The Best Laid Plans

By: Cameron Lund

Narrated by: Rachel L. Jacobs

High school senior Keely Collins takes on firsts, lasts, and everything in between in this sweet, sex-positive rom-com for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.

It seemed like a good plan at first.

When the only other virgin in her group of friends loses it at Keely's own 18th birthday party, she's inspired to take things into her own hands. She wants to have that experience too (well, not exactly like that - but with someone she trusts and actually likes), so she's going to need to find the guy, and fast. Problem is, she's known all the boys in her small high school forever, and it's kinda hard to be into a guy when you watched him eat crayons in kindergarten.

So she can't believe her luck when she meets a ridiculously hot new guy named Dean. Not only does he look like he's fallen out of a classic movie poster, but he drives a motorcycle, flirts with ease, and might actually be into her.

But Dean's already in college, and Keely is convinced he'll drop her if he finds out how inexperienced she is. That's when she talks herself into a new plan: Her lifelong best friend, Andrew, would never hurt or betray her, and he's clearly been with enough girls that he can show her the ropes before she goes all the way with Dean. Of course, the plan only works if Andrew and Keely stay friends - just friends - so things are about to get complicated.

Cameron Lund's delightful debut is a hilarious and heartfelt story of first loves, first friends, and first times - and how making them your own is all that really matters.

©2020 Cameron Lund (P)2020 Listening Library

Critic reviews

“Realistic, funny, and honest.” (Huntley Fitzpatrick, author of My Life Next Door)

“Fresh-voiced and heartfelt, this debut pairs irresistible friends-to-lovers tension with vital questions of first love. It’s a witty, welcome entry in the rom-com resurgence.” (Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours)

“An authentic, hilarious, and heartwarming debut. The Best Laid Plans is the pitch-perfect rom-com you’ve been waiting for!” (Kass Morgan, New York Times best-selling author of The 100 series)

One of my favorite YA Romances 😍

The Best Laid Plans by Cameron Lund ⁣
PUB : 4/2020⁣
5 Stars ⁣
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Can I just say that this book had me SWOONING! I thought about it for days after and it put me in the absolute best mood! I honestly want to reread it all over again! ⁣
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Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me this gorgeous copy! When I saw this cover last year I quickly googled the description and knew I would love this story. It’s right up my alley, I’ve realized that I am more drawn to the more mature YA books, and this one falls into that category.⁣
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First off I want to say I loved the story line, the writing, and all the characters. I felt like I really connected with Keely in the story, and I loved her so much! I am pretty picky with my female characters in books, but when I find one that I connect with it makes the story that much better! Keely has really great character development as her feelings begin to change, and I loved watching her grow into the person she was meant to be :) I loved her best friend Andrew, I wish I had a best friend like him who made life fun ;) What I loved the most about this really fun story was the friendship. I love when a male and female character have a fun friendship and watching them grow together was worth staying up until 2 am!! That being said, if you love a friends to lovers, fun, more mature YA book then preorder this one now! ⁣

Witty and Fun

This book was so much fun and emotionally moving at the same time. There were so many twists and turns on the path to love.
The narrator was fantastic at differentiating all the characters and really capturing their nuances.
I can’t wait to see more from Cameron Lund.

Good

Narrator was great. The book was entertaining and not something too crazy to believe would happen. Kept me wanting to finish it.

Super Cute YA Romance

I couldn't put this book down. I devoured it as quickly as I could!

Feels 💙

Maybe I shouldn’t have read this so close to my friends with benefits relationship going wrong and ruining a friendship? I enjoyed it but it kinda hurt to read this one.

Boring characters and writing

The worst part of this book isn't even that the book doesn't actually match the promised premise in the description, or that it's supposed "sex-positive" attitude is actually a farce - it's that the characters suck and their relationship was extremely boring.

You can't claim to be sex-positive and then still have the main character act high and mighty, the only "smart" girl, the only "pure" virgin, who still very much waits to have sex with a guy she's known her whole life once she knows she's in love with him. The book also strongly looks down on the only character who actually is sexually promiscuous. The big stupid twist is that Andrew is also a virgin, making their first time "so pure"! This book is just puritanical bull disguised as feminist and forward thinking.

I hated it for this reason, but mainly, there just wasn't a single likable character, and it was really poorly written.

One of the worst YA books I’ve listened to in a while.

Narrator was ok, although she made the characters even more vapid than the author wrote them. I agree with previous reviews- characters were under developed and immature which made them unlikeable. It also took about three hours too long to get to the resolution. I’m in awe of anyone who can write and publish a book so kudos to Cameron Lund for that, but I hope your next attempt has a little more depth.