4.5 Stars (I would love to give it 5 but there were a few bones of contention that kept it from that higher ranking in my mind)

Gah! That was the cutest, fluffiest YA romance I've read in a long time. I hoped pretty hard that this would be a winner for me considering that the main character loves musicals and acting and Gene Kelly, and I wasn't disappointed. Though initially Maddie couldn't see (or refused to see) the signs that Jesse had a thing for her, I was pretty ecstatic when they finally got their act together

Spoiler

I was less ecstatic when they had their break-up especially because it seemed a little contrived and super rushed on his part, and then Maddie started to blame herself solely. I mean, she did help screw things up but trying to pressure him and not really listening to him, but he also wildly overreacted and got mad at her for really no reason other than that he assumed she had an attitude about baseball when really he was being all male-PMSy and territorial because she bought Brian's car. I was disappointed that that was never really addressed and Jesse just kinda glossed over it but otherwise I was happy when they got back together, especially with his super awesome grand gesture in performing Gene Kelly's newspaper tap dance from Summer Stock. That was too many kinds of adorable. I just wish they would've taken a bit to try and talk about things before instead of just flying off the handle...but then again these are teenagers in high school so hormones are a factor in creating roadblocks for healthy communication. Anyway...

. All in all this was an adorable romance that also managed to showcase good friendships and family struggles without it being too melodramatic. I especially liked that Maddie was able to resolve her angst with her parents (even if it took a sort of dramatic moment to wake her up) and that there was some focus on her family being involved and present and a good force in her life. It was sweet to see, especially in YA where the norm seems to be either parents nowhere around or tyrannical or in some other way negative. In this, I think it was easy for the reader to understand where both Maddie and her parents were coming from and to genuinely enjoy their relationship as a family. That really just added more depth to the story in that it wasn't a solely romance-focused plot; there were other elements to all of these characters.
All in all I really really liked this book and recommend it to anyone who loves fluffy YA romances because it's just sweet and adorable and swoon-worthy. Maddie and Jesse were both really fun characters to read (I especially loved all her little classic movie-esque day dreams. Same, girl, same) and the author didn't skimp on the secondary characters, giving them more to do than just be a sounding board for the couple's romance or break-up. Instead they all got to talk to each about school and life and family and the things they want which was delightful to see.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Kristin Rae as well as more books in this If Only series cuz those fluffy romances get me every time.