Hard Love Love

Taylor Swift might be your go-to for catchy love songs about broken hearts and romantic gestures, but Hard Love tells us a lot about love. You probably could have guessed that from the title, though. Marisol is searching for love, while John doesn't realize he falls in love and Brian won't shut up about love. All of our characters have to face the music one way or another, and it's not as simple as a T-Swift song. Too bad for them, too, since John's heart is broken in the process. He can't get what's so bad about loving Marisol, though for her, his love feels like a betrayal of who she is. In the end, we're not sure either of them conquers the whole love thing.

But then again, the book isn't called Easy Love.

Questions About Love

1. What are the different types of love that Marisol and John feel for one another? Why does this cause a problem for them? 
2. How does John's attitude toward love change over the novel? When do you think he changes his mind? 
3. What's the deal with Brian always falling madly in love with every girl he meets? Does he have genuine feelings for Emily, or is she the only girl who can stand him?

Chew on This

Love causes problems between John and Marisol because she feels betrayed by his romantic love of her because she's a lesbian.

John feels betrayed by Marisol's rejection of him because she claims to love him.