[ARC REVIEW] “Then You Saw Me” (Prospect Street #1) By: Carrie Aarons

What is “Then You Saw Me” by Carrie Aarons about?

You know what’s guaranteed to send your heart into your throat? Opening the front door of your off-campus house to find the boy you had a crush on all through high school telling you he’s the new subletter.

Of course, he barely knew I existed back then, and still doesn’t even though we attend the same university. But in a house of six college kids, it should be easy to remain invisible while carrying a torch for him. After all, I’m skilled at being overlooked and playing second fiddle.

Except Austin Van Hewitt, my hometown’s golden boy, doesn’t get the memo. After we throw our first party of the year, I’m on his radar and somehow my lips miraculously end up on his. The budding romance is one I’ve always dreamt about. As he shows more and more interest, I push aside the plaguing insecurity of never being good enough.

But then a letter shows up in our mailbox. A time capsule I wrote to myself when I was fifteen. You know, the kind where a teacher sends it to you years later? Guess who opens it by mistake and reads all about how I plan on marrying him and having his babies one day? Did I mention I signed it using his last name?

Mortifying would be an understatement. After he starts pulling away, I’m once again the girl in the background hoping that someone will understand me enough to pay me all of their attention.

The old me, the one conditioned to settle for what she’s given, would back down. This time, though, if I want everything I almost held in my hands, I’ll have to speak up. I’ll have to admit exactly how I feel, fight for the love that was blossoming. And I’m not sure what’s scarier; voicing my inner thoughts or facing his ultimate rejection.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:

Carrie is back with another sweet college romance! Her college romances are my favorite, and this is the kickoff book of her new college series. It’s a relatively quick read, and features a complicated but close-knit friend group along with two main characters with extremely complicated family dynamics.

Taya is a strong but somewhat subdued young woman, who always feels overshadowed by her Olympic-bound younger sister. Austin has a ton of familial expectations to live up to that he wants nothing to do with. As they both come to terms with what they’re going to do (or not do) about their families, they’re also trying to navigate their own complicated relationship with each other — made all that more confusing by the letter from Taya’s former self that arrives at their door.

This book was different from others that I’ve read before, in the way that their relationship progressed. I feel like they got together rather quickly, and even though time was passing, it seemed like Austin got over the awkwardness of the letter pretty quick. But then again, it was literally years prior to the events of the book, and they’re both older, more mature people now.

Overall, I think this was a good introduction to the series, and I’m hopeful for more books in the future! (Especially about Amelie and Gannon, and whoever Scott ends up with.) As with most new adult books, I recommend them for 18+ due to some of the sexual content, but you do you.

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