Aya M. Productions

Patch Up by Stephanie Witter was a bit difficult to get into. Skye, the main character, and Duke, the TA, are really closed off about their secrets, and Skye, in particular, just really doesn’t want to interact with anyone. So the story is a bit frustrating because of the slow development, but at the same time, I can’t help but appreciate how real it is. It’s only fitting that the reader learn about Skye and Duke at such a slow pace because they simply don’t want to share themselves at first.

Skye and Duke’s relationship is also quite interesting. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of shocked that Duke was never worried about how his status as a TA of Stephanie’s class would affect their relationship. Disregarding that though, Skye and Duke are notorious for running away from each other. Once things get to intense or too many probing questions are being asked, one of them would run. So it’s interesting and yet frustrating watching them be sort of friends to friends to something more. The connection and chemistry is obviously there, but their personal issues keeps them from pursuing anything. I’m interested in seeing how things further develop in the sequel.

One thing to note is that their secrets aren’t all that unique. Skye’s problem with her ex-boyfriend was pretty predictable, and although I couldn’t quite guess what Duke’s problem was, I did know it was probably some type of internal guilt. However even though their issues are something that has been seen in previous plots by other authors, the way Stephanie Witter pairs these two broken characters is worth the read.

One side-character I really enjoyed was Kate, Skye’s roommate. She never gave up trying to be Skye’s friend no matter how many times Skye tried to push her away. I love how she instantly thinks that since they’re roommates they should be best friends. That’s such an idealistic way to think about rooming situations in college, which I find hilarious. Kate is so persistent and upbeat, but she’s not perfect. She’s a bit broken as well with her own problems; something I think would be interesting to delve into in another story. She was the perfect person to pair with Kate.

& I’d just like to say a few words about Sean, Skye’s ex-boyfriend. Why anyone would want to be his friend is beyond my understanding. It’s totally obvious that he’s a douche with major issues. Also I’d admit, the Star War joke was a bit funny, and it’s one of those times when you’re thinking why in the world would her parents name her that. But it is extremely childish, and it’s one of those jokes which you may want to hear once but after that it’s just not funny anymore.

All in all, I’d give Patch Up by Stephanie Witter 4 stars. In short, it’s an interesting New Adult book about two broken characters finding something in each other. It’s a frustratingly real depiction and far from an ideal relationship, evidenced by their constant running. But through all that frustration, I continuously was hoping that they’d find a way to fix each other.