loved the main character. I loved her interactions with her friends and family. I loved what the book had to say about a variety of issues that came up in the book. Utter delight to read.