"The hideous thing is this: I want to forgive him. Even after everything, I do. A baby before my seventeenth birthday and a future as lonely as the surface of the moon and still the sight of him feels like a homecoming, like a song I used to know but somehow forgot." 
 If nothing else, Katie Cotugno's beautiful writing will make you have all the feels. Cotugno has such an ability to capture every raw emotion and honest thought with her amazing words that I would catch myself rereading sentences just to let them sink in. 
 This is not a fluffy love story, but a story about the dynamics of family, the strength of forgiveness, and love. Told in alternating chapters titled "Before" and "After," How to Love is about more than teenage pregnancy and young love. I can't recommend this book enough. 
 I know some people aren't fans of the love interest and the baby's father, Sawyer, but he felt authentic. He suffers from a lot of problems in the "Before" chapters but comes far in the redeeming department throughout the "After" chapters. Not to mention his starring role in a few swoon worthy scenes. 
 Also, I really loved Reena. She's witty and quick and tough as nails. She's been through a lot by the age of eighteen and isn't quick to forgive Sawyer--which I found refreshing. Cotugno did an excellent job developing her character. 
 How to Love speaks volumes to the messiness of life and love. Sometimes, despite all our planning, things don't turn out the way we imagined, but that doesn't make it any less amazing.