Review: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?
All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.
John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

Review: 

Why, why, why did I take so long to read this? This was my fourth Jennifer Echols book and I am pretty sure my favorite. Going Too Far was romantic, heartbreaking, and just a beautiful contemporary novel. Meg and John were two of the most complex and well-written characters out there and watching their relationship blossom was an experience like no other. I finished this in a matter of hours, but I know these characters and their story will stick with me for much longer.

Meg is a bit of a rebel: blue hair, random hook-ups, alcohol and drug involvement... and she wants nothing more than to get out of their town. John, on the other hand, is a police officer who has chosen to stay. When Meg and John's paths cross, neither of their lives will ever be the same. Once you begin reading Going Too Far, it will be difficult to stop, as each chapter peels back more of the character's layers and brings them closer together, or father apart. The sexual tension between Meg and John was unbelievable and seeing how they affected each other was the best part of the book.

My heart went out to Meg from the start. Her life was far from easy and she did not know who she really was. I related to her need to escape her small town and start fresh. Meg was such a unique character, not only from the outside, but because of her independence and spark. She had an attitude and was not afraid to tell people what she thought. Watching her and John interact was such a great aspect of the novel. While at first John seemed closed off, he began to open up to Meg and he was truly a great guy. He was so protective over Meg and only wanted the best for her. Their story was heartbreaking and beautiful and left me both crying and laughing.

The plot moved relatively quickly and there were several great side characters and sub-plots, but the main focus was on John and Meg, as it should be. I also enjoyed watching Meg's relationship with Tiffany grow. They could not be more different, yet they helped each other in a variety of ways.

Going Too Far was a refreshing and addicting read that cemented my love for everything Jennifer Echols writes. This book was romantic and intense, with a strong plot and highly original characters. I'm so glad I finally picked this book up and will be recommending it to anyone who hasn't read it yet, although I'm sure that will be a very small number!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

March 17, 2009/MTV Books/245 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Purchased

Other books by this author: 

-- Romantic Comedies: Major Crush, Endless Summer, The Ex Games, The One That I Want

-- Romantic Dramas: Forget You, Love Story, Such a Rush 

Links: Author's Website/Goodreads 

Giveaway: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Earlier today I posted my review of the fantastic Love Story by Jennifer Echols and now I'm giving away two copies!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

She’s writing about him. He’s writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions—it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a local coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

Learn more: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Love-Story/Jennifer-Echols/9781439178324

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Echols is the author of romantic dramas for MTV and romantic comedies for Pulse. She currently lives in Birmingham. Visit her on the web at www.jennifer-echols.com.

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Fill out THIS FORM to be entered!

US Only. Ends August 2nd. Two Winners.

Review: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines..

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

Review:

Love Story was another romantic and addicting read by Jennifer Echols that will surely satisfy her fan's lust for beautiful writing, sweet romance, and intriguing secondary characters. Everything I have come to expect from Echols (I have only read The Ex Games and Forget You) was in place in Love Story and I enjoyed this novel quite a bit.

College age protagonists are few and far between in YA fiction and as an incoming junior, I love reading about the college experience. Erin Blackwell has grown up on her grandmother’s horse farm and her grandmother expects her to go to college and major in business. All to return to take over the horse farm and continue the family legacy; but Erin has other plans. She wants to study English and creative writing and become a romance novelist. But Erin’s grandmother is not just going to sit aside and let her granddaughter live her dream. She cuts Erin off and gives her fortune to the stable boy- Hunter Allen. Now Hunter is going to college to live the high life and then he will return to run the farm. All while Erin is living the life of a starving artist and struggling to make ends meet. Little does Erin know that Hunter is coming to college in NYC as well- and he’s in her creative writing class. The very class that Erin has just wrote a romantic story about a stable boy for that he is going to read. Soon an all out battle of the stories erupts and Erin and Hunter’s lives will never be the same.

Erin was a very likable protagonist and I loved reading her stories. They added a wonderful touch of flavor to the book and I was always anxious to see what she would write next. I liked how Erin stayed strong and lived her dream, even if it wasn’t what her grandmother had wanted. She knew what she wanted with life and was a determined and dedicated individual. As the story progressed we learned more of Erin’s backstory and how she and Hunter knew each other. Hunter was a very unique male character and I loved watching his and Erin’s relationship develop. The romantic tension was there from the start and I just wanted to shake them and shout “You’re perfect for each other!” I particularly liked watching Erin and Hunter get reacquainted and to see that there was much more going on than met the eye.

The secondary characters were also all interesting. From Jordis to Summer to Manohar to Tommy. All of them had a large role in the story and were there for Hunter and Erin from the start. I was constantly rooting for each character because all of them had their own complexities and backstories that added that much more to Love Story.

I very much enjoyed this novel, but the one complaint I had was how at times Erin’s character was so sporadic. She jumped to conclusions and acted without thinking at times. She often didn’t realize what was going on right in front of her. All in all, I did like her though and I just wish her personality hadn’t been so back and forth.

Filled with romantic tension and wonderful characters, Love Story is the perfect summer read. It didn’t disappoint and I’m eager to see what Echols will write next.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

July 19, 2011/MTV Books/256 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Publisher and Author (ARC & finished copy)
Other books by this author: The Ex-Games, Going too Far, Forget You

Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. With her life about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.
But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people—suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

Review:

Wow! Forget You was a brilliant, intense, and romantic novel that left me anxious to read her previous release, Going Too Far, right away!

Zoey was a main character different than any I’ve ever read about. She had a unique personality that left me unsure of what she would do next. She was thoughtful, yet impulsive, and was dealing with a lot. Her father had left to be with his 25-year-old pregnant mistress and her mother was slowing breaking down. Trying to keep her cool and controlled manner, Zoey has no one she can trust to talk about her unraveling life. Her best friends, Keke and Lila, aren’t serious and trustworthy enough to keep her mother’s mental issues secret and her boyfriend Brandon is too carefree. Then there’s the hostile and moody Doug who has hated Zoey since freshman year….

The beginning of the novel was excellent and built up to the climax- a car accident where Zoey suffers from amnesia. The problem is, she doesn’t know who to turn to because Brandon is suddenly never around and Doug is….always around. On top of dealing with her family troubles, Zoey now had to struggle to act like she knew what happened the night before the accident when she really has no idea.

This was a really emotional and intense time for both the reader and Zoey, as they get to experience everything she’s going through first hand. Not only is Zoey clueless about what happened that night, the reader doesn’t know what happened either. It’s suspenseful and almost scary trying to figure out what actually happened, as only little clues are revealed until the end. I couldn’t relate to what Zoey was going through, but I could feel for her. Obviously something very unexpected happened that night, and she’s having a hard time trying to poke around and find out the truth.

I really liked Zoey’s character even though she could be a bit impulsive at times. She was dealing with a lot but still managed to keep control and order in her crazy life. Doug was a terrific guy and I loved how sweet he was to Zoey. He was also dealing with a lot back home, so could understand Zoey’s need for secrecy and understanding on his part. His brother, Officer Fox, a police officer, played a large role in the novel and without him and his Chief Zoey may never have realized what happened the night of the accident. I couldn’t stand Mr. Commander, but Zoey’s mother was a nice and normally in control person that just was dealing with a lot when her husband betrayed her. Brandon was a sweet, albeit clueless, guy who just didn’t understand commitment. He was a good friend to Zoey though. The other secondary characters were also well developed and readers would feel as though they were a part of the story.

The romance was amazing in Forget You. Intense, slow growing, and sweet; Zoey and Doug’s relationship was one of my favorites. The scenes where they were together were extremely well done and you could feel the passion and tension between them. Just be aware, some scenes in this novel are not appropriate for younger readers!

Overall, I loved Forget You. It was a romantic and dramatic read filled with suspense and strong emotions. The ending was great, and the last 50 pages were very intense. The only other book I’ve read by Jennifer Echols was her Simon Pulse Rom Com, The Ex Games, which was completely different from this! I’m very eager to read Going too Far now as I’ve heard it’s even better!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

July 20, 2010/MTV Books/292 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Author (ARC)

Other books by this author: Going Too Far, The Ex Games 

Review: The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

Brace yourself for the battle of the exes....Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation.When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated -- and they might end up igniting some old flames.

Review:

The Ex Games was my first Simon Romantic Comedy, but I definitely plan on reading more. It was a fun, light read, but there were was seriousness as well. Surprisingly the few books I’ve read about exes I’ve really enjoyed- Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt was another great one. Most books involve a girl trying to get the guy not about exes. This wasn’t the only thing I liked about The Ex Games, I learned a lot about “boarding” as well. Snowboarding is something I’ve never done, so it was really cool to read a book that pretty much revolved around it. The whole plot was building up to the big competition between Hayden and Nick, the exes, to see who was the better boarder. I really liked the great build- up to the competition and the fact that I was really excited to find out who won as well. I was expecting The Ex Games to be a light, summery (well I guess wintery) read, but was pleasantly surprised that it had so much depth and an overall great plot. I’ve already bought a few more RoComs to get started on soon!

The cover of The Ex Games was really cute as well. I don’t usually care for cartoon covers, but the RoCom ones really fit. The pair on the cover look just like how I would picture Hayden and Nick. Also, Hayden was a down to Earth person. She was just a normal high school girl, but with a horrible accident haunting her past. The accident impacted her boarding and it was inspiring to read how Hayden worked on overcoming her fear of heights caused by the accident. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone, and as I said before am looking forward to reading more RoComs and Jennifer Echols’ books.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

September 8, 2009/Simon Pulse/303 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Author

Other books by this author: Going Too Far