Review: No One Needs to Know by Amanda Grace

Released: September 8, 2014
Publisher: Flux

Series: NA
Star Rating: 3 out of 5
Page Amount: 240
Age Group: Young Adult

Sometimes, the cost of love is too steep 

Olivia's twin brother, Liam, has been her best friend her whole life. But when he starts dating, Olivia is left feeling alone, so she tries to drive away Liam's girlfriends in an effort to get her best friend back. 

But she meets her match in Zoey, Liam's latest fling. A call-it-like-she-sees-it kind of girl, Zoey sees right through Olivia's tricks. What starts as verbal sparring between the two changes into something different, however, as they share their deepest insecurities and learn they have a lot in common. Olivia falls for Zoey, believing her brother could never get serious with her. But when Liam confesses that he's in love with Zoey, Olivia has to decide who deserves happiness more: her brother or herself?

I was instantly intrigued by the idea of this storyline because I have read very few books dealing with LGBTQ protagonists. I have read a few where some of the side characters were gay, but I can't think of any main characters. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed. The relationship between Olivia and Zoey came extremely abruptly, without warning (other than previously knowing what the book was about). If I were to go into this book blind, without seeing a cover or anything, I would have never known that there was growing feelings between the two before the climax of their romance.

This book is short, and I think that it could have used at least a good 100 more pages. The story could have used a lot more development.

Although the story development let me down, the character development was brilliant. All of the characters in this novel grew as people (in a good way) and were a lot stronger characters by the end of the book. A lot of them came to their senses, because they were all pretty immature at the beginning of this novel.

I do have to say, I was fond of the moments when the novel took place at the lake house. I expected more of the book to take place there, considering the cover, but sadly only a small section of the novel took place at the lake house, and those were my favourite parts. I have a fond connections to lakes and I enjoy reading books where characters are having fun at a lake.

Although I had a few key issues with this novel, it was a fun quick read, and I really did enjoy reading it. I read it in about a 6-hour time period, in one sitting. I needed a cute contemporary read but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it wasn't bad.