In Dearest Clementine, college student Clementine Avery is dealing with a lot as she turns twenty-one. She's trying to figure out how to pay her college tuition after her mother cuts her off, is working on writing a second book after being published her freshman year, and is dealing with the aftermath of several traumatic events with the men in her life and how her family responded to her trauma. Despite all of the chaos of her life, Clementine is hilarious, snarky, and extremely loyal to her two closest friends and roommates, Harper and Jenna. When she meets a hot but sensitive journalism major named Gavin, she realizes she needs to deal with her past trauma if she ever wants to move on emotionally and be ready for a relationship. 
 I thought this book was well-written, funny, and a good mix of drama and comedy. The way that the characters acted was believable, especially when they made mistakes. Neither Clementine or Gavin is perfect (he's pretty close, though), and they both do some work on themselves throughout the story. I thought that Clementine's growth was compelling, as she learned to move through her past trauma and rediscover her talents and passions. The characters felt fully-formed and relatable, and I'll probably read the standalone follow-up books in this series.