Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

I was being given the chance to do the one thing I wanted most in the world. The chance was presented to me by a guy so gorgeous, he turned my skin to fire when he touched me. And joining a band was the one thing I was most forbidden to do, the thing that would ruin my future forever.

There are too many secrets in eighteen-year-old Bailey’s life. Not just the obvious one: that she told her grandfather she was going on a date, and instead is playing fiddle in a Nashville bar. There’s all the stuff that makes it worse. Like how her younger sister Julie was offered a recording contract, and her family is terrified that Bailey is going to mess the deal up. Like the way that Bailey has been acting out. Like the way they’re all mad at her, even Julie.

Bailey’s parents don’t want her playing any gigs at all, but when they leave her with her grandfather in Nashville for the summer so they can tour with Julie, he lands her a music job that’s beneath the radar, playing old country songs in cheesy costumes at a local mall. That’s where she meets Sam...

Sam’s got big plans that don’t include playing back-up while his alcoholic dad scratches out a living as a Johnny Cash sound-alike. He intends to take his high school garage band to the big time, and as soon as he hears Bailey play, he knows she’s just what he wants. That really ticks off Charlotte, the drummer for the band and Sam’s ex-girlfriend, while bass guitarist Ace just wants to keep everyone happy.

Bailey isn’t at all sure where she stands with this boy who has a lust for music and life, and who may or may not have a lust for her. Something tells her that with Sam, there could always be a catch. And yet, suddenly, her life is no longer about what might have been, and a whole lot about where she will choose to go.

Review: 

Jennifer Echols is hands down one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her books always manage to have the kind of characters I can't help but root for as well as a lot of heart. Therefore, when Dirty Little Secret ended up in my hands, I was beyond excited. I loved how unique the plot sounded. Plus the cover is awesome (I need a pair of boots like that ASAP). Thankfully, Dirty Little Secret was fantastic, because not only did the characters contain a ton of spunk and likability, but the music scene was so much fun to jump into.

Dirty Little Secret starts the story of Bailey, a girl who's screwed up in some pretty major ways in the past year due to her sister's record deal and her own lack of one. From the start of the book, I was captured by Bailey's voice. Here was a girl who had her dreams cut down right before her face, so to say that she was broken and lost would be a serious understatement. However, because of this and her need to then rebel, I found her easy to relate to, and I'm sure many others will feel the same. Plus Jennifer made her trials and tribulations over her possibility of starting up with music again as well as moving on from what she had once known jump right off the page and come to life. I couldn't help but root for Bailey to succeed, and more importantly, realize that she was just were she need to be. The other characters in this were just as likable as well as relatable. My favorite, though, would have had to been Sam, Bailey's love interest and savior in some ways. He was so sweet and adorable. I loved how he constantly said inappropriate things accidentally, as not only did it make me like him even more but it also made me laugh out loud. What I liked the most about him, though, was seeing his relationship with Bailey develop over the course of the book. They both screwed up more times then one, but still they really managed to also bring the good out in one another. There other band mates (Charlotte and Ace) were also incredibly fun to read about, and in some ways, I hope that Jennifer decides to write a book about them, because it would be so much fun to read!

The plot in this was another high point. Books dealing with the music scene are not very prevalent in YA, so I was curious to see how Jennifer would go about making it part of the book. Luckily, I ended up really enjoying this aspect of the book. It was interesting to see Bailey and the band at different gigs as well as Bailey's experiences with tribute bands. It was also interesting just how into music Bailey and Sam were, especially when it came to their conversations about the music biz. Their romance was another aspect I enjoyed reading about. Some may say it developed quickly, but I think it worked based on a variety of reasons. Lastly, the setting of Nashville was awesome! Loved all the different descriptions...it really made everything come even more alive, in my opinion.

In all, Dirty Little Secret is yet anther fantastic effort by Echols. Emotion packed, romantic, and musical, Dirty Little Secret is the perfect read for contemporary fans as well as musicians.

Grade: A+

Dirty Little Secret (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads) is now out!

Source: ARC provided by author 

Waiting on Wednesday (138)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My picks for this week are...

Star Crossed by Jennifer Echols 

The first novel in a sizzling new series about a public relations firm, the stars they represent, and everything they’d rather keep private.

Wendy Mann loves her job rescuing celebrities from public relations scrapes. She grew up with nothing, and now she’s drawn to glitz, glamour, and a lighthearted lifestyle. She speaks her mind, so she’s just the tough cookie to tell stars the truth about how other people see them, even when they don’t want to hear it. But after six years at the top of her game, Wendy crosses the line. A star she was sent to save rebels against her and nearly gets her fired. To salvage her job, she must rehabilitate the career of a singing starlet with a penchant for posting inappropriate photos of herself and arguing online with her famous ex. Problem is, the ex is represented by Wendy’s arch nemesis from college, the hot and haughty Daniel Blackstone. And both stars are scheduled for a collision course on national television, broadcast live from Las Vegas.

Daniel’s uneasy when he hears Wendy Mann from his firm’s most hated competitor has been brought in to revive the career of his client’s ex-girlfriend. Daniel must win at any cost. And if he has to seduce Wendy to smooth the way to their partnership, he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the cause. But Daniel doesn’t count on the scorching heat between them—and when they get to Vegas, all bets are off.

The reasons why I can't read to read Star Crossed...

1) I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Echols! Sure, I haven't liked her latest books as much as her previous ones, but I'm always up to reading more by her!
2) This book is her official entrance into Adult fiction! So I'm curious to see how the transformation will go.
3) I really like the cover. It's the topical Contemp romance type of cover but it's still adorable.

Star Crossed will be released February 2013.  

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

The girl with no past, and no future, may be the only one who can save their lives.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

Reasons why I can't wait to read this one....

1) Ahh, a fantasy type book! I think that's reason enough.
2) I LOVE the cover! It's so eye catching!
3) The premise sound amazing! Plus it contains a mystery!

So basically I NEED this one now! :)

City of a Thousand Dolls will be released February 2013.

Mini-Reviews for Blood, Love Story, & More!

Sometimes I run into books- ones I loved as well as ones I didn't- that I do not have too much to say about, so instead I write a mini-reviews for them. Here's the latest batch:

~~

Blood by K.J. Wignall 

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Will is a vampire in danger. Heir to the Earl of Mercia, he was brutally attacked and buried in the thirteenth century before he was able to assume his title. Perpetually sixteen, Will’s life has been lonely. He leaves his tomb every so often, adapts to the present day, feeds his bloodlust, and never gets close to anyone.
Until now.

Waking from a twenty-year slumber, hungry for the blood that sustains his undeath, he meets Eloise—but can’t bear to make her his next victim. Drawn to a girl he can never have, but whose fate seems bound with his own, he feels the need to protect her. But Will has an enemy who will stop at nothing to find him . . . and he’s closing in. . . .

Mini-Review:

Every once in a while I run into a book that I don't enjoy nearly as much as I thought I would, and unfortunately, Blood by K.J. Wignall is one of them. The premise was interesting and full of potential, but the execution never fully managed to grab my attention. The vampire bits were a little too cliched, and the whole past earl thing was sometimes hard to wrap my head around. For the most part, I had a hard time paying attention to the story at hand, especially when it got to the point where I wasn't even the biggest fan of the characters presented. Basically, Blood just wasn't the book for me, and given that, I don't think I will be continuing on with this series. However, if you're a die-hard vampire fan, this may just be the book for you.

Blood (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads) is now out!

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

~~

Love Story by Jennifer Echols 

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

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 local 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.

Mini-Review:
 
My love for Jennifer Echols' books is no secret around here, so it's no surprise that I adored Love Story nearly as much as I did. The characters in this one are the typical ones associated with Jennifer's romantic drama. Erin Blackwell is confused, emotionally distant, and extremely sarcastic, and Hunter Allen, her love interest, is much of the same. However, combing both of their personalities together made for a dramatic as well as steamy romance, especially when their stories were involved. I especially loved the ending of this one, but I won't say anything more than that because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. So, in all, read this one. It's yet anther fabulous book by Echols! Plus the stories by Hunter and Erin are make for a book within a book in some ways.

Love Story (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads) is now out!

~~

 Little Women & Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

A twist in time gives Emily the power to fix Little Women. Oh, where to begin!

Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite.

Mini-Review: 

Ever since I first heard about Little Women & Me last spring I've been looking forward to reading it. It sounded adorable. Plus, while I've never read the actual Little Women (I know...I need to change that), I have seen the movie version numerous times and loved it, so a modern twist on it sounded like just my speed. Sadly enough, after about 100 pages, I had to give up, because due to several things it just wasn't the book for me. For one, I couldn't relate to Emily, the main character, at all. She was whiny and seemed so much younger than her age. Secondly, the plot in this one wasn't exactly action packed. Instead, it dealt much with Emily's analyses of the Little Women characters, which really wasn't my speed. In all, Little Women & Me just wasn't the book for me. I wanted to like it...I really, really did, but it just wasn't possible. However, I still highly suggest this one to fans of Little Women as well as readers looking for a younger YA book.

Little Women & Me (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads) is now out!

~~

Lie by Carolina Bock 

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .

When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .

Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

Mini-Review:

When I first heard about Lie I was instantly intrigued, because not only did the premise sounded relatistic and unique but it was also backed by one of my favorite YA authors- Jennifer Brown, author of Hate List. However, I didn't end up enjoying Lie as much as I hoped I would. For one, while the premise was interesting, I felt the execution was a bit too choppy for my taste. Plus I felt that it was bogged down with way too many messages, and due to the constant switching of narrators, I never really got to know the main characters that well, which is something that always brings a book down a notch or two in my eyes. In all, Lie by Caroline Bock turned out to not be the book for me. However, others have enjoyed it, so if it sounds like something you would enjoy, I still suggest you give it a try.

Lie (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads) is now out!

~~

Waiting On Wednesday: Week 65

Okay, I couldn't choose on just one this week; so I have two books I'm waiting for this Wednesday.

They are :

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. With her life about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people—suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.  

I absolutely love Jennifer Echols books. So, as you can imagine, I can't wait to read this one! :)

Forget You comes out July 20, 2010!

Inconvenient by Margie Gelbwasser

Alyssa Bondar’s world is falling apart. She has just entered her sophomore year at Glenfair High, the only place to hang out is behind the CVS, Keith her cross-country crush keeps sending her mixed signals, and her best friend Lana has started the school year with large breasts and a sexy attitude–-attracting the attention of the most popular kids in the school, a group Alyssa clearly doesn’t fit into.

Alyssa’s Jewish, like most of Glenfair, but since she’s also Russian, Alyssa feels even more separated from other teens. How many other Jewish families have a New Year’s tree with ornaments? On top of all this, Alyssa’s once stable home environment has become chaotic.

Alyssa is used to alcohol accompanying every meal and event in the Russian culture. But when Alyssa’s mother loses her job, the usual drink or two changes into a full-time happy hour. While Alyssa’s father uses news reports of war unrest in the Middle East as his escape from reality, Alyssa is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered family alone. As her mother’s alcoholism gets worse, Alyssa must decide how much she can and should handle before she crumbles as well.

This look AMAZING and the cover is absolutely stunning! I can't wait to read this.

Inconvenient comes out November 2010!

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

Summary:

BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE BATTLE OF THE EXES...

Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized break-up. Now the two are “just friends,” excluding the occasional flirtation.

When Hayden wins the girls’ division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn’t have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick’s bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden’s and the boys on Nick’s, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated--and if they’re not careful, they might end up igniting some old flames.

Review:

To be completely honest, I was a bit hesitant to pick this up at first, because I'm usually not that big of a fan of Simon Pulse's Romantic Comedies. Plus, I had no prior knowledge about snowboarding. But this was by Jennifer Echols', the amazingly talented person who wrote Going Too Far, so I decided to give it the chance it deserved and let me tell you, it was definitely worth it! Since, The Ex-Games was one seriously cute novel with a funny undertone that I adored!

Hayden was a character that was easy to like from the first page, because while she was a wickedly awesome snowboarder, she still had her faults and fears that any teenager could relate too. Also, I loved reading about her two best friends, Liz and Chloe! Adding to that, Nick was a boy character that was not only drool worthy, but sweet too, which made me seriously wish I could have me own Nick Krieger in my life. :)

Further more, the plot was action packed and never lagged for a second, which definitely won points in my eyes and made me come to love Ms. Echols' books even more! And as stated above even though I had no experience with snow boarding and the terms, I still could understand the whole sport because of the chapter titles ( which were a snow boarding term defined not only with it's technical definition but how it related to the chapter at hand) but how easily Jennifer described it, which in affect made me feel like I was right there with the characters.

Overall this is yet another fabulous novel by Jennifer and I can't tell you just how much I can't wait to read her future books!

I suggest this to fans of romantic comedies or teens who loved Jen's previous novels!

Grade: A

The Ex Games is now out!

* Much thanks goes to Jennifer for sending me a copy of this for review! :)

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Summary:

All Meg has ever wanted to do was get away. Get away from everything that makes her life the insane thing it is: her high school, her overprotective parents, and her annoying in the middle of nowhere town. To show her feeling for this she does everything a teen in her town isn’t expected to do: die her hair blue, ride a motorcycle, do drugs, and hook up with random guys. Though, one day she just goes way too far. She is caught hooking up with her boyfriend on a train track where two teenagers were killed 8 years ago, while her friends, Tiffany and Brian, were a few steps away . The police officer, John, decides to teach her friends and her a lesson. So, now on her spring break she is stuck riding around with a hot but totally frustrating guy named John ( the cop who arrested her) during the middle of the night busting up random things. As her week continues, secrets come out about him and her but will they end up falling for one another because of this or will it push them further apart?

Review:

Going Too Far was an amazing book that either had me laughing out loud or sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I absolutely loved Meg. She was a funny and honest character who had a great back story to why she was the way she was. Also, John's personality was cute and great addition to the story. Though, the thing that had me mainly hooked was Jennifer Echols' writing. It was fast paced, detailed, and addicting. Basically, it was everything a good book should be.

Overall, Going Too Far is a book you will still be thinking about days after you have read it. I suggest this to fans of Courtney Summer's Cracked Up To Be and Brooke Taylor's Undone.

Grade: A+

Going Too Far will be released on March 17th, 2009! You can find out more about it here. Also, be sure to check out Jennifer's website, myspace, and blog.

* Reviewed for Flamingnet