After reading Some Girls Do, I'm stunned by the brilliance of the sequel. It's the book I didn't think I needed, but I loved all the same. Romance novels so often end with a happily ever after that we take it for granted, but never consider how the MCs relationship might change as time passes by. And this is exactly what Girls With Us perfectly encapsulates.
Going from school to university, and being long distance is such a big change and it was a wild ride to follow Ruby and Morgan's relationship evolve with that newness. I'm convinced Dugan can't go wrong with her YA books. She's nailed the crafting of these characters at the brink of adult life and it's problems. This book gave me all the feels despite it's being so different from it's prequel in the intention and tone. I'd even argue that it is better than Some Girls Do, because it conveys these nuances so damn well.
But then it's not just Ruby and Morgan in this story, it's also the wonderful side characters we get to see as the focus expands from just the girls to the people in their lives. While I loved seeing Morgan's brother Dylan in the first book, it was a joy to see Ruby settle in into her own version of happiness. Mild spoiler alert. I loved the addition of Shiloh to this story, especially in how his life does mirror Ruby's in many ways. It's rare to get teen parent rep, especially teen dad rep (more so when it's a side character), so I appreciate Dugan's effort to include this in a way that came off as authentic to me.
I highly recommend this book! Don't stop with reading just the first book (even though it's so well written and feel good). Get to this book too for the full experience!
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