”I like you like this,” he says, “all wild.”

From the Jump (From ARC, quotes may have changed in publication copy)

Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liv Bakersfield is used to living her life in “shoulds.” Be fit. Be financially responsible. Be your best self. An overworked graphic designer, she’s stretched so thin that she’s about to miss yet another vacation with her beloved group of college friends. But when Liv finally decides to start saying no, it feels good…good enough to leap straight into quitting her job and hopping on a plane to join them in South Africa.

Amid the exotic landscape and unforgettable sights, Liv expects sun and safari animals and an easy time with her best friends. But such close proximity makes everything more complicated, especially with the emotionally unavailable Lucas Deiss. Their friendship is the only thing in her life that’s still solid, and she vows to do anything she can to keep the group together. But once they get back to L.A., Liv discovers that her leap of faith has become a freefall, sending her crashing into Deiss’s arms. With the trust of the people she loves most on the line, Liv must decide between doing what she should … and risking everything for what she shouldn’t want.

Liv has always thought that living her life exactly the way every magazine and self-help novel told her would make feel safe, but in reality, it has only stretched her thin and forced her to miss out on ten years worth of social events with her best friends. Deciding enough is enough, she takes an extended leave from her stable job to figure out what she truly wants, starting with a trip to South Africa. She expects safari animals and fun with her friends, but what she doesn’t expect is to start developing feelings for her best friend.

From the Jump took everything from The Layover that I loved—the travel/vacation setting, amazing character arcs, the tension—and combined it with one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers. The African safari setting was fresh and exciting and made for a perfect backdrop for the relationship between Liv and Deiss. They had such great chemistry, and watching them explore that and pine for each other made for the perfect slow burn.

I loved the relationship between Liv and her tight-knit friend group and the glimpses into their past throughout the novel. But the part I enjoyed the most was Liv’s character arc. Seeing her loosen up and let go of her rigid life structure as she found happiness felt real and relatable, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

From the Jump was a great sophomore novel after last summer’s The Layover and is a perfect summer read.