Release: February 22nd 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: NetGalley
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo
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Ashley Schumacher’s Full Flight is about how first love shapes us—even after it’s gone.
Everyone else in the tiny town of Enfield, Texas, calls fall football season. But for the forty-three members of the Fighting Enfield Marching Band, it’s contest season. And for new saxophonist Anna James, it’s her first chance to prove herself as the great musician she’s trying hard to be.
She’s assigned a duet with mellophone player Weston Ryan, the boy of her small-minded town . And she thinks of as nothing but trouble, she’s equal parts thrilled and intimidated. But he helps her with the duet, and she sees the smile he seems to save just for her. And she can’t help but feel like she’s helping him with something too.
When her strict parents find out she’s been secretly seeing him and keep them apart, Anna and Weston learn what it truly means to fight for something they love. With the marching contest nearing and the two falling hard for one another, the unthinkable happens. And Anna is left grappling for a way forward without Weston.
About the Author:
Ashley Schumacher is the author of Amelia Unabridged and Full Flight and has a degree in creative writing from the University of North Texas. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s either singing Disney songs. She finds new and exciting ways to pester her family. Or else she is trying to find her inside voice, which has been sadly missing since birth. She lives in a small town north of Dallas with her husband, son, and more books than is strictly necessary.
Full Flight Review:
“Full Flight” is the first book I read by the author, and I am in tears. Be sure to have a box of tissues ready because this book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster.
Anna and Weston are breathtaking as individuals and also terrific in their scenes together. They are the stars of the book and make it so wonderful to read. You can see how reserved, and self-critical Anna can be when she scolds herself for getting bad grades. Yet, when she is with Weston, she decides to go with the flow, irrespective of what others like Lauren, etc., might think. Similarly, Weston is excellent as the contrasting cool guy, and how Anna sees him past all that and gets to know him. The two share many memorable moments, like when they go for the season’s first performance or compare the kiss to a duet. On a side note, I didn’t even know what a mellophone was until I read this story.
Moreover, there are also some beautiful passages that the author inserts into the conversations. You see Anna asking questions like ‘what does a kiss taste like’ or ‘how the tide works when it decides to move in different directions.’ The author makes you ponder over life and warms your heart about the beauty in the world just by reading some of the conversations. The story will have you in tears, especially towards the end, and it is one of those books you love immediately.
Overall, “Full Flight” is an unforgettable young adult contemporary romance, and I feel it is a perfect example of what a tear-jerker should be for the genre. I loved reading this one.
