Reason and Romance

River Valley #1

by Jenn Young

Being stuck in the godforsaken desert is Adrian Blake's worst nightmare come true. Senior year is all about making fun memories. It's not about starting over at a new school and navigating a new Brady Bunch family. It's really not about living with a sexy, arrogant would-be stepbrother who knows how to push her buttons.

Alex Montgomery is the very definition of a player. The only thing he commits to is a one night stand. He's exactly the kind of guy she hates­. When she sleeps with him, it's the biggest mistake of her life. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Not at school. Not at home.

But sometimes the best mistakes are the ones that you make over and over again...

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, High School, Contemporary, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Drama

235 pages, ebook

First published December 9, 2014

About the author

Jenn Young writes primarily Young Adult and New Adult. She used to write contemporary teen drama and romance under the pen name Myrika at Fictionpress. She also used to write under the pen name Moreta. Jenn is an unabashed lover of romance, soap operas, and paranormal/supernatural stories.

When Jenn's not working at her day job, she drinks too much coffee and buys too many books. She loves to hear from readers. Contact her via her website, jennyoung.com, or follow her on Twitter at myrikami. She can be found on Facebook too.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 High School Drama Stars!
Well I can't help it. I love me some high school over the top drama books. This one has it all. New State, new family, new school, new friends. Adrian's dad has moved her and her sisters to Arizona to live with his new girlfriend and her kids. The tension starts right away. Alex and Adrian should not be together since their parents might get married. But the two can't stop thinking about each other. When Alex suggest they take it slow Adrian can't help but to feel rejected. Now a war has started to see who can hurt the other the most. Damn Cliffy!!
Can't wait for more Alex and Adrian in the next book!

[Tink Magoo is bad at reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been in the mood for messy teen drama lately and this was spot on for that. It's just a shame that there still isn't a second book.

[Leena Dbouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this book cliché? Remarkably so. But behind the trite beautiful people and (somewhat) corny high school "king" and "queen" adage, are an array remarkably likeable of characters, interesting plot line and (in my humble opinion) exceptionally good writing.

Sure, like I mentioned earlier, the whole "king and queen of high school" and "sex god" roles are overdone and they tend to be over dramatic. However, most readers will fall in love with Adrian (some might even like Alex), Travis, Quentin, Vaughn, etc.

Adrian is that popular girl we loved to hate because she makes it easy. But Jen Young goes past that. Adrian has a real past, she's vulnerable, she even grows. But most importantly, Adrian is ok with her looks. She knows she's hot. In a literary world where girls have to still "pretend they're not beautiful" I think Adrian is a breath of fresh air.

Also, thankfully, there isn't any insta-love. You know the kind in most romances, where people fall in love almost instantly, after having a few conversations. Well, that doesn't happen here. Sure, you have a natural chemistry between Adrian and Alex, but that's where it ends and the characters are, seemingly, ok with that.

So sure, Young could definitely avoid clichés, but if you're ok with skimming over the fact that everyone is beautiful and teenagers don't really act like teenagers (more like young adults or older college students) then I think you'll like the book.

[Jessica *The Lovely Books* · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending! Cliffy from hell, yep.

Full review to come for blog tour.

Edit: June 2018

I’m guessing the next book isn’t ever coming out? I’m a bit disappointed.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I read this when the rewrite was still up on Fictionpress.com (published under Myrika), and my rating is mostly for my remembered enjoyment at the time. I don't think the concept's aged well, and a lot of what the characters get up to would probably feel insufferable to most people out of their teens. BUT, in a simpler time...One of my closest friends and I would bond over new chapters, and to this day 'bumfuck, Arizon' is still a fond inside joke.

[ZARIA (Sheldon Cooper lover) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being stuck in the godforsaken desert is Adrian Blake's worst nightmare come true. Senior year is all about making fun memories.

It's not about starting over at a new school and navigating a new Brady Bunch family. It's really not about living with a sexy, arrogant would-be stepbrother who knows how to push her buttons.

Alex Montgomery is the very definition of a player. The only thing he commits to is a one night stand. He's exactly the kind of guy she hates­. When she sleeps with him, it's the biggest mistake of her life. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Not at school. Not at home.

But sometimes the best mistakes are the ones that you make over and over again...

[T.H. Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book far exceeded my expectations. The cover did nothing for me and when I began reading and discovered it’s written in third-person, I was worried I’d feel too distanced from the protagonist to really get absorbed in the story. That didn’t happen. In fact, the point of view disappeared into the background as I became engrossed in Adrian’s world.

Adrian’s widowed father falls in love and proposes to a woman Adrian and her sisters have never met. And if that isn’t bad enough, he uproots them from the only home they’ve ever known and carts them off to Arizona, where it’s hot and dry and nothing at all like what they’re used to. Adrian meets her soon to be stepmother and her three sons, realizing her life is about to look a lot like a very modern-day Brady Bunch with her and her uber-hot stepbrother-in-waiting playing the roles of Marcia and Greg.

Adrian has a boyfriend back home, so she ignores Alex’s overt attempts to befriend her. It becomes clear he’s the “it” guy at her new school, but she doesn’t want to play his games. She decides to go it alone, only to find out to snub Alex is to be snubbed by everyone else. Her only friends are the school stoner and the gossip queen. When Adrian’s boyfriend dumps her, she ends up in Alex’s bed and the two of them race to see who can shut it down the fastest. Except neither one seems to be able to quit the other. The power struggle that ensues between these two is like a bad car accident. You want to look away, but you just can’t.

Plot
I found the story riveting even though the plot sort of rambled. Author Jenn Young does such a great job of creating spellbinding conflict that the plot almost takes a backseat. The story is primarily about Adrian’s goal to fit in at her new school, but it evolves into her wanting to best Alex, and then get Alex, and then best him again. And because of that, I never really knew what was going to happen next. Anything was possible.

World Building
The setting is a typical high school in blistering Arizona and it’s well done. Jenn Young seems to have captured the heart and soul of the modern teen world really well.

Characters
I didn’t like most of the characters. Adrian is self-absorbed, arrogant, and just plain mean at times. Alex is cocky, self-assured, and a complete douche. And yet both are incredibly well-crafted, deep, three-dimensional characters. Adrian’s sisters and Alex’s brothers also have issues that make them difficult to sympathize with, but they are absolutely fascinating. About the only characters I found likeable enough to hang out with were twins Justin and Bri and Adrian’s newfound stoner friend, Travis. Travis is a bit stereotypical, but in his role as Adrian’s foil, it works.

Top Five Things I Love About Reason and Romance
1. Travis. He’s just fun and he keeps Adrian honest.
2. The dialogue. It’s fresh, witty, and sharp-tongued.
3. The conflict. There’s a lot of it and it’s just so good!
4. The ending. I’m dying to read the next book, but the ending totally rocked.
5. The characters. Okay, so I don’t love them love them, but I love how complex and riveting they are. They come alive on the page in vivid color.

Bottom Line
Reason and Romance is a compelling debut novel that opens the door to what should be a fantastic young adult series.

Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyssia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finally got my review copy of the book it was at least a month before I needed to have my blog post up so I thought I would hold off reading the book because I am a fast reader. So I went through two books before seeing this on my Kindle and thought I might as well read it because I was in a slump and thought this sounded like a good book to bring me out of the slump.

And oh my gosh it did.

It so did.

I could not put this book down for nothing. I went without a shower, without lunch, dinner and breakdfast the next day. I barely had sleep because I knew that I had to finish the book and when I finally did I could not believe the ending. It just ended. Nothing of a resolution. Nada. I was all for the ending - yeah revenege, lets go kick some boy ass and whatnot and then it was 'to be continued'.

Throughout the book I was surprised by how much I began to enjoy it, beginning wth the very first page. Right off the bat we are introduced Adrian's witty, sarcastic attitude that suits her well and she knows it. I adored Adrian in this book and could not get enough of her sense of humor and smart ass comebacks that had me giggling and begging for more. I was also happy that this MC was NOT a virging and was perfectly fine with that. This book is also one I commend on for the side characters, I don't think I loved the side characters as much as I loved Quentin, Travis, Justin, Bri, Vaughn, Alex's brothers, Adrian's sisters, the random girls Alex is sleeping with and the guys that fawn over Adrian, ahhh it was so good.

There were so many cold hearted girls in this book, asshat boys and drama being thrown in the crowd left and right that I wished I went to high school with the rest of the gang! I loved the excitement of gossip in the story and how one little thing led to the most outrageous piece of crap that had everyone believing it was real.

Of course I have to talk about this 'thing' going on with Adrian and Alex ...

I was rooting for them! I wanted them together but they were on the brink of that horror everyone else was thinking as well as me: incest?

They weren't technically related by blood by they were going to be related by marriage and that whatever was going on between them could not happen. But I really wanted it to. However when they did cross that line, more questions appear: Is this mutual attraction something more? What happens next? What will other people think?

All I could think was, "FINALLY!" But then feelings come into place and mess everything up. Ugh.

Oh but this is where emotions are on the line and they get hurt, backstabbed and betrayed and the player Revenege makes an appearance. The climax was at its peak and I was so excited! And like I said it just ended when the game was going good! I was scrolling through the pages to see if I missed some by accident but no. That was it.

If you are a huge fan of high school drama, secrets, revenege and fast paced stories, Reason and Romance is just for you. I highly recommend it giving it 5 gossip filled stars and cannot wait for the sequel which is to come out next year, I don't know the exact date for sure but hopefully soon!

[Aseel · Rating 5 out of 5]

**An eARC was provided in exchange of an honest review**

It's been such a long time since I last read a fun and light book. I'm usually more into dark romance books, but when I read the blurb for this book, I was very intrigued, so as soon as I got my copy of it, I had to start reading it.

This book is told from Adrian's third POV, and follows her as she and her family move to live with their new step-mom and her children in Arizona. Life isn't so easy when everyone in the household pretty much hates each other and doesn't want to be there, add to it a strong attraction to Alex, her step-brother, a new school with people who's only amusement is gossip and you've got a whole lot of drama.

I don't think I've enjoyed a contemporary book as much as I enjoyed this one in a very long time. I could not put the book down, even when my eyes couldn't stay open anymore. I started Reason and Romance as I went to bed, right around 2-3 a.m. which turned out to be a huge mistake since I couldn't get enough of it, but I was so tired I kept drifting off. You can trust me when I tell you I woke up extra early the next day to continue the book.

Adrian is a complex character. She's very self-conscious, and has little confidence even though she behaves like nothing matters to her at all and that she doesn't care what people think of her. Inside though, it eates her up, and she just wants to loved and accepted. I felt for her very much, and I loved her throughout the whole book. I loved how she could pick herself up and stand strong even when she was breaking inside, and how she struggled with life at school and her problems made her a very real character to me and someone to relate to. Then there is Alex. I liked him very much. He's hot, sexy and a jerk. My favorite combination. I can never turn down a jerk and Alex certainly fit the bill. Things tended to get really steamy whenever he was around, so hot in fact, that he had me fanning myself over him.

Adrian is one of the things that had me hooked on Reason and Romance. She is one diva you never want to cross or get on the bad side of. She proved to be constant amusement as she dealt with school, boys and jealous teenagers. The other thing is the drama and gossip. I've never been one for drama and I usually stop watching a show or reading a book when I feel like the drama level is high, yet with this book, I never had enough, I wanted more, and Jenn Young certainly delivered! There wasn't a moment when something wasn't going on or when someone wasn't plotting something. It had me giggling, gasping and laughing out loud while I was reading it. And that ending, oh god that ending. I was just staring at the screen of my iPad, flipping pages and gaping at the fact that there was no more to read. I wanted more and I couldn't believe that things ended that way. I need book two ASAP.

Reason and Romance is for fans of Gossip Girl. It's fun, short, light and with enough emotions to have you addicted.

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

List of characters that I liked, from most to least: Meg, Adrian, Mr. Melbourne (...really), Justin, Travis (these two are interchangeable), Grant and finally, Alex. Ideally, I would need to be have the lead male higher up the list to be invested in the romance, but we'll quibble about that later. Let's start with the positives!

Meg. She is the character that initially drew me in from page 1. She kind of disappears from the majority of the book (tis a pity), but she kind of hands on a baton as a memento to her older sister, Adrian. Suddenly it's Adrian with the sass and fire and sharp tongue. Her exchanges with Mr Melbourne, the AP English teacher, easily ruled this story. Arguably, they had the best chemistry between them, and at no point, did they rip each other's clothes off. Who knew submitting pro-Nazi reports and the like, would be so...entertaining.

Now, let's talk about the dark blip - Alex.
Compared to how fiery Adrian was, Alex just paled in comparison. The extent of his interaction with Adrian before they have sex, is the offers for her to be part of his group, and then he just keeps quiet rest of the time, smirking and laughing in the distance and making intense eye contact occasionally. Which is why I'm feeling the "chemistry" with Mr. Melbourne and Adrian more at this point. That said the first six chapters were quality 5 star material.

....So the sex happens. And it literally is zero to ninety (okay, maybe from ten to ninety). I don't mind one-night stands; many great books might even have it as an opening scene, but to go from peppering the guy's face with kisses to having sex with him within the hour...I felt cheated. These two characters hardly set the pages alight when together in the first six chapters, so it just came out of the blue. Oh well. Tis the nature of fast plotting? *shrugs*

Alex redeemed himself, by becoming marginally interesting in the latter chapters, setting up the sequel nicely. When he told Adrian, they needed to slow down and then takes up Bri as his "new girlfriend" suddenly I was impressed, yo. Looks like the playboy actually has the heat to take on Adrian, whilst I just saw him as a little wet before.

I really liked the writing. Jenn Young is a writer to watch.
And as the sequel promises to continue the wars between them, I'd probably drop by to watch! Quick read. Brilliant first 6 chapters. The rest was okay :) But the ending packed a little heat, to keep me interested! Nice one, Jenn!

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from YA Bound Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review.

This book starts off with a father and his three daughters moving to Arizona to be with his fiancee and her three boys. Happy families, right? Wrong! The girls don't want to move, the boys don't want them there, personality clashes all around and don't forget the baggage that they bring with them - and I'm not talking about the stuff that came with the removals truck.

I found this book to be really well written and I'll explain why. I didn't really like either main character! Gasp, shock, horror, I know. Although I could understand Adrian's POV and loved her witticisms and repartee, I really didn't like her very much. The same goes for Alex. I know that there are hints that he is nice, somewhere deep, deep inside and exceedingly well hidden but I really didn't like him very much either. So to read a book to the end, whilst not liking the main characters, takes some doing BUT Jenn Young managed to make this book a compulsive read once you started it. So even if you don't like the main characters there is enough of a storyline throughout plus supporting characters that you do like that will ensure that you continue reading... just that little bit more.

Just a quick mention of some of the other characters - the other sisters and brothers are intriguing. I want to see more of them! Travis I actually love - he was the perfect foil for Adrian and made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Justin seems to be a sweetie and doesn't deserve to be hurt so I'm really hoping he gets his very own HEA. Vaughan, Grant, Quentin - all brilliant in their own ways.

Although there is sex mentioned in this book, none of it is graphic and is more or less left to your imagination so this does make it friendly for most ages.

Reason and Romance left me with a book hangover as I pondered over the storyline and the characters. And for saying that I didn't like the main characters, I am hooked on this series and can't wait for book 2 to be released next year.

[Suzana Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is not one boring moment in this book. I started skimming through it recently for the second time, and I got hooked on reading it again. The story just pulls you in as you keep reading to see what the characters are going to do next. They are all distinct personalities, even the secondary characters. I wish Travis was a real person, because he is so much fun!

The main character is not the typical nice girl clashing with the arrogant player. She is snarky and stubborn and truly pissed off about the situation she's in. I love her mental toughness and confrontational attitude. She is no shy shrinking violet. Part of the fun of reading about her is seeing how far she will go. She just does not back down, and it makes her interesting even when she's wrong.

The love interest is her match in temperament, but he's just colder on the surface. The chemistry between them simmers as they clash, and I liked that they didn't have yelling matches in which they traded insults like in so many of these kind of books. Theirs was an icy battle of wills, and it made their tension hotter, because it kept building by increments.

There is also a lot of humor in this book provided by the younger siblings, who are also at odds with each other. The things they said made me laugh out loud. This book is a highly enjoyable read, and I can't wait for the next one.

[Crina | booktwist_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original post on http://readingadd.blogspot.com/ as part of the blog tour.

I really, really enjoyed this book and ugh.. that ending man! I want more and I want it now... I think I'll die until I can read the sequel.

To be honest I wasn't going in this book with high expectations because I read a ton of books in this genre, but this was a breath of fresh air. The writing style, the characters, the dialogue and especially Adrian made this book awesome. I haven't seen such a strong female character in a long time and I'm glad to meet Adrian.

I don't want to spoil this for you so this review will be short but you need to pick this up and read, because you can't miss Adrian and her badass character, and her funny and sarcastic replies. And she isn't the only one that it will make you laugh or want to punch in the face. There are many characters with great personalities and I had so much fun reading this novel.

Reason and Romance is a novel that has strong characters, funny and realistic dialogue, suspense and action, even if is not dystopia or something like that, and it has that juicy and drama teenage/highschool life, written very good. You don't want to miss something like this!

So pick it up! Now!

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years, it has always been Adrian and her three sisters and their dad but now they are about to become "The Brady Bunch" , though of course their family dynamics will be anything but , as Adrian's dad has moved his family to Arizona where he has fallen in love with Karen who has three boys. The oldest boy is in a class above Adrian and from their first meeting they have this whole unrequited love fest going on . One minute they hate each other and the next, they can't keep their hands off one another. What happens though, when they discover that what they are doing is wrong and that no matter how much they try and avoid each other , their feelings for one another stands strong ? Is there Reason with Romance, or when Romance appears does all logic and brain matter go out the window ?

This book was an easy high school read and is suitable for Teens 16+. It also deals with the whole taboo subject of "Incest or Not". It does touch basic on this topic as they are soon-to-be step-siblings and living under the same roof, but at the same time the content in this book is quite mild so suitable for those teen readers rather than just those suited to New Adult.

[Blessie (Mischievous Reads)]

I really tried to continue this book, but I seriously couldn't even come close to finishing. At least I got to halfway.

The plot line seemed really promising featuring a budding forbidden step-sibling relationship. It started off quite interesting, but the characters just didn't do it for me.

They characters just poorly written and frustrating to read. The whole read turned out to be the typical movie stereotype characters -- a school bitch and a promiscuous jock and his clique. Even if they were described as cool, they were nothing close to cool as I read this book.

Perhaps this book had done good with other readers, but this was just not my cup of tea.

[Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mix Mean Girls, 90210 and little Cruel Intentions and you have Reason and Romance. I got hooked into this by reading the sample. There were a couple of things that struck me as a little juvenile and dramatic but this is a story about high school students, blended families, moving away from the familiar, going to a new school, and attraction between step-siblings. I liked it. 3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars because I have to read the next one.

[HolyMoly · Rating 1 out of 5]

DO NOT read this book...not because the book was not well written, not because the story line sucked... do NOT read because the author never wrote a second book and it has been years. There is no indication that the author is writing a second and no sign of any reply from author.

This is a cliffhanger and you will just be left midway with nothing

[Brooke H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angry that the author didn't follow through with the series

[Mel B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved her, hated him!

I know the "hero" is supposed to be one you love to hate, but frankly by the end of the book there isn't anything to love. All the banter and backward kindness that he had built up dissolved under a torrent of real cruelty and petty jibes. I don't care how mean the heroine was, I understood her, I got why she was cruel and that she was wearing armor, but he (Alex) was just jerk for no reason other than to make her feel awful! Jealousy aside, doesn't matter, the fact that he used other people to get back at her and the things he said...they were terrible!!! I am sad the author didn't write her sequel to this book because I honestly would have 1. Loved to see Adrian triumph 2. See is the author could redeem Alex at all, because honestly I just hated him by the end, and truthfully wanted to tell Adrian to forget him and go with Justin, for real, not to get back at Alex but because she deserved a better guy. There was NOTHING likeable about Alex by the end of this book.

[Gladys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that the book was bad but I am so disappointed! I remember years ago, a decade+ now probably, I read this story on fictionpress and I love it. It quickly became one of my favourites. I was beyond excited to read this when I found it published. Sadly, it was a let down. There were moments missing from the original and it’s split into 2 or 3 novels now apparently. I don’t get it, the whole story is completed (I’ve read it on FP) and the first part has favourable reviews, why aren’t the other parts out?

[Gwen Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sad...

I really wish the author had continued the series .... Recently, I was looking for something to read and randomly downloaded this book out of my library. Not sure when I bought it, but I caught remember the beginning. It took a few chapters but before I knew it I was done and looking for the second book. Which, to my dismay, the author appears to have never published. It is not often that I get sucked into a book like that, so now I'm just sad I can't continue the story. 😕

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but...

I enjoyed this story, but it was hard for me to get behind Adrian. I felt she was hostile from the start, a lot more than Alex ever was. I was glad the other characters recognized her hatefulness. I understand why, I guess, but she needs counseling as much as her sister Meg.

[The Book Palace · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good but honestly... the end felt flat to me. It started so promising and actually made me want to keep reading but then it’s like suddenly ended. I thought the mother’s rumour will play in the ending plot but nope. Nothing. The ending just stopped abruptly and basically if the author decides to continue the series it will just be the continuation of their “game”.

[Shar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! But there is nothing worse then reading a book and not knowing when the next book in the series will be realised! The next book was suppose to be published in 2015 help me it's now 2017 and no updates on a release date 😡

[Carys Barratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. I did read it a while ago. I love the way it ended and was desperate for the next but still no second book... people have been waiting for years! Does anybody have any idea when the second book will be released or if it will be released?

[Lauren]

I'm trash for books like this. High school alpha male and new angry girl in town play games and bring the drama! Give me a crazy bitch for a heroine over a sweet virgin any day.
This book ends on a cliffhanger and the author never wrote the second book. Had I known that I would never have started.

[J♤Đ£ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm annoyed that book two isn't out yet. I need to know what happens next.

[Bela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clifhanger and author has abandon series

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Fictionpress stories finally published. I can't wait to relive this story all over again.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

has potential, want the sequel. I liked how the h wasn't a pushover though she was irrationally stubborn too.