Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

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Publication date: 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 388
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 16+

When Bailey moves across the country to live with her dad, she attempts to find the guy she only knows as Alex she's been chatting with online who lives in the same town. Instead, she ends up meeting Porter, a cocky and rude surfer boy who Bailey can't seem to get away from. But when things start to change with Porter, will Bailey be able to forget Alex?

This is kind of a take on You've Got Mail or The Shop Around the Corner—two people meet through writing to each other and don't realize when they meet in real life who they are.

What makes it interesting is that both Bailey and Porter are damaged, both physically and mentally. It makes their friendship and interactions deeper and more difficult to understand. Fortunately, there isn't a lot of misunderstandings, or if there are, they don't last long.

There were times when I wondered about descriptions of the town, set in central California, since I've been to that area and it isn't the sunniest and usually isn't very warm, but the characters would be wearing shorts, but I suppose it could be different from where I was thinking.

There is swearing and sex.

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