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Sep 30, 2011

Maja rated it:

The first review I wrote consisted almost entirely of incoherent gushing. This one is pretty much like that, but I did manage to include some useful info. Don’t expect much, though. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way about a book.

As a dedicated reader, I don't think I've ever connected to a story quite this much. There are so many books that are close to my heart for some reason or other, but there was never one so achingly familiar and mine. And it wasn’t just one charact More...

77 comments like (52 people liked it)

Sep 04, 2011

Lisa O. rated it:

Have you ever...

-got a crush on a penfriend you never or barely met?
-pined a whole year - or more - for your summer crush?
-fallen in love with the idea of someone, idolizing him/her and thus making him/her perfect?

In other words:

Have you ever fallen in love with LOVE?

If you've recognized yourself in any of these questions, then this is the book for you.

Julie is from Ohio but she's starting college in Boston. When she arrive More...

24 comments like (32 people liked it)

Dec 20, 2011

Elizabeth rated it:

Goodreads asks me, 'What did you think?'. How in the world do I appropriately, adequately, answer that question with regard to Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park?! I'm certainly no author; I'm not even a 'real' reviewer. So, how do I put into words just how much I love this story and admire the talent and sheer genius of Jessica Park?

I don't do plot summaries, as should be more than evident by now. It's easy enough to read the summary and decide for yourself if this sounds like something that mig More...

35 comments like (22 people liked it)

Dec 28, 2011

Ashley rated it:

I loved this book! I loved it so much that I had to tweet about it after finishing it. I loved it so much that I’m already considering how long I should wait before re-reading it. Yes, I loved it that much. There was just a really special feel about this book. It totally gripped me in this really interesting way, and I hope that my descriptions can do it justice.

What I really loved about this book is that it is the perfect mix of family issues and love and romance. It is filled with im More...

2 comments like (12 people liked it)

Feb 21, 2012

Taryn-does it have romance? rated it:

This review was posted at My Secret Romance

I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. When I first read the blurb, I thought, ok, this sounds kind of cute and added it to my to-read list. I didn't think twice of it until a friend messaged me on here and told me she had it to lend, via kindle. After just reading Beautiful Disaster, I needed something wildly different. And boy oh boy was this different, but in such a wonderful way.

For me, this book was strangely ente More...

66 comments like (10 people liked it)

Dec 07, 2011

Isamlq rated it:

WIN! WIN! WIN!

I am positively in love with every single one of the characters in FLAT OUT LOVE. Brace, yourselves! I feel an onslaught of gushing coming! About to start a new stage in her life, Julie is quite shocked when her apartment falls through. From the very first page, I knew I was going to like her story. That phone call to her mother alone had me laughing! So when her mother reconnects with a college buddy to set things straight, the future seemed to be looking up for our gi More...

8 comments like (11 people liked it)

Jan 09, 2012

Alexa rated it:

Sigh. I'm in love. In a few days I might be able to be more coherent. For now, I'm just super, duper in love.

UPDATE, aka, my actual review: It's rare that a book can have a cast of entirely likable (nay--lovable) characters and *also* have tension, conflict, and growth, without feeling contrived. There's no villain, but there are complicated people with real problems who sometimes do unlikable things. And yet, like Tom Hanks in...well, any role, you simply can't help but love them.
More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 24, 2011

Hira rated it:

This was just the pick-me-up I needed. Dysfunctional families, drama and a weird romance.

Julie has moved to Boston from Ohio to begin college, and start life anew. Just one problem, the apartment she was supposed to move into turned out to be a burrito shop! And so, Julie moves in with a family friend instead. They turn out to be quite dysfunctional indeed, parents who are never around, their eldest son travelling around the world for some time and hasn't come home, a genius for thei More...

7 comments like (8 people liked it)

Aug 29, 2011

Cait rated it:

This review can also be found on my blog, Cait's Corner

Wow. Before I start this review, I'm going to do a little fan-girl gushing: this book was soooo amazing and wonderful and flat-out (haha I'm punny as a fan-girl) stupendous that if you don't have this book on your to-read list, put it on there now.........

Hahahahah I'm just kidding

But seriously.

Let me start off this review with the characters, because they are so incredibly real More...

4 comments like (15 people liked it)

Dec 27, 2011

Lucy rated it:

Flat-Out Love knocked me out. The story is witty and surprising and I loved the characters with their quirks and lovable traits. The book also has a surprising heart fluttering romance that takes your breath away. All of the details put into the story and the characters make this a very special book.

The premise is eighteen-year-old Julie has just left home in Ohio for college in Boston. Due to a fraudulent apartment listing she has no place to stay. Her mom’s college roommate comes t More...

5 comments like (5 people liked it)

Nov 09, 2011

Tammara added it

Flat-Out Love was awesome. I loved it. 18-year-old Julie moves to Boston to begin her adult life at a small college. When she arrives, she finds that the housing her mom secured and paid for through Craigslist was, in fact, a scam. Homeless, Julie is lucky that her mother has an old friend in Boston. The friend sends her MIT-attending son Matt to rescue Julie and her suitcases from a life on the streets.

The romance in Flat-Out Love is lovely. The family dysfunction is original and we More...

5 comments like (7 people liked it)

Nov 18, 2011

Stacia ~ platonic rated it:

4.5 stars - such a great read!

I wanted just a tiny bit more at the end, so I can't go a full 5 stars, but even so, I know this will be a book I'll still be thinking about later, and will be recommending to people. Flat-Out Love definitely falls more on the "girly" side, but I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss.

The story follows a girl named Julie who is swindled out of her money when she gets to Boston and finds out that the college apa More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 21, 2012

Ari rated it:

Wait for me while i catch my breath..
(minutes passing, hours passing, days passing...)

Ok, here we go, but I don't promise that my review will make much sense to you.
So I'll start by saying that I really need to read this book again!

My Thoughts:
This book took me completely by surprise.
It seemed like a really light read, but in fact it is the complete opposite. I guess that these days I'm really easy to trick, but I love surprises, and I More...

7 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 28, 2011

Nicole rated it:

This was a great find I randomly stumbled upon on those Amazon, suggested for you, pages! It was sweet, mysterious, well-written, and had some unique twists and turns. I think my favorite part of the novel was how well developed and quirky each character was. If you're looking for a clean, sweet story with a hint of mystery, Flat-Out Love will fit the bill!

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 02, 2012

Joana rated it:

I found this book boring. Nothing really happened and the mystery (?) was way too obvious. The humor and witty dialogue were really forced, and all the characters had the same personality.

It's alright for a self-published book though. Just so boring.

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 04, 2011

Chrystle rated it:

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. It had me from the first page. I was thrown right into the middle of a dysfunctional, yet charming family, with the addition of a spirited young woman. I ate this book up, page for page and was so upset when it ended. I didn't want to leave Julie, Matt, Finn and Celeste's world. I fell in love with each character. On the surface the plot seemed entertaining, but the full scope of the book was flabergasting. Oh how the plot thickens! It was a wonderful More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Dec 21, 2011

Sarah Grace rated it:

Ok this is probably the fourth time I had to rewrite this review. The other times mostly contained gushing about how friggin amazing this book is (cause I mean really, this is more than your average chicklit). I’ve never felt so strongly about a book before, sure there were those special ones that kept me entertained and excited, but never made me feel… well…. Lost for words I guess (kind of like right now lol).

Funny how I’m lost for words, but I can tell you a million things about t More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Aug 12, 2011

Jeannie rated it:

I love that Goodreads asks us "What did you think?" Well, this is what I think ...I fell in flat-out love with the novel "Flat-Out Love." Seriously, that about says it all in one sentence. Now I will take a bit of your time to tell you why?

I sat down with the printed book, just for a second, to take a peek into this novel I had awaited so long to appear in print form, due to my not being able to use any electronic devices for reading. Only a second mind you. Comi More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Nov 01, 2011

Sharlaine rated it:

This book has a lot of heart. You can read as many stories and novels that you want but only few can leave a deep impression and marked in you forever and this book has done a great job on the latter. I wasn't expecting anything in reading this, I just saw that it has a 4.31 rating so maybe I should give it a shot. I barely read the somewhat summary of the book in goodreads and just started reading the book. I never thought how it can cause a lot of impact to me, I wasn't fond of reading books More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 21, 2011

Jessica rated it:

I don't even know what to say about this book it was just that good. I never caught onto the twist in the book until the chapter where Julie sends Finn her last e-mail. I just thought Finn would never show up because he didn't care and even though I saw and felt the chemistry between them in their e-mails I thought he was one of those guys who'd make her wait forever or who'd have girls everywhere due to his world travels. I almost cried for thinking these horrible things when it was never the c More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 21, 2011

Heidi rated it:

Five stars: a definite read. Pick this up and put it on the top of your To Be Read Pile!
Flat-Out Love is one of the best books I have read so far this year. It is a warm story filled with love and self discovery.
The story opens with Julie moving to Boston to start college. Upon her arrival she finds the apartment she rented was a scam. Julie is without a place to live. Luckily, her mother's old college roommate comes to the rescue and Julie finds herself moving in with a unique More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 21, 2011

monica rated it:

I already want to go back and re-read this book. I cannot flail about it enough about it. I've already talked my poor friend's ears off about it.

But let me start from the beginning, I'll be honest and say that I didn't know what to expect of this book, the title was off putting; as it seemed pretty cheesy, but that's because I had read it out of context. Now having read & finished the book, I go back to the title (and cover for that matter), and I get it now. ;) What ultimately lured m More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 18, 2012

Nicholle rated it:

This is a must-read. I loved it. It was witty and sweet. I loved the Boston/Cambridge references. I rarely write reviews but I am completely gushing about this book. I read it twice. Jessica Park, please write more.

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 03, 2011

Amanda rated it:

I could not put this book down. There were parts of this book where I was laughing out loud, parts where I was crying, and other parts that are just gut wrenching. I actually stumbled onto this book while looking at another friends profile. I gave it a chance and I'm so glad I did.

Julie is a college freshman who through a bad decision winds up living with the dysfunctional Watkins family consisting of Mom Erin, Dad Roger, Brother Matt, and Sister Celeste (who carries a cardboard cut More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 12, 2011

Alyssa rated it:

This review can also be found at lythebookworm-ish.blogspot.com

*wipes eyes, sniffs, and takes a deep breath*

I want to write a review that is worthy of this amazing novel. So, where to start?

When I first saw this book, I've expected a light, feel-good kind of YA romance novel. The title suggests a bit of a cheesy love story, which I have no idea I would flat-out devour.

I would start of by introducing the MC. Julie Siggle is a college freshman who had an unf More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 13, 2011

Lysa rated it:

This book was fantastic! It was a very quick read-you just can't put it down. The characters and their dynamics are so much fun and the plot will leave you guessing until the end. Jessica Park did an amazing job with this one! It's out of my normal genre but a very refreshing change and one I highly recommend! One of the most uplifting books I've read. You will keep thinking about it for DAYS after you finish it!

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 19, 2011

Paige rated it:

4.5 Stars - This was a very good book. I absolutely loved the funny, smart characters. (Loved them!) The only problem (and really...it wasn't big enough to make me dislike the book) was that I figured out the big mystery before the halfway mark. Even so, I couldn't put the book down.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 07, 2012

Chelez17 rated it:

Amazing, fantastic, awesome book. I love all the characters especially my namesake Celeste and her adorable brother. I may have figured out things early but it didn't diminish my interest in the story. Had a great time reading it. I couldn't bear not finishing the story in one sitting.

5 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 19, 2011

Tessamari rated it:

A very strong 4.5 stars. Wow, this book was a great read. I love the interaction between our hero and heroine. The online chats, the emails and the constant facebooking just added additional charm. My favorite part was the twist towards the end of the book. It was such a shocker, that i never,ever saw that coming. Though now that ive thought about it some more, it made me love the story even more. Part of me was so torn at that point in the story that I was highly relieved when that twist came i More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 04, 2011

Melissa rated it:

Loooooove this book!! Even though these characters have issues (boy do they ever), I love them and I want to know them. I want to laugh, cry, and yell with/at them. Flat-Out Love is a MUST READ. I didn't accomplish anything today because I couldn't put it down. Prepare yourself to laugh, I mean genuinely laugh out loud. Julie is hilarious. Her sarcasm won me over in chapter 1. I love that girl. The Watkins family is unique and you can't help but love them completely. I can and will read this bo More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)