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How to Catch a Crush #3
Playing Hooky with the Hottie
He's supposed to be making her look fun. She's not supposed to be having fun.
Miss Serious...
Hazel's crush thinks of her as one of the guys. How does she know? He told her so, right after informing her that she was one of the most serious, driven people he's ever met. The swim team phenom is focused and she's definitely driven...she's not ashamed of that. But there's more to her than just beating her best time and winning the next meet. She knows how to let loose. Sort of. It's not like she's never heard the word 'fun' before.
When her friends convince her that the best way to show her crush the more fun-loving side of her personality is to give her online presence a major makeover, she grudgingly agrees. After all, it's just a few photos. She's always been a little uncomfortable around the photographer—a party-going wild card who views everything as a joke. But he's got skills and for some reason she can't explain...he wants to help her. So why not? It couldn't hurt to have fun for the camera...right?
Meet the King of Fun
Will's had his eye on the oh-so-serious swim team captain since he transferred to Lakeview High. Now he finally has a chance to get close, to learn what she hides behind that stoic, unreadable expression. The urge to tease a smile out of her is irresistible, and to hear her laugh? Well, that's his new life mission. He's never had to try so hard before, but for Hazel he's about to go to bat.
But when feelings crop up, their arrangement gets complicated. He's not so sure this'll work. Because for Will, it's all fun and games...until somebody falls in love.
Miss Serious...
Hazel's crush thinks of her as one of the guys. How does she know? He told her so, right after informing her that she was one of the most serious, driven people he's ever met. The swim team phenom is focused and she's definitely driven...she's not ashamed of that. But there's more to her than just beating her best time and winning the next meet. She knows how to let loose. Sort of. It's not like she's never heard the word 'fun' before.
When her friends convince her that the best way to show her crush the more fun-loving side of her personality is to give her online presence a major makeover, she grudgingly agrees. After all, it's just a few photos. She's always been a little uncomfortable around the photographer—a party-going wild card who views everything as a joke. But he's got skills and for some reason she can't explain...he wants to help her. So why not? It couldn't hurt to have fun for the camera...right?
Meet the King of Fun
Will's had his eye on the oh-so-serious swim team captain since he transferred to Lakeview High. Now he finally has a chance to get close, to learn what she hides behind that stoic, unreadable expression. The urge to tease a smile out of her is irresistible, and to hear her laugh? Well, that's his new life mission. He's never had to try so hard before, but for Hazel he's about to go to bat.
But when feelings crop up, their arrangement gets complicated. He's not so sure this'll work. Because for Will, it's all fun and games...until somebody falls in love.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2020
25 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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April 30, 2021
Ally - per RFS
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Nella fase più confusionaria della vita, l’adolescenza, si può trovare il coraggio di prendere ciò che vogliamo?
Hazel Daly è il capitano della squadra femminile di nuoto del Lakeview High ed è una delle persone più concentrate della scuola con l’obiettivo di entrare in un’ottima università con una borsa di studio per lo sport, che ama tanto e per cui si sacrifica ogni giorno della sua vita.
Essere un’atleta non è l’unica cosa che le interessa, infatti ha una cotta enorme per il capitano della squadra maschile di nuoto: il bellissimo e festaiolo Justin Howard. Di Hazel, si possono dire molte cose ma non che sappia come divertirsi.
Quando confessa alla sua migliore amica, Emma, la sua cotta, senza però svelare il nome del ragazzo, questa parte in quarta in una missione per restaurare la sua immagine nei social in modo da attirare l’attenzione del sesso opposto.
Il fato vorrà che Will Lansing, il giullare sexy della scuola, sia con loro durante la stesura di questo strampalato piano a cui Hazel non vuole partecipare e si proporrà per farle le foto che le serviranno da mettere in rete.
Will si rivelerà più dolce e premuroso di quello che immaginava il che le fa sorgere dei dubbi se la sua cotta fosse reale o solo frutto dell’idea di essere innamorata.
Un libro, questo, dai toni leggeri e la spensieratezza adolescenziale dei protagonisti mi ha fatto sospirare mentre affioravano i ricordi dei bei vecchi tempi della scuola.
Ho apprezzato molto la struttura dei personaggi, tutti ben descritti e con personalità davvero varie e definite, ogni comparsa nel libro viene rappresentata nei dettagli sia fisici che caratteriali dando un senso di appartenenza al lettore che ha la sensazione di essere al Lakeview High con loro.
Hazel è straordinaria, una ragazza che sa ciò che vuole ed è pronta a lottare per averlo ma anche un’adolescente insicura che ha paura di far capire al ragazzo che le piace il suo interesse, ho amato molto la sua crescita durante la storia.
Will è un amore! Prende la vita con un sorriso e non si fa incatenare dalle pretese di chi lo circonda, ma è anche un ragazzo con una cotta pazzesca che aiuterà la ragazza in questione a conquistare un altro. È dolcissimo quando nella sua sfrontatezza scappa davanti al fatto di dover mettere in gioco i suoi sentimenti con la possibilità concreta di un rifiuto.
Il libro ci regala i pensieri di Hazel e Will un capitolo ciascuno così da vedere il mondo dai loro giovani occhi.
Una storia che non conta troppe pagine ma che ci dà tutto ciò che serve per invogliare una seconda lettura, soprattutto quando si cerca un po’ di leggerezza senza troppi drammi.
.
Nella fase più confusionaria della vita, l’adolescenza, si può trovare il coraggio di prendere ciò che vogliamo?
Hazel Daly è il capitano della squadra femminile di nuoto del Lakeview High ed è una delle persone più concentrate della scuola con l’obiettivo di entrare in un’ottima università con una borsa di studio per lo sport, che ama tanto e per cui si sacrifica ogni giorno della sua vita.
Essere un’atleta non è l’unica cosa che le interessa, infatti ha una cotta enorme per il capitano della squadra maschile di nuoto: il bellissimo e festaiolo Justin Howard. Di Hazel, si possono dire molte cose ma non che sappia come divertirsi.
Quando confessa alla sua migliore amica, Emma, la sua cotta, senza però svelare il nome del ragazzo, questa parte in quarta in una missione per restaurare la sua immagine nei social in modo da attirare l’attenzione del sesso opposto.
Il fato vorrà che Will Lansing, il giullare sexy della scuola, sia con loro durante la stesura di questo strampalato piano a cui Hazel non vuole partecipare e si proporrà per farle le foto che le serviranno da mettere in rete.
Will si rivelerà più dolce e premuroso di quello che immaginava il che le fa sorgere dei dubbi se la sua cotta fosse reale o solo frutto dell’idea di essere innamorata.
Un libro, questo, dai toni leggeri e la spensieratezza adolescenziale dei protagonisti mi ha fatto sospirare mentre affioravano i ricordi dei bei vecchi tempi della scuola.
Ho apprezzato molto la struttura dei personaggi, tutti ben descritti e con personalità davvero varie e definite, ogni comparsa nel libro viene rappresentata nei dettagli sia fisici che caratteriali dando un senso di appartenenza al lettore che ha la sensazione di essere al Lakeview High con loro.
Hazel è straordinaria, una ragazza che sa ciò che vuole ed è pronta a lottare per averlo ma anche un’adolescente insicura che ha paura di far capire al ragazzo che le piace il suo interesse, ho amato molto la sua crescita durante la storia.
Will è un amore! Prende la vita con un sorriso e non si fa incatenare dalle pretese di chi lo circonda, ma è anche un ragazzo con una cotta pazzesca che aiuterà la ragazza in questione a conquistare un altro. È dolcissimo quando nella sua sfrontatezza scappa davanti al fatto di dover mettere in gioco i suoi sentimenti con la possibilità concreta di un rifiuto.
Il libro ci regala i pensieri di Hazel e Will un capitolo ciascuno così da vedere il mondo dai loro giovani occhi.
Una storia che non conta troppe pagine ma che ci dà tutto ciò che serve per invogliare una seconda lettura, soprattutto quando si cerca un po’ di leggerezza senza troppi drammi.
August 16, 2020
Adorable, G-rated, YA, romantic comedy
Hazel Daly is a 17-year-old, high-school senior who has never been kissed. Which is not surprising, since dating has never been a priority for her. She is captain of the girls’ swim team and a fabulous swimmer, and her primary goal for years now has been to keep up her grades and consistently win at school swim meets in order to earn a full-ride, swim-team scholarship to a good university. Which is pretty much in the bag by this point because she is closing in on the end of her senior year. The only problem marring her perfectly organized, driven lifestyle is the fact that, for quite a while now, she’s had an unrequited crush on Justin Howard, the gorgeous captain of the boys’ swim team. If it were up to Hazel herself, she would allow her unwanted attraction to die a natural death. But unfortunately for Hazel, her best friend Emma knows about the crush and blabs the fact to their coterie of close friends. Hazel has enough self-preservation instinct to continually refuse to confess to them who the guy is, but even so, Emma and the girls insist that Hazel needs to go get her guy, in the same manner that two other girls in their coterie have recently successfully fallen in love and snagged adoring, devoted boyfriends. But Hazel insists that any such effort on her part would be pointless, because her crush views her as just one of the guys.
Will Lansing’s passion is photography, and he’s extremely good at it, but he views it as no more than a “hobby.” The only reason he works for the school newspaper as its photographer is because his parents have insisted he needs an extracurricular activity during his final year in high school to improve his chances for acceptance to a good university. Will happily plays the part of a black-sheep slacker in the midst of a family chock full of harried overachievers. Unlike them, he thinks eternally striving and stressing is a useless hamster-wheel of an existence. His personal philosophy is that life should be enjoyed and, therefore, he always has a smile on his face and is everyone’s friend, including the girls who are closest to Hazel. It is because of that connection that he learns that Hazel has a crush on an unnamed guy, and her friends are daring her to employ the kind of dauntless determination she shows with swimming and school work in pursuit of romance. Specifically, they want Hazel to prove to her mystery crush that she's a desirable female, rather than a regimented automaton, by demonstrating to him, and the world in general, that she knows how to have fun. Fortunately for Hazel, Will is an expert on the subject, and he gleefully volunteers to rev up her social media site with pictures of her having fun. He assures her and her friends that he can easily achieve that objective by escorting her to multiple locations guaranteed to produce fun while he records her activities in a series of photos. The only problem is, while Will has carried a torch for Hazel for years from a distance with with light-hearted unconcern, the more time he spends with her, up close and personal, the more disturbingly serious his crush on her becomes, and the less he can laugh it off as no big deal.
This is a terrific YA romantic comedy with two popular YA romance tropes: a heroine who is a star athlete, and an “opposites attract” romance. As a long-time fan of the romance genre, it is always a pleasure for me to read a romance written by Maggie Dallen, because she excels at the genre and respects its conventions. In that regard, she always offers dual point of view of both romantic protagonists, no romantic triangles (other than pseudo ones, as in this novel), no cheating, the heroine and hero on stage together the majority the book, and a guaranteed HEA.
She also always offers adorable, sympathetic protagonists who are easy to relate to and respect. I really liked both Hazel and Will and appreciated that they inspired in each other a well-motivated, self-insight type of growth arc in the traditional manner of a YA novel, which is known as “coming of age.”
But even though all the expected tropes of both romance and YA appear in this novel, there is nothing “cookie cutter” about it. It is the characters that drive the story and make it unique, and this book is filled with fun scenes between Hazel and Will.
Though this is a G-rated novel with no sex, but only kissing, there is still plenty of exciting chemistry between Hazel and Will. It is easy to believe that these two are made for each other.
For me personally, this is a “keeper” YA romance. I’m sure I will reread it again in the future. I’ve also greatly enjoyed the first two novels in this series, and I’m looking forward to any future books in this series as well.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Friendship Plots: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
Hazel Daly is a 17-year-old, high-school senior who has never been kissed. Which is not surprising, since dating has never been a priority for her. She is captain of the girls’ swim team and a fabulous swimmer, and her primary goal for years now has been to keep up her grades and consistently win at school swim meets in order to earn a full-ride, swim-team scholarship to a good university. Which is pretty much in the bag by this point because she is closing in on the end of her senior year. The only problem marring her perfectly organized, driven lifestyle is the fact that, for quite a while now, she’s had an unrequited crush on Justin Howard, the gorgeous captain of the boys’ swim team. If it were up to Hazel herself, she would allow her unwanted attraction to die a natural death. But unfortunately for Hazel, her best friend Emma knows about the crush and blabs the fact to their coterie of close friends. Hazel has enough self-preservation instinct to continually refuse to confess to them who the guy is, but even so, Emma and the girls insist that Hazel needs to go get her guy, in the same manner that two other girls in their coterie have recently successfully fallen in love and snagged adoring, devoted boyfriends. But Hazel insists that any such effort on her part would be pointless, because her crush views her as just one of the guys.
Will Lansing’s passion is photography, and he’s extremely good at it, but he views it as no more than a “hobby.” The only reason he works for the school newspaper as its photographer is because his parents have insisted he needs an extracurricular activity during his final year in high school to improve his chances for acceptance to a good university. Will happily plays the part of a black-sheep slacker in the midst of a family chock full of harried overachievers. Unlike them, he thinks eternally striving and stressing is a useless hamster-wheel of an existence. His personal philosophy is that life should be enjoyed and, therefore, he always has a smile on his face and is everyone’s friend, including the girls who are closest to Hazel. It is because of that connection that he learns that Hazel has a crush on an unnamed guy, and her friends are daring her to employ the kind of dauntless determination she shows with swimming and school work in pursuit of romance. Specifically, they want Hazel to prove to her mystery crush that she's a desirable female, rather than a regimented automaton, by demonstrating to him, and the world in general, that she knows how to have fun. Fortunately for Hazel, Will is an expert on the subject, and he gleefully volunteers to rev up her social media site with pictures of her having fun. He assures her and her friends that he can easily achieve that objective by escorting her to multiple locations guaranteed to produce fun while he records her activities in a series of photos. The only problem is, while Will has carried a torch for Hazel for years from a distance with with light-hearted unconcern, the more time he spends with her, up close and personal, the more disturbingly serious his crush on her becomes, and the less he can laugh it off as no big deal.
This is a terrific YA romantic comedy with two popular YA romance tropes: a heroine who is a star athlete, and an “opposites attract” romance. As a long-time fan of the romance genre, it is always a pleasure for me to read a romance written by Maggie Dallen, because she excels at the genre and respects its conventions. In that regard, she always offers dual point of view of both romantic protagonists, no romantic triangles (other than pseudo ones, as in this novel), no cheating, the heroine and hero on stage together the majority the book, and a guaranteed HEA.
She also always offers adorable, sympathetic protagonists who are easy to relate to and respect. I really liked both Hazel and Will and appreciated that they inspired in each other a well-motivated, self-insight type of growth arc in the traditional manner of a YA novel, which is known as “coming of age.”
But even though all the expected tropes of both romance and YA appear in this novel, there is nothing “cookie cutter” about it. It is the characters that drive the story and make it unique, and this book is filled with fun scenes between Hazel and Will.
Though this is a G-rated novel with no sex, but only kissing, there is still plenty of exciting chemistry between Hazel and Will. It is easy to believe that these two are made for each other.
For me personally, this is a “keeper” YA romance. I’m sure I will reread it again in the future. I’ve also greatly enjoyed the first two novels in this series, and I’m looking forward to any future books in this series as well.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Friendship Plots: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
January 22, 2021
3.5 stars
August 5, 2020
(4.5 stars) - "You make me want to be brave"
If you never risk, you can't lose; but you can never win, either - which is effectively the ultimate form of losing. What a simple yet excellent life message! (One that my YA daughter needed to be reminded of)
Will offers to help Hazel get her crush's attention, but he's really hoping to get her attention himself.
It's a cute, entertaining story. Hazel needs to learn how to lighten up sometimes, and Will needs to learn how to get serious sometimes. They complement each other well.
My favorite part of the book is near the end after Hazel's swim meet when Will goes to congratulate her - it cracked me up!
Next up is shy Charlotte's turn!
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
If you never risk, you can't lose; but you can never win, either - which is effectively the ultimate form of losing. What a simple yet excellent life message! (One that my YA daughter needed to be reminded of)
Will offers to help Hazel get her crush's attention, but he's really hoping to get her attention himself.
It's a cute, entertaining story. Hazel needs to learn how to lighten up sometimes, and Will needs to learn how to get serious sometimes. They complement each other well.
My favorite part of the book is near the end after Hazel's swim meet when Will goes to congratulate her - it cracked me up!
Next up is shy Charlotte's turn!
*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
August 8, 2020
Hazie Mae, as Will, the photographer, calls Hazel, is a determined athlete and captain of the girl's swim team. She also has a crush on the captain of the boy's team. Her girlfriends want to remake her social image to be the 'fun girl' her crush will invite to the homecoming dance. Will convinces them he is just the one to make that happen. This is a fun story that changes everything for both Hazel and Will! You will love it.
July 27, 2020
This was a cute high school crush story. Everyone wants to know who super serious Hazel has a secret crush on. Hazel never has “fun”, and she comes across as “just one of the guys” to her crush, which might be why she feels he’ll never like her romantically. When popular and fun guy Will offers to help fix her image, she starts to loosen up a bit and the lines between friends and crushes begin to blur...
-‘ I wouldn't say she was chill—she wasn’t. She was too focused to be chill. I had a suspicion she had no idea how to relax, which was why I wanted to get her out of her normal environment for just one day.’-
4.5 Stars
-‘ I wouldn't say she was chill—she wasn’t. She was too focused to be chill. I had a suspicion she had no idea how to relax, which was why I wanted to get her out of her normal environment for just one day.’-
4.5 Stars
April 4, 2021
Cari lettori,
eccoci qui con Ops..mi sono innamorata tra uno scatto e l'altro di Maggie Dallen, edito da Virgibooks, terzo capitolo della serie Ops! Mi sono innamorata.
Siete pronti a conoscere un nuovo membro del Club dei Cuori Solitari?
Hazel, la sportiva del gruppo, ha una cotta per il capitano della squadra maschile di nuoto, ma lui la vede al pari dei suoi compagni di squadra maschi.
A quel punto, entreranno in gioco le amiche di Hazel che le consiglieranno di buttarsi sui social e pubblicare foto dove si diverte, dando l'idea di essere una ragazza che non pensa solo agli allenamenti.
Il Club dei Cuori Solitari per riuscire in questa missione si rivolge a Will, il fotografo del giornalino della scuola, amante delle feste e del divertimento. Will è segretamente interessato da tempo ad Hazel, ma non ha mai avuto il coraggio di dichiararsi.
Cosa accadrà adesso che i due liceali saranno costretti a passare del tempo insieme?
Siete pronti a conoscere un nuovo membro del Club dei Cuori Solitari?
Hazel, la sportiva del gruppo, ha una cotta per il capitano della squadra maschile di nuoto, ma lui la vede al pari dei suoi compagni di squadra maschi.
A quel punto, entreranno in gioco le amiche di Hazel che le consiglieranno di buttarsi sui social e pubblicare foto dove si diverte, dando l'idea di essere una ragazza che non pensa solo agli allenamenti.
Il Club dei Cuori Solitari per riuscire in questa missione si rivolge a Will, il fotografo del giornalino della scuola, amante delle feste e del divertimento. Will è segretamente interessato da tempo ad Hazel, ma non ha mai avuto il coraggio di dichiararsi.
Cosa accadrà adesso che i due liceali saranno costretti a passare del tempo insieme?
Tendevo ad essere piuttosto seriosa. Quasi ossessiva, in effetti.
Mi ero prefissata moltissimi obiettivi, e non amavo perdere la concentrazione.
Hazel è una ragazza molto determinata che mette l'impegno nello sport al primo posto. Mi fa sempre piacere incontrare personaggi così giovani, ma allo stesso tempo così determinati. Dedicare il proprio tempo al raggiungimento di un obiettivo a discapito del tempo che si potrebbe dedicare alle uscite con le amiche non è da tutti, soprattutto in adolescenza.
Basti pensare che Hazel considera il suo corpo un tempio e per questo se ne prende cura anche dal punto di vista alimentare; da qui si capisce quanto per lei il nuoto sia importante a 360°.
Mi è piaciuta anche la parte più insicura di Hazel, dove la sua paura di lasciarsi andare, per la paura di non saper cosa aspettarsi, prende il sopravvento. Mi si stringe sempre il cuore a leggere ciò perché, a mio parere, mettono in luce quello che tanti adolescenti affrontano o hanno affrontato negli anni più turbolenti della loro vita.
Will è un personaggio un po' spaccone, che sembra non prendere nulla sul serio e vivere la vita in maniere spensierata. Dietro a quell'aria da furbetto si nasconde un ragazzo che ha sempre avuto un debole per Hazel, ma che non ha mai trovato il coraggio di buttarsi. Non provate anche voi tenerezza nei suoi confronti?
È così carino quando si incontra un ragazzo che sembra sicuro ma che davanti ai sentimenti si spaventa. Mi è sembrato un po' come se lui usasse la sua macchina fotografica per nascondercisi dietro e poter ammirare Hazel in tutta la sua bellezza. Ho trovato questa cosa molto dolce.
Nemmeno a Hazel sfuggì che stava cominciando a perdere l'attenzione dei suoi compagni di squadra. E la vidi restare lì, impalata, a mordicchiarsi il labbro inferiore. Era dolce in una maniera quasi insostenibile, e vulnerabile, e la attirai di nuovo a me.
Il libro è scritto in prima persona a POV alternati e questo ci permette di avere una visione completa dei protagonisti e del loro modo di vivere le situazioni. Adoro questa scelta stilistica perché mi da davvero l'idea di vivere in prima persona la storia attraverso gli occhi di chi la racconta.
Questa serie mi piace tantissimo perché mi dà modo di rivere emozioni che ho provato durante l'adolescenza e che solo attraverso i libri posso rivere così appieno.
Vorrei sottolineare un aspetto trattato nel libro che è quello dei social network. In questa storia assistiamo ad una trasformazione digitale di Hazel, la quale per apparire come una ragazza che si sa divertire pubblica delle foto un po' diverse dal solito sul suo profilo Instagram. Ho utilizzato volutamente il verbo apparire perché, come nel caso di Hazel, molto spesso i contenuti social danno un'idea di noi stessi che non sempre rappresenta la nostra vera natura. Ecco, non dobbiamo avere paura di dover per forza apparire perfetti perché le persone che ci amano davvero, accettano le nostre imperfezioni senza remore.
Consiglio questo romanzo a chi vuole rivivere le prime cotte, a chi ama i protagonisti alle prime armi e a chi ha voglia di leggere una storia romantica, come un picnic davanti ad un bellissimo lago.
"Justin mi ha chiesto di uscire solo perché quelle foto hanno prodotto il loro effetto. Mi ha fatto apparire...divertita”.
Gli si sollevò un angolo della bocca.
“Ed è una menzogna?”
“Diciamo che sicuramente è una falsa rappresentazione della realtà”.
October 13, 2020
If Andrew was the sweet cinnamon roll and Cristian the bad boy, then Will is the funny man. His banter about old crime movies and shows with Hazel was adorable. I was so glad that he already had a crush on her before she started making any changes in order to catch the eye of the swim Captain who she had a crush on.
Unlike the other two books where the love interest had something wrong with them that would make them a bad match for the main character, Hazel's crush didn't seem to have too many flaws other than the fact that he hadn't noticed her as herself before she started dressing more girly and trying to appear fun and carefree. Even so, I was rooting for Will from the very start even before I knew that he was going to be the love interest. I actually thought there might be a love triangle and she would have to choose between the two guys. That didn't happen, but what did was Will volunteering to take pictures of her to put on her social media and make her look more appealing to her crush.
Justin viewed her as one of the guys and a respected member of the swim team, but he didn't look at her as girlfriend material. Will appreciated Hazel and all her natural beauty with no makeup and no aptitude for high school parties or even laughter. It was as if no one could get Hazel to laugh out loud other than her best friends and Will. She needed to lighten up, and he was just the guy to do the job. But he needed to learn to go for what he wanted, not in the way where he laughed it off and pretended like what he thought didn't matter, but in the way that he put everything on the line with the risk of failure.
I thought it was ridiculous and yet cute that he straight-up tells Hazel toward the very beginning of the book that he likes her and several reasons why, and she still didn't understand that he meant that he liked her in the way that a guy would like a girl he wanted to date. She just assumes he means in a friendly manner. And it's not that she's insecure or anything, she's just really naive when it comes to guys. It made her more endearing than annoying, which is a fine line to teeter.
I also think it's kind of cute that all the girls in this novel are like 17 and 18 years old and they've never had boyfriends or been kissed. It might sound a little unrealistic but then I think back on my friends that I had in high school. Many were promiscuous and had several love interests with various degrees of sexual activity, but some I don't know if to this day have even gone on a date, and I'm 30. I believe I am like one of two of my friend group who's married, and I got married pretty much right out of high school to my high school boyfriend.
I like that they are a little older because when they do wind up together it's a little more believable that they have the potential to last and maybe get married at some point. Each of the love interests are so well crafted and beautifully paired that they help each other become better people, and I think that they really could work.
This particular installment was super funny, and of course it was full of lots of kissing, a little bit of misunderstanding, and a bunch of denial. I'm really excited for the next one.
Unlike the other two books where the love interest had something wrong with them that would make them a bad match for the main character, Hazel's crush didn't seem to have too many flaws other than the fact that he hadn't noticed her as herself before she started dressing more girly and trying to appear fun and carefree. Even so, I was rooting for Will from the very start even before I knew that he was going to be the love interest. I actually thought there might be a love triangle and she would have to choose between the two guys. That didn't happen, but what did was Will volunteering to take pictures of her to put on her social media and make her look more appealing to her crush.
Justin viewed her as one of the guys and a respected member of the swim team, but he didn't look at her as girlfriend material. Will appreciated Hazel and all her natural beauty with no makeup and no aptitude for high school parties or even laughter. It was as if no one could get Hazel to laugh out loud other than her best friends and Will. She needed to lighten up, and he was just the guy to do the job. But he needed to learn to go for what he wanted, not in the way where he laughed it off and pretended like what he thought didn't matter, but in the way that he put everything on the line with the risk of failure.
I thought it was ridiculous and yet cute that he straight-up tells Hazel toward the very beginning of the book that he likes her and several reasons why, and she still didn't understand that he meant that he liked her in the way that a guy would like a girl he wanted to date. She just assumes he means in a friendly manner. And it's not that she's insecure or anything, she's just really naive when it comes to guys. It made her more endearing than annoying, which is a fine line to teeter.
I also think it's kind of cute that all the girls in this novel are like 17 and 18 years old and they've never had boyfriends or been kissed. It might sound a little unrealistic but then I think back on my friends that I had in high school. Many were promiscuous and had several love interests with various degrees of sexual activity, but some I don't know if to this day have even gone on a date, and I'm 30. I believe I am like one of two of my friend group who's married, and I got married pretty much right out of high school to my high school boyfriend.
I like that they are a little older because when they do wind up together it's a little more believable that they have the potential to last and maybe get married at some point. Each of the love interests are so well crafted and beautifully paired that they help each other become better people, and I think that they really could work.
This particular installment was super funny, and of course it was full of lots of kissing, a little bit of misunderstanding, and a bunch of denial. I'm really excited for the next one.
January 20, 2021
3.85 ⭐️
Playing Hooky with the Hottie is the third book in How to Catch a Crush series from Maggie Dallen.
Just like the first two books it’s a first kiss, young adult high school romance short read.
Hazel Daly is a seventeen year old senior in high school. She is the captain of the girl’s swim team and also happens to be one of the members of the lonely hearts club along with her friends.
Just like her friends she has never been kissed and also has her first crush on the captain of the male swim team, Justin.
Will Lansing is the popular school photographer, who is laidback and chill. And just so happens to have a crush on Hazel.
I thought it was a sweet book and it definitely had its cute moments, especially when it came to Will and Hazel. But honestly I felt like this story wasn’t as good as the other two from the series. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading about Hazel and Will and seeing their friendship blossom.
But it felt kind of flat to me, the storyline just wasn't really there for me, especially compared to the other two stories.
Though I wasn’t too keen on how her friends convinced her to try and make changes to herself in order to catch her crushes eye. If it wasn’t for her doing that then she would’ve never seen Will and realise just how sweet and amazing he truly is.
Overall, a decent read from Maggie Dallen! Check it out if you want something light, fluffy, cheesy, funny, cute and short. And if you want to keep up with the members of the lonely hearts club.
Playing Hooky with the Hottie is the third book in How to Catch a Crush series from Maggie Dallen.
Just like the first two books it’s a first kiss, young adult high school romance short read.
Hazel Daly is a seventeen year old senior in high school. She is the captain of the girl’s swim team and also happens to be one of the members of the lonely hearts club along with her friends.
Just like her friends she has never been kissed and also has her first crush on the captain of the male swim team, Justin.
Will Lansing is the popular school photographer, who is laidback and chill. And just so happens to have a crush on Hazel.
I thought it was a sweet book and it definitely had its cute moments, especially when it came to Will and Hazel. But honestly I felt like this story wasn’t as good as the other two from the series. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading about Hazel and Will and seeing their friendship blossom.
But it felt kind of flat to me, the storyline just wasn't really there for me, especially compared to the other two stories.
Though I wasn’t too keen on how her friends convinced her to try and make changes to herself in order to catch her crushes eye. If it wasn’t for her doing that then she would’ve never seen Will and realise just how sweet and amazing he truly is.
Overall, a decent read from Maggie Dallen! Check it out if you want something light, fluffy, cheesy, funny, cute and short. And if you want to keep up with the members of the lonely hearts club.
December 11, 2020
Spanish & English Opinion :: 4.5 🍭🍭🍭🍭
So far, my favorite!
ESP ::
El género “Sweet YA” me gusta mucho. Me encanta intercalarlo con libros más intensos o cuando leo algo que me deja cero feliz y libros lindos me ponen contenta.
¿Quién mejor que una de mis favoritas? Así es. Maggie Dallen es una Queen del género. Toda la serie de “How To Catch a Crush” me ha gustado mucho y este libro, wow.
Hazel es un personaje súper lindo. Ella es divina, enfocada, diferente. Will es un encanto y se ayudan a crecer. Me encanta la dinámica, son sweet y divinos y su historia es hasta ahorita mi favorita en la serie.
Necesito leer YA la historia de Max, a quien desde el libro 2 imaginé con Alex y ... así será. 🙌🏼
ENG ::
I love the Sweet YA Romance genre. Especially after heavier topics, because they set back my mind and heart into a happy mode.
And what a better way of reading an amazing book of the style that one from Maggie Dallen? Definitely a Queen of the genre.
This “How to Catch a Crush” series has been one of my favorites and I have enjoyed every book. But, this has been my favorite so far!
Hazel is an amazing kid, Will is adorable and the way they interact, grow and help each other grow was amazing. I love how books can make us feel so much, while keeping it in the innocent and cute tune.
I’m waiting for Max’s story (who I shipped with Alex since book 2 and yayyyy! My Wish became true).
So far, my favorite!
ESP ::
El género “Sweet YA” me gusta mucho. Me encanta intercalarlo con libros más intensos o cuando leo algo que me deja cero feliz y libros lindos me ponen contenta.
¿Quién mejor que una de mis favoritas? Así es. Maggie Dallen es una Queen del género. Toda la serie de “How To Catch a Crush” me ha gustado mucho y este libro, wow.
Hazel es un personaje súper lindo. Ella es divina, enfocada, diferente. Will es un encanto y se ayudan a crecer. Me encanta la dinámica, son sweet y divinos y su historia es hasta ahorita mi favorita en la serie.
Necesito leer YA la historia de Max, a quien desde el libro 2 imaginé con Alex y ... así será. 🙌🏼
ENG ::
I love the Sweet YA Romance genre. Especially after heavier topics, because they set back my mind and heart into a happy mode.
And what a better way of reading an amazing book of the style that one from Maggie Dallen? Definitely a Queen of the genre.
This “How to Catch a Crush” series has been one of my favorites and I have enjoyed every book. But, this has been my favorite so far!
Hazel is an amazing kid, Will is adorable and the way they interact, grow and help each other grow was amazing. I love how books can make us feel so much, while keeping it in the innocent and cute tune.
I’m waiting for Max’s story (who I shipped with Alex since book 2 and yayyyy! My Wish became true).
October 9, 2021
E anche la seriosa Hazel ci ha salutato, anche in questo libro mi è piaciuto molto il rapporto tra le ragazze, anche se due ci hanno abbandonato e le abbiamo viste davvero poco in questo, e soprattutto mi è piaciuto il carattere solare di Will.
Un ragazzo che ha tanti conoscenti e pochi amici, che ama fare festa ma non esageratamente, stare in compagnia, e che ama ridere e far sorridere Hazel.
Libro scritto come i seguenti divinamente, non si perde in chiacchiere, ma nonostante questo ti fa affezionare ai personaggi perché c’entra il punto giusto.
Mi ha fatto sorridere e sognare, un libro anche adatto a età inferiore ai 18 anni poiché non contiene niente di piccante.
Un ragazzo che ha tanti conoscenti e pochi amici, che ama fare festa ma non esageratamente, stare in compagnia, e che ama ridere e far sorridere Hazel.
Libro scritto come i seguenti divinamente, non si perde in chiacchiere, ma nonostante questo ti fa affezionare ai personaggi perché c’entra il punto giusto.
Mi ha fatto sorridere e sognare, un libro anche adatto a età inferiore ai 18 anni poiché non contiene niente di piccante.
August 30, 2024
Cute, Young Adult Romance
Hazel had a crush on the wrong guy, but will she know the right guy when he comes along? She is a very serious girl, and Will, the photographer helping her with her social media is the exact opposite. The guy she has a crush on just sees her as “one of the guys.” However, Will sees her for who she is, and he has feelings for her. What does it take for Hazel to see the truth? "Playing hooky with the hottie” might be exactly what she needs even if it is something those who are serious do not approve. This is an entertaining young adult romance novella.
Hazel had a crush on the wrong guy, but will she know the right guy when he comes along? She is a very serious girl, and Will, the photographer helping her with her social media is the exact opposite. The guy she has a crush on just sees her as “one of the guys.” However, Will sees her for who she is, and he has feelings for her. What does it take for Hazel to see the truth? "Playing hooky with the hottie” might be exactly what she needs even if it is something those who are serious do not approve. This is an entertaining young adult romance novella.
August 6, 2020
Cute sweet read! I absolutely loved Hazels characters while she was miss serious and needed a little push she jumped out of her comfort zone and along the way had some fun. Will is the popular and has his reasons for helping Hazel but my favorite part was Hazels impact on him after a little push from her friends too. Cute read and really looking forward to the next in the series.
Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book
Voluntarily read and reviewed an arc of this book
September 4, 2020
2.5 stars again, rounded up because everything was as expected, and sometimes, that's all you need.
Is the plot predictable, yes? Were there scenes alluded to that we don't actually get to see? Yes. And as such, I think my rating reflects that.
But these are very much quick little feel-good novellas and they achieve what they set out to do.
So yeah, I'm gonna read the next and prolly give it the same rating and that's A-OK with me.
Is the plot predictable, yes? Were there scenes alluded to that we don't actually get to see? Yes. And as such, I think my rating reflects that.
But these are very much quick little feel-good novellas and they achieve what they set out to do.
So yeah, I'm gonna read the next and prolly give it the same rating and that's A-OK with me.
February 7, 2021
Rate: 3.5
Chapters: 13 & Epilogue
Hazel and Will are two opposite people that are working together to get Hazel's crush to notice her. Will, as a photographer, wants to help Hazel have fun and show her crush what type of girl she really is. Even though he has a crush on her himself, Will wants to make Hazel happy so he does what he can to show her she is not just one of the guys. Is Hazel going to fall for Will or not?
Chapters: 13 & Epilogue
Hazel and Will are two opposite people that are working together to get Hazel's crush to notice her. Will, as a photographer, wants to help Hazel have fun and show her crush what type of girl she really is. Even though he has a crush on her himself, Will wants to make Hazel happy so he does what he can to show her she is not just one of the guys. Is Hazel going to fall for Will or not?
October 21, 2024
Hazel has been confidenced by her friends Emma and Lulu she needs to be more fun to get her secret crush to like her and have arranged for takes very little seriously Will (except for his crush on Hazel) to help and to photograph for social media. Hazel cannot get a read on Will, whether he's make fun of her and it makes her feel awkward around him and does not trust him. It was fun how Will helped Hazel have fun and Hazel giving Will motivation for what he wants.
August 4, 2020
Another fun and cute instalment of the series!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching laid-back Will trying to teach focused and driven Hazel how to have fun! And, boy, do these opposites attract - although Hazel does her darnedest to ignore (and deny) it for the longest time. (I may at one point have yelled at them to just KISS ALREADY!)
Looking forward to the next story in this series!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching laid-back Will trying to teach focused and driven Hazel how to have fun! And, boy, do these opposites attract - although Hazel does her darnedest to ignore (and deny) it for the longest time. (I may at one point have yelled at them to just KISS ALREADY!)
Looking forward to the next story in this series!
November 17, 2020
I only planned to read the first book of this series, but yet here I am!
The second book was meh, but now I am struggling to choose between this book and the first one: they were both incredibly cute! I think Will has been my favorite male lead so far though, and he was definitely relatable for me.
The second book was meh, but now I am struggling to choose between this book and the first one: they were both incredibly cute! I think Will has been my favorite male lead so far though, and he was definitely relatable for me.
August 7, 2020
Great YA read! When the serious, no-nonsense Hazel finally gives in to her friends and follows the "How To Catch A Crush" guidelines in a magazine, she doesn't quite get what she wanted...but is that a good thing or a bad thing? A great read to find out what she does get!
December 11, 2020
Cute story. Very entertaining. A little cheesy. Very good for difficult times and these difficult days.
This telegram review came to you because I received an ARC of this book. My opinions are my own
This telegram review came to you because I received an ARC of this book. My opinions are my own
March 4, 2021
It really is cuter than it sounds. I enjoyed the switcheroo on the crush side. These are believable stories. It's not all of a sudden they fall in love but a crush with hope. I have really enjoyed each girl's love story. I wonder if I have read these under a different name though.
September 30, 2021
Falling in love with the funny guy is natural to me by now. But Will was so different. His fun was funny but his genuine moments were so genuine, i wanted to give him a hug. The best guy any girl could ask for, if you ask me.
January 14, 2021
This is a super nice sweet romance. Andrew is a sweet guy and the heroine was really adorable. Nice short read.
February 5, 2021
I really liked this one. Hazel was a person who had goals and stick to them and Will was the exact opposite and I loved it. The way their relationship evolved was very good
February 11, 2024
*slams fist in the counter* give me a Will stat
April 29, 2021
Will & Hazel
The Lonely Hearts club strikes again. This time, they have convinced Hazel to try to catch her crush, Justin. The plan: a social media makeover to make it seem like Hazel is more "fun." Photographer, Will, jumps at the chance to spend time with Hazel, the girl he's been crushing on since starting at Lakewood. Can Will help Hazel catch her crush, or will he catch his?
My favorite thing about Maggie Dallen's books is the character overlap from different books and series! Rose from Kissing the Player (The Dangers of Dating a Diva, #1) is mentioned in this book and throughout the How to Catch a Crush series.
The Lonely Hearts club strikes again. This time, they have convinced Hazel to try to catch her crush, Justin. The plan: a social media makeover to make it seem like Hazel is more "fun." Photographer, Will, jumps at the chance to spend time with Hazel, the girl he's been crushing on since starting at Lakewood. Can Will help Hazel catch her crush, or will he catch his?
My favorite thing about Maggie Dallen's books is the character overlap from different books and series! Rose from Kissing the Player (The Dangers of Dating a Diva, #1) is mentioned in this book and throughout the How to Catch a Crush series.
December 9, 2023
Starting really obvious and sort of lame, I liked how the book started to change after some pages.
It developed some deepness I kind of actually adore. Instead of focusing on some random crush, getting into a relationship or being kissed it was more about having fun, spending time with people you like, doing crazy things that make you happy and live for the best.
So all I can say, I hope you enjoy life the same way as I kind of enjoyed this book. Make the best out of it, fight for what it’s worth it and let loose of all the bad stuff (stress, anxiety, pressure ...). And surely try to date a photographer...
It developed some deepness I kind of actually adore. Instead of focusing on some random crush, getting into a relationship or being kissed it was more about having fun, spending time with people you like, doing crazy things that make you happy and live for the best.
So all I can say, I hope you enjoy life the same way as I kind of enjoyed this book. Make the best out of it, fight for what it’s worth it and let loose of all the bad stuff (stress, anxiety, pressure ...). And surely try to date a photographer...
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