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Shady Cove: New Girl in Town
(New Adult Romance) Can a big city girl go country? Jenna’s life grinds to a halt after her brother’s suicide. With her college funds non-existent and her future plans put on hold, she’s forced to relocate to a sleepy town. Just when her entire world is crumbling, she meets Benji Preston, a local guy she doesn't expect to fall for. He's not even her type! A harmless flirtation quickly escalates into something more. The only catch? He’s the same guy her cousin has been harboring a crush on for ages. With tongues wagging and jealousy dogging her every step, Jenna has to decide what's more important; her heart or her family ties?
ebook
First published May 16, 2013
86 people want to read
About the author
Ava Catori
88 books105 followersI have a passion for storytelling. I write in a conversational tone that is often described as fun and easy. I love my characters to be easy to identify with and feel down to earth. Most of my characters have a girl-next-door feel.
This Jersey girl is happily married to a patient man who has the ability to sustain long hours of rambling thoughts spilling from me non-stop. With the company of my two dogs, I set my writing schedule around their inability to coordinate their potty breaks. :)
This Jersey girl is happily married to a patient man who has the ability to sustain long hours of rambling thoughts spilling from me non-stop. With the company of my two dogs, I set my writing schedule around their inability to coordinate their potty breaks. :)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 19, 2015
*Arc provided kindly through Netgalley*
After reading a few reviews about that book, I knew it probably wouldn't be one of my favourite books. But I try it anyway because I wanted to see by myself and also because it wasn't a long story where you can't find the end of it (even if I wanted to finish it faster so that I could be done with it once and for all).
So this book is about a girl, Jenna, who's been thrown away by her parents for the summer in the little town where her aunt and uncle are living with their daughter. She meets a country boy, Benji, her cousin's crush. She's not attracted to him at first but they fall in love anyway, but they have different dreams and futures...etcetera.
During all the book, she's going through rough parts of her life (her brother's suicide and then ) It was too much and sometimes it felt like the author was trying to find something to add so that the reader keep being interest.
I didn't really like the characters neither. Jenna and Benji felt like they were younger than their age. I didn't feel the sparks and chemistry often between them (the sex was boring) but they were nice together and I could see them have an ever happy ending (don't think it's all bad). Unfortunately, it wasn't much better for the others characters (Jenna's cousin, Peach (Benji's ex-girlfriend), Jenna's father...). Some of them were just unnerving and annoying.
You could also be lost easily with the switch of different points of view without any warnings. It was disturbing for me, not that I didn't understand but mostly because I like better when a book only has one or two points of view. Here, there were too much and not quite well organized.
The story in general was a good idea, but it could have been better. I really wanted to love it though.
After reading a few reviews about that book, I knew it probably wouldn't be one of my favourite books. But I try it anyway because I wanted to see by myself and also because it wasn't a long story where you can't find the end of it (even if I wanted to finish it faster so that I could be done with it once and for all).
So this book is about a girl, Jenna, who's been thrown away by her parents for the summer in the little town where her aunt and uncle are living with their daughter. She meets a country boy, Benji, her cousin's crush. She's not attracted to him at first but they fall in love anyway, but they have different dreams and futures...etcetera.
During all the book, she's going through rough parts of her life (her brother's suicide and then ) It was too much and sometimes it felt like the author was trying to find something to add so that the reader keep being interest.
I didn't really like the characters neither. Jenna and Benji felt like they were younger than their age. I didn't feel the sparks and chemistry often between them (the sex was boring) but they were nice together and I could see them have an ever happy ending (don't think it's all bad). Unfortunately, it wasn't much better for the others characters (Jenna's cousin, Peach (Benji's ex-girlfriend), Jenna's father...). Some of them were just unnerving and annoying.
You could also be lost easily with the switch of different points of view without any warnings. It was disturbing for me, not that I didn't understand but mostly because I like better when a book only has one or two points of view. Here, there were too much and not quite well organized.
The story in general was a good idea, but it could have been better. I really wanted to love it though.
Read
November 29, 2025After Jenna’s brother commits suicide, Jenna’s parent ship her off to her mother’s sister’s home. At 17, she was about to embark on her college life but now without money for college, which was spent on her brother's funeral, her future is undecided.
Jenna meets the local “hunk” Benji Preston at a lake party in her aunt's town, Shady Cove. Benji takes an instant interest in Jenna which cause major conflict with her cousin...her cousin has held a crush on Benji forever.
I did find Jenna's aunt and uncle generous and kind hearted. But...
This book wasn’t for me, after 60% I still had no attachment to the characters or any investment the story so I DNF.
This ARC copy of Shady Cove: New Girl in Town was given to me by Ava Catori Books in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication June 19, 2013.
Jenna meets the local “hunk” Benji Preston at a lake party in her aunt's town, Shady Cove. Benji takes an instant interest in Jenna which cause major conflict with her cousin...her cousin has held a crush on Benji forever.
I did find Jenna's aunt and uncle generous and kind hearted. But...
This book wasn’t for me, after 60% I still had no attachment to the characters or any investment the story so I DNF.
This ARC copy of Shady Cove: New Girl in Town was given to me by Ava Catori Books in exchange for an honest review. This book is set for publication June 19, 2013.
June 9, 2013
Argh! I hate giving bad reviews but this book was all over the place with multiple POV's and it felt like it was flipping back and forth between 1st and 3rd person which was causing my brain to swirl. I felt the book and dialogue awkward. The book was a quick read that I liked but the budding relationship between Jenna & Benji happened way to fast that it was hard to fully commit to them and then all the other players felt thrown in and made for some of the awkwardness. It was like the author wanted to many things to move forward that it felt jumbled in the end. It had sweet elements in it and it had potential to be more with its concept and storyline but fell flat. :(
November 14, 2014
After the loss of her brother, Jenna Birch finds herself being sent halfway across the country to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin.
With no college funds, no boyfriend, and the growing estrangement between her and her parents, Jenna feels her world crumbling around her.
Feeling bitter over her new circumstances, Jenna goes through many mixed feelings: of abandonment, despair, and feeling lost and out of place.
“It’s just,” she hesitated again, “I’m still alive, and Mom and Dad didn’t seem to notice. I’m hurting too, Derek was my brother. It’s like I stopped existing. And what about school, now that my plans are ruined, how will I afford college?”
She later peaks the interest of local boy Benji Preston and although she might not have been interested in him at first like he with her……
"This Benji guy that Grace [Jenna's cousin] was drooling over did nothing for her. He was probably the kind of guy that that took a second and third glance when he passed a mirror and believed all the lies he told himself, by the way he came into the parking lot like he owned it. Smiling, waving like he had fans, he strutted like a damn peacock making sure everyone saw him before finally making it their way." lol
BENJI OF COURSE, grows on her and the two fall in love.
*Now throw in Benji's annoying ex gf and a pesky cousin who harbors a long time crush on Benji and you got some drama. Haha.*
…………………
“Shady Cove” is simply about love, forgiveness, learning to heal, and finding yourself.
Although the story seemed like a typical New Adult kind of book, I did appreciated Catori’s push to not make Jenna some kind of fumbling weak character who puts aside her aspirations just for love. Instead, Jenna strives to make her dreams happen while also inspiring her cousin Grace and Benji to put into perspective of what they want too in life.
I also liked the “raw characterization” that I felt from Jenna. I too, lost my brother to suicide in November and a lot of the pent up feelings and emotions she goes through I could relate to in many ways. Coping with death is a sensitive topic and expressing it into words even for me is really hard to do so I commend Catori for doing so and in a delicate and realistic manner. :)
*Shady Cove: New Girl in Town” ARC was provided to me via Ava Catori Books on NetGallery for an honest review.*
“Sometimes when you struggle and have to work for something, it helps you appreciate it more.”
With no college funds, no boyfriend, and the growing estrangement between her and her parents, Jenna feels her world crumbling around her.
Feeling bitter over her new circumstances, Jenna goes through many mixed feelings: of abandonment, despair, and feeling lost and out of place.
“It’s just,” she hesitated again, “I’m still alive, and Mom and Dad didn’t seem to notice. I’m hurting too, Derek was my brother. It’s like I stopped existing. And what about school, now that my plans are ruined, how will I afford college?”
She later peaks the interest of local boy Benji Preston and although she might not have been interested in him at first like he with her……
"This Benji guy that Grace [Jenna's cousin] was drooling over did nothing for her. He was probably the kind of guy that that took a second and third glance when he passed a mirror and believed all the lies he told himself, by the way he came into the parking lot like he owned it. Smiling, waving like he had fans, he strutted like a damn peacock making sure everyone saw him before finally making it their way." lol
BENJI OF COURSE, grows on her and the two fall in love.
*Now throw in Benji's annoying ex gf and a pesky cousin who harbors a long time crush on Benji and you got some drama. Haha.*
…………………
“Shady Cove” is simply about love, forgiveness, learning to heal, and finding yourself.
Although the story seemed like a typical New Adult kind of book, I did appreciated Catori’s push to not make Jenna some kind of fumbling weak character who puts aside her aspirations just for love. Instead, Jenna strives to make her dreams happen while also inspiring her cousin Grace and Benji to put into perspective of what they want too in life.
I also liked the “raw characterization” that I felt from Jenna. I too, lost my brother to suicide in November and a lot of the pent up feelings and emotions she goes through I could relate to in many ways. Coping with death is a sensitive topic and expressing it into words even for me is really hard to do so I commend Catori for doing so and in a delicate and realistic manner. :)
*Shady Cove: New Girl in Town” ARC was provided to me via Ava Catori Books on NetGallery for an honest review.*
“Sometimes when you struggle and have to work for something, it helps you appreciate it more.”
June 28, 2013
*title given by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*
"A country boy will come up on you all sweet like honey, smooth and charming, and before you know it, he's a cobra wrapped between your thighs."
Jenna Birch has been shipped off to Shady Cove, North Carolina. After her brother's death, her parents just couldn't deal so she was uprooted from everything she knew in California and sent to spend the summer with her aunt on the other side of the country. Not knowing what to expect in a sleepy little town, Jenna's attitude was less than stellar.
Upon arrival, she meets her cousin, Grace (who is also not thrilled about her visit) whom she is to share a room with. Because Grace is forced to hang with Jenna (even if Jenna is content to stay holed-up inside all summer), she decides to take her to party...
Meeting people is not something Jenna really likes to do. Naturally shy and silently judging everyone around her for being simple little hicks, Jenna is introduced to just about everyone...but not by Grace. Local boy, Benji Preston, has set his sights on Jenna. Even though Grace is head-over-heels and Jenna is definitely not interested in anything romantic, Benji is a nice guy. Soon, Jenna realizes she looks forward to spending time with him more and more.
"This sleepy little town had captured her attention, or at least a particular boy who lived in the sleepy little town had. Benji Preston had Jenna questioning her future plans, and going back to California."
Everyone has baggage, I get it. I even understand the message that was being conveyed. What I didn't get about this book is how it was written in both first and third person...or at least read that way for me. It felt very choppy and the dialog was very confusing at times. The story-line was good, and even a little sad, but the execution was lacking. I didn't hate it and I did finish it (because lets face it, I still wanted to know how it ended), but I was disappointed. I felt like it was a little juvenile in text and format, with the way things were worded (and repeated...often). I would not recommend this title, but I do want to see if anything more comes from this author. She has potential to be very good, maybe even great, but this is not one of those books.
**2.5 Sleepy-little stars**
"A country boy will come up on you all sweet like honey, smooth and charming, and before you know it, he's a cobra wrapped between your thighs."
Jenna Birch has been shipped off to Shady Cove, North Carolina. After her brother's death, her parents just couldn't deal so she was uprooted from everything she knew in California and sent to spend the summer with her aunt on the other side of the country. Not knowing what to expect in a sleepy little town, Jenna's attitude was less than stellar.
Upon arrival, she meets her cousin, Grace (who is also not thrilled about her visit) whom she is to share a room with. Because Grace is forced to hang with Jenna (even if Jenna is content to stay holed-up inside all summer), she decides to take her to party...
Meeting people is not something Jenna really likes to do. Naturally shy and silently judging everyone around her for being simple little hicks, Jenna is introduced to just about everyone...but not by Grace. Local boy, Benji Preston, has set his sights on Jenna. Even though Grace is head-over-heels and Jenna is definitely not interested in anything romantic, Benji is a nice guy. Soon, Jenna realizes she looks forward to spending time with him more and more.
"This sleepy little town had captured her attention, or at least a particular boy who lived in the sleepy little town had. Benji Preston had Jenna questioning her future plans, and going back to California."
Everyone has baggage, I get it. I even understand the message that was being conveyed. What I didn't get about this book is how it was written in both first and third person...or at least read that way for me. It felt very choppy and the dialog was very confusing at times. The story-line was good, and even a little sad, but the execution was lacking. I didn't hate it and I did finish it (because lets face it, I still wanted to know how it ended), but I was disappointed. I felt like it was a little juvenile in text and format, with the way things were worded (and repeated...often). I would not recommend this title, but I do want to see if anything more comes from this author. She has potential to be very good, maybe even great, but this is not one of those books.
**2.5 Sleepy-little stars**
June 27, 2013
I wanted to like "Shady Cove: New Girl in Town" so much more than what it provided. Even from the premise alone, it has a strong enough grounding to show how Jenna copes with the aftermath of her brother's suicide and moving to the town that her mother wanted to get away from so badly. It feels like a decent coming of age story, but the style of the narrative doesn't support the depth of what it's trying to convey.
I think the main problems with the narrative are on the level of telling the character's sentiments and circumstances versus showing. It felt like a summary of events in the narrative versus a more organic unfolding of emotional resonances and coming to terms. The narrative itself is brief - my galley was only 80 pages, but it was a slow burn to really grasp onto the events of the narrative because while the ideas were there, the execution didn't completely grab hold of me to connect with the characters, especially Jenna.
There's another problem in the narrative here with the "head-hopping" or transitions to other character's POV sets without distinction or smoothness. On one hand, I didn't know whether this book wanted to be third-person limited or omninescent, though it seemed like it was going for the latter alongside elements of the former. If it'd stuck to one style distinctly, then I think it would've been a smoother read for me.
From the way the narrative's written and the thematics it touches on, this seems like a mature YA story, possibly NA (only because of several mature sex scenes that are in the middle and towards the end of the narrative, but that came across in awkward spells and without much narrative intimacy). I definitely liked the idea and the directive the story purported to go, but it just didn't click with me for some of its respective issues, and I wish it'd focused more on developing and shaping the characters, the narrative style, and bringing more to the table than just the romance and/or sex.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
I think the main problems with the narrative are on the level of telling the character's sentiments and circumstances versus showing. It felt like a summary of events in the narrative versus a more organic unfolding of emotional resonances and coming to terms. The narrative itself is brief - my galley was only 80 pages, but it was a slow burn to really grasp onto the events of the narrative because while the ideas were there, the execution didn't completely grab hold of me to connect with the characters, especially Jenna.
There's another problem in the narrative here with the "head-hopping" or transitions to other character's POV sets without distinction or smoothness. On one hand, I didn't know whether this book wanted to be third-person limited or omninescent, though it seemed like it was going for the latter alongside elements of the former. If it'd stuck to one style distinctly, then I think it would've been a smoother read for me.
From the way the narrative's written and the thematics it touches on, this seems like a mature YA story, possibly NA (only because of several mature sex scenes that are in the middle and towards the end of the narrative, but that came across in awkward spells and without much narrative intimacy). I definitely liked the idea and the directive the story purported to go, but it just didn't click with me for some of its respective issues, and I wish it'd focused more on developing and shaping the characters, the narrative style, and bringing more to the table than just the romance and/or sex.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.
January 24, 2021
Interesting concept, but not executed to its full potential.
1. The main characters weren’t all that interesting to begin with. Nothing about them stood out for me (unless you count the many ways Jenna’s life falls apart!)
2. No chemistry whatsoever between Jenna and Benji. But even worst, I couldn’t really identify a connection between them. Maybe with more candid moments shared, I could’ve gotten a glimpse of it.
3. Undeveloped secondary characters that drag the story instead of moving it along.
4. Way too many POVs. When you have that many voices adding to the story-telling, you need clear transitions so that the reader can follow along nicely without wondering who is saying/thinking what.
Overall, not the book for me. I did like the concept of a young woman overcoming the different obstacles life throws at her and finding comfort in a nice country boy, but the concept lacked in execution.
1. The main characters weren’t all that interesting to begin with. Nothing about them stood out for me (unless you count the many ways Jenna’s life falls apart!)
2. No chemistry whatsoever between Jenna and Benji. But even worst, I couldn’t really identify a connection between them. Maybe with more candid moments shared, I could’ve gotten a glimpse of it.
3. Undeveloped secondary characters that drag the story instead of moving it along.
4. Way too many POVs. When you have that many voices adding to the story-telling, you need clear transitions so that the reader can follow along nicely without wondering who is saying/thinking what.
Overall, not the book for me. I did like the concept of a young woman overcoming the different obstacles life throws at her and finding comfort in a nice country boy, but the concept lacked in execution.
July 4, 2015
An eARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley. But this has in no way influenced my review.
After reading the blurb of Shady Cove: New Girl in Town, I had such high expectations for the book and I really thought it’d be one of my new favorite contemporary romance novels. Too bad it didn’t turn out to be as good as I hoped it to be.
After Jenna’s brother committed suicide, she finds herself adjusting to the new life in the small, nowhere town of Shady Cove. There she’ll have to share a room with a cousin she barely knew, share the same roof with her relatives who seem to judge her every movement, meet a guy, fall in love unexpectedly and find out that life isn’t all about the “big” things. Sometimes it takes a small, simple town and a guy to make you realize that everything – good or bad – eventually passes and that sometimes it’s nice to hold on to the one thing that makes you feel loved and all of it worth it.
One of the first things that kind of put me off about the book is Jenna. She came off a bit self-absorbed at the beginning and she can’t stop complaining about how she’s left to fend for herself and that everyone else abandoned her. Her brother just committed suicide and I didn’t feel the supposed grief she’s feeling. And see, that’s the second complaint I have about the book. I didn’t feel in any way connected to any of the characters. I didn’t feel any of the emotions they say are there. I find it very hard to relate to them. And I think that one of the things that a book should make you feel for it to be very good is to draw you in – to make you feel attached. It should somehow stir up emotions and make you feel for the characters and get you involved in the story. And I felt like this book lacked that. Maybe this has to something to do with how the book was written in third person. Sometimes very few books can pull this off because it’s really hard to relate with the characters when you aren’t privy to their personal thoughts and feelings. Also the transition between them was kind of confusing and irregular.
Lastly, the book felt rushed. There was so much going on that I felt like it was all crammed up and written in fast-forward. I liked the plot of the book but I think it could have been better. It lacked emotions and depth and vividness. It lacked the “voice” of telling a good story.
What I liked about the book however are the characters. Most especially Jenna’s aunt. She has character and she can be very unpredictable. She can be fun and surprisingly humorous. I love how she can be very adult and tell you that you’re doing a sucky job of being a teenager but at the same time she has this soft side that would tell you that everything is going to be fine.
Also, with books like this, I just can’t help but finish reading them. I just have to know how the ending would go and what choices the characters would make. And in this book’s case, it wasn’t at all surprising that Jenna made the choice she did. I’m so glad that at the end, she finally stood up to what she really wants and decided to do what she always wanted although not exactly in the way she planned.
I also liked that the characters realized their own faults at the end and had their own happy ending even if it is far from being perfect.
The book had its own twists but wasn’t written in a way that would make you feel shocked or the least bit caught off guard. It just felt like it just needed to be out there and was thrown without much thought.
Shady Cove: New Girl in Town could have been a really good book. It has the story and the characters but it needs personality, depth and heartfelt emotions. It started out slow and dull and it just went downhill from there. I just know this book could have given us more.
After reading the blurb of Shady Cove: New Girl in Town, I had such high expectations for the book and I really thought it’d be one of my new favorite contemporary romance novels. Too bad it didn’t turn out to be as good as I hoped it to be.
After Jenna’s brother committed suicide, she finds herself adjusting to the new life in the small, nowhere town of Shady Cove. There she’ll have to share a room with a cousin she barely knew, share the same roof with her relatives who seem to judge her every movement, meet a guy, fall in love unexpectedly and find out that life isn’t all about the “big” things. Sometimes it takes a small, simple town and a guy to make you realize that everything – good or bad – eventually passes and that sometimes it’s nice to hold on to the one thing that makes you feel loved and all of it worth it.
One of the first things that kind of put me off about the book is Jenna. She came off a bit self-absorbed at the beginning and she can’t stop complaining about how she’s left to fend for herself and that everyone else abandoned her. Her brother just committed suicide and I didn’t feel the supposed grief she’s feeling. And see, that’s the second complaint I have about the book. I didn’t feel in any way connected to any of the characters. I didn’t feel any of the emotions they say are there. I find it very hard to relate to them. And I think that one of the things that a book should make you feel for it to be very good is to draw you in – to make you feel attached. It should somehow stir up emotions and make you feel for the characters and get you involved in the story. And I felt like this book lacked that. Maybe this has to something to do with how the book was written in third person. Sometimes very few books can pull this off because it’s really hard to relate with the characters when you aren’t privy to their personal thoughts and feelings. Also the transition between them was kind of confusing and irregular.
Lastly, the book felt rushed. There was so much going on that I felt like it was all crammed up and written in fast-forward. I liked the plot of the book but I think it could have been better. It lacked emotions and depth and vividness. It lacked the “voice” of telling a good story.
What I liked about the book however are the characters. Most especially Jenna’s aunt. She has character and she can be very unpredictable. She can be fun and surprisingly humorous. I love how she can be very adult and tell you that you’re doing a sucky job of being a teenager but at the same time she has this soft side that would tell you that everything is going to be fine.
Also, with books like this, I just can’t help but finish reading them. I just have to know how the ending would go and what choices the characters would make. And in this book’s case, it wasn’t at all surprising that Jenna made the choice she did. I’m so glad that at the end, she finally stood up to what she really wants and decided to do what she always wanted although not exactly in the way she planned.
I also liked that the characters realized their own faults at the end and had their own happy ending even if it is far from being perfect.
The book had its own twists but wasn’t written in a way that would make you feel shocked or the least bit caught off guard. It just felt like it just needed to be out there and was thrown without much thought.
Shady Cove: New Girl in Town could have been a really good book. It has the story and the characters but it needs personality, depth and heartfelt emotions. It started out slow and dull and it just went downhill from there. I just know this book could have given us more.
June 24, 2013
Shady Cove: New Girl in Town
By: Ava Catori
This ARC was given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 2. 5 stars.....
Jenna's materialistic and fun life came to an end the day her parents shipped her off from LA to small town, Shady Cove, NC. Her life changed drastically the day her brother took his life. Her mother does not know how to leave her bed and her father is not around for her to help go through her own emotions after the loss of her brother. Her parents no longer have the money to send her to college and now that she has graduated high school, they send her to live with her Aunt Bea, Uncle, and cousin in Shady Gove. Jenna's plan is to stay with them until she turns 18 and earn as much money as possible, so she can work her way through college. Little does she know that the country boy, Benji, and some more tragic losses in her life will put some bumps in the road ahead of her.
Grace is her 18 year old cousin that is forced to share a room with her drop-dead beautiful cousin, Jenna. She loves her small town and only wants to marry the man of her dreams (Benji), have children, and raise them as a stay at home mom. Grace is anything but happy when she realizes Benji has eyes for Jenna and has no interest of ever dating her. She has to find a way to share her bedroom, family, and her crush.
Benji is the kindest most giving person in the town of Shady Cove. His longtime girlfriend (Peaches, yes, I said Peaches) has broken off their relationship for a third time. Little does she know, that Jenna is about to enter Benji's life and heart. He has his own secrets that keep him from dreaming of what his life could be if he ever got the chance to leave his family business, family, and Shady Cove. He is willing to do just about anything to keep Jenna and her dreams in his life forever.
This was my first Ava Catori book and she wrote a sweet romance book. It had different POVs throughout the book and it was difficult at times to keep up with who was telling the story at times. It had some interesting twists and a strong plot.
By: Ava Catori
This ARC was given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 2. 5 stars.....
Jenna's materialistic and fun life came to an end the day her parents shipped her off from LA to small town, Shady Cove, NC. Her life changed drastically the day her brother took his life. Her mother does not know how to leave her bed and her father is not around for her to help go through her own emotions after the loss of her brother. Her parents no longer have the money to send her to college and now that she has graduated high school, they send her to live with her Aunt Bea, Uncle, and cousin in Shady Gove. Jenna's plan is to stay with them until she turns 18 and earn as much money as possible, so she can work her way through college. Little does she know that the country boy, Benji, and some more tragic losses in her life will put some bumps in the road ahead of her.
Grace is her 18 year old cousin that is forced to share a room with her drop-dead beautiful cousin, Jenna. She loves her small town and only wants to marry the man of her dreams (Benji), have children, and raise them as a stay at home mom. Grace is anything but happy when she realizes Benji has eyes for Jenna and has no interest of ever dating her. She has to find a way to share her bedroom, family, and her crush.
Benji is the kindest most giving person in the town of Shady Cove. His longtime girlfriend (Peaches, yes, I said Peaches) has broken off their relationship for a third time. Little does she know, that Jenna is about to enter Benji's life and heart. He has his own secrets that keep him from dreaming of what his life could be if he ever got the chance to leave his family business, family, and Shady Cove. He is willing to do just about anything to keep Jenna and her dreams in his life forever.
This was my first Ava Catori book and she wrote a sweet romance book. It had different POVs throughout the book and it was difficult at times to keep up with who was telling the story at times. It had some interesting twists and a strong plot.
May 9, 2013
I was really excited to read this book. the description of the book really intrigued me. In the first chapter, I was really lost and a little confused . The author seemed to jumped and rush things and it was hard to connect to the characters. They just really had no depth and were kind of sloppily put together.
For example Jenna's brother has committed suicide and this changed her life.
You are not given any insight into the event. It just sort of seems glossed over. We have no idea what Jenna's relationship with her brother was like. There was no real connection to the brother at all, Just "oh boy, his death ruined my life". There really was now real grief from Jenna. That I found to be really odd.
Next thing you know, she is sent to Shady Cove to stay with her Aunt and family. While there, she meets this boy who, all sudden, they can't stay away from each other and start to fall in love.
A jealous cousin who Jenna really start to feel close to stabs her in the back. Again this is just glossed over and Jenna magical forgives her.
Now for Benji, I wanted to like him but I just found him lacking. Here is the thing he supposedly loves Jenna, but when he realizes that Jenna is only there for the summer he goes back to his old girlfriend because she is staying town and is a safer bet. Then when Jenna comes home from the suicide of her mom, Again, No real connection made. The first time he sees her, He tells her he still loves his old girlfriend and him and Jenna won't work out.
Now get this Jenna then tells Benji she is staying and all sudden, he loves her and wants to be with her. He kicks his old girlfriend to curb and all is well. Really?!? What a scum-bucket!!!
Really all the characters in this book, from the main Characters to the secondary Characters are extremely immature and selfish. This was one of the few books I had trouble finishing.
I would not recommend this book but I would love to give the author another try and read another book
For example Jenna's brother has committed suicide and this changed her life.
You are not given any insight into the event. It just sort of seems glossed over. We have no idea what Jenna's relationship with her brother was like. There was no real connection to the brother at all, Just "oh boy, his death ruined my life". There really was now real grief from Jenna. That I found to be really odd.
Next thing you know, she is sent to Shady Cove to stay with her Aunt and family. While there, she meets this boy who, all sudden, they can't stay away from each other and start to fall in love.
A jealous cousin who Jenna really start to feel close to stabs her in the back. Again this is just glossed over and Jenna magical forgives her.
Now for Benji, I wanted to like him but I just found him lacking. Here is the thing he supposedly loves Jenna, but when he realizes that Jenna is only there for the summer he goes back to his old girlfriend because she is staying town and is a safer bet. Then when Jenna comes home from the suicide of her mom, Again, No real connection made. The first time he sees her, He tells her he still loves his old girlfriend and him and Jenna won't work out.
Now get this Jenna then tells Benji she is staying and all sudden, he loves her and wants to be with her. He kicks his old girlfriend to curb and all is well. Really?!? What a scum-bucket!!!
Really all the characters in this book, from the main Characters to the secondary Characters are extremely immature and selfish. This was one of the few books I had trouble finishing.
I would not recommend this book but I would love to give the author another try and read another book
May 13, 2013
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I really liked the first few pages of this book. I could picture it in my head like a movie…a girl being sent to spend the summer in a small town with her aunt. Her parents grieving the loss of her brother, needing time to get it their life’s together. The girl, traveling by bus, having tons of time to reflect and feeling raw, vulnerable and lonely. Showing up in a small town, one that’s so much different from Los Angeles. Meeting family that she hasn’t seen in years, being out of her element.
And that’s about where the movie ended for me. As soon as Jenna arrived in Shady Cove and you met the other characters, the POV changed constantly and without any warning. One sentence you’d be hearing Jenna’s thoughts, and the next the thoughts of her cousin. I felt like I could hardly keep up.
Then…Jenna meets Benji. Benji likes Jenna. Jenna’s cousin has liked Benji for forever. Benji and Jenna get together. Toss in a jealous ex every few pages. Toss in a jealous cousin. Benji and Jenna fight to stay together! sigh
Now about the sex…it was awkward. The scenes just came across as strange and uncomfortable. The characters were supposed to be going into college, but it seemed to me like they should’ve been going into high school. They also didn’t have a lot of depth as characters. This book is full of twists…but not the good kind. On a few occasions I felt like shouting, “are you kidding me?!”
Looking back, the story has tons of potential. If the POV didn’t shift and the characters became less shallow, I think I’d really enjoy this book…twists and all!
**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the first few pages of this book. I could picture it in my head like a movie…a girl being sent to spend the summer in a small town with her aunt. Her parents grieving the loss of her brother, needing time to get it their life’s together. The girl, traveling by bus, having tons of time to reflect and feeling raw, vulnerable and lonely. Showing up in a small town, one that’s so much different from Los Angeles. Meeting family that she hasn’t seen in years, being out of her element.
And that’s about where the movie ended for me. As soon as Jenna arrived in Shady Cove and you met the other characters, the POV changed constantly and without any warning. One sentence you’d be hearing Jenna’s thoughts, and the next the thoughts of her cousin. I felt like I could hardly keep up.
Then…Jenna meets Benji. Benji likes Jenna. Jenna’s cousin has liked Benji for forever. Benji and Jenna get together. Toss in a jealous ex every few pages. Toss in a jealous cousin. Benji and Jenna fight to stay together! sigh
Now about the sex…it was awkward. The scenes just came across as strange and uncomfortable. The characters were supposed to be going into college, but it seemed to me like they should’ve been going into high school. They also didn’t have a lot of depth as characters. This book is full of twists…but not the good kind. On a few occasions I felt like shouting, “are you kidding me?!”
Looking back, the story has tons of potential. If the POV didn’t shift and the characters became less shallow, I think I’d really enjoy this book…twists and all!
**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2013
Shady Cove had a decent synopsis and a great cover so I decided to give it a try. I have read other works by Ava Catori with great covers and ended up being flops. This book was not much different. It started off ok and I kept thinking it was going to get better, but this book just didn’t go anywhere but down hill; it hit a rut and the tires just kept spinning.
To see the rest of this review go to www.bsreviewers.blogspot.com
To see the rest of this review go to www.bsreviewers.blogspot.com
Want to Read
May 6, 2013*NETGALLEY*
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