Review: One Way or Another, Kara McDowell

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One Way or Another by Kara McDowell
Published by Scholastic Press on October 6, 2020
Genres: contemporary, romance
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher, Edelweiss
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Sliding Doors meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before in a sweet, smart holiday romance about a girl who decides to stop letting her anxiety stand in the way of true love.
The average person makes 35,000 decisions every single day. That's about 34,999 too many for Paige Collins who lives in debilitating fear of making the wrong choice. The simple act of picking an art elective is enough to send her into a spiral of what ifs. What if she's destined to be a famous ceramicist but wastes her talent in drama club? What if there's a carbon monoxide leak in the ceramics studio and everyone drops dead? (Grim, but possible!)
That's why when Paige is presented with two last-minute options for Christmas vacation, she's paralyzed by indecision. Should she go with her best friend (and longtime crush) Fitz to his family's romantic mountain cabin? Or should she accompany her mom to New York, a city Paige has spent her whole life dreaming about?
Just when it seems like Paige will crack from the pressure of choosing, fate steps in -- in the form of a slippery grocery store floor -- and Paige's life splits into two very different parallel paths. One path leads to New York where Paige falls for the city... and the charms of her unexpected tour guide. The other leads to the mountains where Paige might finally get her chance with Fitz... until her anxiety threatens to ruin everything.
However, before Paige gets her happy ending in either destiny, she'll have to face the truth about her struggle with anxiety -- and learn that you don't have to be "perfect" to deserve true love.

I received this book for free from Publisher, Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

☂️ TRIGGER WARNINGS:

severe anxiety, panic attacks, mentions of sclerosis, mentions of hypothyroidism, car accident, hospital, blood and twisted ankle.

There are no spoilers in this review.

I ENJOYED…

☂️

• I loved Kara McDowell’s debut, Just for Clicks and was so, so eager to get my hands on her sophomore novel. I’m thrilled to say, it did not disappoint.
• If you know me a little bit, you’ll know I’m NOT a winter holidays kind of person AT ALL. If anything, I despise this moment of the year, really. That being said, One Way or Another almost managed to make me feel happy about this season. With the dual timeline, I got to experience a bit of wintery Christmas season in New York City AND in the middle of the mountains and, well. I kind of want to skate at Rockefeller Center now.
• One of the main reasons why I anticipated One Way or Another so much, was because the main character has severe anxiety. In case you didn’t know this, I am always looking for books with anxiety representation. For me, the rep was… well, on point. I found so much of myself and my way of thinking in Paige’s anxious spirals and it just… I felt seen. It meant so much to me, really. I loved seeing Paige’s best friend helping her cope with relaxation strategies, I loved the mentions of therapy and, most of it all, I loved the fact that there’s no cure-it-all. It’s a process and it’s something you learn to manage and live with, too.

• About Paige: I rooted for her SO much, right from the very start of the book. Partly because I could relate to her and the way her anxious brain works, partly because she was just so kind and trying her best and ahh. PLUS, she bakes. Seriously, she made a lot of bread and pastries and I’m just HUNGRY okay. ANYWAY yes moving on. I loved her journey so much.
• I found Paige’s romantic adventures so great to follow, between the best-friends complex relationship (FAVORITE TROPE HELLO) and the stranger I’m getting out of my comfort-zone with. Thanks to the dual timeline, my heart balanced between two boys, two hearts, two fates all at once. While this seems like a love-triangle kind of situation, let me reassure those of you hating this trope: there’s NO triangle, not really. At least, not for me, there was only one true love 😉

OVERALL

☂️

If you’re looking for a perfect read for the winter season -or not!-, One Way or Another is right here for you. With its lovely dual timeline, a main character you’ll root for from the start, this book made me feel like winter evenings wrapped up in a warm duvet. I loved it.

FINAL RATING : 5 drops!

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Did you read One Way or Another or do you want to? What are some of your favorite winter reads? Let me know in comments!

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