Review: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Publisher: MTV Books

Publication Date: July 19th, 2o11

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.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Until I picked up this book, I had never read anything by Jennifer Echols.  I had heard lots of good things, I just hadn't gotten around to reading her stuff.  That said, I didn't know what to expect.  Contemporary Fiction can be hit or miss for me.  I either love a book or hate it, and rarely does a Contemporary title fall in between... This one kind of did.  I didn't love it like I did Anna and the French Kiss, but I really liked it.  It was a very sweet story, with some steamy parts thrown in there...

Any book lover will appreciate this story because the protagonist, Erin, is a someday author.  Going against what her family wants, and giving up the posh lifestyle she grew up with, she ventures out to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. This is a struggle for her, because she gets cut off financially and has to fend for herself.  Enter Hunter.  The hottie she grew up with, the boy she pretty much loves, but has too much negative history with to imagine her feelings ever going anywhere with him.  Where does he enter? Her creative writing class, as they are reading and critiquing her steamy Harlequin-esque romance story, based on HIM!  They start this literary battle with each other, with the battlefield being the classroom.  As this plays out, the class catches on, and the fun really begins...

The writing was great.  I liked the characters.  I liked the story.  I liked the pace.  This was a quick, easy read that kept me turning pages.  There were definitely some elements to the story that I didn't expect as well.  I think I will definitely read more books by this author!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  There are some sexy, steamy parts, for sure.  The setting is NYU and the kids have a great many college experiences.  For these reasons, I would say this is a HS read; grades 9 and up (ages 14+).