She Laughs in Pink by Jessica Calla

I tried you guys. I tried so hard. For a minute there I really thought I’d be able to make it to the end of this book without crying. But alas, in the last 20 pages or so I was a sniveling mess of tears.

What’s it About?

Four years after her twin is murdered, Juliet Anderson still struggles with guilt, her parents, and her relationships. Two things keep her from falling into a deep, dark place—dancing and her best friend, Ben. So when Ben decides to play football for New Jersey University, Juliet doesn’t hesitate. She follows. Finally away from her past, there is nothing to stand in the way. Juliet will win Ben’s heart. Then she meets Ben’s roommate, Chase.

On probation and hell-bent on adhering to a “new life plan,” aspiring artist Chase leaves his New York City home for New Jersey University and meets Juliet before even stepping foot on campus. For him, their connection is instant. She’s the most vibrant girl he’s ever seen. Her colors explode on his canvas, and he’s never been more inspired in his life. Too bad she’s madly in love with his seemingly perfect, good guy roommate.

First Impressions

This entire book was one whole roller coaster of emotion, and you can’t help but sit along for the ride. At the start you kind of assume it’ll be a sweet and predictable college romance, but it evolves to be so much more. There’s an incredibly unique story with some interesting, almost on the verge of being fantastical, elements woven in as well. After all, how many people do you know who can “see” another person’s colors? Chase can sort of see the aura/personality of the lovely ballerina, Juliet, and when she laughs, she laughs in pink.

Endearingly Imperfect

I had a lot of trouble putting this book down. You can’t help but wonder where all of our characters will end up, and the story goes in several different surprising and heart-wrenching directions that you just couldn’t have seen coming.

However, something that is extremely important to remember is that although our characters are remarkably endearing, they are far from perfect. They make mistakes. Sometimes they are emotionally broken. They can make stupid decisions that could possibly cause some readers a lot of confusion and frustration. This is especially true when it comes to Juliet as she struggles with her feelings for Ben, her best friend that she’s been pining after for years, and Chase, the young artist who sees the real her.

I guess I was lucky in that I was just always in a pretty good mood whenever I picked up my Kindle to read this one, so I never got too overwhelmingly frustrated. Instead, I personally enjoyed seeing the characters grow from bright-eyed and somewhat naive freshman, to an entire dorm floor that managed to become a family.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Sheridan Hall, book 1. I can’t imagine what could come next, but I can’t wait to find out!

Should you read it? You need to go into this one with the expectation that there’s a 75% chance you’ll cry, and you’ll probably roll your eyes at some of the silly mistakes that all young college kids are bound to make. But if you stick with it, you’ll see the beautiful relationships that can bloom and evolve in Sheridan Hall.

Smut Level: Gotta love the flirtations between Juliet and Chase. There are some sexy scenes between them, but they spend the majority of the time trying to figure out how they truly feel about each other.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $2.99 Kindle Price. BookFish Books. 315 Pages.