Aya M. Productions

Note: I received an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt was a sweet and yet heartfelt read. Death may have brought Holly and Dax a feeling of loss and despair, but it also brought them together, two grandchildren of rival grandfathers.

I adored Holly and Dax. At first I really questioned their relationship. Their personalities didn’t seem to match, and it all felt a bit too “insta-lovey” for these supposed rivals. For goodness sakes, Holly is all about numbers and keeping emotions to herself, while Dax occasionally gives into depression by means of intoxication. Somehow though, as I got to learn their stories, they worked. I fell in love with their relationship. I’ll admit they do get a bit childish, but they’re only teenagers. So I guess it’d be expected.

The secondary characters didn’t work as well for me. They were sort of a dysfunctional bunch. Holly’s parents alone were a big mess. There’s a lot of questions here that don’t get resolved, especially regarding her parents. Sometimes they all felt very stereotypical Vegas as well. They’re definitely some off-the-wall characters. I just didn’t enjoy them as much.

The ending though… I LOVED IT! I thought it was extremely fitting and just perfect. Holly, Dax, and the chapel were where they should be, even though it may not have been 100% what I wanted. I loved how it also came full circle, bringing us a bit of Holly’s grandfather, the man that started it all. Literally though, if it wasn’t for him, Holly and Dax probably would have never met. It was just all so fitting. An ending I didn’t know I wanted but apparently was what I needed.

So all in all, I loved The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt. It was so sweet, but also had many heartfelt moments. I definitely suggest this read for fans of YA contemporaries and those that love a bit of Vegas fun. Also if you’re one of those people with a close relationship with your own grandfather, I’m sure you will connect with Holly and understand her.

My rating: 4 stars
Average Goodreads rating: 3.9 as of May 7th