Lindsey Leavitt

Sixteen-year-old Holly's grandfather leaves her his financially-strapped Las Vegas wedding chapel in his will, along with a letter asking her to reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family's mortal enemy and owner of the chapel next door, who is both cute and distracting.

The Chapel Wars

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    "I think living here has taught me to keep my expectations low and to appreciate those moments when life proves you wrong. Or right."
  

After the loss of her grandfather, Holly learns he's willed her the Vegas wedding chapel he owned, the one she's been working at with him. What she doesn't know is just how badly the chapel is struggling. She's incredibly dedicated to making the chapel succeed; It's like home to her. She feels a strong tie to it and goes to great lengths to try to save it. The major wrench in the works is Dax Cranston, grandson of her grandfather's biggest competition (and enemy, for that matter)! She meets Dax at her grandfather's funeral and is immediately drawn to him. Her grandfather left her a letter and a request to deliver it to Dax, much to her chagrin. She's intrigued by the good-looking guy, but he's the enemy... or is he? They spend some time getting to know each other and neither of them can deny the pull they feel to the other.

  
    "A lot of things end badly. But that doesn't mean you don't start something anyway."
  

One of the things that I loved most about this book is that it didn't have the "love at first sight" so common in books these days. Sure, there was an interest, a flicker, when they first saw each other, but that's normal. They didn't fall in love in a matter of days or minutes. More than anything, they were drawn together and repeatedly put in each other's paths. They took the time to get to know each other, and even then there was some resistance because of the situation with their families. But neither of them put up too much of a fight. One of my favorite scenes was when Holly took Dax to the Neon Boneyard. I have to say, my own feelings for Vegas more closely mirror Dax's dislike for the fakeness than Holly's love of nearly everything about it, but the Neon Boneyard is the one exception for me. I loved everything about that place. The history, the feeling, everything. Lindsay captured it all so well in this book. It made me want to go back to Vegas – words I never thought I'd think, let alone type. This book focused a lot on "old Vegas" and I really liked that.

  
    "We glowed at each other. Beamed. Radiated. I did not know that like could be like this. Like love, just not fully realized. I did not love this boy, because to love someone is to know them. But every moment I was with him made me happy, and every moment I wasn't with him, a small piece of me wondered what he was doing, like there was a satellite in our hearts."
  

As the competition between the chapels heats up and the mortgage payment deadline nears, Holly and Dax's relationship is also coming into its own. I adored these two together. They had a sweet, innocent "first love" vibe that was perfectly charming, and perfect for this book. What they shared had developed over time and under some tough circumstances and I couldn't help but root for them. They were so great on their own, but they were that much better together. Could it ever work between them? I hoped so.

  
    "I would date Dax. I would save the chapel. It wasn't an either-or for me. I wanted an and."
  


  
    "Really, numbers girl. You couldn't count all the ways you have my heart."
  

I love-love-loved Holly. She was a great, strong, determined and smart girl. She was loyal to her friends and family and she had a great relationship with both. She didn't rely on a guy or anyone else to save her. She had an incredible business-sense for a 16 year old and I hoped with all I had she could save the chapel (and her family) and get the guy in the end. I love a strong heroine and Holly certainly fell into that category. Dax was such a sweet guy, but he wasn't perfect. He had some issues with alcohol and his family life wasn't at all like Holly's. He made mistakes and I wanted to shake some sense into him at times, but he was so sincere and honest – so real – that I couldn't help but like him.

  
    "Maybe happy isn't forever. Maybe it's just moments, and you save them up and hold on for all the in-betweens."
  

The Chapel Wars was a great young adult contemporary read. It was so much more than a romance and so much more than what I was expecting, which was a fun and charming novel. This story had some drama and a wee bit of angst, but it just served to make the story more believable. It was never too much for me. The characters were real and easy to love – right down to the secondary characters of Sam, Camille and Donna, the romance was sweet and the focus on family was something you don't see in many young adult novels, but it's what really sealed the deal for me. This was a book I read cover to cover without any desire to put it down because I was that hooked on the story and these fantastic characters. It's high on my list of favorite young adult books of the year, so far. I have a feeling it will remain there, too.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

4.5 Stars!

My first introduction to Lindsey Leavitt was Going Vintage, which I read a year ago. It was cover love at first sight. I loved the concept of that story as well, so I eagerly jumped right in. Annnnnnnd it was a hit! I really enjoyed her writing style and the unique concept of her story. So after finishing that book, I was quickly on the lookout for more from Lindsey Leavitt. Chapel Wars, I can say happily, had the same fun cover and unique concept. I knew from reading the synopsis, mixed with what I knew about Lindsey’s writing style, that this would be a super fun and enjoyable read.

The Chapel Wars takes place in Vegas, the wedding capital of the world! Upon the death of her grandfather, Holly finds out he’s left her his most prized possession… his wedding chapel. She’s only 17 and now the proud owner of struggling, under-water financially, wedding chapel. And to make matters worse, it’s immediately next door to another chapel that is forever in a war to see who can get more customers. But this chapel plays outside the rules that Holly’s grandfather has always stuck to. They have theme weddings *gasp* and even dress like Elvis. The horror! :-P 

Holly takes on the challenge of keeping this chapel alive, thus keeping her grandfather’s memory alive and making him proud. It’s not a easy venture though. The chapel next door, owned by a super-cute boy’s mean grandfather, is a constant thorn in the family’s side. They hate that chapel, the evil She must compromise her original beliefs regarding the chapel, put aside her feelings for the adorable boy next door, and try her best to keep the chapel above water.

This group of characters is not without their flaws. They struggle with the right thing to do versus what is the best for their immediately family and family businesses. I loved the battle between Holly’s family and the chapel next door, owned by the adorable Dax and his evil grandfather. The adorable teenage romance that accompanied this story was so sweet and exactly how teenage love should be portrayed. Innocent and goodhearted. 

Another A+ for Leavitt!! If you’re looking for a super-sweet, fun, innocent love story, this is one that will give you all the feels. The perfect beach read, one-sitting, read-with-a-smile kind of book.


(Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Childrens and Netgalley for the review copy!)

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The Chapel Wars

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