Love Story: a review

Posted 29 July, 2011 by Danny in Uncategorized / 2 Comments

Love Story
by Jennifer Echols (website, twitter)
Released : July 19th, 2011 
paperback procured from barnes & noble
amazon b&n
synopsis 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.

a fan-girl alert: I am a hard-core Echols’s fan-girl. And with the exception of the sequel to The Boys Next Door, a study in why authors should leave well enough alone despite what their fans are begging them for, I am head over heels in love with every single one of her books. They are fluffy. They are angsty. They are all the things that make me blush, giggle, and squeal. In a word: they-kick-ass!! Okay, that was more than a word, but ya-know-what-i-mean.

a brief description: Love Story is the tale of Erin, a freshman in college who has been cut off from her richie rich grandmother for choosing her own destiny. When her grandmother’s new heir to the horse throne shows up at the very same college Erin is attending things start to heat up in unexpected ways. Can love find a way despite the odds? Or are these two love birds doomed before the race has even begun?

a few thoughts:  Love Story has all the classic ingredients of a bonafide romance novel. Ya got your rich girl who is in love with her lowly stable boy. Ya got your domineering parental unit, in this case grandma dearest, who is hell bent on getting her way. Ya got your classic dark, smexy, devil-may-care anti-hero who comes off as a real arse, but shows a soft side that wakes up the flutter-flies in ones stomach. And ya got your headstrong, corky heroine who’s head is so high up in the sky, she is bound to crash soon (into the waiting arms of said hero, but of course).

The hook of this little ditty is the stories the protagonist and her lover boy write for their creative writing class. Some are just flat out hilarious; some are bittersweet; all of them further the story-line and are a great tool for giving us a glimpse at the rich history of these two characters.

From page one I was sucked in. I just could not put this book down. Until I was forced to…. and there lies the one and only problem I have with this novel, my friend (a sadness in my heart, for sure).

I thought I was on a high speed chase toward my goal of seeing these two characters figure out all the silly nonsense and get their love on, but this part of the book seemed to be missing! Either the publishers gave Echols a page limit and she was unable to tie up all the loose ends in this novel. Or maybe the publishers didn’t get the last, say, twenty pages of the book to the bookmakers and these pages were somehow lost in the shuffle!!

Whatever the case may be, Love Story ends abruptly and, in my humble opinion, leaves much to be desired. When I read a fluffy, angst driven romance I want me an epilogue that will make my breath stop, tie my stomach in knots, and send tingles up and down my arms. Or, at the very least, for things to be spelled out: They lived happily, cuddly ever-after and realized they were both dorks for thinking and doing the things they did. Fin.

This did not happen. I wanted it. I reread that last few chapters just in case I missed it. I stared at my copy for half an hour asking it why I didn’t get it… but alas, I just felt unsatisfied.



a summation: Overall, I adored this novel. The creative writing stories are an excellent plot tool. Erin is a hot headed mess living in a dream world; one I can totally relate too. Hunter is a hottie hot who intrigued me to no end. And the settings of New York and Louisville were beautiful and rich. While this book wasn’t a home-run for me, it was sofa king close. But the ending left me still in knots (and not in a good way) and I was left to wonder if these two love birds would make it.

My Bewitched Rating: 

If you are looking for an easy, fun, romantic read this summer this is the book for you!

a giveaway bonus: Make sure to enter to win one of 30 (!!) copies of Love Story on Goodreads. Click here to enter. Contest closes on August 2nd. Good luck to all!

Until next time…
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2 Responses to “Love Story: a review”

  1. Denise Z

    Thank you for sharing about this book today. I have been shying away from it, but I think you have changed my mind and I am intrigued.

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  2. hrose2931

    Hmm, I've seen this kind of ending showing up in a lot of YA lately and I DON"T LIKE IT! I want the epilogue just like you. I think we deserve a satisfying conclusion. And no info dumps either. I won't be reading this one because I don't like guessing at what happened. Is there a sequel planned? After I read, I like to savor the story, not sit and figure out what might have happened. I know Ms. Echols has many novels under her belt, but give us an ending! Please!!!

    Heather
    My recent post Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

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