What I really liked about this is how you have a character that is literally missing from the whole book still have such strong presence in it that you can't help but love him.

It is very rare in YA that we get to read a whole book from hero's POV, and this is another thing that is amazing about this book.

Ryan is such a sweetheart, a truly lovable, colorful character that has so many layers it's unbelievable. You can't help but fall in love a little with him. I thought he handled his best friend's death, his whole family situation, as well as the Chrissie thing in a very mature way. It's a lot for a teenager to take on, but he never thinks twice about it.
The way he blamed himself for Michael's death was killing me.

The title change of this book makes sense to me - the book is not that much about Emily as it is about Ryan and his struggling with these issues, the least important being his relationship with her. And while I think Emily helped him through all of it, I'm almost certain he would have pulled through even without her, he is just that guy. As a matter of fact, I found Emily to be the overbearing-girlfriend at times, so I wasn't always a fan.

I fell in love with the way it was written - the pace was perfect, the dialogue was flowing naturally, and most importantly, the characters were believable and three-dimensional. ( )

This book has been reissued as ''Any Other Night''

Well, this book seriously took me by surprise! It wasn't anything like I expected it to be but I don't mean that in a bad way. I figured it would be a light and easy romance but it was way deeper than that. Loving Emily tackles many difficult issues and it tackles them well. I really regretted starting it late at night because it meant I couldn't sit and read it until I finished. Pfeffer had my attention caught from the very first page and it was so hard to set this book down as I got so invested in the characters and the story.

Loving Emily is told from the point of view of a teenage boy, Ryan. Even this was refreshing and done well. I find that 99% of the books I read are from a girl's point of view because usually, the ones told by a guy are full of action and not the kind of book I'd usually pick up! So it was nice to have a boy talking about every day life and realistic problems. Ryan loses his best friend, Michael, in a car accident and blames himself for not being able to stop it. This book follows Ryan's journey through his grief. We see him trying to come to terms with losing friend while trying to make up for what he sees as his failures.

While the relationship between Emily and Ryan is intense and central to the story, it's not overpowering and there is a lot more going on in the book than just that! Ryan gets caught up with some serious business involving a girl who Michael used to be with. From this we see how genuinely nice Ryan is and how committed he is to always trying to do the right thing. While he tells himself he's just doing it all out of guilt, you can tell he's truly interested in just helping out and hates to let people down. I really liked that about him and found him to be a likable protagonists and very easy to relate to feel sympathy for.

I didn't find Emily as likable for a lot of the book but as it goes on, we learn more about her and see why she acts the way she does. Ryan and Emily really don't know what they're doing in life and it's interesting watching them try to navigate their way through a whole bunch of crazy situations! I loved the writing in this book. It flows well and Ryan's voice is so distinct and believable. It's very easy to get caught up in the story and the emotions of the characters. I also don't think I saw any formatting or typing errors which is always a plus!

Overall, reading Loving Emily was an enjoyable and unpredictable experience. I would certainly recommend it to fans of contemporary YA novels and I can't wait to see what else this author has to offer in the future. ( )

This is the same book as [b:Loving Emily|12920163|Loving Emily|Anne Pfeffer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319077813s/12920163.jpg|18075361], just reissued with a new cover and title. This is my original review!

Well, this book seriously took me by surprise! It wasn't anything like I expected it to be but I don't mean that in a bad way. I figured it would be a light and easy romance but it was way deeper than that. Any Other Night tackles many difficult issues and it tackles them well. I really regretted starting it late at night because it meant I couldn't sit and read it until I finished. Pfeffer had my attention caught from the very first page and it was so hard to set this book down as I got so invested in the characters and the story.

Any Other Night is told from the point of view of a teenage boy, Ryan. Even this was refreshing and done well. I find that 99% of the books I read are from a girl's point of view because usually, the ones told by a guy are full of action and not the kind of book I'd usually pick up! So it was nice to have a boy talking about every day life and realistic problems. Ryan loses his best friend, Michael, in a car accident and blames himself for not being able to stop it. This book follows Ryan's journey through his grief. We see him trying to come to terms with losing friend while trying to make up for what he sees as his failures.

While the relationship between Emily and Ryan is intense and central to the story, it's not overpowering and there is a lot more going on in the book than just that! Ryan gets caught up with some serious business involving a girl who Michael used to be with. From this we see how genuinely nice Ryan is and how committed he is to always trying to do the right thing. While he tells himself he's just doing it all out of guilt, you can tell he's truly interested in just helping out and hates to let people down. I really liked that about him and found him to be a likable protagonist and very easy to relate to and feel sympathy for.

I didn't find Emily as likable for a lot of the book but as it goes on, we learn more about her and see why she acts the way she does. Ryan and Emily really don't know what they're doing in life and it's interesting watching them try to navigate their way through a whole bunch of crazy situations! I loved the writing in this book. It flows well and Ryan's voice is so distinct and believable. It's very easy to get caught up in the story and the emotions of the characters. I also don't think I saw any formatting or typing errors which is always a plus!

Overall, reading Any Other Night was an enjoyable and unpredictable experience. I would certainly recommend it to fans of contemporary YA novels and I can't wait to see what else this author has to offer in the future. ( )

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Ryan's life is falling apart and there is nothing he can do about it. Left bereft by his friend's death, his growing feelings for Emily make him feel bad, like he is betraying Michael's memory. Add in the fact that Mitchael had a potent secret, and you have a potent, enjoyable, teenage read.

Pfeffer has a good mix of past and present at the beginning of the novel to really expose what Michael was like when he was alive, and why he meant so much to the protagonist.

Opening a novel on a party scene, even one with a seemingly Mexican theme is a pretty thrilling beginning! It won me over, and I had to keep reading.

By avoiding introducing the fact that Ryan is a rich boy (except the mention of his car) until after the party, we sort of see more clearly that he is more than just a rich white guy who likes girls and partying. By the time I read that section, I already liked him too much and couldn't be too prejudiced against him for his parents.

The Chrissie storyline really forced Ryan to grow up, to become more responsible. The theme of not knowing what you are going to do with your life and being anxious about it is one that would resonate with many teenagers and young adults.

Grief and denial play a heavy role in Ryan's life. These feelings are mied with the attraction he feels towards Emily. Ryan treats his parents like crap, and you know there must be a reason behind that, but nothing is made certain. Tidbits of information are fed to the reader at just the right time to enhance our understanding.

The use of drugs in this novel is not glamorised in any way. It seems horrifically easy how these teenagers are able to get them though. So many lives potentially wasted. I would have said the thrills of drugs weren't worth any of the other problems associated with their use, and this novel definitely confirms it.

I read this novel before having seen the cover, and now that I do see it, it makes it seem a bit like it's more a romance than anything, but that's not true! It has depth and detail, and makes you want to read more. The new title of 'Any Other Night' is far more appropriate than 'Loving Emily'.

This novel is a gem, particularly for the reluctant teenage male reader. I'm not saying girls won't enjoy it too, just that it might be a good option for males. For me, this is in the realms of Brent Runyon's amazing writing. I look forward to further novels from Pfeffer. ( )

Intense from the very first chapter, this book didn't have to work very hard to keep me intrigued as it played out. Books that begin with a death seem to have that effect on me-if it's done well, which this was, for the most part. I enjoyed the scenery, the hints of culture, and the range of emotions that seem to implant themselves into stories of the grieving.

When I first discovered that this storyline revolved around a wealthy family, I put my guards up, especially as the author incorporated more and more cliches and stereotypes. Though, as the book progressed, and the characters had a chance to develop, I began to look past that, and appreciated the way all of the elements-good and bad-came together to create a touching coming of age story.

Ryan was a very likable character, right from the start. Considering he came from a very privileged upbringing, it would have been very easy to make him an obnoxious, self-involved brat-but such was not the case. His relationship with Emily was a bit instant, but I really felt the genuineness as they began to grow as both a couple, and as characters. The secondary characters were also easy to relate to-I especially liked Chrissie, her dialogue with Ryan was witty and entertaining to read.

I really sympathized with Ryan as he struggled to find a balance in his life. His actions were admirable, and I think Ann Pfeffer did a great job of making his obstacles, and ensuing reactions, ones that were easy to relate to. I found myself both wanting to yell at him, and root for his success, all in the same breathe. I think many people can relate to the relationship dynamics in this novel-obviously not in the exact same ways, but I think there is something in here for everyone. ( )