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Love Story
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2011)
She's writing about him. He's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines..
For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?
Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter. . . . except this story could come true.
For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?
Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter. . . . except this story could come true.
243 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2011
About the author
Jennifer Echols
31 books4,907 followersJennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,100 reviews
January 26, 2012
First, I'd like to say I love Jennifer Echols. Secondly, I'd like to clarify my previous statement by saying, I love the Jennifer Echols who wrote Major Crush and Going Too Far. Can anyone tell me where she's hiding? And can we perhaps brainstorm a way to lure her out to write another decent story?
Those aren't the only books by Echols I've read. While The Boys Next Door was OK, Forget You was, ironically, forgettable. Given this pattern, I think it's safe to say Echols is a hit-or-miss author. Love Story is definitely a miss.
This is the story of Erin Blackwell, a college freshman on her own in New York City after a falling-out with her rich grandmother (and legal guardian). During one of Erin's creative writing classes, Hunter Allen, a boy Erin shares a past with, walks in and hilarity ensues. Er....I wish hilarity ensued. What actually ensued was convoluted melodrama and infuriating plot points that were crafted and employed for the sole purpose of dragging the story out even though they made little-to-no sense.
Erin's first story submission for class is in the style of an historical romance, with characters Rebecca and David modeled after Erin herself and Hunter. Hunter reads the story and knows right away that Erin's romantic lead is based on him. Erin is mortified, understandably. What isn't so understandable is Erin's obsessive vehemence that her writing professor not find out that David was modeled on Hunter. She's convinced that he will think she isn't serious about her writing, but that she's nothing more than a silly schoolgirl with a crush. I'm still trying to figure out how that makes any sense since one of the first rules of writing is to "write what you know". I believe something similar is on the page describing this book!
I suppose this is as good a time as any to discuss my feelings about Erin. Echols is usually fantastic at creating likable female protagonists. After reading Forget You, I had hoped that I would never again be subjected to a female lead as vapid and irritating as Zoey. My hopes were promptly crushed as Echols has managed, in Love Story, to not only create a character I cannot in any way relate to, but whom I genuinely dislike. Erin is shallow, judgmental, arrogant, stubborn (in a very, very bad way), jealous, rude, deceitful, and just plain uninteresting. She mentally writes all of her classmates off as "manic depressive" when they seem to like her stories crafted around her childhood more than they do her silly romances. When her writing professor tells her that she has more talent for dialog and pacing than any young writer he's yet seen in his teaching career, she doesn't even register the compliment because she's too busy focusing on the very helpful constructive criticism he offers afterward. Reading her mental processes ("he doesn't know what he's talking about!") is like being trapped in a room with one of those ego-maniacal douchebags....you know the kind of person I'm talking about. We all know at least one.
The supporting cast is, in general, good. Underutilized, of course, but this is common in YA romance since the stories are generally short and teens want to read about the romance. I think my favorite character was Erin and Hunter's writing instructor, Gabe, and I would have liked to see more of him. But again, thinking about Gabe brings up another
confusing plot point. Erin's major ambition in the story is to apply for and win a publishing internship. When she mentions this to Gabe toward the end of the book, he says there's no way she would get it.
Why not? She's the best student in his class (he has just told her as much), so why wouldn't she have a chance at the internship? We're never told because Erin never asks. She just assumes it's because she got into one-too-many arguments in class regarding her work, and because she and Hunter blew up at each other. If those are really the reasons Gabe wouldn't allow her to get the publishing internship, that says more than I want to know about his personal integrity. To deny a qualified student the chance of a lifetime because she has an argument with a boyfriend in class (after said boyfriend burst into the class screaming at her) is something beyond petty.
Hunter Allen. What can I say? Echols didn't fail here, she once again wrote a male protagonist I like. The only problem I have with Hunter is that he's in love with someone as utterly disgusting as Erin. In this sense, he suffers the same fate as Forget You's Doug; he's a great guy, why is he in love with such a horrid bitch?
*Sigh*
Echols does a fairly good job at crafting a traumatizing past for Erin, one in which Hunter's father has an affair with Erin's mother (before her mother's death), which causes a rift between Erin and Hunter that continues through their teen years. But it just wasn't very believable. The idea that something so petty could keep two people apart for so long is ridiculous. And if it really did happen, I would say that at least one of those people is one of the more pathetic human beings I've seen in my life. To top it off, we find out at one point that Erin was a frigid bitch to Hunter throughout high school, never once standing up for him when people began making fun of him because he worked for Erin's family. But she was traumatized after her mother's death, so we're apparently supposed to give her a pass on the whole horrible person thing.
While I generally admire Echols' frank, honest portrayal of teens and sex, Erin having sex with Hunter despite her knowledge of his deception (and her subsequent assertion that she "used" him) was disgusting and infuriating. Throughout the entire story, Erin is constantly second-guessing Hunter, making assumptions regarding his motives, and accusing him of things he was neither doing nor planning on doing. Yet we're supposed to believe that this is the girl Hunter is in love with. The reader can't help but ask, in exasperation, "Why?!
To top it all off, this book didn't even really have an ending. I paid $8.99 for three-quarters of a story. Erin finds out about Hunter's deception, they have sex, Hunter reads Erin's story about losing her virginity to some social parasite they both dislike, they blow up at each other in class, their professor dresses them down in his office and then.......Hunter is in Erin's room packing her things and telling her they need to go back to Louisville so Erin can talk to her grandmother. Erin agrees and as she leaves her room to head for the shower, Hunter smiles at her.
That's it. The reader is left wondering what happens to Hunter and Erin. Do they stay together? Does Erin make up with her grandmother? Does she stick with writing or decide to take over the family business like her grandmother wants? I understand the impact an ambiguous ending can have, and I've read and loved plenty of stories where I was able to ponder the ramifications of future events on my own without them being spelled out for me. The ending of Love Story, however, did not leave me with a pleasant, floating-in-limbo-while-pondering-the-possibilities feeling. It left me with a "What the hell was that? I spent all this time reading this and that is the ending I get?!" feeling.
I'm giving it two stars because, despite my dislike of it, it wasn't horrible. Not nearly as bad as some other books I've read. But it definitely did not live up to what I expect from Ms. Echols.
Those aren't the only books by Echols I've read. While The Boys Next Door was OK, Forget You was, ironically, forgettable. Given this pattern, I think it's safe to say Echols is a hit-or-miss author. Love Story is definitely a miss.
This is the story of Erin Blackwell, a college freshman on her own in New York City after a falling-out with her rich grandmother (and legal guardian). During one of Erin's creative writing classes, Hunter Allen, a boy Erin shares a past with, walks in and hilarity ensues. Er....I wish hilarity ensued. What actually ensued was convoluted melodrama and infuriating plot points that were crafted and employed for the sole purpose of dragging the story out even though they made little-to-no sense.
Erin's first story submission for class is in the style of an historical romance, with characters Rebecca and David modeled after Erin herself and Hunter. Hunter reads the story and knows right away that Erin's romantic lead is based on him. Erin is mortified, understandably. What isn't so understandable is Erin's obsessive vehemence that her writing professor not find out that David was modeled on Hunter. She's convinced that he will think she isn't serious about her writing, but that she's nothing more than a silly schoolgirl with a crush. I'm still trying to figure out how that makes any sense since one of the first rules of writing is to "write what you know". I believe something similar is on the page describing this book!
I suppose this is as good a time as any to discuss my feelings about Erin. Echols is usually fantastic at creating likable female protagonists. After reading Forget You, I had hoped that I would never again be subjected to a female lead as vapid and irritating as Zoey. My hopes were promptly crushed as Echols has managed, in Love Story, to not only create a character I cannot in any way relate to, but whom I genuinely dislike. Erin is shallow, judgmental, arrogant, stubborn (in a very, very bad way), jealous, rude, deceitful, and just plain uninteresting. She mentally writes all of her classmates off as "manic depressive" when they seem to like her stories crafted around her childhood more than they do her silly romances. When her writing professor tells her that she has more talent for dialog and pacing than any young writer he's yet seen in his teaching career, she doesn't even register the compliment because she's too busy focusing on the very helpful constructive criticism he offers afterward. Reading her mental processes ("he doesn't know what he's talking about!") is like being trapped in a room with one of those ego-maniacal douchebags....you know the kind of person I'm talking about. We all know at least one.
The supporting cast is, in general, good. Underutilized, of course, but this is common in YA romance since the stories are generally short and teens want to read about the romance. I think my favorite character was Erin and Hunter's writing instructor, Gabe, and I would have liked to see more of him. But again, thinking about Gabe brings up another
confusing plot point. Erin's major ambition in the story is to apply for and win a publishing internship. When she mentions this to Gabe toward the end of the book, he says there's no way she would get it.
Why not? She's the best student in his class (he has just told her as much), so why wouldn't she have a chance at the internship? We're never told because Erin never asks. She just assumes it's because she got into one-too-many arguments in class regarding her work, and because she and Hunter blew up at each other. If those are really the reasons Gabe wouldn't allow her to get the publishing internship, that says more than I want to know about his personal integrity. To deny a qualified student the chance of a lifetime because she has an argument with a boyfriend in class (after said boyfriend burst into the class screaming at her) is something beyond petty.
Hunter Allen. What can I say? Echols didn't fail here, she once again wrote a male protagonist I like. The only problem I have with Hunter is that he's in love with someone as utterly disgusting as Erin. In this sense, he suffers the same fate as Forget You's Doug; he's a great guy, why is he in love with such a horrid bitch?
*Sigh*
Echols does a fairly good job at crafting a traumatizing past for Erin, one in which Hunter's father has an affair with Erin's mother (before her mother's death), which causes a rift between Erin and Hunter that continues through their teen years. But it just wasn't very believable. The idea that something so petty could keep two people apart for so long is ridiculous. And if it really did happen, I would say that at least one of those people is one of the more pathetic human beings I've seen in my life. To top it off, we find out at one point that Erin was a frigid bitch to Hunter throughout high school, never once standing up for him when people began making fun of him because he worked for Erin's family. But she was traumatized after her mother's death, so we're apparently supposed to give her a pass on the whole horrible person thing.
While I generally admire Echols' frank, honest portrayal of teens and sex, Erin having sex with Hunter despite her knowledge of his deception (and her subsequent assertion that she "used" him) was disgusting and infuriating. Throughout the entire story, Erin is constantly second-guessing Hunter, making assumptions regarding his motives, and accusing him of things he was neither doing nor planning on doing. Yet we're supposed to believe that this is the girl Hunter is in love with. The reader can't help but ask, in exasperation, "Why?!
To top it all off, this book didn't even really have an ending. I paid $8.99 for three-quarters of a story. Erin finds out about Hunter's deception, they have sex, Hunter reads Erin's story about losing her virginity to some social parasite they both dislike, they blow up at each other in class, their professor dresses them down in his office and then.......Hunter is in Erin's room packing her things and telling her they need to go back to Louisville so Erin can talk to her grandmother. Erin agrees and as she leaves her room to head for the shower, Hunter smiles at her.
That's it. The reader is left wondering what happens to Hunter and Erin. Do they stay together? Does Erin make up with her grandmother? Does she stick with writing or decide to take over the family business like her grandmother wants? I understand the impact an ambiguous ending can have, and I've read and loved plenty of stories where I was able to ponder the ramifications of future events on my own without them being spelled out for me. The ending of Love Story, however, did not leave me with a pleasant, floating-in-limbo-while-pondering-the-possibilities feeling. It left me with a "What the hell was that? I spent all this time reading this and that is the ending I get?!" feeling.
I'm giving it two stars because, despite my dislike of it, it wasn't horrible. Not nearly as bad as some other books I've read. But it definitely did not live up to what I expect from Ms. Echols.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2011
There is just something about Love Story... that I think deserves a review, and I don’t normally give reviews. I really like Jennifer Echols, there is just something about her writing that captivates me. I have never given her books anything less than a four. So, it’s no surprise that I am giving Love Story 5, and if I could give it higher, I would.
Love Story is about Erin Blackwell and Hunter Allen. Erin and Hunter go to the same college in New York. Here’s the catch, Hunter and Erin already know each other. Hunter worked at Erin’s grandmothers horse farm as a stable boy. Except the tables are turned, Erin’s grandmother decided to give Hunter Erin’s inheritance, all because Erin did not want to major in business and run the farm. There is a obvious attraction between the two of them and throughout the book, through short storeys, they write for class and real (story world) life, their attraction develops... Da-da-daa-daann (a theme song from god knows where ;).
I liked a lot of stuff about this book. Because of that, lets start at the start.
I liked the very beginning, how it did not start with the actual story, but a short story that Erin had written for the short story class she was taking. I really liked the fact that the book had short storeys like this throughout the book. I really enjoyed reading them, and then listening to the class discuss them, especially Manohar, but we will get to him later. I think the short story’s really enhanced the story, and they were probably one of my favourite aspects of the book.
Onto the climax, the writing, the characters...
I really enjoyed how the book built up to the big...'scene' and how it then kinda let itself down from there, how we were waiting for the ‘scene’ to happen and once it did the characters were left in the aftermath.
Ahh, so onto the characters, we have some very, very interesting characters and because of my weirdness (I never seem to like the hero that much, I’m more a sidekick sort of girl), I think this picture describes how I feel, especially in psych:
[image error]
It also applies here, not with a pineapple though...
so sure I liked Hunter and Erin, they carried the story well, they were good quality people, they were a good couple. But sadly they were not Manohar and Summer, these to had to be hilarious as a couple, and I think I am absolutely in love with them as a couple, god would I love a book with these to as the main people. They were both sidekicks to Hunter and Erin and when it came down to it, they both had hilarious storeys and they gave hilarious advice. Oh yeah and they hated each other, so watching their romance play out on the side was just hilarious.
The writing, can’t say much here as I mentioned it before, but like all of Jennifer Echols writing I loved it. It was easy to read and had some interesting words thrown in there. It was good.
Onto the ending...
I feltgood un satisfied at how the book ended, I can’t say much without giving a lot away, but I personally think it would have been better if the author had explained more, I dunno, written more, made it longer (maybe a sequel? With Summer and Manohar?). But I guess I can see why she ended it that way, in a way it sorta made a little sense.
Overall, it’s a good read and I recommend reading it, really ☺
In the very end, end, end. I was satisfied.
Love Story is about Erin Blackwell and Hunter Allen. Erin and Hunter go to the same college in New York. Here’s the catch, Hunter and Erin already know each other. Hunter worked at Erin’s grandmothers horse farm as a stable boy. Except the tables are turned, Erin’s grandmother decided to give Hunter Erin’s inheritance, all because Erin did not want to major in business and run the farm. There is a obvious attraction between the two of them and throughout the book, through short storeys, they write for class and real (story world) life, their attraction develops... Da-da-daa-daann (a theme song from god knows where ;).
I liked a lot of stuff about this book. Because of that, lets start at the start.
I liked the very beginning, how it did not start with the actual story, but a short story that Erin had written for the short story class she was taking. I really liked the fact that the book had short storeys like this throughout the book. I really enjoyed reading them, and then listening to the class discuss them, especially Manohar, but we will get to him later. I think the short story’s really enhanced the story, and they were probably one of my favourite aspects of the book.
Onto the climax, the writing, the characters...
I really enjoyed how the book built up to the big...'scene' and how it then kinda let itself down from there, how we were waiting for the ‘scene’ to happen and once it did the characters were left in the aftermath.
Ahh, so onto the characters, we have some very, very interesting characters and because of my weirdness (I never seem to like the hero that much, I’m more a sidekick sort of girl), I think this picture describes how I feel, especially in psych:
[image error]
It also applies here, not with a pineapple though...
so sure I liked Hunter and Erin, they carried the story well, they were good quality people, they were a good couple. But sadly they were not Manohar and Summer, these to had to be hilarious as a couple, and I think I am absolutely in love with them as a couple, god would I love a book with these to as the main people. They were both sidekicks to Hunter and Erin and when it came down to it, they both had hilarious storeys and they gave hilarious advice. Oh yeah and they hated each other, so watching their romance play out on the side was just hilarious.
The writing, can’t say much here as I mentioned it before, but like all of Jennifer Echols writing I loved it. It was easy to read and had some interesting words thrown in there. It was good.
Onto the ending...
I felt
Overall, it’s a good read and I recommend reading it, really ☺
In the very end, end, end. I was satisfied.
July 25, 2012
And in the end, I was left frustrated and hugely dissapointed.
First of all, I love Echols‘ works, but this, seriously , what is this? It started off interestingly, but Erin become hard to connect to. I just can‘t help but hate the fact that she chases him. And Hunter, a selfish, arrogant jerk who lives off feeding from other people‘s success. Let me get this straight, why, just why could he NOT apologize to Erin for EVERYTHING? And I mean a proper apology where we could bawl our eyes out for the Grammy moment. But no, he walked the earth like some hotshot, but ugh, he‘s a total parasite.
Where are those John After, Doug Fox, Adam Vader, Nick Krieger-like guys who made our toes jelly with their sweetness and ability to apologize? Eh, they don‘t exist here.
The ending was absolutely crappy, with no resolution with the most important conflicts in the book. Erin and her grandma never got to talk properly. Erin had a big past involving her passive grandmother so it should atleast be proper to have a scene where apologies are made and ties would be sevvered. But instead, one of the most important parts were left unwritten. She was more focused on her love life instead. Couldn't be more greatful on the grandma who raised her. *eye roll
What's up with that?
I‘m just so dissapointed. Sigh. This could have turned out great, but it was dragging and frustrating.
May 31, 2011
My first Jennifer Echols book was Going Too Far which I enjoyed to the point of feeling sheepish about how much I loved it. It was compulsively readable with a lot of slow-burning sexual tension YA style. Instant fan-girl.
She also nails the rom-com YA scene with fun (predictable) love/hate teen reads in Major Crush, The Ex Games and The Boys Next Door (all a solid 3 stars from me)
However, I am completely baffled by her latest book Love Story :/
The set-up is all there for a classic love/hate romance: misunderstandings and that fun kind of antagonistic behaviour between two romantic leads.
But it's like she set up the premise then decided to make it a softer more heart-felt love story and somehow the book seems confused about what it is trying to be. It's a mish-mash of a story ~ trying to be funny/quirky/flirty one moment and then deep/meaningful the next. I can't quite put my finger on why but it just felt like the story wasn't all there ~ like there were some great ideas and an awesome set-up and she tried to take it it deeper and somehow it just all flopped out wrong.
I have always been impressed with the way Echols builds romantic and sexual tension between her characters but it was lacking here. Erin and Hunter both knew they liked each other and they fumbled along with that knowledge until the end. There was no tension sizzling underneath it. Echols is also the queen of sexytimes but she kept it quite tame (blink and you'll miss it) in here. Hunter was a nice guy with some sweet lines but he wasn't swoon-y for me. (I think maybe Echols does bad/misunderstood boys best)
I also missed some of Echol's trademark grin-worthy dialogue. I like her usual snappy one-liner style and long-running jokes yet didn't find much humour in here.
Without Echol's usual pizazz and spark in the core conflict, it was easier to notice other areas that didn't seem fine-tuned. The setting was not strong, secondary characters firmly 2D and the overall cohesiveness of the story felt loosely pulled together. (I can overlook these things for a good romp. I sometimes think 2D secondary characters are perfect in certain books, yet they needed to be more fleshed out here to help carry the burden of the flailing story)
I felt like reading this was like reading a warm-up to a real story. When I finished I thought: is that it?
My review feels a bit muddled and I think that is because I am still muddled about this book.
Can't wait to see what you guys think :)
(Thanks S & S galley grab for the egalley :)
She also nails the rom-com YA scene with fun (predictable) love/hate teen reads in Major Crush, The Ex Games and The Boys Next Door (all a solid 3 stars from me)
However, I am completely baffled by her latest book Love Story :/
The set-up is all there for a classic love/hate romance: misunderstandings and that fun kind of antagonistic behaviour between two romantic leads.
But it's like she set up the premise then decided to make it a softer more heart-felt love story and somehow the book seems confused about what it is trying to be. It's a mish-mash of a story ~ trying to be funny/quirky/flirty one moment and then deep/meaningful the next. I can't quite put my finger on why but it just felt like the story wasn't all there ~ like there were some great ideas and an awesome set-up and she tried to take it it deeper and somehow it just all flopped out wrong.
I have always been impressed with the way Echols builds romantic and sexual tension between her characters but it was lacking here. Erin and Hunter both knew they liked each other and they fumbled along with that knowledge until the end. There was no tension sizzling underneath it. Echols is also the queen of sexytimes but she kept it quite tame (blink and you'll miss it) in here. Hunter was a nice guy with some sweet lines but he wasn't swoon-y for me. (I think maybe Echols does bad/misunderstood boys best)
I also missed some of Echol's trademark grin-worthy dialogue. I like her usual snappy one-liner style and long-running jokes yet didn't find much humour in here.
Without Echol's usual pizazz and spark in the core conflict, it was easier to notice other areas that didn't seem fine-tuned. The setting was not strong, secondary characters firmly 2D and the overall cohesiveness of the story felt loosely pulled together. (I can overlook these things for a good romp. I sometimes think 2D secondary characters are perfect in certain books, yet they needed to be more fleshed out here to help carry the burden of the flailing story)
I felt like reading this was like reading a warm-up to a real story. When I finished I thought: is that it?
My review feels a bit muddled and I think that is because I am still muddled about this book.
Can't wait to see what you guys think :)
(Thanks S & S galley grab for the egalley :)
August 5, 2011
If there is one author that I can constantly fangirl, it's Jennifer Echols. I simply LOVE all of her books. I absolutely adore a good love story and Jennifer Echols is the master of amour! Although Going Too Far is by far my favorite Jennifer Echols title, Love Story is definitely up there too.
I loved the characters; Erin & Hunter. I loved their literary battle.... I just wish those two wouldn't have been so stubborn! I could have had some steaminess from the start, but nooooo I had to wait. I love it that way, but at the same time the tension is killer! We don't exactly know the history of Erin and Hunter but through their stories in class we get to discover the intimacies of their past
Another great thing about this novel is that it was set in Erin's freshman year of college... not to many YA novels out there that take place in college, I think there is like a rule against that or something. And the aspect of the creative writing class, I ate that UP! I want to read Erin's romance novel!
Fans of Echol's will fall in love with this novel! I know I did!
I loved the characters; Erin & Hunter. I loved their literary battle.... I just wish those two wouldn't have been so stubborn! I could have had some steaminess from the start, but nooooo I had to wait. I love it that way, but at the same time the tension is killer! We don't exactly know the history of Erin and Hunter but through their stories in class we get to discover the intimacies of their past
Another great thing about this novel is that it was set in Erin's freshman year of college... not to many YA novels out there that take place in college, I think there is like a rule against that or something. And the aspect of the creative writing class, I ate that UP! I want to read Erin's romance novel!
Fans of Echol's will fall in love with this novel! I know I did!
June 19, 2016
1,5 star.
It was way to easy to predict for my liking. I could easily skip pages or even chapters and there still wouldn't be any problem with catching up with events. To be honest, this book for me was just telenovela written down and put in New York. The thing is - I hate telenovelas! But at least it was written okay, so it was quite fast and easy to read, even if I wasn't enjoying.
I really don't want insult the author or reader, who enjoyed this story. However, for me "Love story" was just one, huge cliché. By chapter 10 nothing had happened yet and in all book nothing impressed me. Well... Actually there was one thin. In page 163 (of Lithuanian version) Erin got hit by a taxi and that was the best scene in all book. I have to admit that in page 160 I wanted a bus to hit so bad that I almost threw the book thru the damn window. For my big surprise after three pages I got what I wanted! I loved that :)
One more thing. I thought will be more to those stories they written to eacth other. I mean, they where there for as to see, but didn't effected me. I just felt like key point or normal explanaition about them was missing.
Full review: https://gutreadingtime.wordpress.com/...
It was way to easy to predict for my liking. I could easily skip pages or even chapters and there still wouldn't be any problem with catching up with events. To be honest, this book for me was just telenovela written down and put in New York. The thing is - I hate telenovelas! But at least it was written okay, so it was quite fast and easy to read, even if I wasn't enjoying.
I really don't want insult the author or reader, who enjoyed this story. However, for me "Love story" was just one, huge cliché. By chapter 10 nothing had happened yet and in all book nothing impressed me. Well... Actually there was one thin. In page 163 (of Lithuanian version) Erin got hit by a taxi and that was the best scene in all book. I have to admit that in page 160 I wanted a bus to hit so bad that I almost threw the book thru the damn window. For my big surprise after three pages I got what I wanted! I loved that :)
One more thing. I thought will be more to those stories they written to eacth other. I mean, they where there for as to see, but didn't effected me. I just felt like key point or normal explanaition about them was missing.
Full review: https://gutreadingtime.wordpress.com/...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2011
At first I thought this book was really great. Hunter seemed like a really cool guy and Erin didn't annoy me completely. The other characters seemed well developed too. But towards the end when they went back to Kentucky, I felt that Hunter didn't really care about Erin's feeling towards her grandmother and her father, and that Erin was too naive about the whole situation. I also just really hated it when Erin found out about the whole agreement between her grandmother and Hunter but she didn't confront him or her about it and used him like she thought he was using her. I'm still not exactly sure if he used her because that wasn't clear at all. And then she had to go and write that last story just to piss him off which his ridiculously childish and too high school considering they are supposed to be going to a big hotshot New York college. The ending just really sucked because they didn't even try to resolve their issues and then she's all cool with going back to Kentucky with him. I just felt like their problems were too juvenile and they could have been resolved if they just talked to each other instead of tiptoeing around in the stories and then getting pissed at each other if the other person didn't understand or took it the wrong way. The story thing was good in theory and sounded really great but it just wasn't executed well for me at least. This book was just really disappointing for me because I thought the beginning was really awesome but then it just got too high school and annoying. I dive into books to get away from the typical high school life and to enjoy a fantasy and I didn't really escape high school with this book.
February 16, 2012
This book was a pain to read at some parts. Other parts were tolerable. The most annoying aspect of this book was the narrator.
Jesus.
She was so uptight, annoying, and... uptight and annoying!
Erin bored me with her dialogue. Her narration was slow and drowned in unnecessary details. It was all too dull and boring.
"Hunter got out of his upholstered chair after about five seconds. It tempted me to get out my upholstered chair. However, I decided not to get up from my upholstered chair."
Damn it, Erin, SHUT THE HELL UP!
Hunter was okay. I don't have much of an opinion on him. Yes, he is incredibly gorgeous and has a bravado like no other. Yes, that's very enticing. He's a golden beast, with his blonde tresses, and long eyelashes. That's remarkable. But... just one thing.
I'VE
SEEN
THAT
BEFORE!
GOSH!
The only concept I liked by Echols was the fact that the main characters were writing about each other through their stories. I found that a little touching. It was something I've never read about before.
Oh, yes. The title is the best thing that's ever happened to this book... Love Story... It could not have gotten more creative than that.
Good night, people.
Jesus.
She was so uptight, annoying, and... uptight and annoying!
Erin bored me with her dialogue. Her narration was slow and drowned in unnecessary details. It was all too dull and boring.
"Hunter got out of his upholstered chair after about five seconds. It tempted me to get out my upholstered chair. However, I decided not to get up from my upholstered chair."
Damn it, Erin, SHUT THE HELL UP!
Hunter was okay. I don't have much of an opinion on him. Yes, he is incredibly gorgeous and has a bravado like no other. Yes, that's very enticing. He's a golden beast, with his blonde tresses, and long eyelashes. That's remarkable. But... just one thing.
I'VE
SEEN
THAT
BEFORE!
GOSH!
The only concept I liked by Echols was the fact that the main characters were writing about each other through their stories. I found that a little touching. It was something I've never read about before.
Oh, yes. The title is the best thing that's ever happened to this book... Love Story... It could not have gotten more creative than that.
Good night, people.
September 28, 2011
Sort of a swing and a miss for me. This one never really got going. What really bugs me is an entire story that centers around that fact that if these two people had just had one honest conversation that there wouldn't be a story. It feels too much like manufactured drama just for the sake of drama.
Erin bothered me a lot with her I think I love Hunter, but how can I since I hate him for stealing my life. Yet even so, I get all hot and bothered when he's around, but I must remember to not like him, even though I kind of do. I don't like that he firts with all the other girls, but I won't really allow him to flirt with me either and I must keep it a secret that we know each other for no real reason.
I wondered at times if I was missing pages as they would be having a conversation after some smooching and she'd think we hate each other again after we just decided we liked each other and I'd think when did that happen? Did I miss something? You're getting to know each other again so each sentence that comes out isn't going to be poetry, but he says one thing and she decides they hate each other. I felt very confused and not in a good way, not in the way that the character is confused and you're joining in with that feeling, but that I was outside of it all and simply wasn't connecting and getting what was going on.
I felt that a girl who was so terribly serious about her writing would not have used it in the way she did, to get back at him, to push at him, to hurt him. I found that to be fairly stupid on her part.
The ending was fairly abrupt and fairly unsatisfying, but all in all, it's an okay read, although not Echols best. Just my opinion. I feel sad that I don't like this one better as I like Echols writing style.
Erin bothered me a lot with her I think I love Hunter, but how can I since I hate him for stealing my life. Yet even so, I get all hot and bothered when he's around, but I must remember to not like him, even though I kind of do. I don't like that he firts with all the other girls, but I won't really allow him to flirt with me either and I must keep it a secret that we know each other for no real reason.
I wondered at times if I was missing pages as they would be having a conversation after some smooching and she'd think we hate each other again after we just decided we liked each other and I'd think when did that happen? Did I miss something? You're getting to know each other again so each sentence that comes out isn't going to be poetry, but he says one thing and she decides they hate each other. I felt very confused and not in a good way, not in the way that the character is confused and you're joining in with that feeling, but that I was outside of it all and simply wasn't connecting and getting what was going on.
I felt that a girl who was so terribly serious about her writing would not have used it in the way she did, to get back at him, to push at him, to hurt him. I found that to be fairly stupid on her part.
The ending was fairly abrupt and fairly unsatisfying, but all in all, it's an okay read, although not Echols best. Just my opinion. I feel sad that I don't like this one better as I like Echols writing style.
February 5, 2012
After the tragic accident that killed her mother, Erin Blackwell has lived on her grandmother's multi-million dollar racehorse farm in Kentucky. While her grandmother has always insisted Erin do a business degree in order to take over the family business, Erin decides instead to pursue her desire to write with an arts degree in New York City. In retaliation, her grandmother makes the stableboy, Hunter Allen, heir to the farm and bestows upon him the means to do the business degree. Meanwhile, Erin is living the life of a poor student, supplementing her scholarship with meagre wages from cafes.
Since Hunter is at the same university as Erin, she knew their paths would cross at some point, but she never expected to have him transfer into her creative writing class - on the very day the students are reading her short story, a historical romance where a socialite develops a clandestine relationship with the stable boy. Fearful that Hunter will reveal that he is Erin's stableboy, thus losing her a coveted internship at a publishing house, Erin must talk to him. But even with his promise not to tell, it's clear from his short story that he has a message for her. As their stories go back and forth, and Erin finds herself in his company more and more, it's clear that there's something going on with Hunter that has nothing to do with her grandmother's racehorse farm.
I enjoyed Echols' previous two drama novels, Going Too Far and Forget You immensely, so when this came out I instantly got a copy. That was last year. Since the novel opens with Erin's first short story, "Almost a Lady", it failed to pull me in and after a page I put it aside. I did that a few more times before finally committing myself to reading it. Unfortunately, that initial impression held true for the rest of the book.
I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It was about university-aged kids, for a start, and I've always felt that the university years get strangely ignored in fiction in general. It was about writing, which I could completely relate to - though I realised I know little about the American university system, because all Erin's references to being in the "honors program" made me think at first that she was a fourth year student. And I thought that the premise and structure of Love Story had immense promise and potential - combined with horses, and I thought it was going to be a book I'd love. Sadly, not the case at all.
Ultimately, the word that comes to mind in describing this book is "mess". Love Story was a more complicated plot than the other two, though it really didn't need to be - the plot was loose, unravelling, messy, confusing and quite frankly didn't seem to know what was going on. I felt the same way. Between trying to figure out what the big deal was with Erin's grandmother and the horse farm, and what kind of prior relationship she'd had with Hunter before university, if any, and what all the back and forth was all about. I honestly couldn't understand what was going on, now, because I didn't know what had happened - if anything - before. That didn't have to be a problem, but the way Erin narrates, the cryptic comments and weird impressions and all her subtext readings were like red herrings. I spent most of the novel waiting: waiting to understand, waiting for Erin to actually have a concrete thought, something.
If you look at it another way, though, Erin is a perfect example of the unreliable narrator, whose perspective is skewed by her own personality and her own interpretations of things. Added to this is her mostly negative impressions of Hunter which unsuccessfully hide the fact that she's practically obsessed with him.
In turn, Hunter is something of an enigma for most of the book, but the true Hunter comes through despite Erin's red herrings - though his comments about her playing at being a poor girl, while there's a reason for them, made him come across as a real arsehole. Actually, a lot of Hunter's scenes make him look like an arse, though by the end of the book I was more sympathetic towards him than I was Erin (which says a lot about how annoying Erin became), because the reader is able to see past Erin's misinterpretations and hang-ups to the real boy, and since we don't get his internal monologuing, he get to see what he's going through rather than just being told. In fact, we're not told a whole lot in regards to him - nothing much trustworthy, anyway.
And the whole horse farm thing, and Erin's yearning for a father who was a lazy bum who physically assaulted her mother on numerous occasions when they lived with him in California, most of that didn't make sense to me. Yes so she has daddy issues, but with her memories of him hitting her mum, and being the indirect cause of the accident that killed her, why does she still wish he would come for her? Don't answer that, I know, he's the only parent she's got, she's lonely, and who doesn't want to be loved by their parents? It makes sense when I think about it, but it doesn't make sense the way it's presented in the story. Likewise the horse farm thing - I couldn't tell, and still can't, whether she's actually upset that her grandmother disinherited her, pissed off that Hunter "stole" it (she refers to it that way many times, and yet it rings hollow), etc. She loves horses and riding and has a natural gift for the races (or, rather, a lot of experience), but her motivations and reasoning just didn't gel with other parts of her character to the extent that I couldn't understand what she actually wanted.
Some of the debates in Erin's creative writing class could have been really good; they certainly started out that way. Since Erin's first story was an out-and-out romance, and the first person to critique it was a boy who dismissed it as trash not worthy of the course, there was a real opening for some interesting debate. Likewise with the other stories that are included here. But their conversations were disappointing, or not included at all, and often disintegrated into immature jokes. I know, it's first year uni, and more realistic than what I was hoping for, but it was just one more thing to be disappointed by. I found that most of the issues brought up in this novel were skirted in the same kind of way, leaving me with little to grasp.
The ending was abrupt, especially considering how many misunderstandings between Erin and Hunter it follows, and nothing was really resolved. I found myself very surprised that Echols' editor didn't advise further revisions to make this a tighter, better fleshed out, more smoothly coherent story.
Since Hunter is at the same university as Erin, she knew their paths would cross at some point, but she never expected to have him transfer into her creative writing class - on the very day the students are reading her short story, a historical romance where a socialite develops a clandestine relationship with the stable boy. Fearful that Hunter will reveal that he is Erin's stableboy, thus losing her a coveted internship at a publishing house, Erin must talk to him. But even with his promise not to tell, it's clear from his short story that he has a message for her. As their stories go back and forth, and Erin finds herself in his company more and more, it's clear that there's something going on with Hunter that has nothing to do with her grandmother's racehorse farm.
I enjoyed Echols' previous two drama novels, Going Too Far and Forget You immensely, so when this came out I instantly got a copy. That was last year. Since the novel opens with Erin's first short story, "Almost a Lady", it failed to pull me in and after a page I put it aside. I did that a few more times before finally committing myself to reading it. Unfortunately, that initial impression held true for the rest of the book.
I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It was about university-aged kids, for a start, and I've always felt that the university years get strangely ignored in fiction in general. It was about writing, which I could completely relate to - though I realised I know little about the American university system, because all Erin's references to being in the "honors program" made me think at first that she was a fourth year student. And I thought that the premise and structure of Love Story had immense promise and potential - combined with horses, and I thought it was going to be a book I'd love. Sadly, not the case at all.
Ultimately, the word that comes to mind in describing this book is "mess". Love Story was a more complicated plot than the other two, though it really didn't need to be - the plot was loose, unravelling, messy, confusing and quite frankly didn't seem to know what was going on. I felt the same way. Between trying to figure out what the big deal was with Erin's grandmother and the horse farm, and what kind of prior relationship she'd had with Hunter before university, if any, and what all the back and forth was all about. I honestly couldn't understand what was going on, now, because I didn't know what had happened - if anything - before. That didn't have to be a problem, but the way Erin narrates, the cryptic comments and weird impressions and all her subtext readings were like red herrings. I spent most of the novel waiting: waiting to understand, waiting for Erin to actually have a concrete thought, something.
If you look at it another way, though, Erin is a perfect example of the unreliable narrator, whose perspective is skewed by her own personality and her own interpretations of things. Added to this is her mostly negative impressions of Hunter which unsuccessfully hide the fact that she's practically obsessed with him.
In turn, Hunter is something of an enigma for most of the book, but the true Hunter comes through despite Erin's red herrings - though his comments about her playing at being a poor girl, while there's a reason for them, made him come across as a real arsehole. Actually, a lot of Hunter's scenes make him look like an arse, though by the end of the book I was more sympathetic towards him than I was Erin (which says a lot about how annoying Erin became), because the reader is able to see past Erin's misinterpretations and hang-ups to the real boy, and since we don't get his internal monologuing, he get to see what he's going through rather than just being told. In fact, we're not told a whole lot in regards to him - nothing much trustworthy, anyway.
And the whole horse farm thing, and Erin's yearning for a father who was a lazy bum who physically assaulted her mother on numerous occasions when they lived with him in California, most of that didn't make sense to me. Yes so she has daddy issues, but with her memories of him hitting her mum, and being the indirect cause of the accident that killed her, why does she still wish he would come for her? Don't answer that, I know, he's the only parent she's got, she's lonely, and who doesn't want to be loved by their parents? It makes sense when I think about it, but it doesn't make sense the way it's presented in the story. Likewise the horse farm thing - I couldn't tell, and still can't, whether she's actually upset that her grandmother disinherited her, pissed off that Hunter "stole" it (she refers to it that way many times, and yet it rings hollow), etc. She loves horses and riding and has a natural gift for the races (or, rather, a lot of experience), but her motivations and reasoning just didn't gel with other parts of her character to the extent that I couldn't understand what she actually wanted.
Some of the debates in Erin's creative writing class could have been really good; they certainly started out that way. Since Erin's first story was an out-and-out romance, and the first person to critique it was a boy who dismissed it as trash not worthy of the course, there was a real opening for some interesting debate. Likewise with the other stories that are included here. But their conversations were disappointing, or not included at all, and often disintegrated into immature jokes. I know, it's first year uni, and more realistic than what I was hoping for, but it was just one more thing to be disappointed by. I found that most of the issues brought up in this novel were skirted in the same kind of way, leaving me with little to grasp.
The ending was abrupt, especially considering how many misunderstandings between Erin and Hunter it follows, and nothing was really resolved. I found myself very surprised that Echols' editor didn't advise further revisions to make this a tighter, better fleshed out, more smoothly coherent story.
March 6, 2020
Sometimes you wonder if an author has written a story based on her own real life experiences. I often got that feeling as I was reading this novel.
Erin and Hunter shared a difficult childhood. Erin disliked her overbearing grandmother, and blames her for making her own mother very unhappy, while she was alive. Hunter and Erin have loved each other, in one way or another, since they were twelve years old.
They both take the same creative writing class at NYU, and their stories start to expose bits and pieces of their real feelings for one another. At one point things come to a head and both Erin and Hunter are in danger of flunking out of this course. Gabe (the professor leading the class) warns Erin that although she has a gift for writing, she must learn to accept rejection and work hard on her writing career. He gave her some pretty good advice - write what you want to read. Don't worry so much about what your audience wants to hear.
I really enjoyed this story, as well as the very complex relationship between Hunter and Erin. They both keep messing with each other's heads through the stories they write for that class. The ending is not your typical HEA. Normally, Echols writes very satisfying endings. In this one, you are left to do a lot of the work yourself, but you know that Hunter and Erin will get their HEA. Most people (myself included) felt that the ending was rushed and didn't tie up enough loose pieces. I agree with those sentiments, and think the author should consider writing a short novella, letting us know how Hunter and Erin are doing a few years down the road. A very enjoyable read!
Erin and Hunter shared a difficult childhood. Erin disliked her overbearing grandmother, and blames her for making her own mother very unhappy, while she was alive. Hunter and Erin have loved each other, in one way or another, since they were twelve years old.
They both take the same creative writing class at NYU, and their stories start to expose bits and pieces of their real feelings for one another. At one point things come to a head and both Erin and Hunter are in danger of flunking out of this course. Gabe (the professor leading the class) warns Erin that although she has a gift for writing, she must learn to accept rejection and work hard on her writing career. He gave her some pretty good advice - write what you want to read. Don't worry so much about what your audience wants to hear.
I really enjoyed this story, as well as the very complex relationship between Hunter and Erin. They both keep messing with each other's heads through the stories they write for that class. The ending is not your typical HEA. Normally, Echols writes very satisfying endings. In this one, you are left to do a lot of the work yourself, but you know that Hunter and Erin will get their HEA. Most people (myself included) felt that the ending was rushed and didn't tie up enough loose pieces. I agree with those sentiments, and think the author should consider writing a short novella, letting us know how Hunter and Erin are doing a few years down the road. A very enjoyable read!
March 31, 2012
I love Jennifer Echols' book, The Boy Next Door so much. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this soon!
Edit: I finished this book in less than a day. It was indeed a light and quick read. Can I first mention how much I like the girl on the cover of this book? I don't know why, but there is something about her eyes, it looks so warm and gentle yet so playful and cunning.
Okay Anna, back to the point. This book is about Erin Blackwell, a girl whose grandmother owns a farmhouse (and who is apparently very rich) but give up her inheritance because of her love for romance writing. She is ambitious to major in creative writing in New York which opposes to her grandmother's hope of Erin taking over her business. And well, her grandmother is furious and gives the promised inheritance to handsome 'stable-boy' Hunter Allen. Now, Erin is living in New York City on peanut butter crackers, does not own a cellphone, eat ramen noodles and work her butt off to keep her academic work going and to survive in the city by serving lattes at the coffee shop. She is supposed to hate Hunter for stealing her birthright and owning a Rolex watch when she can't even afford a mobile phone.
However, Erin finds herself writing about him, her 'stable-boy', on her very first writing assignment in her creative writing class. Suddenly, he walks into the room, joins the class and finds out that he is in her story. Things get more complicated as the book reveals Erin's painful memories about her parents. As when her love for Hunter is starting to grow more intense and as when Hunter is showing more obvious sign of his love for her, she finds out that the reason why Hunter is always around -- her grandmother. She overhears a conversation between Hunter and her grandmother, she insists Hunter to keep tabs on Erin and that just ruins the whole romance. Erin feels used and betrayed. Just when they both confess their love for each other, she finds out all is just an act of him trying to be closer to her and convince Erin to change her mind to major in Business not English for her grandmother's sake.
Well, spoilers alert! This book does have a happy ending, thankfully. I cannot bear a sad ending after hours of reading it. I recommend this book to people that like realistic romance novels that are not way too cheesy and dramatic.
Edit #2: About 4 hours later after finishing the book, I have to admit that this book has really left me feeling so good about life and love. It's such a feel-good read, left readers (a hopeless romantic like me!) hopeful about finding love when you think everything is about to fall apart and you feel like you can't trust anyone around you. It really wakes my inner hopeless romantic trait and now I'm listening to Taylor Swift songs and feeling so giggly and shy for the thought of Hunter's presence (who unfortunately does not exist). I like how a book is able to make you feel an emotion even after finishing it for hours.
Edit: I finished this book in less than a day. It was indeed a light and quick read. Can I first mention how much I like the girl on the cover of this book? I don't know why, but there is something about her eyes, it looks so warm and gentle yet so playful and cunning.
Okay Anna, back to the point. This book is about Erin Blackwell, a girl whose grandmother owns a farmhouse (and who is apparently very rich) but give up her inheritance because of her love for romance writing. She is ambitious to major in creative writing in New York which opposes to her grandmother's hope of Erin taking over her business. And well, her grandmother is furious and gives the promised inheritance to handsome 'stable-boy' Hunter Allen. Now, Erin is living in New York City on peanut butter crackers, does not own a cellphone, eat ramen noodles and work her butt off to keep her academic work going and to survive in the city by serving lattes at the coffee shop. She is supposed to hate Hunter for stealing her birthright and owning a Rolex watch when she can't even afford a mobile phone.
However, Erin finds herself writing about him, her 'stable-boy', on her very first writing assignment in her creative writing class. Suddenly, he walks into the room, joins the class and finds out that he is in her story. Things get more complicated as the book reveals Erin's painful memories about her parents. As when her love for Hunter is starting to grow more intense and as when Hunter is showing more obvious sign of his love for her, she finds out that the reason why Hunter is always around -- her grandmother. She overhears a conversation between Hunter and her grandmother, she insists Hunter to keep tabs on Erin and that just ruins the whole romance. Erin feels used and betrayed. Just when they both confess their love for each other, she finds out all is just an act of him trying to be closer to her and convince Erin to change her mind to major in Business not English for her grandmother's sake.
Well, spoilers alert! This book does have a happy ending, thankfully. I cannot bear a sad ending after hours of reading it. I recommend this book to people that like realistic romance novels that are not way too cheesy and dramatic.
Edit #2: About 4 hours later after finishing the book, I have to admit that this book has really left me feeling so good about life and love. It's such a feel-good read, left readers (a hopeless romantic like me!) hopeful about finding love when you think everything is about to fall apart and you feel like you can't trust anyone around you. It really wakes my inner hopeless romantic trait and now I'm listening to Taylor Swift songs and feeling so giggly and shy for the thought of Hunter's presence (who unfortunately does not exist). I like how a book is able to make you feel an emotion even after finishing it for hours.
August 18, 2012
Oh my poor heart, oh my poor expectations. Where was that quote, " No expectations, no disappointments." I think to have forgotten. Jennifer Echols, what happened? Where you on a deadline and just seemed to write anything, honestly? I feel really bad giving this story one star, but even that is a lot.
Honestly, I did have expectations towards this story. It had so much potential. We not only have a story but stories upon a story. Oh, and 'steamy' stories, but no, they were poorly written stories. First off, I did not get this story, at all. Second, I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Finally, that ending. A 'what the freak?' moment happened. Maybe my format missed some pages...?
In we have Erin, a poor little red-head girl living in New York City, and to match this we have Hunter, a blond little jackass now turned rich. Never before have I not like a love interest the way a loathed Hunter. I'm sorry, sue me, torch me, whatever me, but for the life of me I couldn't fall for Hunter, and I didn't have the slightest clue why Erin did. That stable boy story didn't seem that bad to me, so, incidentally I didn't find his grounds for being mad at Erin.
Everyone, and I meaneveryone seem to fall in love with our oh so charming Hunter. *rolls eyes* It doesn't matter that he is manipulative, bossy, arrogant, an asshole, doesn't care for anything he does to Erin, but surprisingly everyone comes to his side and defends him. I swear. Understandably, you would gather that Erin, being strong willed and stubborn and all around independently-she is in fact in NYC struggling against the world to study-to resist his 'charms' and just stand up to him,right? Well, we get the bloody opposite. We, actually, get a wowen who can't resist him no matter how much of a jerk he is, he just has to stand close to her, touch her, or just as much as glance her way and she melts away. Fifty Shades anyone?
Naturally, you would suspect that for some inexplicable reason she has fallen for this asshole. Wait for it.......there isn't. They aren't even friends. And she keeps looking for this 'connection' but he keeps being asshole Hunter and ruins it. The plot continues with them writing this horrible stories that honestly at first where interesting but then got annoying. Really irritating.
Along the way, we meet more assholes like Manohar, who has is it against her romance stories. Which, by the way, never gets explained. Like most of the story, the problem with her grandmother never gets resolved, neither her problem with the father. Hunter just tells her, "Up," and up she goes, liking his feet along the way.
Finally, because I just wanted to get this book over with and never glance back, the ending comes and *HEADDESK* the end. No resolving, whatsoever. Hunter, I hate you. Erin, I hate you. Manohar, I hate you. Gabe, I hate you. Book, I hate you.
*End of,clearly, rant.*
Honestly, I did have expectations towards this story. It had so much potential. We not only have a story but stories upon a story. Oh, and 'steamy' stories, but no, they were poorly written stories. First off, I did not get this story, at all. Second, I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Finally, that ending. A 'what the freak?' moment happened. Maybe my format missed some pages...?
In we have Erin, a poor little red-head girl living in New York City, and to match this we have Hunter, a blond little jackass now turned rich. Never before have I not like a love interest the way a loathed Hunter. I'm sorry, sue me, torch me, whatever me, but for the life of me I couldn't fall for Hunter, and I didn't have the slightest clue why Erin did. That stable boy story didn't seem that bad to me, so, incidentally I didn't find his grounds for being mad at Erin.
Everyone, and I meaneveryone seem to fall in love with our oh so charming Hunter. *rolls eyes* It doesn't matter that he is manipulative, bossy, arrogant, an asshole, doesn't care for anything he does to Erin, but surprisingly everyone comes to his side and defends him. I swear. Understandably, you would gather that Erin, being strong willed and stubborn and all around independently-she is in fact in NYC struggling against the world to study-to resist his 'charms' and just stand up to him,right? Well, we get the bloody opposite. We, actually, get a wowen who can't resist him no matter how much of a jerk he is, he just has to stand close to her, touch her, or just as much as glance her way and she melts away. Fifty Shades anyone?
Naturally, you would suspect that for some inexplicable reason she has fallen for this asshole. Wait for it.......there isn't. They aren't even friends. And she keeps looking for this 'connection' but he keeps being asshole Hunter and ruins it. The plot continues with them writing this horrible stories that honestly at first where interesting but then got annoying. Really irritating.
Along the way, we meet more assholes like Manohar, who has is it against her romance stories. Which, by the way, never gets explained. Like most of the story, the problem with her grandmother never gets resolved, neither her problem with the father. Hunter just tells her, "Up," and up she goes, liking his feet along the way.
Finally, because I just wanted to get this book over with and never glance back, the ending comes and *HEADDESK* the end. No resolving, whatsoever. Hunter, I hate you. Erin, I hate you. Manohar, I hate you. Gabe, I hate you. Book, I hate you.
*End of,clearly, rant.*
August 10, 2011
I'm annoyed. I like Jennifer Echols, and I went into this book expecting the same thing I expected/got from the other two books of hers I've read (Forget You and Going Too Far). What I got instead was a half formed idea that could have been good but was never able to overcome the novel's faults.
The main character, Erin, was ok. Not nearly as engaging as some of Echols' other protagonists, but ok. Where Echols' other protagonists stood up for themselves or pushed back or were sharp witted and engaging, Erin was too much of a damsel in distress. For all of her talk of how much she was on her own and how much she had become this tough independent person, she spent a lot of time letting Hunter "save" her.
Which brings me to Hunter. Echols has some definite stock characters/plot devices in her arsenal that she pulls out, and "overprotective male" seems to be one. This has bothered me in past books, but not nearly as much as it bothered me in this one. My hackles were first raised when Hunter, the romantic interest, insists on being the one to cut open Erin's tube of face cream with a very sharp knife. Why? Presumably she's seen and/or used a very sharp knife before. It would be one thing if he were like "Hey, here let me do this for you" but he's all "No! Erin can't use a very sharp knife! She might hurt herself! She is a girl after all." Then there's the conversation in the car when he flips OUT because someone suggests she move into an apartment with roommates because it's cheaper. Seriously? Then there's the fact that she wakes up, not once, but twice to him packing her suitcase to head home. OH, AND he tricks her into going home by telling her that her absentee father is going to be there. Overall he comes off as manipulative, weird, creepy and stalkery. Especially since the two haven't been friends for six years.
Then there's the Grandmother. To be fair, Echols has created an interesting world in Kentucky. And there's all this drama about Erin being cut off and never dealing with the death of her mother, but it's NEVER actually addressed! Hunter tells her she needs to go home and hash things out with her Grandmother, but we never see that. I guess we're supposed to assume it happens, but I wanted actually see it. I think this is another overall flaw in Echols' work. In each of the books I've read, there is always a controlling or manipulative adult parental figure, and they are always central to the protagonist's emotional issues. When the end of the book rolls around, they are either dealt with amazingly easy or brushed off.
I got to the end of the book and kept thinking there had to be more. Right? It wouldn't just end, right? But alas, it does. Echols missed the mark on this one.
The main character, Erin, was ok. Not nearly as engaging as some of Echols' other protagonists, but ok. Where Echols' other protagonists stood up for themselves or pushed back or were sharp witted and engaging, Erin was too much of a damsel in distress. For all of her talk of how much she was on her own and how much she had become this tough independent person, she spent a lot of time letting Hunter "save" her.
Which brings me to Hunter. Echols has some definite stock characters/plot devices in her arsenal that she pulls out, and "overprotective male" seems to be one. This has bothered me in past books, but not nearly as much as it bothered me in this one. My hackles were first raised when Hunter, the romantic interest, insists on being the one to cut open Erin's tube of face cream with a very sharp knife. Why? Presumably she's seen and/or used a very sharp knife before. It would be one thing if he were like "Hey, here let me do this for you" but he's all "No! Erin can't use a very sharp knife! She might hurt herself! She is a girl after all." Then there's the conversation in the car when he flips OUT because someone suggests she move into an apartment with roommates because it's cheaper. Seriously? Then there's the fact that she wakes up, not once, but twice to him packing her suitcase to head home. OH, AND he tricks her into going home by telling her that her absentee father is going to be there. Overall he comes off as manipulative, weird, creepy and stalkery. Especially since the two haven't been friends for six years.
Then there's the Grandmother. To be fair, Echols has created an interesting world in Kentucky. And there's all this drama about Erin being cut off and never dealing with the death of her mother, but it's NEVER actually addressed! Hunter tells her she needs to go home and hash things out with her Grandmother, but we never see that. I guess we're supposed to assume it happens, but I wanted actually see it. I think this is another overall flaw in Echols' work. In each of the books I've read, there is always a controlling or manipulative adult parental figure, and they are always central to the protagonist's emotional issues. When the end of the book rolls around, they are either dealt with amazingly easy or brushed off.
I got to the end of the book and kept thinking there had to be more. Right? It wouldn't just end, right? But alas, it does. Echols missed the mark on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2011
Love Story is the first book I have read by Jennifer Echols, who is known for the contemporary romance's Going Too Far and Forget You. I'm just getting my feet wet reading contemporary romance and this book caught my eye. Love Story is a sweet romance that is a perfect summer read. With the fast pace and fresh, interesting story device and characters, summer readers will finish this book before the sun goes down.
Erin grew up in Kentucky with her grandmother and their racehorse farm. She has big dreams to become a writer in New York, much to her grandmother's dismay. When Erin leaves to go to school in New York as a Creative Writing major, her grandmother cuts her off financially in favor of the stable boy, Hunter, who has agreed to take over the farm business. Then, surprise, Hunter shows up at the same college and creative writing class as Erin. Hunter picks the most inopportune moment to walk into class, just as Erin is reading the class a steamy romantic story starring the "stable boy." Hunter follows up with his own steamy story to counter Erin's, and soon they have the class eating out of their hands.
Erin and Hunter have plenty of family history and bad blood between them to overcome. They become reacquainted through their stories as well as outside of class. Now the tables have turned and Hunter is the one with the free ride while Erin struggles to make ends meet as she dines on peanut butter crackers.
My favorite part of the book is the creative writing class. I loved the stories that Hunter and Erin wrote and the creative way they told their shared history. Each of the characters gets to share a story with the class on alternating weeks and it is read and critiqued by peers. Erin and Hunter use this opportunity to send a message to the other through their romantic, funny, or tragic story. The peer critiques and responses are very interesting too, especially as they debate the merits of romantic stories for a creative writing class.
Erin and Hunter are interesting characters, and they have the perfect amount of tension and chemistry between them. Hunter is a charismatic love interest, and Erin is hard working and focused on her goals. They both are coming to terms with their self-identity. The issues they face are ones many readers can relate to such as family relationships, career hopes and fears, and first love. The many layers of the story kept my interest level high.
I didn't love the ending of the book and felt it was a bit rushed. But, overall I found the story and the characters engaging. Recommended for fans of Jennifer Echols and contemporary romance, Love Story is a good choice for your summer reading.
Erin grew up in Kentucky with her grandmother and their racehorse farm. She has big dreams to become a writer in New York, much to her grandmother's dismay. When Erin leaves to go to school in New York as a Creative Writing major, her grandmother cuts her off financially in favor of the stable boy, Hunter, who has agreed to take over the farm business. Then, surprise, Hunter shows up at the same college and creative writing class as Erin. Hunter picks the most inopportune moment to walk into class, just as Erin is reading the class a steamy romantic story starring the "stable boy." Hunter follows up with his own steamy story to counter Erin's, and soon they have the class eating out of their hands.
Erin and Hunter have plenty of family history and bad blood between them to overcome. They become reacquainted through their stories as well as outside of class. Now the tables have turned and Hunter is the one with the free ride while Erin struggles to make ends meet as she dines on peanut butter crackers.
My favorite part of the book is the creative writing class. I loved the stories that Hunter and Erin wrote and the creative way they told their shared history. Each of the characters gets to share a story with the class on alternating weeks and it is read and critiqued by peers. Erin and Hunter use this opportunity to send a message to the other through their romantic, funny, or tragic story. The peer critiques and responses are very interesting too, especially as they debate the merits of romantic stories for a creative writing class.
Erin and Hunter are interesting characters, and they have the perfect amount of tension and chemistry between them. Hunter is a charismatic love interest, and Erin is hard working and focused on her goals. They both are coming to terms with their self-identity. The issues they face are ones many readers can relate to such as family relationships, career hopes and fears, and first love. The many layers of the story kept my interest level high.
I didn't love the ending of the book and felt it was a bit rushed. But, overall I found the story and the characters engaging. Recommended for fans of Jennifer Echols and contemporary romance, Love Story is a good choice for your summer reading.
April 18, 2012
I actually double checked the cover of this book after I started it, thinking I had mistaken and it wasn't by Jennifer Echols! I've never run into an author whose writing style was so different from book to book. I absolutely loved "Endless Summer" and "The Boys Next Door" - they both just sparkled! The characters were done well and the writing was so crisp it was like I was there. I had similar expectations when I (unfortunately) paid the $9.99 for the ebook version of "Love Story" and was extremely disappointed. The characters were flat and made no sense at all. (I started thinking maybe it was book 2 in a series and I had missed the backstory but that wasn't the case.) The story was boring and there were no sparks. The ending just petered out with no resolution.
Did Jennifer Echols write this book on a dare? Like "I bet I can write one draft of a book in 24 hours and people will pay to read it!"? If you enjoyed "Endless Summer" and "The Boys Next Door", DON'T PAY FOR THIS BOOK! You will be disappointed. I thought I had found an author that was going to be a favorite of mine but after reading this I won't take the chance and pay for another of her books. : (
Did Jennifer Echols write this book on a dare? Like "I bet I can write one draft of a book in 24 hours and people will pay to read it!"? If you enjoyed "Endless Summer" and "The Boys Next Door", DON'T PAY FOR THIS BOOK! You will be disappointed. I thought I had found an author that was going to be a favorite of mine but after reading this I won't take the chance and pay for another of her books. : (
July 20, 2011
I'm going to start rereading this again tonight on my way home, because a) it's worth it, there's lots to sink your teeth into, and it's a great story; and b), as usual, in my what happens next frenzy, I feel like I missed enjoying a lot of the subtleties, the foreshadowing and the imagery that I saw from the corner of my eye as I zoomed by on my plot driven rampage. One of the many things I like about Jennifer Echols' more serious books (although I love those Simon Pulse romcoms, too!) is that there is a depth to her stories that makes them worth reading thoughtfully, carefully, deeply, in a way that I remember from college. Why is this image used here, what does the setting tell us about the characters and their story, that kind of thing. I'm no literary critic or even an astute student, but I am a good reader who likes to think about those kind of things, like the bridge in Going Too Far, that was such a crucial plot point as well as a symbol for the characters' feelings and their relationship. So, in this book, I thought the choice of a horse farm was really brilliant, and the horses themselves (in the abstract, it's not like Walter Farley or something, and most of the book is set in NYC) were such an important part of understanding Erin and Hunter. For Erin, horses seemed to represent something she both loved and mistrusted, both the powerful unconstrained feeling of freedom to run/live untrammeled, and also the confined, closeted feeling of being shoved into a starting gate by forces and authority beyond her control. *SPOILER (SORT OF) ALERT* The circumstances of her mother's death also created a huge fear and bad association issue with horses, tempered by the rational realization that it wasn't the horse's fault. But the idea that "that's just the way they are," doesn't make them less scary, really now, does it? *OK NOW. For Hunter (and that's a kind of horse, right?), horses seemed to represent not so much freedom, but rather more constraint, since they were the means by which he became a social inferior, and also a source of constant work which he never really seemed to enjoy. I haven't exactly figured out why, on the first day of class, his "horse drawing," doesn't include an actual horse, but rather a cluster of images of tack associated with a horse, but I think this was a big clue to his ambivalence (at best) about them, and what they represented to him. It's cool to contrast that with Erin's drawing, which also tries to represent not so much an actual horse as the feeling of freedom in motion. So Erin's relationship to Hunter seemed to share some of the characteristics of her feelings about horses: conflicted, scared, yearning, tender, full of memories good and awful, and most of all, mistrustful of something that could be so beautiful yet leave such pain and sense of loss in its wake. I enjoyed the way this was written, too, with Erin and Hunter's class assignments interspersed. They were fun to read, they added variety to the tone in a fun and sometimes mysterious way, they moved the story forward, and provided lots of insight and backstory in a clever and interesting way without being all expository. So all in all, a rich reading experience with lots of emotion, expressed through many different levels of story, image, character and wonderfully chosen words. So yup, definitely worth rereading!
September 20, 2013
Review also posted on my blog: The Book Barbies
Going Too Far is one of my favorite books so I was kind of excited for Love Story. The reason I wasn't overly excited is because I saw a lot of people didn't love it. Sure everyone liked it but it wasn't there with the love crowd but let me tell you, to me Love Story was is a one heck of a lovely story!
I loved the premise of the story. I think it's very original and I have never read anything remotely similar to the whole 'she's writing about him and he's writing about her' scenario and who doesn't love originality? especially a well done plot like the one in Love Story. Second, I love how that the story was set in college and the characters are older *ehmm* I mean mature. There is only so much of the immaturity of the younger teens I can take before wanting to blow my brains out and that is the exact same reason why I like reading adult contemporaries (even though I'm a teen myself). Because I simply get tired of YA and it's silly drama (yes, even if it's saving the world!) and insta-love romance but if every contemporary was written with the voice of maturity in Love Story, I would not mind!
One thing I really appreciate is how nothing is revealed from page one. Some books start off with "Hi, my name is Cheetah and I'm going to tell you the story of why Leopard and I hate Puma because she killed Lion." ummm hello element of suspense! That's what the summary is for! I like things to gradually unfold on their on pace. We slowly figured out the past behind Hunter and Erin through their stories and we knew more when Erin explained to her friends. All the telling and showing happened on it's own pace. Thank you Echols!
Also since this is called Love Story, I should mention the love story. Cheers to no insta-love! Echols didn't just let the details play out on their own but also the love story. I saw the relationship grow and fall between Hunter and Erin, my heart went out for them and skipped a beat at their intimacy. It was magical.
Jennifer Echols has talent, I love how in Going Too Far the voice of Meg was badass just like Meg herself and in Love Story, the voice of Erin was romatic, reflecting Erin's personality. Echols knows what she's writing about with the teenage world and while the book started just good for me, it turned to be amazing. Another masterpiece from Jennifer Echols. Round of applause please.
My rating: A definite 5 heart read, if you're a fan of contemporary you will be a fan of this book!
-thank you&come again.
Going Too Far is one of my favorite books so I was kind of excited for Love Story. The reason I wasn't overly excited is because I saw a lot of people didn't love it. Sure everyone liked it but it wasn't there with the love crowd but let me tell you, to me Love Story was is a one heck of a lovely story!
I loved the premise of the story. I think it's very original and I have never read anything remotely similar to the whole 'she's writing about him and he's writing about her' scenario and who doesn't love originality? especially a well done plot like the one in Love Story. Second, I love how that the story was set in college and the characters are older *ehmm* I mean mature. There is only so much of the immaturity of the younger teens I can take before wanting to blow my brains out and that is the exact same reason why I like reading adult contemporaries (even though I'm a teen myself). Because I simply get tired of YA and it's silly drama (yes, even if it's saving the world!) and insta-love romance but if every contemporary was written with the voice of maturity in Love Story, I would not mind!
One thing I really appreciate is how nothing is revealed from page one. Some books start off with "Hi, my name is Cheetah and I'm going to tell you the story of why Leopard and I hate Puma because she killed Lion." ummm hello element of suspense! That's what the summary is for! I like things to gradually unfold on their on pace. We slowly figured out the past behind Hunter and Erin through their stories and we knew more when Erin explained to her friends. All the telling and showing happened on it's own pace. Thank you Echols!
Also since this is called Love Story, I should mention the love story. Cheers to no insta-love! Echols didn't just let the details play out on their own but also the love story. I saw the relationship grow and fall between Hunter and Erin, my heart went out for them and skipped a beat at their intimacy. It was magical.
Jennifer Echols has talent, I love how in Going Too Far the voice of Meg was badass just like Meg herself and in Love Story, the voice of Erin was romatic, reflecting Erin's personality. Echols knows what she's writing about with the teenage world and while the book started just good for me, it turned to be amazing. Another masterpiece from Jennifer Echols. Round of applause please.
My rating: A definite 5 heart read, if you're a fan of contemporary you will be a fan of this book!
-thank you&come again.
May 11, 2012
Wow was this book shit! This is the first Jennifer Echols books I have read and was very excited to read this based on the Title and the Description. Well let's just say this is the farthest thing from a "Love Story" I have read.
The book started off great and I was so enthralled and could not wait to read more. Then it completely fizzled and became boring with nothing happening but the same day to day stuff. Their was no advancing in the story, then when the climax happened I thought 'finally we are getting somewhere' only to be knocked down again with another barrier. That's when I discovered how much I didn't like Erin and that she was desperate and not a strong female lead at all. In the end we started off exactly where we were in the beginning with none of the questions answered. What was the point then? In the end the characters did not grow at all, they were still the same as they were when Hunter walked through the dorr to the creative-writing class and you are left wondering what in the story was truth, lies, manipulation or real emotion.
I must admit I have been going on a Good Book streak for a couple of years now where it seemed I could not pick up a book without falling in love with the story line and characters but this book was most certainly a dud! I will not read another Jennifer Echols book especially seeing other reviews saying she is a very hit or miss writter. Well this book was definately a miss to the point where when I gave my friends a coles notes version on what happened in the book they were pissed off and were glad they didnt bother wasting all the time I did reading it.
It is such a tragedy too because she could have done so much with this story, there was so much potential in the characters but every time we took a step forward we took a step back.
Complete and utter waste of time. If I can save one person from reading this train wreck I will be happy
The book started off great and I was so enthralled and could not wait to read more. Then it completely fizzled and became boring with nothing happening but the same day to day stuff. Their was no advancing in the story, then when the climax happened I thought 'finally we are getting somewhere' only to be knocked down again with another barrier. That's when I discovered how much I didn't like Erin and that she was desperate and not a strong female lead at all. In the end we started off exactly where we were in the beginning with none of the questions answered. What was the point then? In the end the characters did not grow at all, they were still the same as they were when Hunter walked through the dorr to the creative-writing class and you are left wondering what in the story was truth, lies, manipulation or real emotion.
I must admit I have been going on a Good Book streak for a couple of years now where it seemed I could not pick up a book without falling in love with the story line and characters but this book was most certainly a dud! I will not read another Jennifer Echols book especially seeing other reviews saying she is a very hit or miss writter. Well this book was definately a miss to the point where when I gave my friends a coles notes version on what happened in the book they were pissed off and were glad they didnt bother wasting all the time I did reading it.
It is such a tragedy too because she could have done so much with this story, there was so much potential in the characters but every time we took a step forward we took a step back.
Complete and utter waste of time. If I can save one person from reading this train wreck I will be happy
July 20, 2011
So here we go.
3.5out of 5 Stars
I felt that Love Story was a little different from the other book Echols wrote. First of all-it's set in college and not in high-school. We already have too much of high-school dramas around so this was refreshing.
I found myself unable to put down the story. I loved both settings(New York and Kentucky)and I felt like the story was pretty unique. Erin and Hunter are interesting characters, and they have the perfect amount of tension and chemistry between them,even though I did not really get why were they doing some things at times. But I liked Erin because I can relate to her. I know what's it like when you have to please everyone and like her I did got away from being the 'perfect'(grand) daughter,student,friend and girlfriend. I can't deny that I was completely sucked into the tension of their relationship.I was happy that the story wasn't JUST about their romance and really found Erin and her grandmother's relationship to be so interesting and wish it would have been more explored.
My favorite aspect of the book was all the stories that Erin and Hunter wrote back and forth for class. I loved reading them and I thought it was a nice touch to really see the complicated feelings they had for each other and I loved that it was such an interesting way for them to communicate these in a different way.
Love Story was not my favorite book by Jennifer Echols,but as a loyal fan,I will check her other upcoming books. I didn't love the ending of the book and felt it was a bit rushed.It was kind of a let down. I expected more, and I wish I had gotten more.
3.5out of 5 Stars
I felt that Love Story was a little different from the other book Echols wrote. First of all-it's set in college and not in high-school. We already have too much of high-school dramas around so this was refreshing.
I found myself unable to put down the story. I loved both settings(New York and Kentucky)and I felt like the story was pretty unique. Erin and Hunter are interesting characters, and they have the perfect amount of tension and chemistry between them,even though I did not really get why were they doing some things at times. But I liked Erin because I can relate to her. I know what's it like when you have to please everyone and like her I did got away from being the 'perfect'(grand) daughter,student,friend and girlfriend. I can't deny that I was completely sucked into the tension of their relationship.I was happy that the story wasn't JUST about their romance and really found Erin and her grandmother's relationship to be so interesting and wish it would have been more explored.
My favorite aspect of the book was all the stories that Erin and Hunter wrote back and forth for class. I loved reading them and I thought it was a nice touch to really see the complicated feelings they had for each other and I loved that it was such an interesting way for them to communicate these in a different way.
Love Story was not my favorite book by Jennifer Echols,but as a loyal fan,I will check her other upcoming books. I didn't love the ending of the book and felt it was a bit rushed.It was kind of a let down. I expected more, and I wish I had gotten more.
July 19, 2011
4.5 out of 5 Stars
This book took me by surprise. I know it’s a Jennifer Echols book right? I should not be surprised. But, this book was so different. This book immediately captured my attention. The opening of the book starts off with a story that Erin has written for her creative writing class and I was so into it that I didn’t want it to end. All I could think about is how Jennifer should write a historical romance novel. I would definitely buy it. She could write any type of story and I would buy it.
What I enjoyed the most about LOVE STORY was the premise. Here you have a creative writing class with characters writing about each other and through their stories, you learn more and more about them. The fact that some of the stories were quite hot was a plus too. One thing that I can say is that Jennifer writes the best relationships with great male leads. I don’t know how you cannot fall in love with her characters.
I look forward to reading anything this author writes and that says a lot. If you’re huge Echols fan like me then you won’t be disappointed with LOVE STORY.
This book took me by surprise. I know it’s a Jennifer Echols book right? I should not be surprised. But, this book was so different. This book immediately captured my attention. The opening of the book starts off with a story that Erin has written for her creative writing class and I was so into it that I didn’t want it to end. All I could think about is how Jennifer should write a historical romance novel. I would definitely buy it. She could write any type of story and I would buy it.
What I enjoyed the most about LOVE STORY was the premise. Here you have a creative writing class with characters writing about each other and through their stories, you learn more and more about them. The fact that some of the stories were quite hot was a plus too. One thing that I can say is that Jennifer writes the best relationships with great male leads. I don’t know how you cannot fall in love with her characters.
I look forward to reading anything this author writes and that says a lot. If you’re huge Echols fan like me then you won’t be disappointed with LOVE STORY.
September 28, 2011
I really enjoyed reading the contemporary novel ”Love Story” by Jennifer Echols. I had to get past the first 30 pages to really start enjoying it. I picked up this book almost a month ago, read the first 20 pages then got bored and put it down and never went back to it. Every time I was considering what to read next I’d read a page of the book and then choose something else. Today I put a stop to this nonsense and made myself sit down and READ at least 50 pages or so and if I still didn’t like it, then I can tell myself at least I tried.
The story started off with a short story, the heroine “Erin”, wrote for her creative writing class. It took a while for me to get through that story as I didn’t understand what was going on and why it was set in the past when clearly the book is present day contemporary. However I kept going and understood it was a story the heroine wrote. I REALLY started to enjoy the story when the main male lead “Hunter” (can I say how much I LOVE this name?) is enrolled in the same creative class! And guess what her story is about? HIM!. I got a few laughs, embarrassing ones for her too, on the situation she was put it. Her short story wasn’t just a teen love story, ehh it was quite ‘mature’ in content. This is when I knew I would love this book.
I couldn’t put the book down. I ignored all the shows I had waiting for me and couldn’t stop. I even passed up on sleeping just so I can finish this book! Hunter was dreamy, he was sweet, and his grins made me squeal! (I’m a sucker for a guy with a ‘lopsided grin’ or dimples!). Another thing I loved is how independent Erin is. Even though she is what some might call “A spoiled rich kid” I found her very confident in her decision to leave the riches behind and pursue her dream. I had my doubts on her façade and thought she wouldn’t be able to keep playing the ex-rich girl who is now poor because she is pursuing her dream of being a writer. I thought she would crack down at one point in the story and go back and obey her grandmother so she can get back her credit cards.
This was definitely a page turner, I couldn’t put it down. It was a very enjoyable contemporary read and I��m glad I finally gave the book a chance, because anyways its Jennifer Echols. I’ve basically read everything by her. I shouldn’t have doubted how awesome this book would be.
The story started off with a short story, the heroine “Erin”, wrote for her creative writing class. It took a while for me to get through that story as I didn’t understand what was going on and why it was set in the past when clearly the book is present day contemporary. However I kept going and understood it was a story the heroine wrote. I REALLY started to enjoy the story when the main male lead “Hunter” (can I say how much I LOVE this name?) is enrolled in the same creative class! And guess what her story is about? HIM!. I got a few laughs, embarrassing ones for her too, on the situation she was put it. Her short story wasn’t just a teen love story, ehh it was quite ‘mature’ in content. This is when I knew I would love this book.
I couldn’t put the book down. I ignored all the shows I had waiting for me and couldn’t stop. I even passed up on sleeping just so I can finish this book! Hunter was dreamy, he was sweet, and his grins made me squeal! (I’m a sucker for a guy with a ‘lopsided grin’ or dimples!). Another thing I loved is how independent Erin is. Even though she is what some might call “A spoiled rich kid” I found her very confident in her decision to leave the riches behind and pursue her dream. I had my doubts on her façade and thought she wouldn’t be able to keep playing the ex-rich girl who is now poor because she is pursuing her dream of being a writer. I thought she would crack down at one point in the story and go back and obey her grandmother so she can get back her credit cards.
This was definitely a page turner, I couldn’t put it down. It was a very enjoyable contemporary read and I��m glad I finally gave the book a chance, because anyways its Jennifer Echols. I’ve basically read everything by her. I shouldn’t have doubted how awesome this book would be.
January 7, 2012
3 of 5 stars
This is the first time I read a Jennifer Echols book and it was a nice read. Echols was able to provide a really fun and amusing love story but also a really frustrating one. I love how we learned Erin and Hunter's history and how their relationship turned into something really complicated through the stories they wrote on their creative writing class.
Erin was a determined and firm character. I love that she knows what she wants and how hard she works for it. In her case, being used of having everything she needed, it was really admirable that she was able to keep up on things now that she has to work hard for everything she needed. What I don't like about her was her inability to confront her real feelings, assume things and jump to worst possible conclusions. Hunter, on the other hand was interesting, sweet and mysterious enough but not really mysterious, I mean he had his secrets but he can also be really open especially on how much he cares for Erin. However when I learned about the bargain he did with Erin's grandmother I was suddenly confused about him. But still I like him! lol.
The two could be really stubborn! At one point they would made up then suddenly there would be an unexpected twist and then they're enemies again. They refuse to communicate their feelings with each other and talk about the situation. The ending left me a little confused about their relationship because they never really had a talk about it. Even after what had happened in their last creative writing class. Yes, Erin realize in the that they really should stop toying with each other and asses their feelings instead but she never admit that she had made poor decisions and actions. There was really a lack of emotional response that clearly states that she wanted their relationship to be real and better in the end. Its like The ending was abrupt left me not really satisfied. There were things that were left unsettled like Erin's relationship with her grandmother. But nonetheless there were really nice parts that I enjoyed very much. And Erin and Hunter still end up with each other but not just really clear how.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
This is the first time I read a Jennifer Echols book and it was a nice read. Echols was able to provide a really fun and amusing love story but also a really frustrating one. I love how we learned Erin and Hunter's history and how their relationship turned into something really complicated through the stories they wrote on their creative writing class.
Erin was a determined and firm character. I love that she knows what she wants and how hard she works for it. In her case, being used of having everything she needed, it was really admirable that she was able to keep up on things now that she has to work hard for everything she needed. What I don't like about her was her inability to confront her real feelings, assume things and jump to worst possible conclusions. Hunter, on the other hand was interesting, sweet and mysterious enough but not really mysterious, I mean he had his secrets but he can also be really open especially on how much he cares for Erin. However when I learned about the bargain he did with Erin's grandmother I was suddenly confused about him. But still I like him! lol.
The two could be really stubborn! At one point they would made up then suddenly there would be an unexpected twist and then they're enemies again. They refuse to communicate their feelings with each other and talk about the situation. The ending left me a little confused about their relationship because they never really had a talk about it. Even after what had happened in their last creative writing class. Yes, Erin realize in the that they really should stop toying with each other and asses their feelings instead but she never admit that she had made poor decisions and actions. There was really a lack of emotional response that clearly states that she wanted their relationship to be real and better in the end. Its like The ending was abrupt left me not really satisfied. There were things that were left unsettled like Erin's relationship with her grandmother. But nonetheless there were really nice parts that I enjoyed very much. And Erin and Hunter still end up with each other but not just really clear how.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
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June 27, 2011I was really excited for the chance to read Love Story. This is my second read by Ms. Echols, my first being Forget You, which I enjoyed. I pushed Love Story to the top of my reading stack; I was so excited to read it. I really love a good love story, so I couldn’t wait to get started on this.
I really liked the story. I thought the plot was very believable and well paced. I read the book in a very short period of time. It was a quick read, but it was also, somewhat, an emotional read. The writing was really wonderful; I love Ms. Echols way of telling stories.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with the characters, at all. Actually, I liked Erin in the beginning of the book, she was very determined to go after the future she wanted for herself. But towards the end of the book it seems like she just gave up. I didn’t really care for Hunter at all; I thought he was a jerk. I didn’t really care for their relationship either. They were all over the place. One second they liked each other, the next they didn’t. It was confusing trying to keep up with them. I did like some of the secondary characters, mostly Erin’s roommates. I do wish that they had a bigger part in the story.
I would recommend this book to the older YA crowd, as it has a lot of sexual talk involved.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but not so much the characters. That is just my opinion, and I’m sure everyone else will like them. Unfortunately, they just didn’t work for me. The story, however, was great.
http://www.thereaderbee.com/2011/07/r...
I really liked the story. I thought the plot was very believable and well paced. I read the book in a very short period of time. It was a quick read, but it was also, somewhat, an emotional read. The writing was really wonderful; I love Ms. Echols way of telling stories.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really connect with the characters, at all. Actually, I liked Erin in the beginning of the book, she was very determined to go after the future she wanted for herself. But towards the end of the book it seems like she just gave up. I didn’t really care for Hunter at all; I thought he was a jerk. I didn’t really care for their relationship either. They were all over the place. One second they liked each other, the next they didn’t. It was confusing trying to keep up with them. I did like some of the secondary characters, mostly Erin’s roommates. I do wish that they had a bigger part in the story.
I would recommend this book to the older YA crowd, as it has a lot of sexual talk involved.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but not so much the characters. That is just my opinion, and I’m sure everyone else will like them. Unfortunately, they just didn’t work for me. The story, however, was great.
http://www.thereaderbee.com/2011/07/r...
July 20, 2011
I had a great time reading this one, which is nice because I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately. No one writes a scene between two romantic leads like Jennifer Echols, her dialogue is just great and so totally swoonworthy and fun. She does the love/hate push and pull very well here. I also like how her characters are not afraid of their sexuality, no agonizing about how/when to do it, and her scenes are subtle, and not cheesy or cliché. I also think one of the things she is really good at, is showing how people aren’t just one way, that individuals are complicated, and behave in all kinds of crazy ways a lot of the time.
I really like the way she frames it in the context of writing, and her commentary on romantic novels in general. A NYC setting is always a plus, although this really does not feel like a New York novel, not enough detail to make it feel that way, could have been any big city really. Setting could definitely have been stronger, but I think she evokes the world of horse racing/Louisville upper crust pretty well.
This novel felt almost like a short story to me, it seems to be very specifically crafted, and it takes place over a short amount of time when the two leads finally get together after knowing each other for a long time. There is a lot of history between these two, and the ending is somewhat ambiguous, lots of questions left unanswered, which I personally enjoyed, but it is not your typical romantic drama.
I really like the way she frames it in the context of writing, and her commentary on romantic novels in general. A NYC setting is always a plus, although this really does not feel like a New York novel, not enough detail to make it feel that way, could have been any big city really. Setting could definitely have been stronger, but I think she evokes the world of horse racing/Louisville upper crust pretty well.
This novel felt almost like a short story to me, it seems to be very specifically crafted, and it takes place over a short amount of time when the two leads finally get together after knowing each other for a long time. There is a lot of history between these two, and the ending is somewhat ambiguous, lots of questions left unanswered, which I personally enjoyed, but it is not your typical romantic drama.
July 21, 2014
I've read 4 Jennifer Echols books so far,
one of them I really enjoyed (Biggest Flirts),
one of them I thought was good/okay (Such a Rush),
another I didn't really care for or enjoyed (Forget You)
this one was the worst Echols book I've read. I'm starting to think that her books are hit or misses for me.
The very very beginning had potential but the story completed went downhill after the first chapter or two.
There was absolutely no connection between the main character and the love interest during the entire book.
I was halfway through the book and I think they only shared about 3 short and meaningless conversations.
Every single one of the characters felt flat, the setting felt flat, NYC was described in such an unrealistic and stereotypical way.
The plot was also very uninteresting, it's about the stable boy who works for her family inheriting the family farm and business instead of her, so she hates him, but no, she wants him secretly and loves him.
I didn't see at all how the characters cared for one another especially enough to claim that they loved each other.
If it wasn't a booktubeathon read I probably would've DNFed it halfway.
one of them I really enjoyed (Biggest Flirts),
one of them I thought was good/okay (Such a Rush),
another I didn't really care for or enjoyed (Forget You)
this one was the worst Echols book I've read. I'm starting to think that her books are hit or misses for me.
The very very beginning had potential but the story completed went downhill after the first chapter or two.
There was absolutely no connection between the main character and the love interest during the entire book.
I was halfway through the book and I think they only shared about 3 short and meaningless conversations.
Every single one of the characters felt flat, the setting felt flat, NYC was described in such an unrealistic and stereotypical way.
The plot was also very uninteresting, it's about the stable boy who works for her family inheriting the family farm and business instead of her, so she hates him, but no, she wants him secretly and loves him.
I didn't see at all how the characters cared for one another especially enough to claim that they loved each other.
If it wasn't a booktubeathon read I probably would've DNFed it halfway.
May 8, 2012
The story is interesting, and I loved the structure. Echols is a master at love and intimacy scenes. My only issue is that it doesn't really end the way you expect it to...which is not necessarily a bad thing, but the climax and ending felt a bit rushed and strange - almost as if the author needed to get an ending into the last 20 pages and did it. I would have liked less build-up and more denouement to get to the conclusion.
Overall, not bad - a steamy love story with an interesting premise and structure.
Overall, not bad - a steamy love story with an interesting premise and structure.
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January 23, 2018Todo en las novelas de Jennifer Echols sea por las portadas. Y sí, ¿por qué no? Por el romance también. Romance que disfrutaría más si tal vez tuviese 6 años de edad menos.
DNF porque, no sé, no pude pasar de dejar de mirar la cubierta para introducirme en la historia.
DNF porque, no sé, no pude pasar de dejar de mirar la cubierta para introducirme en la historia.
September 5, 2011
So syked to receive a surprise copy of Jennifer Echols latest, I absolutely loved Forget You and I'm sure this one will be just as good. Going to read it ASAP!
May 11, 2011
My Thoughts: As I've said a hundred times before, I adore Jennifer Echols!!! I've read all of her books and love them! She sure knows how to get in a teen's head and her books are always so romantic and have moments that make me bust out laughing. Love Story was no exception. We are introduced to Erin, who has came from a wealthy home. She is in other words, rich. But with her grandmothers demands that she study business and take over her grandmothers legacy when she passes away and run the racehorse farm, Erin doesn't want to do this. She has other plans for herself. She wants to study English and become a famous writer. She believes its her destiny to move to New York and pursue her dream. So, of course, as stubborn as her grandmother is, she cuts Erin off financially after hearing this. This does not discourage Erin, she heads to New York anyway and lives as a starving writer. She has to get a scholarship, a job, and live like a poor person.
Enter Hunter Allen, a boy Erin has known since middle school and has lived on her farm all these years. He was the stable boy. Erin and Hunter were friends for a while as kids but they were discouraged to be friends and everyone at school knew of him as the "help." Erin's grandmother has turned the tables and given Erin's whole inheritance to Hunter and he is now going to take over the horse farm once he finishes business school. Its the perfect opportunity for Hunter since he hasn't had much money and this will be great for him. Of course, this makes Erin despise him over more. How could he do this to her? Does he hate her this much?
Hunter and Erin end up at the same college in New York and in each others classes. This is unfortunate for Erin since she just wrote a story about him in her creative writing class and he walks in. How embarrassing. Its not just a nice story either. Its really romantic and sinister. Erin was just getting some of her feelings out on paper, he was never supposed to hear it!
The stories Erin were writing were interesting. At first, I didn't know if I was going to like them. They are historical based and I usually do not like historical so I was weary at first. But they were simple enough to follow and enjoy. Hunter's stories were just as good. There were so many deeper meanings in each story that you really have to pay attention or you will miss what is really going on behind the scenes. I loved the way we switch to the stories, than back to real life. It was thrilling.
The two end up in each others life a lot more than they planned. They can't seem to stay away from each other, always crossing each others path. They even end up in the same dorm!
We soon realize what Hunter's real goals are, where he sneaks off in the middle of the night, and why Erin is the way she is, why her feelings are so jumbled.
There are many other characters throughout the book that were enjoyable to get to know; from her dorm-mates to the other people in her creative writing class.
The scene of New York was also neat. I would love to visit New York and being with Erin for even a little while, made me feel like I was really there, experiencing the streets and how busy it really is. The city that never sleeps.
Echols can describe every detail so precisely. Even the description of Hunter's abs had me swooning! Can I have him please?
I loved this book! Love Story is another amazing story! I still liked Forget You a little more than Love Story but it was just as good. Echols is an amazing writer.
Love Story was an amazing novel full of power, romance, sexiness, and just plain awesomeness!!! If you want to read something that will have you on the edge of your seat, than read Love Story!
Honestly, I can't say much else or everything will be ruined. I don't like giving away spoilers in Echol's books because they are soooooo good and I don't want to ruin the whole experience.
Overall: Loved it! It was awesome! Please go out and buy Echol's whole backlist and read them all! You won't be sorry!
Cover: I do love the cover but I wish that we could see more of his face. I also like how the girl has a nose ring since Erin does have one in the book.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
____________________________________
Review Based On Softcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie (blog)
www.princessbookie.com
Enter Hunter Allen, a boy Erin has known since middle school and has lived on her farm all these years. He was the stable boy. Erin and Hunter were friends for a while as kids but they were discouraged to be friends and everyone at school knew of him as the "help." Erin's grandmother has turned the tables and given Erin's whole inheritance to Hunter and he is now going to take over the horse farm once he finishes business school. Its the perfect opportunity for Hunter since he hasn't had much money and this will be great for him. Of course, this makes Erin despise him over more. How could he do this to her? Does he hate her this much?
Hunter and Erin end up at the same college in New York and in each others classes. This is unfortunate for Erin since she just wrote a story about him in her creative writing class and he walks in. How embarrassing. Its not just a nice story either. Its really romantic and sinister. Erin was just getting some of her feelings out on paper, he was never supposed to hear it!
The stories Erin were writing were interesting. At first, I didn't know if I was going to like them. They are historical based and I usually do not like historical so I was weary at first. But they were simple enough to follow and enjoy. Hunter's stories were just as good. There were so many deeper meanings in each story that you really have to pay attention or you will miss what is really going on behind the scenes. I loved the way we switch to the stories, than back to real life. It was thrilling.
The two end up in each others life a lot more than they planned. They can't seem to stay away from each other, always crossing each others path. They even end up in the same dorm!
We soon realize what Hunter's real goals are, where he sneaks off in the middle of the night, and why Erin is the way she is, why her feelings are so jumbled.
There are many other characters throughout the book that were enjoyable to get to know; from her dorm-mates to the other people in her creative writing class.
The scene of New York was also neat. I would love to visit New York and being with Erin for even a little while, made me feel like I was really there, experiencing the streets and how busy it really is. The city that never sleeps.
Echols can describe every detail so precisely. Even the description of Hunter's abs had me swooning! Can I have him please?
I loved this book! Love Story is another amazing story! I still liked Forget You a little more than Love Story but it was just as good. Echols is an amazing writer.
Love Story was an amazing novel full of power, romance, sexiness, and just plain awesomeness!!! If you want to read something that will have you on the edge of your seat, than read Love Story!
Honestly, I can't say much else or everything will be ruined. I don't like giving away spoilers in Echol's books because they are soooooo good and I don't want to ruin the whole experience.
Overall: Loved it! It was awesome! Please go out and buy Echol's whole backlist and read them all! You won't be sorry!
Cover: I do love the cover but I wish that we could see more of his face. I also like how the girl has a nose ring since Erin does have one in the book.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
____________________________________
Review Based On Softcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie (blog)
www.princessbookie.com
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