I'm grateful that the drama wasn't so dramatic as i though it would be (expected from previous experience with this author). the drama in this book is the typical one you will find in any other coming-of-age book out there. 
 i was debating the four stars because of the continuous thinking and saying it out loud of the main character that she is a slut because she had two one-night-stands and a summer fling. you're seventeen and you are sexually active, so what? It's slowly getting on my nerves these things in books, it sends the wrong message... 
 Anyway, the love story in this book is not as sweet as in My Life Next Door, but the drama peak seemed more normal to me and not so anticlimactic. What I think though is that there are certain things that got mentioned but never got picked again or were done in passing from time to time without much point to the plot to move forward. for example, the tutoring thing, which was supposed to be a plot device, but it didn't really happen, did Cass pass English lit in the end?, or Gwen's baking talent that was supposed to be an important part of her personality (or so I thought the first time it was mentioned), or poor Mrs. E, it took a lot of pages until this part begins. 
 The characters were interesting, especially Gwen's family being half portuguese (something different for a chance). Gwen was a bit difficult to relate at the beginning, but Cass won my heart almost immediately, he is such a cutie, i was swooning over him the whole book *___* I think he's the reason for the four stars in the end xD it didn't click for me with Nic or Viv, though, and the other island guys were like a blur for me. 
 Nevertheless, it's a nice summer read, perhaps more serious than other summer reads, but sweet and cute to spend a warm afternoon.