Rebekah Weatherspoon debuts her YA novel Her Good Side, a great romance for teens and young adults who want something wholesome. This love story is about accepting who you are and self-discovery. This read is great for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han. Weatherspoon loved to meddle in her friends’ love lives, but she soon created her own. She now lives in southern California and specializes in all things romance.
The Plot of Her Good Side
Bethany Greene wants to experience her first relationship, which includes kissing and holding hands. But it seems all she has is her perfect sandwich-making skills and no potential takers lined up. She has a great group of friends who are usually seen as the most traditionally beautiful; she is known for being great at basketball. When her best friend dumps her latest boyfriend (who lasted a week or so) before homecoming, Bethany suddenly has a date to the event and maybe a bit of a crush.
Jacob Yeun wonders if he’s the problem. He is no expert in relationships, but getting dumped twice in just two months isn’t the best track record. He hides behind his camera for years, focusing on being a potential film creator. Being in a relationship wasn’t on his priority list until he took his ex’s best friend to the dance.
So when both seem to be comfortable around each other, they decide to fake date to gain relationship experience and confidence. But what happens when these feelings become mutually real?
My Thoughts After Reading Her Good Side
I am such a fan of romances and this trope always makes me giddy every time. I feel that Bethany and Jacob are very likable and innocent since this is their first time seeking a relationship. It gave me that fuzzy feeling of discovering new experiences and being a bit shy. Both these characters are shy and lack some confidence.
What this story does well is make showing the ups and downs of new relationships, communication, figuring out what you want and like in a partner, and mutual respect and care. Even though they are fake dating they both set boundaries and give their honest opinions about their ‘practice dates’.
Bethany is seen as this huge high school basketball star. Her Moms have jobs centered around basketball, which is the focus of this family. Even her sisters did sports. Even though they are health conscious and push her hard they support her and want her to be herself. Bethany’s passions are in cooking and making herself lunch every day is the only time she gets to do it. But with Jacob’s help, she has the confidence to fight for what she truly wants.
Of course, Jacob is having moments of clarity with his career. He is a skater boy, raised by amazing tattoo artist parents, and loves everything camera-based. He works for the high school yearbook and is obsessed with photos. But his muse seems slipping, and he has a few challenges in his favorite class. When they pretend to date, he does begin to gain confidence and with his friends and Bethany by his side, he is more talkative and open than before.
Another important thing this YA book addresses is readiness. In high school, your peers expect you to be interested in sex and relationships right away. However, that’s not the case with everybody. People can go at their own pace; there’s no shame. Two characters in particular, Poppy and Oliver, are examples of people who seem to be in a rush, hormones going crazy, and wanting to skip several steps into a relationship. I think it’s important to teach teens that everyone has a pace and you must respect their boundaries, and find someone who matches and respects yours, both Bethany and Jacob are great characters for being considerate to each other during their fake romance.
Her Good Side will be released on May 30th, 2023. If you want to read more of Rebekah Weatherspoon’s work, try Treasure and So Sweet. Preorder Her Good Side on Penguin Random House.
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