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Over You

by Emma McLaughlin (Goodreads Author), Nicola Kraus (Goodreads Author)

3.27 of 5 stars 3.27 · rating details · 570 ratings · 151 reviews

After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With h...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published August 21st 2012 by HarperTeen (first published August 1st 2012)

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Dec 08, 2012 Ade rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Hmph. This book basically pissed me the heck off, which sucks because I thought I was off my recent streak of bad book. I had so been looking forward to this book, and I bought it the day it came out, but within the first 8 pages, I disliked this book.
My Issues:
1: The book is in third person. This wouldn't be such an issue if it didn't keep CHANGING characters without any warning. One minute it'll be Max, then the next Taylor, then Ben, and then whoever else the McLaughlin felt like throwing in...more Hmph. This book basically pissed me the heck off, which sucks because I thought I was off my recent streak of bad book. I had so been looking forward to this book, and I bought it the day it came out, but within the first 8 pages, I disliked this book.
My Issues:
1: The book is in third person. This wouldn't be such an issue if it didn't keep CHANGING characters without any warning. One minute it'll be Max, then the next Taylor, then Ben, and then whoever else the McLaughlin felt like throwing in there. It was confusing and aggravating and it made things much more difficult than they needed to be.
2: The instalove. Ben meets Max and within 5 minutes, he's fallen in love with her. Really, McLaughlin? Really?
3: How unrealistic everything is. (view spoiler)
4: How is Max able to afford all the things that she does in the book? Kickboxing lessons? Spinning lessons? Other miscellaneous items that she buys for her clients? From what I gathered, she doesn't charge her clients, so how exactly is she funding her business?
5: Max. (view spoiler) I wouldn't have minded Max or any of the things she and her friends did, if there had been any kind of message behind the book. But there wasn't. It was just Max running around with unlimited funds doing whatever she wanted to with total disregard for anyone else's feelings.

I would NOT recommend this book to anyone, because the message it does send out isn't a good one. The only thing this book taught me, is that it's okay to hurt and lie to people as long as you *kind of* apologize for it afterwards.(less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Best rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ebook, edelweiss, chick-lit, young-adult, reviewed, arc

THIS REVIEW ON B'S BOOK BLOG!

How is it that civilization evolved the ability to shuttle someone to the moon, but other than capturing its excruciating details in every medium, it hadn't come up with anything to guide women through heartbreak?
This is a story about a 17-year-old girl, Max Scott, who runs a company of her own called Ex, Inc. With the help of Max's two friends, the company helps girls all over New York get over their exes. So far Max is the guru of heartbreak, until she sees Hugo...more THIS REVIEW ON B'S BOOK BLOG!

How is it that civilization evolved the ability to shuttle someone to the moon, but other than capturing its excruciating details in every medium, it hadn't come up with anything to guide women through heartbreak?
This is a story about a 17-year-old girl, Max Scott, who runs a company of her own called Ex, Inc. With the help of Max's two friends, the company helps girls all over New York get over their exes. So far Max is the guru of heartbreak, until she sees Hugo Tillman, the guy who dumped her years ago, in the neighborhood. And then this proves to her that she isn't really as over him as she thinks she is.

I liked the idea of this book. I thought it was very promising and that it would be a fun read. And in a way, it is. I expected it to be a YA novel, but it turns out to be chick lit with YA characters. Now, my experience with chick lit novels in the past has told me that I don't tend to like them that much --there are only a few chick lit books that I have given the maximum of 4 stars to. And while I liked Over You enough, there are some things in the book that kept me from fully enjoying it.

In the very beginning, I had a problem getting into it. To begin with, I'm not really a big fan of third-person omniscient narration in chick lit, and this is exactly how the book is narrated. What's more, the run-on sentences (some are 7 lines long!) with lots of punctuation marks make me constantly lose track of what's being said. This wasn't fun. The progress was slow and I was annoyed more than anything. But after a quarter of the book, it became less difficult for me. I'm not sure if this was because I'd already got used to it or the writing really was better. Still, I wasn't impressed with the writing, to say the least.

There are many ways the book could have been better. Especially in the character department. While they're fun to read about, they don't have much depth. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. Max is a good character, but I'm not sure if I liked her. She's portrayed as strong, confident, and someone who knows exactly what she's doing and doesn't let anyone mess with her. But years ago, she's been broken too. Max's breakup with Hugo, as revealed later in the book, is very miserable and involves goose shit. I liked how she thinks she's fine until Hugo comes back into her life again and she loses her cool. That's as realistic as a relationship can get. But I don't like the way the book makes Hugo a jerk. I mean, Max is seriously not over him and she loves him so much still, and when they have another shot, the writers decide to make him the biggest asshole ever so that she realizes he's not for her and so she can easily make a decision to go back to her present love interest and easily get over Hugo. What I'm trying to say is, after all the crying and pining, if he's really that much of a jerk, how come she doesn't realize it until now? But that's not the point. The point is that I find it a very bad plot device -- one that weakens the conflict in the story and makes everything too easy. Hugo is an important character because he makes all that Max think she is come crashing down. Hugo could've had much more depth to his character and be used to make Max doubt herself even more before she finally gets over him, which would make the story much more powerful.

Bottom line: Over You has a very promising idea and is a light and fun read, but it could have been much better.

I received the digital version of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher for review.
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Apr 06, 2013 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

We've all been through those tough times, heartaches and heart breaks. From spending the day just sulking around, watching television, to stuffing our faces with ice cream, every girl's has been through the same pain. Even Max, the main character has, and that's why she started this small business of her own (without her mom knowing that she's running it from her basement, with two assistants!) to help girls through this rough time, and make the boy who caused it, regret everything he did.

While...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was rooting for this book the whole time I read it, wanting desperately for it to be better than it was. Wanting to like the main character, care about her business, fall in love with her love interest, or hate her ex. But I couldn't.. not really. I couldn't really conjure any emotions.

This book was light, and fun, and kind of cute at times. I appreciated the cheeky voice, even though the perspective shifted, mid-page with no warning, between main character Max and any number of secondary cha...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Max Scott is a girl with a plan. Ever since her boyfriend dumped her and basically destroyed the world as she knew it, Max has decided that she won’t stand for it—any of it. She is sick and tired of feeling terrible for no fault of her own, so she develops a foolproof way to get over heartbreak, speeding up a natural process that normally takes months or years to a mere few weeks. With strong and steady business from heartbroken teen girls, Max is more than ready to take her p...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Marcia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I, like probably many other readers, was drawn in by the pretty cover design and the interesting-sounding premise on the inside cover. And while I'm fully aware that it's not exactly rocket science, good chicklit is usually a fun, easy read and also a guilty pleasure.

However, in the case of "Over You," I was left disappointed and a little confused. First off, the writing. This book was written all in third-person omniscient, from many different points of views. I didn't find the switching of PO...more

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Sep 28, 2012 My Sister's Bookshelf rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

For my full review, please check out my blog: My Sister's Bookshelf!

I had a lot of issues with this book, which I had hoped would simply be fun. The writing, characters, setting, and tone all felt off to me.

First off, the writing. It’s a third person perspective that jumps between different characters. Hard to follow, awkward transitions. If you’re going to take this style on, you have to do it well. McLaughlin and Kraus didn’t. I felt this book needed more work, which is never a good sign…

Seco...more

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Sep 19, 2012 →kelly♥[: rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book, cute-cover, r-a-s, dnf

My Rating: 2.0

Not that I never knew this already, but I learned again, today, that one; never trust pretty covers and two; a pretty cover and a plot that sounds amazing is too good to be true. Way too good to be true. That pretty much covers my unflattering opinion of Over You.

Lets start with the narration. Over You is told from the third person point of view, which sounds really awkward and just plain bad. There was also lots of long confusing sentences that sounds grammatically incorrect, bu...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Kala rated it 2 of 5 stars

The blurb for this book sounded really cute, so I bought it and read it today. I struggled through it and didn't like it nearly as much as I wanted to.

Main issues I had with the book:

1) The flow was awkward. I don't really know how to describe this in detail, but it was just strange. It felt like the characters would be having a conversation about one thing, then there would be an abrupt change of subject out of nowhere.

2) POV changes were also awkward. We would be on Max's POV, then suddenly t...more The blurb for this book sounded really cute, so I bought it and read it today. I struggled through it and didn't like it nearly as much as I wanted to.

Main issues I had with the book:

1) The flow was awkward. I don't really know how to describe this in detail, but it was just strange. It felt like the characters would be having a conversation about one thing, then there would be an abrupt change of subject out of nowhere.

2) POV changes were also awkward. We would be on Max's POV, then suddenly there would be 1-2 paragraphs from another character's POV, then back to Max. It was really strange and also screwed with the flow of the story.

3) Ex, Inc. While the idea of Max being a sort of a "getting-over-your-ex" guru, the way it was written was unrealistic and weird. Max runs this business, but doesn't get paid? She takes donations and favors and requests that her "clients" use word of mouth to spread her business. How does she afford the extravagant gifts with no income? She buys her clients things like hot air balloon rides, boxing lessons, etc.

I also just don't see someone who is 17 and has only been in one 5 month relationship being an expert on breakups. Especially considering she never got over her ex!

4) The ex, Hugo. He was really strange. First he gives her the "nothing" look in the club. Then he runs in to her and tells her how much he adores her and wants her to be his girlfriend again. The very next day he invites her to eat with his mother in what is a really weird and awkward scene (and I don't mean that in a good way). Like, it was so unbelievable! I also never really understood WHY Max had this huge problem getting over Hugo. It made no sense.

5) Ben. One of the first times we meet him he's burping and being gross. I know boys do this, but I don't like reading about burping. I also never really felt connected to him and I also never felt the connection between him and Max. They only met up a handful of times, never had a real date, but he gets extremely jealous of her hugging her gay best friend and kissing her ex. I get that he was attracted to Max, but she wasn't his girlfriend and they were "just friends" for most of the book.

6) Dialogue. The dialogue was WAY too grown up for high school kids. These characters spoke like they belonged on Sex and the City or some other adult television show.

There were some good things about the book. I liked the Bridget/Taylor parts (mostly). It was interesting to see Taylor's mindset and how he realizes what a mistake he made. I would have liked to see their reconciliation, but that all happens off-screen. :(

Not sure if I will read any more YA by these authors. This just wasn't that great.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Azy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-2012

Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus have done it again, managing to create yet another amazing book that I just couldn't put down!

I picked up 'Over You' as an ARC and was over joyed to have their latest YA novel in my hands. I hadn't known what the book was about until I started reading it and once I knew I found the coincidence a bit funny.

In 'Over You' the main character Max Scott starts a sort of business who's goal is to help girls going through a bad break up get over the boy who broke the...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Darkfallen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-n-reviewed

Over You isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be. Still is was a cute, light read.

We meet Max, a girl that has had her heart broken. Like most teenagers she didn't handle it so well. In fact you might say that she went a little crazy. That's when it hits her...there has to be a way to deal with a break up to make the guy realize his mistake, right? One thing leads to another and Ex. Inc. is born. Now with Max on a mission to make all guys swallow their own foot and every broken hearted g...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Chelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Max is a girl, who like many others, has suffered a horrendous break up that left her alone and brokenhearted. She is the founder of Ex, Inc. which is a flourishing company that helps devastated girls get over boys that recklessly damaged their hearts. Max seems to such a strong and confident character. I couldn’t believe that she put together this program to help other girls in need, and she really cared about their recovery. Her story, of her own break up, was not revealed until later of cours...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Suz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012

Over You was such a fun, light-hearted, fast read that was incredibly relatable from the start. It's a wonderful go-to summer read, when you're just lounging around and wanting something that isn't heavy handed and is equal parts engaging and entertaining. This book quenches all those thirsts for cute charming reads. It's the perfect post-break-up book, with all of Max's advice on how to get over the guys that break your heart. The characters are likable and easy to connect with, the plot is en...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was… wow. It had me focused on it for about 3 hours straight, and that’s all I needed to finish it. It follows the story of Max, who runs a breakup recovery program. You see what Max goes through on a daily basis and how she changes and learns what her program is all about. I loved this book. It wasn’t what I was expecting. It was a cute, quick, fun read!
Cover:
The cover is so cute! Everything about this book is cute!  I love how they show a happy couple, and then suddenly the girl is...more

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May 15, 2012 Proud Book Nerd rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, around-the-world-tours, contemporary, do-not-have, do-not-want, ya

In general, this was a cute book, but I can't decide if the cuteness outweighs the issues I have with it.

- Theft, which Max tries to explain away (she's just "borrowing" without permission). And not just small things –designer clothes. Thousands of dollars worth.

- Max is a hypocrite. Bit time. She's preaching to these broken-hearted girls but not taking her own advice.

- She's in New York City and does things that I'm sure cost TONS (especially in NYC). Where's she getting the money for this stu...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Sonali rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is so unrealistic and inappropriate for a teen novel. I would never suggest it to my students.

I really enjoyed "The Nanny Diaries" and other McLaughlin/Kraus collaborations. I liked that their books were smart chick lit, with a feminist edge and a realistic POV about being young and hungry (for life, love and awesome food!) "Over You" has some of these characteristics, but the scenarios are so implausible for a teenager. Where the heck are Max's parents? How is she spending all this mo...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Justin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was really hoping that Over You would be a great book, when I had read the description I thought it sounded like it could be good. I was really expecting some things to be different than what they actually where though, and I was really disappointed with the way things played out. As far as the writing goes, it was decent. Not the best I have seen, but it was enjoyable from that aspect.

I had so many issues with the story once I actually started reading it. When I started this book, I thought i...more I was really hoping that Over You would be a great book, when I had read the description I thought it sounded like it could be good. I was really expecting some things to be different than what they actually where though, and I was really disappointed with the way things played out. As far as the writing goes, it was decent. Not the best I have seen, but it was enjoyable from that aspect.

I had so many issues with the story once I actually started reading it. When I started this book, I thought it was going to be about a girl that was able to get over a bad relationship and use that to help other teen girls be able to overcome the heartbreaks they go through. Isn't that what you get from reading the description to? Well, I was really deceived by the description and wasn't really expecting what you actually get. You still have Max and her friends helping other girls, but my main issue was with Max and her relationship with Hugo which is the one she was supposedly suppose to be getting over. I got so incredibly annoyed when Max would pull out her box of "Hugo Memories" and sit there and cry her brains out over this guy. And she is suppose to be helping these other girls get over their broken hearts? It just didn't really play together very well.

I didn't really care for the characters in this book either. Zach and Ben were probably two of the better characters. But Max was easily one of the most annoying female characters I have seen in a book. I can understand having trouble getting over something, but why would you continue to bring up old memories when she knows it's just going to make her curl up in a ball and cry? Doesn't make sense to me. I was really hoping for something more, I just think things took such a negative path. It would of been so much better if it was like I had originally thought where she had actually got over Hugo and was just using that experience to help these girls. Having Hugo show up should of never caused the mess that takes place.

I just honestly can't think of to many redeeming factors for this book. There were moments I really enjoyed it, which is the only reason I would warrant a three stars. But there were other moments I just wanted to put it down and walk away. One of the most redeeming factors though was the ending, I did really like how things turned out for Max. And surprisingly, she was a lot less annoying at the end of the book. I just really wish that would of happened earlier on, and that things didn't play out the way they did. She could of handled Hugo in a much better way than she did.

I'm really on the fence about if I'd recommend this book or not. While I am sure there are people that will enjoy it, it just really didn't do it for me. I tried my best to enjoy it, but it got to a point where it became a chore to finish. If it wasn't for the moments I did enjoy throughout it, I wouldn't of even gave it three stars. But those few moments where I really got into the story were a lot of fun. I just wish there would of been more focus put on Max helping the other girls and actually getting over Hugo, rather than having Max dive head first into a state of pity whenever she thought about him. I just can't help but think she could of handled things so much better, and in turn made the book that much more enjoyable to read. So I will leave this one up to you, if it sounds like a book you want to read then go for it.(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, y-a, edelweiss

3 and a half stars

Over You was cute, fast paced and charming. It's about a girl named Max who creates a company called "Ex Inc.", where she helps girls get over bad breakups. Max started the business after she had her heart broken and decided to become a break up guru to help girls who are suffering from broken hearts. The main object of her program is to get the girls to a strong place where their ex's regret letting them go.

I think most girls have gone through a horrible break-up. I've been c...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Kris added it

Shelves: arc, contemporary, ya-books, books-reviewed

Contemporary romance hits with a vengeance in this humor-filled novel as seventeen-year-old Max sets off to heal the broken hearts of girls across NYC and help them get over their ex-boyfriends. She does this through her non-profit company EX, INC with the help of her best friend Zach and Phoebe. As a high school dropout (with plans for college at NYU, where she also plans to build up her company into something bigger), Max has plenty of time to look after the healing hearts of her clients. What...more Contemporary romance hits with a vengeance in this humor-filled novel as seventeen-year-old Max sets off to heal the broken hearts of girls across NYC and help them get over their ex-boyfriends. She does this through her non-profit company EX, INC with the help of her best friend Zach and Phoebe. As a high school dropout (with plans for college at NYU, where she also plans to build up her company into something bigger), Max has plenty of time to look after the healing hearts of her clients. What she doesn't include in her plans is spying her ex in town--and to find out that she hasn't fully gotten over him. How is she to maintain her clients' trust if her methods haven't worked on herself?

The story is told in third-person present-tense, casting Bridget (Max's latest client), Taylor (Bridget's ex), Ben Cooper (who is crushing and Max and, unbeknownst to her, Taylor's best friend), and Max Scott herself (still getting over Hugo Tillman, but starting to notice Ben). With this cast of characters, you know there's going to be an abundance of drama. The third-person present-tense was hard to get into at first because I'm not used to it; however, it really works for this novel. I felt as though I was watching a play unfold, and that's precisely what this novel is: a play waiting to unfold, waiting for Max's therapy techniques to fail, so she can finally get over Hugo and get together with someone who's willing to go the distance with her.

There is humor in this book. The waterworks turn on at full blast when the girls wail over their exes, and it is hilarious the lengths that Max will take for her clients. Some not so legal (as in ruin-your-chances-of-going-to-college not-legal). I love the references to celebrity figures as well; they fit into context perfectly. Within this humor a message. Over You is about letting go of the past and moving on. It is about admitting your mistakes and taking the plunge forward.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Aug 19, 2012 Avi rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenage-crap, stupid, arc, books-i-own, boring, didn-t-like, unlikeable-heroine

I won this book recently in the Goodreads Giveaway and reading the summary I was actually really excited that I won.
After finishing reading it, I regret being so excited about a book that was so completely annoying, boring, and at times confusing.

The story mostly revolves around Max, a girl who is this like super Guru of broken hearts and how to get over them.
When she has only had one boyfriend ever, and also only had her heart broken once. Oh, and she's also 17, so she must be an expert on lov...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Getting over an ex or fresh from being dumped? This book is not for you. However, if you have a friend that is either of those things, this would be a great read for instructions on how to get them back on his or her feet.

High school drop-out (!) Max Scott is Wonder Woman. Not literally, but she is quite amazing. She's started her own business of helping girls get over their exes, and it actually works. I was inspired by the way she had two employees and was super organized with her clients. She...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love a story of girl sticking together through heart ache. At first, I wasn't real sure how this self-made heart break guru is going help others. As I read the through the story, the author painted a bigger picture that what I saw.

What I enjoyed most about this story is the guru herself, Max. After a heart-break she had come up with methods to help the grieving process as well as the self esteem. I loved this parts the most. It showed Max's compassionate side to helps others what she had been...more

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May 16, 2013 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After a devastating ending to a high school romance, Max has decided to dedicate her life to helping others get over their broken hearts and their exes. Along with her two best friends, Zach and Phoebe, Max runs Ex, Inc. with CIA spy-worthy skill. Using what she learned from receiving her own broken heart, Max takes girls through steps to moving on with their lives.

Things are going well. Max is helping girls, enjoying her work, and meeting new friends. She especially enjoys spending time with h...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Farah Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One thing I can say about this book is that, I LOVE the cover. Its extremely adorable, and at the bag of the book, you can see the same pictures, but the guy's face is scribbled on with a pink pen. CUTE! haha! Anyways, the main protagonist, Max, helps girls all over NYC to "get over" their ex boyfriends. Max finished her school, and is taking a one year break. In that period of time, she has established Ex, Inc. Along with her best friend Zach, and her other friend, Phoebe. Ex, Inc. has a suffic...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Deea (Andreea) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, galley2review, contemps

This was a fun, quick, chic read! It’s the kind of book you read by the pool, sipping a cool cocktail and daydreaming about cute boys, big cities, fancy fashion, parties and vacations... A perfect summer read! (after all the tragic, intense books I’ve read lately, I really needed something light and entertaining).

Told in 3rd person POV, Over You is a contemporary story about friendship, young love, relationships, break-ups, broken hearts and learning to move on.

I haven’t read many Young Adult bo...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 3rd-person-narrative, contemporary, female-protagonist, multiple-povs, real-life-issues, ya

First Impressions: I was kind of excited when Over You showed up at my home. I adored The Nanny Diaries and I’ve liked more and more contemporary novels that have debuted this year. I thought that the cover art was clever and the synopsis sounded interesting to me. I love books that are set in NYC since I spent quite a few years living there in my early twenties and I miss it so much sometimes. I basically had high hopes for this book and I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would love it.

Fir...more First Impressions: I was kind of excited when Over You showed up at my home. I adored The Nanny Diaries and I’ve liked more and more contemporary novels that have debuted this year. I thought that the cover art was clever and the synopsis sounded interesting to me. I love books that are set in NYC since I spent quite a few years living there in my early twenties and I miss it so much sometimes. I basically had high hopes for this book and I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would love it.

First 50 Pages: I should know better by now to not get my hopes up. It seems like a lot of the books that I’m super excited for, I end up disliking. Now, I didn’t hate this book. I had moments where I loved it, but I also had moments where I wanted to throw it across my room and hope that my dog decided to eat it. I know, it’s harsh, but it is true.

It all boils down to narrative and the character’s voices, which I didn’t like at all. It’s the first thing that I noticed about the book that I just couldn’t enjoy as much as I tried to. Over You is told from the third person point of view from multiple characters. There are points where the narrative becomes jumbled and I had a difficult time trying to figure out who was speaking. It made me feel extremely disconnected from the characters, especially from Max, and I think the strange narratives set the tone for the whole book. I trudged through it though in hopes that I could find some redeeming qualities, which I did, but I also found other things that really bothered me.

Characters & Plot: As far as the plot goes, it is pretty simple. Over You tells the story of Max, a seventeen year old girl who has moved all around the country with her journalist mother. Eventually, Max’s mom decides that it is time that Max has a stable home and so she sends her to NYC. Max has her own house and plenty of money to throw around. She has had her heart broken by Hugo in the last city that she lived in, but she thinks she is over him. In the meantime, Max decides that she wants to help all of the girls who have had their hearts broken and she sets up a business called Ex, Inc. along with the help of two friends, Zach and Phoebe. Everything seems to be going okay until Max’s ex shows up in town and Max finds it difficult to take her own advice that she has been giving out to her clients.

Does all of this seem believable to you? If you said no, I’m right there with you. First, Max is only seventeen years old, living in NYC, and is a high school dropout with plans to try to get into NYU, her college of choice. Her business is not for profit, yet she is able to afford living in NYC. Now, let me enlighten you about living in NYC. I lived in Queens and I had a one-bedroom apartment that was super tiny and I paid $1,200 every month to live there. Max lives in Manhattan where the cost of living is tripled, even for a smaller place then what I had. My best friend was wealthy who lived in a penthouse suite her parents supplied for her that cost thousands of dollars every month. Now, Max does receive donations from her clients, but it’s never really disclosed how much. Most of her clients are wealthy, so I guess it is possible that she can afford her living expenses.

Which brings me to another thing that bothered me about this book: Max steals. She doesn’t consider it stealing (she calls it “borrowing”) but it’s definitely stealing. She steals designer clothing that costs hundreds of dollars. So, she can afford a nice house in Manhattan, but she can’t afford to buy the clothes that she wants?

Final Thoughts: Now, there were some things I said that I liked about this book. I liked the humor that was involved and a lot of the dialogue was witty and funny. I liked the absurd things that Max would go through just to please her clients and I liked how Max eventually learned to get over her ex and take her own advice. This book is all about girl power, vengeance, and moving on.

Unfortunately for me, the bad outweighed the good. I ended up being very disappointed. This is the sort of story that you have to suspend logic in order to enjoy. It probably didn’t help that I know what it is like (and how expensive it is) living in the Big Apple first-hand. I do think that teens will enjoy this book. It was a cute story, I’ll give it that. But it just wasn’t for me as much as I wanted it to be.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was excited to read this book because it is by the same authors as The Nanny Diaries, and I enjoyed those books. Unfortunately, this fell a little on the blah side for me.

I felt like a lot of this book was corny and immature. There were just a lot of times I rolled my eyes. There was something about the writing and the dialouge that just left me wishing it were different. And I had a problem with the fact that Max's mom was perfectly okay with her dropping out of high school, getting her GED a...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Book Twirps rated it 3 of 5 stars

After a devastating breakup, Max decides to start her own company (Ex, Inc.) to help girls in need get over their ex-boyfriends. She knows how it feels to hit rock bottom, and decides no one should have to go through the devastation of losing their boyfriend alone. Max is good at what she does, and will go to no end to help her clients. But, when she runs into the guy who broke her heart, Max is surprised to find she still isn’t over him. How can her clients ever fully trust her if her “fool pro...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Is this the type of book that I usually read? NO
Did I enjoy it? MORE THAN YES
So here is the review:

So, let me start off by saying that I felt so many emotions during this book I laughed my ass off, got sad, got REALLY angry at Max, and overall just had a fantastic time.

Max is a girl who has started a business called Ex Inc. to help girls get over their ex-boyfriends, she runs this business with her two best friends Zach and Pheobe. Max started this business because her ex-boyfriend Hugo “dumped”...more Is this the type of book that I usually read? NO
Did I enjoy it? MORE THAN YES
So here is the review:

So, let me start off by saying that I felt so many emotions during this book I laughed my ass off, got sad, got REALLY angry at Max, and overall just had a fantastic time.

Max is a girl who has started a business called Ex Inc. to help girls get over their ex-boyfriends, she runs this business with her two best friends Zach and Pheobe. Max started this business because her ex-boyfriend Hugo “dumped” her… well sort of not really. You’ll understand when you read. So Max’s business is runny smoothly and is working like magic until she tries the system with Bridget. Bridget and her boyfriend have been friends since they were born; they live next door, and did EVERYTHING together. But as Max says… she likes a challenge. OH BOY, a challenge this is.

Max’s mom just happens to be out one day and Ben Cooper the delivery guy for Cooper Baby brings by a crib to put together and when him and Max see each other it’s INSTANT sparks! Ben is so freaking adorable… *SIGH* I wish there were more guys like him around. He is a subtle flirter which I love because he’s not TOO forward… and I know for a fact that Max likes it too!

Max runs into a BIG major problem when she runs into her ex-boyfriend Hugo… because she hasn’t gotten over him yet. When her friends find out they try to help her but Max doesn’t want to admit her weakness to them so she acts as if nothing is wrong and gets herself into trouble because of her pride. I could TOTALLY relate to Max though I mean if I ran a major business helping girls get over their exes and I hadn’t gotten over mine yet… I DEFINITELY wouldn’t want to talk about it.

For this book I’ll say it gets worse before it gets better and you WILL feel like shaking some sense into Max because (OH MAN I can’t tell you). Just read it and find out.. you have to find out if she ends up with Ben or not! So glad I gave this book a chance.

Book provided by Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours, in exchange for an honest review.
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Jul 17, 2012 Eileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary, ebook, edelweiss, owned, romance, young-adult

Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

When I initially started Over You, it sounded like such a sweet contemporary read. However, when I turned the first page, I immediately felt disconnected to Max. Literally, there were no...thoughts or emotions. Max is a cool character, calm and collected, but it wouldn't hurt to show us her emotions once in a while. I felt like it was impossible to connect to Max and her life, where she's gotten her GED, is 17-years-old, lives...more Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

When I initially started Over You, it sounded like such a sweet contemporary read. However, when I turned the first page, I immediately felt disconnected to Max. Literally, there were no...thoughts or emotions. Max is a cool character, calm and collected, but it wouldn't hurt to show us her emotions once in a while. I felt like it was impossible to connect to Max and her life, where she's gotten her GED, is 17-years-old, lives in her own house, and helping girls from break-ups using this fool-proof program. And not to mention, her services are free. Max does all of this for free but each program needs a piñata, each program needs boxing sessions, each program needs a Moment where that said girl realizes she doesn't need the guy. At first, it felt so unrealistic because where was she getting all that money to do all that stuff? It still feels unrealistic.

However, after I got over that, I really came to appreciate how the story was told in multiple point of views. Max was the hardest to relate to, but I loved Ben and how sweet he was. Ben was the love interest, and a genuinely likable character; he really was. I pretty much loved every character in Over You except for Max and Max's ex, Hugo, who comes back into Max's life in Over You. Every character had some relatable quality that I really admired, but some weren't even discussed. That got me distracted because I was asking questions about who the characters were. Phoebe, Max's assistant, was just that: an assistant. I wanted to know Phoebe more, who she really was, but I didn't get that. At all.

Although the idea of Ex, Inc. is really unrealistic to me, I really did love the idea. Bridget, who was the current heartbreak that Max was healing, was a really strong character and I probably liked her the best. She had this fiery energy about her that I loved and Bridget in the end kind of helped Max out with her problems. Bridget trusted Max, a lot, and she seemed to want to believe her. I thought Bridget helped Max way more than Max ever helped Bridget because Bridget knew about heartbreak. She had been there very recently and when Max had to deal with it again, Bridget was there to pick up the pieces.

To why I really hated Over You, I hated Max sometimes. She was a huge hypocrite in my mind, and she was so naïve. She could never listen to her own advice at all. Max would tell Bridget that she had to take a shower, go to sleep, get rid of his belongings, etc. etc. But then, when she sees her ex again, Hugo, she starts crying and hugging old belongings of his that she still has. Why can't she just get her head screwed on straight, take a shower, eat a sleeping pill, and pack his stuff up in a box? She didn't do that. She sat on her bed. And she cried. Bawled, actually. I was honestly really appalled by Max's reaction to seeing her ex again.

I would recommend Over You to people who do really love fluffy contemporary romances, because I like my contemporaries darker and grittier, so maybe that's why I didn't like Over You.

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About Emma McLaughlin

My partner, Nicki, and I have been writing together for 12 years. We're obsessed by what makes a satisfying story. I'm excited to hear from our readers what does it for them -- and what doesn't. As a working mom, the only book time I manage to steal these days is right before bed. I'm not the girl who can watch SVU and go to sleep with a smile. Ruling out kids/the economy/the world in peril as sub...more

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“To all the guys who broke our hearts - we wouldn't appreciate what we have today without you.” — 8 people liked it

“I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than being hurt myself.” — 8 people liked it

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