Heat of the Moment (Moment of Truth Series #1)

by Lauren Barnholdt

Overview

In the first book of Lauren Barnholdt's captivating The Moment of Truth series, Lyla discovers that trusting her head might be easy but trusting her heart is a whole other matter.

Lyla McAfee had all but forgotten the email that she wrote to herself freshman year and scheduled to be delivered right before graduation—the one promising that she'd learn to trust by the end of senior year. But when she receives it the first morning of her senior trip to Florida, her life is sent into a tailspin. Soon she's questioning her seemingly perfect relationship with her boyfriend, Derrick, her attraction to the school player, Beckett, and whether ending her friendship with Aven and Quinn, her former BFFs, was one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

Each book in this trilogy is told from the perspective of a different girl—Lyla, Aven, and Quinn—former best friends who, back in freshman year, wrote emails to their future selves about the one thing they hope to accomplish before they graduate. Over the course of the series, each girl will learn about life, love, and the truth about the fight that ended their perfect friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062321404
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Series:	Moment of Truth Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	591,984
File size:	465 KB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lauren Barnholdt is the author of the teen novels The Thing About the Truth, Sometimes It Happens, One Night That Changes Everything, Two-way Street, Right of Way, and Watch Me. She is also the author of the middle grade novels The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney, Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better, Four Truths and a Lie, Rules for Secret Keeping, Fake Me a Match, and the Girl Meets Ghost series. She lives in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Lyla McAfee cannot escape her younger self as she gets a daily email reminding her of the promise she made to herself as a freshman: "Before graduation, I will learn to trust." With this in mind she heads off for her senior trip to Florida which does not go as planned. She is hoping to lose her virginity to her boyfriend, Derrick, but cannot help but be entranced by Beckett who bails her out more than once. The teens lack supervision on the trip; trouble and adults rarely find them. Even though Lyla is an idealistic teen who could use some guidance, readers will like her and forgive her for the decisions she makes. Her naïveté is crushed several times, helping her realize that maybe her intentions are not the best. The story is compelling and the target audience will stay tuned to see who Lyla chooses—Derrick or Beckett—and if she loses her virginity. This series opener leaves readers at an intriguing cliff-hanger, wanting to know what comes next for Lyla and her two friends, who have also made promises to themselves. VERDICT A frothy summer beach read for older teens.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI

School Library Journal