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Boyfriend #1
The Practice Boyfriend
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
Practice makes perfect...or so she thought.
4 weeks to find Mr. Right?
No problem.
At least not for Hannah Stark.
The straight A high school senior has never met a challenge she couldn’t conquer.
With 4 weeks left before graduation she’s determined to land a date with her lifelong crush, Harrison Cohl.
The problem?
He’s Stanton Prep’s most popular bachelor!
But like all things in life, Hannah believes practice makes perfect.
Her plan?
Bribe bad boy, Cody Matthews into teaching her everything he knows about dating.
He’s the perfect guy for the job.
Quiet, broody, outcast . . . she’d never fall for someone like him.
And if Cody wants Hannah to continue tutoring him so he can graduate, he can’t say no.
I mean what’s the harm?
Fake feelings can’t get you hurt, right?
Practice makes perfect...or so she thought.
4 weeks to find Mr. Right?
No problem.
At least not for Hannah Stark.
The straight A high school senior has never met a challenge she couldn’t conquer.
With 4 weeks left before graduation she’s determined to land a date with her lifelong crush, Harrison Cohl.
The problem?
He’s Stanton Prep’s most popular bachelor!
But like all things in life, Hannah believes practice makes perfect.
Her plan?
Bribe bad boy, Cody Matthews into teaching her everything he knows about dating.
He’s the perfect guy for the job.
Quiet, broody, outcast . . . she’d never fall for someone like him.
And if Cody wants Hannah to continue tutoring him so he can graduate, he can’t say no.
I mean what’s the harm?
Fake feelings can’t get you hurt, right?
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2017
887 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Christina Benjamin
67 books322 followersAward-Winning author, Christina Benjamin, lives in Florida with her husband, and character inspiring pets, where she spends her free time working on her books and speaking to inspire fellow writers.
Christina is best known for her wildly popular Young Adult romance novels, The Boyfriend series.
The Boyfriend series proves that book boyfriends are like Chocolate… you can never have enough. Check out the Boyfriend series for fast, fun, YA romance reads. These destination novels let you fall in love in a new city with new character every time.
Christina loves to read and write across genres. YA is her favorite but she's a sucker for a good love story. Don't miss her YA Fantasy, The Geneva Sommers series under her pen name CJ Benjamin as well as the multiple anthologies she's been a part of.
Christina is best known for her wildly popular Young Adult romance novels, The Boyfriend series.
The Boyfriend series proves that book boyfriends are like Chocolate… you can never have enough. Check out the Boyfriend series for fast, fun, YA romance reads. These destination novels let you fall in love in a new city with new character every time.
Christina loves to read and write across genres. YA is her favorite but she's a sucker for a good love story. Don't miss her YA Fantasy, The Geneva Sommers series under her pen name CJ Benjamin as well as the multiple anthologies she's been a part of.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
July 18, 2019
So so. For YA book, it can be better. This book is a remake of Cruel Intention. The heroine is a A type goody two shoes character. Annoying. For someone who is so clever, she is so slow catching up with social situation.
Cody is more confusing. His character is stiff and 1 dimensional. The author does not explore the emotional impact of the car accident on Cody. I feel like Cody just feeling sorry for himself most of the time. Weepingnlike a lost puppy.
Overall this is a safe read for YA. But a bit boring for my taste.
3 stars
Cody is more confusing. His character is stiff and 1 dimensional. The author does not explore the emotional impact of the car accident on Cody. I feel like Cody just feeling sorry for himself most of the time. Weepingnlike a lost puppy.
Overall this is a safe read for YA. But a bit boring for my taste.
3 stars
October 18, 2017
Not the worst book I´ve read, but definitely not the best either.
December 12, 2017
Sometimes I just need a warm and cute stand alone romance novel to warm my insides and to help me through these snowy days. This one worked just fine. It was a very nice read, it wasn't too long and it wasn't too short. When I read something from my kindle app it sometimes happens that the stories are very enjoyable, but they're so small and short that I'm not really able to get into it and I'm not really able to understand the characters. Somehow I always try to get inside of their heads and I try to figure out why they do things the way they do it. That's a bard thing to do when you barely get a glimpse of the life your characters live. But that wasn't really the case with this one.
The plot was extremely interesting, although I had tried to connect a few things here and there, the last few chapters still came to me as a complete surprise. Yet, it made everything even more exciting. I'm a sucker for a great bad boy good girl story. I will never get enough of those. Maybe one day I'll fill my whole bookshelf with them. I could grow old with these novels. I didn't like Hannah's motives at the start of the book. I could see why she wanted to throw her life around and that at that moment it seemed as if Cody was her only way out. But after all he's been through and everything that happened to him, he surely didn't need another girl to use him for her own benefits. But passing that and getting through with the story makes you see the relationship that develops between the two of them, and it's really cute.
There's the denial, thinking that the other couldn't possibly like them back, the thoughts that they wouldn't be good enough for each other. Of course it's all very extreme at some point but I still believe that sometimes every couple gets those thoughts. It's insanely cute to see how much Cody gets used to her company, how he gets through to Hannah and starts to see her for the person she really is underneath all the perfect grades and won championships. I liked it to see how Hannah started believing in Cody and made him trust her enough to open up to him. How she didn't leave his side when things got too rough at the end. Then there's Harrison, I hated him the moment I first saw his name written on the page. Though, the plot twist that his character caused by the end of the book was marvelous.
It was actually the cover of this beautiful book that jumped out to me. It seemed cute and and I already knew I wanted to read it before I read the description. I'm terrible that way. I always judge a book on its cover and I'm sure that because of that horrible habit I miss out on some amazing books. Anyway, not on this one. This was a very nice read to add to my 2017 reading challenge, especially now that the year is coming to an end and I have the feeling that I don't want to end with a book that I will dislike. Recommended if you're in for a nice romance with some drama and which causes your emotions to ride a rollercoaster.
The plot was extremely interesting, although I had tried to connect a few things here and there, the last few chapters still came to me as a complete surprise. Yet, it made everything even more exciting. I'm a sucker for a great bad boy good girl story. I will never get enough of those. Maybe one day I'll fill my whole bookshelf with them. I could grow old with these novels. I didn't like Hannah's motives at the start of the book. I could see why she wanted to throw her life around and that at that moment it seemed as if Cody was her only way out. But after all he's been through and everything that happened to him, he surely didn't need another girl to use him for her own benefits. But passing that and getting through with the story makes you see the relationship that develops between the two of them, and it's really cute.
There's the denial, thinking that the other couldn't possibly like them back, the thoughts that they wouldn't be good enough for each other. Of course it's all very extreme at some point but I still believe that sometimes every couple gets those thoughts. It's insanely cute to see how much Cody gets used to her company, how he gets through to Hannah and starts to see her for the person she really is underneath all the perfect grades and won championships. I liked it to see how Hannah started believing in Cody and made him trust her enough to open up to him. How she didn't leave his side when things got too rough at the end. Then there's Harrison, I hated him the moment I first saw his name written on the page. Though, the plot twist that his character caused by the end of the book was marvelous.
It was actually the cover of this beautiful book that jumped out to me. It seemed cute and and I already knew I wanted to read it before I read the description. I'm terrible that way. I always judge a book on its cover and I'm sure that because of that horrible habit I miss out on some amazing books. Anyway, not on this one. This was a very nice read to add to my 2017 reading challenge, especially now that the year is coming to an end and I have the feeling that I don't want to end with a book that I will dislike. Recommended if you're in for a nice romance with some drama and which causes your emotions to ride a rollercoaster.
July 15, 2019
Wat een fijne young adult contemporary! Vanaf de eerste bladzijde leefde ik met Hannah mee. Af en toe kon ik haar acties niet zo goed begrijpen, maar dat hoorde ook wel een beetje bij haar personage. Verder zat het boek vol met typische Amerikaanse highschool drama en na een tijdje werd het wel een beetje ongeloofwaardig.
Maar desalniettemin heb ik ontzettend genoten van dit boek. Heerlijk vlot verhaal voor als je even niet te diep wil nadenken over een boek.
Maar desalniettemin heb ik ontzettend genoten van dit boek. Heerlijk vlot verhaal voor als je even niet te diep wil nadenken over een boek.
June 3, 2017
A 2.5. I really liked the first half of this book, but the second half is a ridiculous over the top soap opera.
The book starts off strong: Hannah has devoted her whole high school career to academic and sports success, and realizes in the month before she's about to graduate valedictorian that she hasn't really enjoyed herself or made friends. So, in an adorably type-A way, she sets herself a plan to get these boxes checked, and it involves a student she formerly tutored: Cody, a former Golden boy (yes the popular kids are actually called "Goldens") on the outs because allegedly he drove drunk & killed his (pregnant!) girlfriend in a car accident. He's going to be her "practice boyfriend" on the way to getting into Golden leader Harrison Cohl's party and making Harrison fall for her.
Cody and Hannah both come through with strong, individual voices and their sparring dialogue back and forth at the beginning is a treat. There's several delicious scenes as the two flirt and get closer that manage to have some heat even while remaining overall chaste (aka they never get fully naked).
But then come the misunderstandings and Hannah is pursuing Harrison, and no longer acting like the smart, together girl she is but a naive little schoolgirl. Meanwhile Cody flails, trying in really stupid ways to get her back on his side and everyone turns out to be laughably, intentionally sinister. Except our two MCs of course! For such a strong start, this story resolves in a overblown climax that could have been ripped from a Victorian age romance instead of something set in contemporary times. Cruel Intentions but not nearly as good. SUPREME EYEROLL.
The writing itself is good (though there are a couple of instances where the wrong word is used: "base" instead of "bass" and "unphased" instead of "unfazed") & moves the story right along. I'm just sad this author allowed the story to descend into cliché. Her writing skills are better than that.
The book starts off strong: Hannah has devoted her whole high school career to academic and sports success, and realizes in the month before she's about to graduate valedictorian that she hasn't really enjoyed herself or made friends. So, in an adorably type-A way, she sets herself a plan to get these boxes checked, and it involves a student she formerly tutored: Cody, a former Golden boy (yes the popular kids are actually called "Goldens") on the outs because allegedly he drove drunk & killed his (pregnant!) girlfriend in a car accident. He's going to be her "practice boyfriend" on the way to getting into Golden leader Harrison Cohl's party and making Harrison fall for her.
Cody and Hannah both come through with strong, individual voices and their sparring dialogue back and forth at the beginning is a treat. There's several delicious scenes as the two flirt and get closer that manage to have some heat even while remaining overall chaste (aka they never get fully naked).
But then come the misunderstandings and Hannah is pursuing Harrison, and no longer acting like the smart, together girl she is but a naive little schoolgirl. Meanwhile Cody flails, trying in really stupid ways to get her back on his side and everyone turns out to be laughably, intentionally sinister. Except our two MCs of course! For such a strong start, this story resolves in a overblown climax that could have been ripped from a Victorian age romance instead of something set in contemporary times. Cruel Intentions but not nearly as good. SUPREME EYEROLL.
The writing itself is good (though there are a couple of instances where the wrong word is used: "base" instead of "bass" and "unphased" instead of "unfazed") & moves the story right along. I'm just sad this author allowed the story to descend into cliché. Her writing skills are better than that.
February 7, 2017
The Practice Boyfriend will have you glued to your kindle until you finish the story. One thing I really miss about high school life is the drama and I definitely got my share with these characters. I love that Hannah is one of those students who cares about succeeding in school—I wish I was more like that at her age. Cody is such a sweet guy, and I kept rooting for him throughout the story. It was nice to see both Hannah and Cody evolve as characters. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I loved the plot twists that involved Cody. The last half hour or so of the book is when secrets are revealed, and a couple left me with my mouth hanging open. Overall, it was a fun read and I highly recommend if you are looking for smarmy elitist teens, a strong female lead, a swoon-worthy guy, and a cute dog!
I loved the following quote:
“He’d been holding onto his darkness for over a year and Hannah had had been slowly poking holes in his armor, shining in bits of light. But it wasn’t enough to sustain him. He’d had a taste and he wanted more—needed more.”
I received a copy and volunteered to review it.
I loved the following quote:
“He’d been holding onto his darkness for over a year and Hannah had had been slowly poking holes in his armor, shining in bits of light. But it wasn’t enough to sustain him. He’d had a taste and he wanted more—needed more.”
I received a copy and volunteered to review it.
January 30, 2019
2.5
Reading Challenge Categories:
-Beat the Backlist Reading Bingo: Indie author
-January Bookish Bingo: Independent publisher
Reading Challenge Categories:
-Beat the Backlist Reading Bingo: Indie author
-January Bookish Bingo: Independent publisher
July 18, 2019
Oh my God the practice boyfriend was really good it was dark at some points but I loved the aspect of it having Mental Health in it
March 3, 2020
Practice Boyfriend = REAL
https://ladiikeiii.wordpress.com/2020...
***Spoilers? Maybe... yes... sooo many spoilers in this review***
Soooo! I keep thinking I read this book or read a book similar to this because of what happened at the Cohl masquerade party. I don’t know it’s similar in so many ways. But a tiny bit different.
Other than that. I thought Hannah was an idiot. She was one smart cookie but dumb as heck. I mean clearly, she didn’t understand or see anything that Cody was trying to tell her. Smh 🤦🏽♀️... she wanted to fit into that horrible crowd and wanted Harrison so bad that she didn’t see how his friends were horrible, especially Savannah! & Harrison was far worse. Than anybody else. I knew he didn’t care about Hannah the way Cody did. Clearly, you could tell he was up to something.
Then spreading them lies he and Savannah. They were spreading lies about how Cody was talking about Hannah in a bad way. Then turn around and got Hannah drunk (Savannah and her friends did). They then send her to Cody's house to spread rumors about how he and Hannah smash when neither of them lost their V-Cards.
It’s ridiculous. The only time Hannah knew it was a bad idea to hang with them and understood that it was time to go home. Was at that masquerade party of Harrison, when Harrison was planning to rape her and video himself doing what he did to Elena before she died (e.g., she died at the party). Like he raped Elena in the Same car... I kept saying to myself, Hannah, you better get that video when Harrison and Cody were fighting then arguing. I was glad that she got that video too. That was the evidence right there. Since one Harrison planned to rape her, two, he confessed so much stuff about Elena, what he wanted to do with Hannah, including Cody being his brother from the marriage between Cody's mom and Harrison's dad.
I felt crazy how Harrison thought it was ONLY Cody's mom's fault when his dad was to blame too her cheating. Plus, Harrison and his dad got what they deserve in the end. Karma is definitely B-Word! At least Cody got a settlement for being accused of something that he didn’t do. (e.g., taking the fall for Elena accident, where she was the one driving and killed herself, and could’ve also killed Cody too). Everything always comes to light. I was glad it took Hannah for Cody's truth to come out. Because that boy had so much pain inside of him, & Hannah she made me made sometimes.
Because she used him to get what she wanted, and nothing was green on the other side. Though she was good for showing him he needs to speak out; I still wanted to slap fire from her. Since she pushes him away after she got what she wanted. Smh 🤦🏽♀️... but was glad they figured things out after what happened at that masquerade party...
https://ladiikeiii.wordpress.com/2020...
***Spoilers? Maybe... yes... sooo many spoilers in this review***
Soooo! I keep thinking I read this book or read a book similar to this because of what happened at the Cohl masquerade party. I don’t know it’s similar in so many ways. But a tiny bit different.
Other than that. I thought Hannah was an idiot. She was one smart cookie but dumb as heck. I mean clearly, she didn’t understand or see anything that Cody was trying to tell her. Smh 🤦🏽♀️... she wanted to fit into that horrible crowd and wanted Harrison so bad that she didn’t see how his friends were horrible, especially Savannah! & Harrison was far worse. Than anybody else. I knew he didn’t care about Hannah the way Cody did. Clearly, you could tell he was up to something.
Then spreading them lies he and Savannah. They were spreading lies about how Cody was talking about Hannah in a bad way. Then turn around and got Hannah drunk (Savannah and her friends did). They then send her to Cody's house to spread rumors about how he and Hannah smash when neither of them lost their V-Cards.
It’s ridiculous. The only time Hannah knew it was a bad idea to hang with them and understood that it was time to go home. Was at that masquerade party of Harrison, when Harrison was planning to rape her and video himself doing what he did to Elena before she died (e.g., she died at the party). Like he raped Elena in the Same car... I kept saying to myself, Hannah, you better get that video when Harrison and Cody were fighting then arguing. I was glad that she got that video too. That was the evidence right there. Since one Harrison planned to rape her, two, he confessed so much stuff about Elena, what he wanted to do with Hannah, including Cody being his brother from the marriage between Cody's mom and Harrison's dad.
I felt crazy how Harrison thought it was ONLY Cody's mom's fault when his dad was to blame too her cheating. Plus, Harrison and his dad got what they deserve in the end. Karma is definitely B-Word! At least Cody got a settlement for being accused of something that he didn’t do. (e.g., taking the fall for Elena accident, where she was the one driving and killed herself, and could’ve also killed Cody too). Everything always comes to light. I was glad it took Hannah for Cody's truth to come out. Because that boy had so much pain inside of him, & Hannah she made me made sometimes.
Because she used him to get what she wanted, and nothing was green on the other side. Though she was good for showing him he needs to speak out; I still wanted to slap fire from her. Since she pushes him away after she got what she wanted. Smh 🤦🏽♀️... but was glad they figured things out after what happened at that masquerade party...
January 5, 2018
I'm a sucker for fake relationship stories. I love YA novels. So a fake relationship YA novel would seemingly be a book I'd love ... and The Practice Boyfriend truly did have some enjoyable moments. (The tennis practice scene was probably my favorite, and I loved the mentions of classic romance movies.) But Hannah, the main character, is basically insufferable. She has zero friends—not a one, not even among the other smart kids—basically because she has never tried to befriend anyone. And her impetus for trying to infiltrate the "in" crowd is not loneliness or a desire for friendship; it's the fact that she doesn't know what to say in her graduation speech because she didn't experience any of the "craziness" of high school.
I can understand Hannah's naïveté when it comes to boys—she's never had a friend, let alone a boyfriend—but she takes it to a new level. Multiple times while she's getting to know Harrison, she notices something sinister, "off," or evil about him, yet she believes what he tells her about Cody and continues to date him. And then she goes to his masquerade ball even though she knows he's lied to her and she's seen his violent streak. It's just stupidity, and I had a hard time pulling for her.
I liked Cody a bit more than Hannah—he wasn't the bad boy everyone made him out to be—but he also had alcohol and grief issues that made me want to see him get help rather than end up with Hannah.
Honestly, I don't know why I finished this book. I guess I kept hoping it would get better, but it left me disappointed. If you're looking for great YA with a similar vibe, check out Cookie O'Gorman's Adorkable or Jenny B. Jones' I'll Be Yours instead.
Basically, The Practice Boyfriend is Kasie West + swearing + drinking + sexual situations - captivating writing. So ... not very West-like, except that it's contemporary YA. 1-1/2 stars.
Content note: The Practice Boyfriend contains quite a few swear words, several instances of teenage drinking, unintentional drug use, and a few "almost sex" scenes. It also deals with topics like suicide and sexual assault. The author recommends it for ages 16+, but I'd move that to at least 18. It's definitely R-rated territory.
I can understand Hannah's naïveté when it comes to boys—she's never had a friend, let alone a boyfriend—but she takes it to a new level. Multiple times while she's getting to know Harrison, she notices something sinister, "off," or evil about him, yet she believes what he tells her about Cody and continues to date him. And then she goes to his masquerade ball even though she knows he's lied to her and she's seen his violent streak. It's just stupidity, and I had a hard time pulling for her.
I liked Cody a bit more than Hannah—he wasn't the bad boy everyone made him out to be—but he also had alcohol and grief issues that made me want to see him get help rather than end up with Hannah.
Honestly, I don't know why I finished this book. I guess I kept hoping it would get better, but it left me disappointed. If you're looking for great YA with a similar vibe, check out Cookie O'Gorman's Adorkable or Jenny B. Jones' I'll Be Yours instead.
Basically, The Practice Boyfriend is Kasie West + swearing + drinking + sexual situations - captivating writing. So ... not very West-like, except that it's contemporary YA. 1-1/2 stars.
Content note: The Practice Boyfriend contains quite a few swear words, several instances of teenage drinking, unintentional drug use, and a few "almost sex" scenes. It also deals with topics like suicide and sexual assault. The author recommends it for ages 16+, but I'd move that to at least 18. It's definitely R-rated territory.
December 10, 2017
The Practice Boyfriend is the perfect story of high school drama. It reminded me of a John Hughes film. Set in a privileged private school the story focuses on Hannah, Class Valedictorian, and State Tennis Champion. With a full scholarship to Brown waiting for her, she has accomplished everything she set out to do in high school. However, while trying to write her commencement speech, she realizes that she forgot to live along the way. She's not experienced any of normal high school life; no dating, no parties, no broken heart, no friends... Hannah immediately sets out to fit 4 years of high school into her last month of school. She aims high! and develops a plan to break into the Golden's, the school's top clique, and attend their biggest end of the year party. To do this she calls in a favor from former Golden boy Cody. Cody has been tossed aside by the group after getting his girlfriend gets pregnant and she dies in a drunk driving accident.
The storyline is fun and drama filled. Hannah and Cody are both developed characters and evolve along the way as their partnership deepens. The side Golden's are all beautiful and untrustworthy. It's a nicely paced, well-written book. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It's one of those books you just have to see how it plays out and make certain that the characters get their happily ever after. Totally enjoyable read.
The storyline is fun and drama filled. Hannah and Cody are both developed characters and evolve along the way as their partnership deepens. The side Golden's are all beautiful and untrustworthy. It's a nicely paced, well-written book. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It's one of those books you just have to see how it plays out and make certain that the characters get their happily ever after. Totally enjoyable read.
February 7, 2017
This is my first contemporary read from Christina, since I have read the first three books in the Geneva Project series, and I am absolutely blown away by how talented she is. The depth of each individual character and the way she so expertly holds off major plot twists until the perfect moment kept me hooked on this book. A more in depth review is to come on my blog.
I received this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review
I received this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review
April 26, 2020
This was such a sweet and exciting read. You know I'm always up for a good and sometimes cheesy love story, but this story was so much more. It had me reading through the pages in no time, there was always a new surprising secret or fact popping up around the corner. I couldn't believe how everything just came out so fast and what else was waiting for me. the end was also quite shocking and I was a bit annoyed about Hannah's (main character) naive thinking about certain people. So glad that everything turned out okay in the end, although the ending seemed a bit too rushed for me. I would have loved to read a little bit more about Hannah and Cody and see them at their graduation, see who was affected by this big truth, and also hear Hannah's valedictorian speech. I loved that a little image for the future time of the main characters was giving but I would have enjoyed way more happy times. I just love to collect some Happy Endings and see this time take up a little more than all the drama. ;) But besides this, there were many really sweet little facts that made me love this story, like the tennis practice and Cody being obsessed with "classic" teenie movies. Loved their movie marathon list!! <3 :) and to make Cody proud in true Golden slang I would say this book is some "Good stuff!" ;) (*Sorry Hannah didn't want to overdo it by cussing. ;D )
May 23, 2017
My heart is swooning right now! I absolutely loved Christina Benjamin's writing. This book is so cute. It is a wonderful, past paced book that will have you racing to the end to see what happens. I absolutely loved Hannah! She was sweet, charismatic, intelligent, and witty. The plot is this book was fun and fast paced. It has a great story idea and Christina follows through with a dynamite ending. She keeps you interested through the whole book and keeps the reader engaged in her realistic plot themes. This book is not over the top nor too insta-lovey. Cody *swoon* Cody is the troubled boy with a past. He is so freaking dreamy. Harrison is well a something i cant say bc i dint want to ruin the book with spoilers. This book kept me guessing and surprised me with every turn. Also, made me feel a bit nostalgic for my high schools days as Christina made some great reference to popular 90s teen movies, and truly depicted the social classes of a high school. So 5 stars from me! (also she has a new book out called the almost boyfriend, review to come soon)
March 23, 2017
This book is absolutely amazing! I was immediately immersed in this story. I am in love with Cody and Hannah's story and I think this story and their characters is a perfect example of perceptions of people and not judging people based off of rumors and if they're "popular" or not. This book was beyond amazing and oh my god, the ending?!?! This is the first book I've read of Christina's and I am in love with her writing! I can't wait to read more of her writing. The way the story played out was perfect. It revealed information at the exact right time (you'll know what I mean if you've read it). I would recommend this book to anyone. Literally.
November 2, 2017
Meh. Probably 2 stars, but I didn't finish it and I hope that there are some redeeming qualities before the end, but I didn't find it worth continuing. I read to the start of chapter 32 and was just done. I felt like there were too many inconsistencies. Some of the actions seemed way to mature for high school with very little reaction, like it's normal and ok. The guy seemed way to extreme hot/cold without enough buildup or insight to explain. I didn't care for all the catty, snotty behavior. Even from the main girl who's supposed to be an outsider, smart, athletic, and she shows some compassion and sympathy, but then we turn around and she has no problem threatening to prevent someone graduating high school in order to get what she wants. Doesn't make sense to me. Too many of those instances for me.
December 6, 2018
If you liked cruel intentions this is your book. Things you can only read about. Hannah has been all about school and no friends. Now she’s going to graduate and has nothing to show for her high school life. She asks popular golden boy Cody to help her get into the famous graduation party. But spending all that time together their feelings start to grow. But typical highschool snobs don’t want this nobody in their click. Things get out of control and Hannah doesn’t know how to take it all back. Wish the book was longer
June 7, 2022
On one hand, it objectively wasn’t really good (writing style, pacing, abrupt ending, juvenile characterization, lots of clichés). It for sure won’t be my favorite or most memorable book.
On the other hand, it was such an easy read, had a respectable length (as opposed to the behemoths Sarah J. Maas makes me read), and I enjoyed it a lot (and read it in one sitting!).
I would recommend this if you’re in the mood for something fun, dramatic and sometimes cute.
On the other hand, it was such an easy read, had a respectable length (as opposed to the behemoths Sarah J. Maas makes me read), and I enjoyed it a lot (and read it in one sitting!).
I would recommend this if you’re in the mood for something fun, dramatic and sometimes cute.
January 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It's short, but covers a lot. There were some expected things happening and some surprises as well.
It has a bit of mean girls feel to it and some parts are high on drama, but it all worked. Wished there was more at the end.
It has a bit of mean girls feel to it and some parts are high on drama, but it all worked. Wished there was more at the end.
March 28, 2017
Great book
This book was super great. Loved it from the beginning to the end. :) I would highly highly recommend. Bye.
This book was super great. Loved it from the beginning to the end. :) I would highly highly recommend. Bye.
April 2, 2018
This wasn't the worst book I have ever read but it also wasn't amazing. It is perfect you are looking for a quick romance read. It covered some topics that could have brought it depth but breezed over them. The ending was also a little abrupt. I wanted a little more from the ending. It had a lot of potential but I don't regret reading it.
November 20, 2018
Love
Oh my gosh I loved this YA! It was exactly they type of book I needed to read right now!
Oh my gosh I loved this YA! It was exactly they type of book I needed to read right now!
October 18, 2023
Problème de marketing je pense. Je voulais une lecture légère et fun, raté ^^
On est plus sur un mix de Pretty little liars et Gossip girl avec des dramas un peu glauques et une héroïne insupportable
On est plus sur un mix de Pretty little liars et Gossip girl avec des dramas un peu glauques et une héroïne insupportable
October 22, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
March 10, 2017
Link: http://bookplusheart.com/2017/03/09/t...
What a cute YA. When I got to the end, I was actually sad it was over. I was looking forward to more of an epilogue, or a part 2 to Hannah and Cody’s story. I think Hannah is a different type of female protagonist, because she is way smart. Think of Diana from Say Anything. Valedictorian with no social life and it’s just her and her father. Cody though isn’t really a Loyd Dobler. He has a bad boy persona, but deep down he is all round good kid. He just doesn’t understand the reasons no one believes him. He sacrifice a lot for others, but gets blamed for everything and anything bad.
This has a total Gossip Girls/Gilmore Girls prep school hierarchy thing. The “popular, rich, trust fund kids” verse everyone else.
The story is told from the POV mainly from Hannah, but we do get some little parts from Cody and Harrison.
Hannah is sheltered. Ever since her mother left, she has only had her nerdy father as a friend and confidant. She realizes that going to college and having to talk about her high school experiences isn’t that easy, when she really didn’t have any. She was all around the best student and kept her head down. She didn’t wanted to be noticed and now at the end of her senior year, that is all she wants. Her goal is to go to the biggest end of the year party, with the elite of the schools social hierarchy. Problem, she doesn’t know how to infiltrate the social circles. She decides to blackmail one student (a former member of the popular clicks) to aid her in getting into the party.
Hannah is sweet, and smart. She is pretty, but doesn’t know it. When she speak, she talks more as if she is in a meeting or giving a presentation, instead as a regular teenager. She uses big words, and doesn’t think people understand her. She is athletic, because she plays tennis. The best tennis player in the state. However, her overall perceptive in life is, "if I am going to do it, I am going to be the best at it"; and, that is exactly what she does.
Cody’s struggles with the loss of his mother and a horrific experience associated with her. He doesn’t talk about it to anyone and keeps himself closed off, because he doesn’t want people to know the truth. The accident that caused his girlfriend to die is something that is held over his head by everyone. No one knows the true story, well some do, but no one is willing to come forward and confess what really happened.
Cody’s relationship with Hannah is fragile. They have a strong physical connection towards one another, but they don’t completely trust each other. Hannah’s overall goal is to get Harrison and the other popular kids to recognize her. She is determined to fit all of the “so called” high school experiences one would have, into 1 month. She does this so she can write her speech from an honest high school perspective. Cody helps her with achieving some of the stepping-stones of adolescence, but because of the social class differences, and the trust issues he has, Hannah ends up pulling away.
Hannah also becomes deceived. Here is my two cents. GIRLS if your gut tells you something is off, PLEASE LISTEN TO IT! There is a natural instinct all mammals have for life preservation. That gut instinct is to tell you to fight or flight and many times you should flight. Why Hannah doesn’t listen to that, well because she obviously didn’t watch enough scary movies knowing you don’t go into the scare house that seems haunted knowing there is an axe murder lose in the town. (Not at all happens in the story, just pointing out a typical scary movie scenario.
We are left with a Happy Ending.
I was disappointed with the fact that the Climax and the resolution all happen so fast.
I wish there was more. Longer Epilogue, or maybe a second book to it.
I overall rate the story at a 3.5.
It wasn’t horrible, but there was some parts I just all together skipped over and there were other ones, that I wish we had more of.
February 26, 2017
Great read
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The plot was different and not cheesy. The characters came out of the pages and were relatable. I felt their emotions. I liked how the author blended mystery with romance. The POV of the other characters were an added bonus knowing their emotions. Recommend this book totally. More please...
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The plot was different and not cheesy. The characters came out of the pages and were relatable. I felt their emotions. I liked how the author blended mystery with romance. The POV of the other characters were an added bonus knowing their emotions. Recommend this book totally. More please...
March 6, 2017
what a cruel world we live in
This truly is one of the most insanely accurate description of socialite world in high school. During this story one of the movies Cody and Hannah watch is the darker side of money in the classic Cruel Intentions. This story is more in-depth then the movie but hits all the major flaws teens deal with in high school. Fitting in, acceptance, jealousy and pure evilness found in todays society. This is a great read, not your average plot and filled with highs and lows of emotions making this book an interesting story.
This truly is one of the most insanely accurate description of socialite world in high school. During this story one of the movies Cody and Hannah watch is the darker side of money in the classic Cruel Intentions. This story is more in-depth then the movie but hits all the major flaws teens deal with in high school. Fitting in, acceptance, jealousy and pure evilness found in todays society. This is a great read, not your average plot and filled with highs and lows of emotions making this book an interesting story.
October 7, 2018
I regret starting this book. How does this one have 3.73 stars? And how is it that this author has almost a dozen more books in this series with just as high ratings? I'm currently at 36% on this book. It's hard to get through. The writing is awful. Not the worst I've read, but very boring stilted, and oh-so-predictable. I honestly feel like I'm reading an amateur fanfiction post written by a high school sophomore with cliched notions of romantic angst and Cinderella-pipe dreams. I hate not finishing books, so I'm going to finish it, but I'm ready to get it over with. There's little to no story development, little character development, and very shallow content. It hops in with some lame reasoning for the main character's plans and then immediately jumps in. Sure, it'd be alright if it was well-written or interesting, but it's not. So, all the main plot that the author is jumping into (almost like she was too excited about getting to the "good stuff" of the story to make the rest of the book worth reading) really isn't all that good, so the lack of development is even more pronounced. Any time an event happens in this book, I feel like the author was like, "Alright, I can check that trope off my list. Got that one out of the way. Time to drop it like a hot potato now. And...on to the next one!" It'd even be different if the trope were done in an interesting way, or if the author made it their own somehow, but no. Too much to ask for, I guess. On top of that, the book is written in the third person, and with the author's writing style being so juvenile, I can't help but hear it my head being read overly exaggerated like an elementary school teacher reads storybooks aloud to her students in a rug circle.
To add to the lame writing, there's no chemistry between these two characters. The affection between Cody and the dog Custard is more convincing to me than any of the romance between Cody and Hannah. I'm not feeling it at all. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I feel like the dog Custard has had the best character development in the book so far, written in the span of a few pages.
I'm finishing this book, but I can guarantee I have no intention of reading anything else by this author.
To add to the lame writing, there's no chemistry between these two characters. The affection between Cody and the dog Custard is more convincing to me than any of the romance between Cody and Hannah. I'm not feeling it at all. Seriously, I'm not kidding. I feel like the dog Custard has had the best character development in the book so far, written in the span of a few pages.
I'm finishing this book, but I can guarantee I have no intention of reading anything else by this author.
February 26, 2018
The Practice Boyfriend is a solid contemporary YA romance with the appropriate amount of sweetness and innocence, teen angst, and drama. I immediately connected with the main character. Outside of Hannah's tennis playing, I'm so not sporty, I identified with her academic pursuits at the sacrifice of a social life and her desire to make up for that.
Her innocence and naivete also struck a chord with me and as events unfold, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing at that age (although at times she had me smacking my forehead with her actions).
Without giving too much away, Cody and his actions and attitude are spot on for the truths that are revealed over the course of the plot.
The Goldens, the upper echelon of high school cliques were definitely how I imagined some of the most popular people at my high school to be, maybe to an extreme, but I certainly believed in the possibility of all their antics being true as the story went on.
The story is easily consumed in one sitting either reading or listening, or maybe that's because I didn't want to have to stop it once I got started. I had to keep going to find out how everything would play out and if certain parties would get what they deserved.
The narrator for the audiobook wasn't my favorite (although far better than others I have heard), I felt she fell flat in a few spots, but overall the characters and plot vastly carried me past any issues that could have created otherwise.
I've been a fan of Christina Benjamin's since her Geneva Project series, and I look forward to continuing on with this series in either print or audio format.
Her innocence and naivete also struck a chord with me and as events unfold, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing at that age (although at times she had me smacking my forehead with her actions).
Without giving too much away, Cody and his actions and attitude are spot on for the truths that are revealed over the course of the plot.
The Goldens, the upper echelon of high school cliques were definitely how I imagined some of the most popular people at my high school to be, maybe to an extreme, but I certainly believed in the possibility of all their antics being true as the story went on.
The story is easily consumed in one sitting either reading or listening, or maybe that's because I didn't want to have to stop it once I got started. I had to keep going to find out how everything would play out and if certain parties would get what they deserved.
The narrator for the audiobook wasn't my favorite (although far better than others I have heard), I felt she fell flat in a few spots, but overall the characters and plot vastly carried me past any issues that could have created otherwise.
I've been a fan of Christina Benjamin's since her Geneva Project series, and I look forward to continuing on with this series in either print or audio format.
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