Saturday, February 18, 2012

Review: ‘Love Story’ by Jennifer Echols

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.
(Amazon product description)

Love Story

I wanted to write this review immediately after I finished closing the book...only I didn’t know what I wanted to say.  This book was very different from what I was expecting.  I mean that in a good way.  I thought this would be just another fluffy teen romance with a happy ending.  What I didn’t expect was such interesting and well developed characters.  Both Erin and Hunter are flawed and deeply scarred by their pasts, yet neither is moody or brooding as is so common in characters.  I like how Erin never really knows where she stands with Hunter, even up to the end. 

I also loved the unique way the book was constructed.  No simple linear plotline here.  Instead the story is threaded with flashbacks and short stories written by the characters during their English class.  Rather than distracting from the plot, these stories add a depth to the writing and the characters.  It adds a literary quality in a genre where this is seldom found. 

The ending left me somewhat on the fence though, which is why I had trouble writing this review.  I both loved it and hated it.  It has left me with questions that keep me thinking after the book is closed.  I guess that is a sign of a good book, right?  I think in the end, if you like teen romance, this is one book you don’t want to miss.

Overall, I give Love Story...

Plot - 4 1/2 bookmarks
Character Development - 5 bookmarks
Romance - 4 1/2 bookmarks
Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Renee Olstead (Erin), Lucas Till (Hunter)

2 comments:

  1. Great review. Echols has been highly chastised for that ending and I am amongst the crowd. Though I LOVE this book and her other two romantic dramas that wasn't the end of the book for me. I more felt it was the end of a scene and kept turing the page to see what was next and if she was joking, lol. Other than the end the book is amazing though. New Follower :)

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  2. I thought reading books like this will be boring or something, but when I started reading and fall in the characters, I realized that I’m starting not just to like it but I fell in love with the book.

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