Genre: Publication Date: October 17, 2013 Pages: 310 Published By: Bookouture Website The Gravity Between Us on Goodreads Kristen Zimmer Website My review copy: From publisher for honest review
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Payton Taylor is Kendall’s best friend since childhood, and the one person who reminds her of who she really is – her refuge from the craziness of celebrity life.
With her career taking off, Kendall moves Payton to LA to help keep her sane. But Payton is hiding a secret that could make everything ten times worse. Because to her, Kendall is more than a best friend – she is the only girl that she has ever loved.
Just as they need each other more than ever, they’ll have to answer the question of where friendship stops and love begins? And find out whether the feelings they have can survive the mounting pressure of fame…
"Oh." A spark of jealousy ignites inside me, though I'm not sure why. It's not like Payton would ever replace me. Would she? "You were on a date?" That isn't any of your damn business. And shouldn't you be happy for her if it was a date? - Kendall
Of course I haven't. I'm holding out hope for a girl who will never, ever have a romantic feeling for me as long as she lives. It's foolish, really, that I'm prepared to die alone when I know for a fact there's a sea of lesbians somewhere I could be swimming in. - Payton
There is only one problem: with my stupid heart aching for her, and my retarded hormones raging all over the damn place, there is no way I could survive being that close to her all the time. It would be sheer torture. I'd be perpetually living on the precipice. The smallest incentive could push me from normal human being to bat-shit-crazy psychopath. - Payton
I admit to myself that I'm creeped out only after I'm through my own front door. I'm creeped out not because I thought she was going to kiss me, but because she didn't and I wanted her to. I really wanted her to. Where is this coming from? I'm not gay! -Kendall
Being honest with you this one really shocked me. I walked into this with no true expectations and discovered something that I could not imagine being written with any more heart. It touched my heart in ways that I was not prepared for and was a beautifully told story. Not only was it a beautiful story with heart, it was a step away from the usual boy meets girl story. Not that I don't love them but this was two girls that had always loved each other as friends, figuring out that sometimes love has no real boundaries and you can't help who you love.
The plot to this was cute and fun. Kendall is the girl that soared to the top of the Hollywood charts with just one popular movie. Payton loves her music and enjoys not being in the spot light but loves her best friend. Thing is that their worlds are colliding and twisting into one another when the simple decision to move in together is made. Despite being best friends Kendall did not know until their most recent visit that her best friend is a lesbian but fortunately it does not change their friendship... at first. See the thing is that Kendall is now questioning if maybe her love for Payton runs deeper than she thought it could or if she is simply jealous of another girl being at her side. The thing that they both have to decide is how much they are willing to risk and give up to figure it all out.
What I loved about Payton is how real she was. This is a girl that has had to live in a lie for most of her life, for fear of being rejected. Even now that it is more in the open being a lesbian is not easy and it is not a choice despite what some people think. You can never help who you love and this is a girl that felt for years that she needed to hide who she was. The relief that she felt when she came out was wonderful and I felt my heart lighten for her almost immediately. This was however only the first hurdle of many that she was to face but I admired her bravery and ability to take the pain with the pleasure. Though she was not bullet proof, she was strong for everyone around her, even when she was ready to crumble herself. I would also like to point out that she was beautiful and funny, while being strong. I can not stress how much my heart contracted and expanded for this wonderful character.
Kendall was the popular rising star that had all eyes on her. Finding out didn't change the fact that she loved her, just made her question how she loved her. Even then she denied that anything that she felt was any more than jealousy for her est friend possibly replacing her with another girl, there was a war raging within her. This war is probably why I loved this novel so much. There seems to be many novels out there where the person just has a light bulb turn on and they realize that they should be with that person no matter the risk. Here it was not that simple and it was not planned or forced. Kendall had a lot to think about and a spotlight on her that reported her every move and when the world sees you as straight and that being the only "right" it is hard to figure it out. However, this girl fought and lost but she also won and learned not everything can be black or white.
My heart seriously went out to these girls. There was so much love and pain thrown at them in such a short period of time. However, I also loved how realistically everything developed. It was not like one minute they were unsure and the next moment in love. Although Payton knew exactly what her sexual preference was and who she was, Kendall had always believed she was straight and never saw herself becoming anything else. I was happy that Kendall didn't all of a sudden view her best friend differently because she was still the girl she knew. Everything was a realistic inner struggle and a marvellous progression. Kudos to Kristen Zimmer for creating something that is not easy to portray realistically and also weaving it with such a strong and beautiful topic. Not everyone is ready to tackle a topic that people for so long shied away from but Zimmer did it to perfection and has me ready for more.
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