Review: Click to Subscribe

135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I <3 Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she'd have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him

Title: Click to Subscribe
Author: L.M. Augustine| Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Author Spotlight
Publication Date: May 9 2013
Publisher: Self-Published

Length: 252 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Such a cute cover, fits the book perfectly.  I appreciate when the cover models fit the description of the characters perfectly.
Point of View: 1st person, following West

My Rating: 5 Stars

First things first, a huge hats off and congratulations to L.M. Augustine for publishing his first novel.  If Click to Subscribe is anything to go by then I can see nothing but success is his future.  The story was genuine and heartfelt, and his characters were loveable and authentic.  Any author that can leave me with a gigantic smile plastered on my face, has my seal of approval.

 “It's weird, how I'm more comfortable being who I really am to complete strangers than to the people I've known all my life.  But all the same, it's the truth.”

The easiest way for me to explain why I loved Click to Subscribe so much, is to say how refreshing the story and characters were.  The problems that West and Cat face are real life problems.  These are teenage characters, and at no point does the author lose sight of that fact.

There was no backstabbing, scheming, love triangles or annoying secondary characters trying to get in their way.  Just two best friends who are truly seeing each other for the first time as their relationship begins to evolve into something new.

I also love that this has been told from West's point of view.  It is no secret that I adore the guy's pov.  This just wouldn't have been the same story if told from Cat's perspective, or even from a dual perspective.  West was the perfect narrator, and you will fall in love with him.

 “Then, through the darkness, I smile.”

West is simply adorable.  Honestly, no other way to put it.  Adorable.  To say he has had a rough last year is a complete understatement.  He has had to face one of the most devastating losses of his life, and at such a young age... to lose his mother, and in many ways his father at the same time.  Like I said, devastating.  But he steps up and handles it the best way he can.  He shares his thoughts through his Internet video blog.  That takes some major courage, even if he thinks those closest to him are unaware of it.

“I met Cat for the first time when I was six.  Back then she was still infested with a life-threatening case of cooties and I was familiar enough with the virus to know to keep a safe distance away from her, but even so, I remember finding myself thinking that she was kind of cool, even if being with her could put me at risk for the disease as well.”

But through all of the hardships that West has had to face in the last year, there has also been Cat.  She has been his best friend since grade school.  Only, what he doesn't know is that she has loved him for a while.  Not the brother-sister love he thinks he has always felt, but a romantic love.  And his reaction to finding this out?  As I said previously, this is a down to earth and realistic story.  He reacts the way I would expect anybody to react... he freaks out.

“We can be friends for now.  But West Ryder, if you think this means I won't fight for you with every last breath I have, you're in for a hell of a surprise.”

And what could be even better than West and Cat separately?  That would be West and Cat together.  They are both complete nerds, and I loved that.  They wave their dork flags, loud and proud.  The banter these two have is off the charts, and you quickly see that there is nobody else in this world that would be a better match for each of them.  I believe that there was the goofiest smile spread across my face for at least 95% of this book.

“Spring is okay, although I'm mostly in it for the Girl Scout Cookies.”

I so strongly recommend Click to Subscribe to anybody that is looking for a quick, fun, romantic, and heart warming story.  I was looking for exactly that type of book before I started, and was overjoyed at how perfectly it fit the bill.  You will smile, you will shed a few tears, you will laugh, and you will undoubtedly fall in love with these characters and their story.  Trust me, it is inevitable.

oooOOOooohhh... I must mention West and Cat's love of ice cream.  It is an epic obsession.  My recommendation is to have plenty of ice cream on hand because you will get a craving for it before the end.

“Rainbow sprinkles.  They are what make the word go 'round.  Literally."

"I'm well aware.  A world without rainbow sprinkles is a world without happiness.”

MORE QUOTES FROM CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE