Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.
When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

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I have been sat here for five minutes wondering how to start this review. This book grabbed my heart, stomped on it then put it back to pieces again and I have to admit that i was crying real tears by the end of the book.


This book was so real, so relatable. Harper's grief, but also the stages she get's to to actually grieve, the anger, the 'pretending-everything-is-okay', the guilt - they were all heartbreaking to read. As well as this though, the book isn't all sadness, there are funny, witty and romantic bits that will have you laughing. 


I loved all of our main characters. Harper was one of those really real characters, she was flawed; she could be mean and tough but underneath she was vulnerable and because of this I related to her and supported her journey. Laney, Harper's best friend was somebody I supported because she reminds me of people I know, rich, but not cared for and feels the need to kind of... give it out to make up for it. Now Jake... oh Jake... you and music geekiness and your ABBA obsession and your sexiness... I want a Jake Tolan of my own... he was absolutely amazing!


The romance that developed was quite nice to read because it developed at a nice pace, but the chemistry was there and it didn't completely end on a happy ever after. I am the biggest Jake and Harper supporter, those two are so adorable.


the writing is gorgeous, it's real and sharp as it's from Harper's point of view, but also poetic and beautiful and so readable!


I think that if anything threw me on this book, it's the tiny issue that i was expecting Jake's secret to be a teeny bit bigger than what it actually was.


Overall, Saving June was a beautifully written, heart wrenching novel about a real issue and real people, I loved it!


Overall Rating: A

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Book to be released november 22nd by Harlequin.
Book recieved for review from netGalley