logo
Wrong email address or username
Wrong email address or username
Incorrect verification code
back to top
Search tags: Jennifer-Echols
Load new posts () and activity
Like Reblog Comment
review SPOILER ALERT! 2016-10-24 11:00
Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2) by Jennifer Echols Review
Perfect Couple (The Superlatives) - Jennifer Echols

Goodreads Synopsis: As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents’ bitter divorce left her wondering what a loving relationship looks like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody “Perfect Couple That Never Was,” her friends have been pushing her to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn’t lack female admirers, but Harper can't see herself with him. He’s confused about the match too. Yet they find themselves drawn together—first by curiosity about why the class paired them, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they’re attracted to each other, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating well. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But they feel so changed from making the effort, they can’t forget each other. What if this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

 

 

Review: 

 

I read ‘Biggest Flirts’ a while ago and although it was a sweet contemporary story it didn’t leave a lasting impression. Even though I didn’t remember Harper from the first book I was looking forward to reading her story.

 

Right off the bat I hated Kennedy. I couldn’t understand how she put up with him when he would be so awful to her! Definitely not how you want your boyfriend to act. However I loved Brody!! Harper and Brody’s relationship developed from an attraction to a meaningful connection in such an honest way I couldn’t help but love them together. One thing I did have a slight issue with was Harper took cheating on Kennedy very lightly. Although she didn’t particularly like him, you would think she would have felt a bit guilty seeing as her parents marriage ended because her dad cheated on her mom.

 

Then Harper and Brody find out that they weren’t actually voted ‘Perfect Couple That Never Was’ so Harper just decides that because of this they shouldn’t be together, what? How does that make sense? Who cares about a title, you like each other and are good together so ye should be together, duh! Then after breaking up they just immediately get back together, no emotional heart to heart or anything. It just made me laugh how stupid that was.

 

Besides all that this was definitely better than the first book and was really enjoyable. Definitely a nice light read for those wanting to read about a cute romance.

Like Reblog Comment
review 2016-04-29 00:54
Review for Perfect Couple by Jennifer Echols
Perfect Couple - Jennifer Echols

This review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

 

When Harper and Brody are voted Perfect Couple That Never Was they are both shocked. The two couldn't be more different. Harper is the photography nerd and Brody is the star quarterback. But since that day, she finds herself noticing him more and more. Since that day, her friends have been pushing her to ask him out. Even though she has a boyfriend, she finds herself thinking about Brody more and more. She finds herself wondering if maybe the school knows what they are talking about and she should give this budding attraction wtih Brody a chance.

 

Harper is that geeky girl who is hiding a rocking body. She's smart and hard-working, with a desperate drive to get the best photographs. She dresses pretty conservatively for a high school girl and she swears it's because she likes it that way. But is it really? The further into this we get, the more we see her question those decisions. I both loved and hated this. I loved that she wanted to experiment. I loved that she was brave enough to try something new. I loved that the new looks work well. What I didn't love was how it was all inspired by Brody. I'm very big on the be yourself schtick. Changing solely to impress a guy is something I feel like very girl does and something that we shouldn't. We should all put our best face forward, but there is a difference between that and drastically altering your wardrobe to get a guy. What happens when you get tired of wearing those tight tops and mini-skirts? What happens when you just want to roam around comfortably in jeans and a tee, but he expects full-on glamor all the time? That isn't what happens here, but it bugged me that her change was Brody inspired. She ends up liking it for herself, but it could have easily went a different direction.

 

Brody was a character I wanted to love immediately, but he took time to grow on me. He's cocky and hot and completely sure of himself. He has a bit of that player vibe going on that I tend to find slimy rather than sexy. He has enough charm to keep me from being completely weary of him, but he also has a sorta girlfriend when he starts fooling around with Harper, when gives me the skeezy vibe. Beyond that, though, he was pretty loveable. It was clear that he was sincere under all the bravado.

 

What I really enjoyed about this, about all Echols work really, is the relationships. It's not just about boy meets girl, it's about friends and family and self. It's goes deeper than just a flirty YA contemporary romance. Both characters are realistically flawed and relatable. I didn't always agree with their actions, but they always felt authentic and true to life. That's not to say that some of their actions weren't downright stupid because they were. That whole "make Brody jealous" bit sent me into a mini-rage because we all know that was not the right move. How is that the right thing for the moment? Those moments always anger me in books. You know, the ones where the character finds out something they don't like and instead of thinking things through, they do something rash and stupid. I'm not a fan of stupid. I actively try to avoid stupid.

 

What I didn't like was they was this skirted around the cheating issue. Harper is dating Kennedy. No matter how much of a jerk Kennedy is, they are still in a relationship. Nothing should happen with Brody until after that has ended. Brody is sorta dating Grace, but that's a bit more vague. Either way, lust doesn't excuse a lack of common curtsey. I hate how some novels portray cheating as acceptable because it's "true love" and the characters "couldn't help themselves." I'd just like to call bullshit on that particular concept. Be man (or woman) enough to admit want and go after it, but don't deceive people to get it. I'm a bit more forgiving here because they are teenagers and hormones do run high at that age. Plus, you know, teenagers aren't as much of an adult as they'd like to believe. Also, shit happens.

 

I think I may have liked this a bit more than Biggest Flirt. Even though I am still a bigger Will fangirl than I will ever be for Brody. Will is that nice, boy next door type and I love seeing those. That's beyond the point. This is a perfect contemporary YA written with Echols trademark style and wit. It's addictive and I tore threw it needing to know if Harper and Brody finally worked out their shit. If you like Echols previous work or contemporary romances, then you'll love this!

 

****Thank you to Simon Pulse for providing me with an eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review****

 

 

Tabitha's signature

Like Reblog Comment
show activity (+)
review 2015-08-12 15:14
Most Likely to Succeed - Jennifer Echols

4.5 stars! A fantastic conclusion to a series that started off rocky, but became quickly awesome.

Wow, I was really looking forward to this last part in the series and I am not disappointed. Of course there were some things that I didn't like and that is why I didn't give it the full 5 stars. But I have to say that this one is the best one of the series. After a really disappointing first book, I was actually worried to continue with this series, but I found out that each book is from the POV of another friend (first was Tia, then Harper and now Kaye), of course stuff from the previous books pop up, as this is still a continuation on the previous stories, but at least it had different characters, which was a huge relief. And I can also honestly say that after finishing this series that I am liking Tia and Will more and more, unlike the first book where I didn't like them that much, especially Tia was one that I didn't like. Maybe I will reread the first book and see if I like it better now that I have seen the characters from other perspectives and found out more about them and their lives.

Now back to this last book. This one focusses on Kaye and Sawyer. Kaye our vice-president, long girlfriend of the terrible Aidan (sorry, never liked him, and after this book that dislike turned to hate), awesome cheerleader, great friend and overachiever (though that is mostly to blame to her parents (more on them later)). Kaye is a fantastic character and she felt truly real. Her struggles with her parents, her trials with Sawyer and Aidan, her insecurity about so many things. A lot of time I don't like characters who keep staying insecure, even if people tell them they are totally awesome and that they rock. But for some reason I only had a few times that I wanted to shake Kaye, other than that? I just felt sorry for the girl, and she did her best to improve, to see the world around her, to stand up for herself, to figure out where she stood. Kaye is really a terrific character and I truly liked her. Of course she makes some mistakes, things that she wish she could take back, but that is OK. It also made her see her life could be different, that her life didn't need to run perfectly.
I loved how she stood her ground with Aidan. I am glad that she finally had guts to do that, as Aidan was one manipulative little screw-up. I was just cheering and applauding when she just had the guts to say no, to say what she wanted to say and then just turn away. Go Girl! o/

Sawyer, I still remember that I didn't always like him from the first book, but as the books progress we see him change. I think out of all the characters he is the one to change the most. From a guy who is misunderstood, uses drugs and drinks, has sex (or at least hops from one girl to the next), he is now a guy who is trying his best in school, who tries his best doing what he loves, tries to earn money, he stopped with drinking and drugs, and he changed his diet (though he truly needs to do more research on that topic, as I am wondering how he is still alive if that is the only thing he eats). In this book we see even more of him, we see him at his most vulnerable, we find out more and more about his parents, about his life, and how he turned out to be what he was in the beginning of the series.
We also see even more of the sweet Sawyer that I love, the sweet and kind Sawyer who is acting all tough and secure, but is actually insecure, is worried and actually wishes to be with that one girl he has been looking forward to having as his girlfriend for several years. It was just adorable to see him like this and I was just sighing in happiness to see him open up, to find out more about Sawyer. Because Sawyer is truly my favourite character from this series now. He is funny, smart, great, sweet and adorable.

Kaye and Sawyer? I won't spoil anything, but let me just tell you that at times it will frustrate you (the drama!) but it will also make you swoon and sigh happily at the sweet moments.

Then we have the mom, dear Lord, what a horrendous bitch that woman is. At times I just wanted to shout at my book, shout at that piece of crap of a mother. Sorry for my language, but I hate people like this. Who expect everything to follow the lines they set, to follow everything, and then if their kid decides to do something else, get angry, put her down, burn her to the ground and make remarks that NO parent should EVER EVER make. The things she said to Kaye over the course of the book were disgusting. And not only to Kaye but also to Kaye's brother, to her husband, to frankly everyone who didn't meet her sky high standards.
And sure, she had a fucked-up youth, her family is gone, she lived in the slums and what ever more, but is that any reason to treat your kids like this? To treat them like shit and expecting them to do all kinds of things because you are worried they might just go the way you yourself prevented back when you were younger? You know, it is funny, from what I generally see, this kind of shit actually makes kids go do the wrong things, or make them more sneakier, and otherwise they will just wait until they are gone and out of the house. Do you want that? Do you want your kids to be so stressed and so scared around you? Because this is what you will get if you act this way.
I also hated that she would drive her KIDS to the slum she lived in. A fucking slum filled with drugs users, drugs dealers, prostitutes and God knows what else. She would endanger them to learn them a lesson. What the hell is wrong with you woman? That is not the way to teach your children. That just shows them you are one messed up woman.
And no I don't care what happened at the end, nice redeeming arc, but I wasn't interested in that woman by then and I don't believe for one bit that she would just do a 180 degree turnaround to change. :|

Aidan, I already didn't particularly like him, but this book. Dear Lord, what is wrong with that guy. Putting down Kaye constantly, or if she dared to score higher then him, dared to defy him, dared to be better than him, making rotten remarks. And then we find out other stuff about Aidan and I was just so disgusted with this guy. Of course I was pissed at Kaye as well for going along with this for so long, but as the book progressed I could see why she would stay with that guy. Still I wish she had just dumped him. No one deserves a guy who treats his girlfriend as shit. Who wants the woman to be lower than him on the scale, who wants a woman who will just nod and listen to him quietly without resistance. A woman he could just use. Sick. So very sick.

The dad, I didn't like him a lot, I found him too passive, and I while he spoke up quite a bit or tried to calm his wife, I am still not sure why they are together. Mismatch is one thing, but this was just weird and awkward. At times I was happy that he was there for Kaye, but the times where he was needed he often stayed quiet or just tried to calm his wife. :

Phew, now that is off my chest. The story was perfect, there was lots of swoony romance, lots of snarky remarks between Sawyer and Kaye, there was lots of friendship (it is so nice to see Tia and Harper again) and in overall it was just a fantastic and fun book that I really loved. The ending was perfect! I will be sure to add this book to my collection. And I would recommend this and the second book to everyone. Be sure to read this series! I will just keep hoping that maybe we will get some more books, just this time from the guy's point of view. I would love a Sawyer or a Will book. Or maybe a college book about our girls and their boyfriends! I want to see how everyone is doing!

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

Like Reblog Comment
show activity (+)
review 2015-06-30 19:53
Perfect Couple/Jennifer Echols
Perfect Couple (The Superlatives) - Jennifer Echols

In this second book in The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Harper and Brody think they’re an unlikely match—but the senior class says they belong together.
As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents’ bitter divorce left her wondering what a loving relationship looks like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody “Perfect Couple That Never Was,” her friends have been pushing her to ask Brody out.
Brody doesn’t lack female admirers, but Harper can't see herself with him. He’s confused about the match too. Yet they find themselves drawn together—first by curiosity about why the class paired them, then by an undeniable bond.
The trouble is, though they’re attracted to each other, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating well. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But they feel so changed from making the effort, they can’t forget each other. What if this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

 

This book was utterly predictable and very superficial, but I enjoyed it enough to power through it. I read it without having read the prior book, and I didn't miss anything.

 

Harper was an interesting character with some dimension to her, but she definitely wasn't as 'unpopular' as she seemed. She started off being this super cool girl who sewed her own dresses etc., so I was a bit disappointed when she got contacts and a bikini and lost some of her originality. However, her drive was admirable.

 

I felt like she did play into gender roles a little too heavily at points. Kennedy is a total bleeeeep and I have no clue why she dates him. Her whole idea of beauty seems a little off, and Brody being the big football star was very cliche.

 

 

I also found myself rolling my eyes at points because I felt like Echols tried overly hard to make this an 'accepting' book by throwing in the token gay couple, but their whole big scenes felt very artificial to me.

 

The interactions between Harper and Brody were probably the best parts of this book--they were fun and flirty, and I enjoyed the bantering that took place.

 

I won't be reading the third book since I can basically predict everything that will happen now. Nonetheless, this book was a good way to kill time.

Like Reblog Comment
show activity (+)
review 2015-05-20 15:35
Review: The Perfect Couple
Perfect Couple (The Superlatives) - Jennifer Echols

just love these types of stories. The ones with two unlikely people that do become the perfect couple.

Plot: It senior year and all the seniors are voting for their classmates. After being voted perfect couple, Brody and Harper take it in as a joke. Then they start to fall for each other. I really admired this plot. I felt it deepen with emotions and real life decisions. This plot goes further then just senior year but what they want for their future.

Friendship/Love: Sometimes things don’t always go as well plan. That seemed to be the case with Brody and Harper. They both had girlfriend/boyfriend ( I don’t like the whole aspect of cheating, but they are in high school, not married, etc.) so them coming to the decisions of what is best is a hard to read. They must face their feelings, their friends/family as well as themselves.

Ending: The ending ended as expected. It gave me that feel good moment of watching everything come together.

Overall, I really love this series. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what couple will be together next.

More posts
Your Dashboard view:
Need help?