Skip to main content

Biggest Flirts

Biggest Flirts is my first read by Jennifer Echols and I really enjoyed. It is a story that takes place in the midst of a high school marching band. What's not to like about that?

This is a review of an ARC provided by publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Synopsis:
Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.
Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger. 
As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…


Tia is a girl who is crazy smart and a talented drummer, but breaks in to hives at the thought of any sort of responsibility. She sabotages herself on a regular basis, mostly out of fear. Fear that she may want more than she can have. Fear that she will fail. Fear that she will let other people down. If no one expects anything from her, they can't be disappointed, an she won't be disappointed in herself. Could I relate? No, but I found myself feeling for her and her situation. Like her best friends, I wanted to see her make better choices because she was selling herself short. Will is the new kid in town. I can not even imagine how hard it would be to move right before your senior year. I moved summer before junior year and that was bad enough. Will is leaving a school where he was supposed to be Drum Major and Student Body President for a school where he is a no one and knows nobody. Furthermore the change causes him to realize some things about himself that has him readjusting his entire way of thinking. He is at a point of crisis in many ways. Tia and Will are exactly perfect for each other at this moment. They just need to figure out how they are going to make themselves fit. Neither one of these characters is completely likeable. They both have rough edges and do stupid things. I felt this reflected their ages and made complete sense in the story being told. Is Will a jerk a couple time? Yes. Is Tia? Yes. Are they both also kind and good people most of the time? YES. I really loved the supporting cast of characters too. Tia's two best friends (who will be getting their own books), the other members of the band, Sawyer, and even the band director were all wonderful additions to the story. I liked how the people and details in both Tia's and Will's lives were mentioned making them full and real without bogging down the story.

The plot is a bit predictable and there was quite a bit of drama, particularly towards the end. It is a little more drama-rama than I tend to like in a book, but I didn't feel any of it was unrealistic. There were some over-reactions, but they were typical for 17 year old characters. What I like best about the plot is all the details about the band. I liked it so much that as soon as I finished reading it, I bought Echol's previous book, Major Crush, which is also about marching band. I'm looking forward to reading it and more books by her.

There will be two companion novels to this coming out, one each about Tia's best friends. I can't wait to read more about these characters.

CONTENT NOTE: This book has more descriptive sexy scenes than you ordinarily find in YA. If you try to avoid those, be warned.

I read an e-galley made available by the publisher, Simon Pulse, via Edelweiss. Biggest Flirts is on sale May 20th. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is your first Jennifer Echols? I would love to hear what you think of Going Too Far and Such a Rush. I loved those two titles. This sounds like a fun reads, looking forward to reading it when it comes out.
Brandy said…
My current library system doesn't have any of her books. My new library system when we move has all of them though. I will be reading every one. Really looking forward to those two in particular.

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t