Book Review: 'Love Story' by Jennifer Echols

This weekend I read Love Story by Jennifer Echols and am excited this is the first book I am reviewing!

This is a cute story about growing up, coming to terms with your past,choosing the direction of your future, and of course love, told from the perspective of a dedicated creative writer.

Erin Blackwell is a freshman in college with dreams of becoming a best-selling author.  Her grandmother, though, doesn't approve and wants her to take over the family racehorse business instead.  When Erin opts for majoring in English versus Business at a New York university, her grandmother cuts her off financially and strips away her inheritance giving it to Hunter Allen, the attractive young stable boy whom Erin has known since they were both twelve years old.  Now, struggling to make ends meat in the tough city of New York, Erin is learning the hardships of choosing the path that will hopefully lead to the career she wants.  Erin hasn't let Hunter slip from her mind, though, and writes him into her latest provocative creative writing assignment.  When Hunter suddenly shows up in her class she is mortified that he will recognize that the hero is mimicked after him.  Hunter does indeed recognize the parallel and begins getting even with his own reality-themed sex stories.  Through their stories and interactions we, the readers, get an insight into their pasts and everything that has made their relationship so complicated and what could possibly make everything right to create the "happy ending" Erin loves to write in her stories. 

I definitely enjoyed reading this book.  I loved the message that Erin portrayed of following your dreams.  I'm a believer in that and the fact that she chose to leave a well established life to follow hers immediately showed me she would be a strong character.  Her tone at times was harsh and strong, but that added to her overall independent nature.  I definitely laughed out loud at times at the dialogue, especially when Manohar brings up Erin's use the word "nipple" in her first story.  Trust me it's funny! 

The fact that some of Hunter's and Erin's stories were actually printed in the book for the readers to read was a bonus.  When reading the blurb on the back I was curious of how I would be able to know what the stories were about without a character just telling me or the stories actually being in the book.  I really wasn't expecting to be actually reading the character's works.  But seeing as the first chapter started with Erin's story helped me get a better feel for the book and the situations that were going to come up.  I have to say I really enjoyed those short stories.  If they were stand alones and not a part of this overall book they'd be very interesting to read and dissect.   

Of course I loved the romance aspect of the book.  Hunter is one of the classic dreamy guys of teen novels and you can't help but fall in love with him.  I can't reveal what part made me angry with him, but I feel he vindicated himself later for the most part.  I appreciated the fact they had a history and Echols explores it and fleshes it out for us.  A lot of books, both YA and adult, have the hero and heroine fall in love too fast, sometimes in a matter of a couple days.  It's not realistic.  But in this story we see how their relationship developed- from where they started six years prior up through the years to the current time of the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA love stories in the modern period.  It was a very fun and pleasurable read and I'll definitely have to check out Jennifer Echols' other books!