Love Story by Jennifer Echols: Review and Giveaway

Love Story
By: Jennifer Echols

Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Published: July 19, 2011; MTV Books
Source: ARC from publisher

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Summary: 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.

My Review: Love Story is a cute, fun twist on the classic romance plot, and is precisely the kind of book I would have loved in high school.

Erin is a girl after my own heart. She has aspirations to be a writer, and is going to follow those dreams no matter what her grandmother thinks. And, I also found myself very much liking the grandmother. I know. I should think that she's awful for trying to force Erin into business and take over the family farm. But, I think that the best possible thing for Erin is to have someone in her life that forces her to make hard decisions. She has to work in a coffee shop and really care about her grades in order to get what she really wants. Had Erin decided to major in business and been given everything on a silver platter, would she really have appreciated everything that she was given? As we learn more about Erin through her stories, I got the impression that her previous life wasn't very satisfying. And even though her life now isn't glamorous, it's what she loves. (I really loved that she wanted to do all these fun things in NYC and never could find time to do them. I remember when I lived in Hawaii, I made it to the beach like 5 times, even though it was across the street from my house).

Hunter is like the country boy that I still have yet to meet in real life. I grew up in a rural community (okay I still live in a pretty rural community), and I am telling you that not all cowboys are swoon-worthy. In fact, most of them aren't. So, while I liked the idea of Hunter, I had a hard time really latching on and believing in him since he was just so... unrealistic. But, his good looks and charming ways were enough to keep me interested at least.

With all that said, however, this book is more suited for older teens. Both Erin and Hunter's stories are, shall we say, steamy? There is a fair amount of sexual content and drinking. Also, with the age of the characters (college), I wouldn't be comfortable giving this book to my 14-year-old sister.

My Rating:

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Giveaway

Thanks to Big Honcho Media I have two copies of Love Story by Jennifer Echols to give away. Giveaway open to US/Canada residents only. End July 25 at 11 am EST.

FORM HERE