I want to read that...

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

From Goodreads: A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly.

I just finished reading The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols and it is seriously good! It has made me even more excited to read this one! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

It's published in hardback (Yay!) in July 2012.

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

For Review: Galley Grab
Published: 19 July 2011

From Goodreads: 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.

I really enjoy Jennifer Echols' books.  I love the characters and there is always serious chemistry between the two leads.

I have to admit this one took a little while to get into but once I did I loved it.  I enjoyed the fact it's set at college - not many YA books I've read have this setting - and I loved the way the stories the character's wrote for their classes were integrated into the plot.  They were really fun to read and gave a really good insight into both Erin and Hunter.

Erin was an interesting character.  I was intrigued by her relationship with her grandmother and her decision to 'go it alone'.  I was hoping for a bit more closure on that aspect of the story but I thought it added an interesting layer to the story.  And I loved Hunter.  Jennifer Echols really does know how to create hot, gorgeous but accessible male leads for her books!  And the chemistry between him and Erin is great.  I loved all the banter and back and forth between them.  Great stuff!

The secondary characters really add to the story as well.  I especially loved Erin's roommate Jørdis who spent most of the book roping people into cutting out faces for her and their creative writing professor was awesome too.

I can't wait to read whatever Jennifer Echols writes next - if you haven't tried one of her books I recommend giving one a try.  I have the feeling you'll love it:)

I want to read that...

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

From Goodreads:
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.

Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen.

Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college.

At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be.

I love, love, love Jennifer Echols so I am sooooooooooo looking forward to this one!  It's published July 2011.

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

From Goodreads:
WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . . AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?
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. Feeling like her life is 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.

There is just something about Jennifer Echols' writing that really captures my attention and I always find myself not wanting her books to end.  Forget You is yet another one of her books that I was so disappointed to finish - I fell in love with everything about it and could have easily carried on reading for another 300 pages.

I have to admit that Zoey is not going to be a character that everyone will love.  Everything in her life seems to be about what 'looks good' - good grades, the right friends, always looking well presented.  I think all that comes crashing down when her mom has the breakdown and she's realises she is going to have to face people knowing that everything is not really okay.  She also has a complete arse for a father, so she is facing all of this on her own. I found many of her decisions at this point based more out of desperation and vulnerability than actual thinking. 

As for Doug?  I loved him!  And him and Zoey have some serious chemistry!  Yep,  page 211 everyone!  I loved their scenes together - they have a lot in common and Doug genuinely seemed to care for Zoey.  I also loved that although he is a good guy he's not always the good guy - if that makes sense!  He's not perfect and like Zoey doesn't always make the right decisions but his heart is in the right place.

I also really loved the whole concept behind the novel.  Like Zoey we have no idea what happened the night of the accident and this really works.  I must admit I did work out one piece of the puzzle - but I really enjoyed watching Zoey piece it all together.  Again, her father plays a big part in her motivations for not being honest about what she does and does not remember.  It must be extremely disorientating not to know what happened - and with everything that is going on with her mother I could understand why she worried about being crazy.

And Brandon?  I have no idea what she saw in him.  For me he was annoying and not worth her time.  However, I think she may have needed to justify (to herself) what she did with him.  But more importantly, I think he represented that 'perfect' image she so desperately wanted to maintain and letting go of him meant letting go of that too.  

As you can probably tell I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to read more by this author.  Her next romantic drama is out in July 2011 and I am sooooo looking forward to it.

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

From Goodreads:
Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.
Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.

Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

Endless Summer contains The Boys Next Door and it's sequel Endless Summer. You can read my review for The Boys Next Door here.

I love Jennifer Echols. I think I may officially be a complete fan-girl! I was very excited when I heard she was writing a sequel to The Boys Next Door - I really enjoyed that book and loved the characters. Endless Summer picks up where the last book ended and it's fantastic to revisit the characters I fell in love with the first time around.

Lori is such a great character. She is a complete tomboy who is desperately trying to be a bit more girlie but just completely losing the battle. Bearing in mind she was raised by her father and surrounded by boys this is not surprising! She also comes up with the most ridiculous (but equally funny) plans that just never go the way they are supposed to.

I adored Adam in The Boys Next Door and if it's possible I adored him even more in Endless Summer. We have the added bonus this time around that we get alternate chapters from his point of view which is completely brilliant. The romance is really sweet and the treehouse scene? LOVED it! The other characters are great too and I loved the interactions between the guys and Lori. This time Sean has more heart which was nice and I really liked Lori's brother.

Overall - another great book by the amazing Echols! I hope she writes many more of these romantic comedies as they are really good and I absolutely can't wait for Forget You when it's published in July!

*end of fan-girl gush*

Major Crush by Jennifer Echols

From Amazon:
Marching to the beat of a different drum...
Tired of the beauty-pagean circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles -- drum major of the high school marching band.
Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they share more than just their half-time salute...
But as the drum major's heated competition turns to sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything -- including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into disaster.

Jennifer Echols has officially become one of those authors that I will read purely because her name is on the book. I haven’t read a book of hers yet I haven’t really enjoyed.

Major Crush has all the things I’ve come to expect from her writing. The characters had that added spark that made them just that little bit more interesting. They were dealing with some real issues and there was some fun along the way – the band teacher was hilarious! It was also really sweet and romantic.

I can’t wait until next year when I’ll get some more of her books to read.

The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols

From Goodreads:
Cute, available, and one cabin over
Lori lives for summertime on the lake. She spends all season wakeboarding, swimming, and hanging with her friends -- including the two hotties in the house next door. With the Vader brothers, Lori's always been one of the guys.
But while Lori and the "baby" brother, Adam, are inseparable friends, she can't deny a secret crush on Sean, the older Vader boy. This year Sean's been paying Lori a lot of attention, and not in a brotherly way.
But just as Lori decides to prove to Sean she's girlfriend material, she realizes that her role as girl friend to Adam may be even more important. And by trying so hard for the perfect summer romance, she could be going way overboard....

Simon Pulse, US Publication, $6.99

This was another great book by Jennifer Echols. I loved the characters – Lori was great as a tomboy trying to be feminine. I understood her attraction to Sean – he was kind of like a movie star – and I absolutely adored Adam. The other characters were great fun too with some great banter in the group scenes.

The plot was good and a great premise for some fun and romantic scenes. Lori seemed to get herself into a few pickles – and it was great fun watching her work out how she really felt. The ending wasn’t a surprise but it was entertaining watching the characters get there and really romantic too. If only things were like this when I was a teenager...but I digress.

I’m really enjoying these romantic comedies by Echols. Great fun, very sweet and with great characters. There is a sequel planned next year for this one and I can’t wait:)

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

From Amazon:
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 breakup. 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 they might end up igniting some old flames.

This was such good fun! I loved the characters Nick and Hayden – they were well fleshed out and I adored the banter between the two. I thought Hayden’s past was woven into the present in a really clever way and added to the overall story – giving a depth to it I wasn’t really expecting. I also enjoyed the interactions that Hayden had with her friends and family – she had a really good (and very witty) relationship with her brother – I LOVED the whole ‘toy boy’ on the jeans thing - and through their teasing you could feel a realistic bond. The snowboarding aspect of the novel really interesting - not being a particularly outdoorsy type I was surprised to find myself itching to have a go at it – it sounded so good!

Overall this was a quick, fun read that had me laughing out loud and there were some really sweet and romantic moments that left a big cheesy smile on my face once I’d finished.

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

From Amazon: High school senior Meg revels in being a rebel. She sports choppy blue hair, and tight t-shirts, cuts class, and is often found where she's not supposed to be. Like hanging out on a railroad-tracks-covered bridge that's off-limits to trespassers. When she and her friends are busted for trespassing and underage drinking, she's sentenced to spend her spring break riding along with a rookie police officer on his nightshift patrol. Compounding the punishment is the fact that the cop, John After, is only two years older than Meg, and a former classmate to boot. He thinks he has Meg's number and has nothing but contempt for her childish rebellion. Meg in turn has nothing but contempt for Officer After's straight-laced, by-the-book attitude. But Meg has her reasons for lashing out, and John has his reasons for his need for law and order. And they're about to discover that they have a lot more in common than either one of them could have dreamed...

This is such an amazing book. Echols really brought the characters to life in such a way it made them so believable I almost forgot they were fictional characters! The plot was great and not predictable at all. I especially loved the way the story dealt with the relationships Meg had with her parents and friends as well as with John. The ending was great too! I will definitely be reading more of her books.