Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published: July, 2010
Source: Won in contest
Synopsis from Goodreads:
WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

I think that I am in love with Jennifer Echols' writing. It is so, so hard to put down her books once you pick one up. I had really high expectations for this book, and it definitely met them! I finished it in record time.


I loved the whole premise of this book. Zoey loses her memory of the night she crashes her car, and doesn't get it back. Nothing big could have happened in those few hours, right? Wrong, Zoey finds her life turned upside down, but she has no idea why. It was kind of frustrating that we didn't know what Zoey didn't know. I felt just as frantic as Zoey was, trying to piece things together.


Zoey annoyed me. She was very blind to a lot of things, especially when they had to do with Brandon. And Doug, she was very blind about Doug also. How I loved Doug. He was so swoon worthy and sweet. I felt bad for him, and I do even more now that I know what did happen that night and how Zoey acted...anyway, no spoilers here!


Basically I loved this book and couldn't put it down, but Zoey did some things that really annoyed me.


Characters: 8/10
Plot:8//10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover Comments: I love this cover! It's beautiful, and portrays Zoey and Doug perfectly.

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Title: Endless Summer
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published: May 2010
Source: Bought
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.


Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wake boarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.

Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

Endless Summer is the sequel to The Boys Next Door. This edition includes The Boys Next Door & Endless Summer.

What an absolutely perfect book for summer. It was light, fun, compelling, and chock full of sizzling romance. I hadn't read The Boys Next Door previously, so it was all new to me, and I loved it! Endless Summer was basically just a continuation of The Boys Next Door, with an added element of every other chapter being from Adam's pov. I loved that, Adam is on the top of my literary crushes list now, and I don't know how anyone will ever top him.

I thought that Lori was kind of annoying and a lot clueless, but I definitely overlooked that in times of her awesome wit. I don't think that I've ever laughed so much while reading a book, and a lot of that was because of Lori. The other characters were funny too, and everyone played off of each other perfectly. It makes me want to find the lake in Alabama where the story is set just so that I could be around these awesome people. Too bad they're not real.

The story moved along at a good pace, though at times I felt like it was dragging a bit. That's okay though, just having the characters interact was awesome. The make out scenes were so hot, and I wish that there had been more of them. I was kinda disappointed that there were less in Enless Summer than in The Boys Next Door, because I figured that the only way to go was up, but then I guess that Jennifer Echols didn't think that anyone would read a book composed soley of kissing.

Basically this book cements Jennifer Echols as one of my favorite authors. I loved it and I'll definitely be rereading next summer!

Characters: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Originality: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover/Title Comments: I love love love this cover, it sets the mood perfectly! And the titles fit well also.

A Few Mini Reviews

So I was sick for a couple days, and while I was in bed I read. Since I was taking some cold medicine and was in and out of sleep I really don't think that I can properly review these books, so I'm going with mini reviews.

Title: The Ex Games

Author: Jennifer Echols

Published: October 2009

Source: Bought 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Brace yourself for the battle of the exes...
Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation.
When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes.
This friendly competition is bound to get heated - and they might end up igniting some old flames. 

I'm not usually a fan of the Simon Romantic Comedies, but since Jennifer Echols wrote this I had to get it. I'm really happy that I did. It was a perfect read for being sick: didn't take much brainpower and just predictable enough. I really liked reading about Hayden and Nick's relationship and their snowboarding competition. I was sad when it ended, but it ended perfectly: 4.5/5 stars!

Title: When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Published: July 2009

Source: The Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.
By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

When You Reach Me was a lot different than I thought it would be. It was...wow. It was a really fast read, didn't take more than a couple hours, but it's stuck with me. It's just so...different. In this case, different is a good thing. In hindsight it wasn't really the best sick bed read, it actually required brain power, but that's okay because I really liked it. 4/5 stars!

Title: Snow

Author: Tracy Lynn

Published: October 2003

Source: The Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"ONCE UPON A TIME"IS TIMELESS
The Duchess Jessica's childhood began with a tragedy: her mother's death. Her father, heartbroken at the loss of his beloved wife, could not bear to raise the child. Largely ignored, Jessica spent the first eleven years of her life running free on the family estate, cared for only by the servants.
Then her father decides to remarry, bringing an end to Jessica's independence. At first her new stepmother just seems overly strict. But as Jessica grows into a beautiful young woman, it becomes clear that her stepmother is also wildly -- and murderously -- jealous of her.
Jessica escapes to London. Going by the name Snow to hide from her family, she falls in love with an odd band of outcasts who accept her into their makeshift family. But when her stepmother appears in the city, repentant and seeking her forgiveness, Jessica will have to decide whom to trust...with her life.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was always my least favorite of the Disney fairytales. I'm not really sure why. This book completely changed my perception of Snow White. It was beautifully written and the characters were multidimensional, and the story was just great, and not too predictable. This is definitely a book that I will read again and again. 5/5 stars!

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Summary (From goodreads.com): All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far... and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge - and over...
 
This book was fanstastic. It completely blew me away. I was not expecting such a powerful story out of such a small book-by my standards anyway. Meg and John shouldn't work, but somehow they do, and it completely defies all logic. She's a juvinile delinquent who just wants to get out of her town, he's a cop who just wants to stay there. But somehow they are just so right for each other.
 
The best parts of the book were when they were alone talking to each other. Well, most of the time they argued and pushed each others buttons, but it's still considered talking. The chemistry was palpable throughout the book, and it was so hot! The whole time I was wondering when they would finally take that next step, and then the next one, and then the next one.
 
This was a great book, and I'm really happy that I read it. It might sound like it would be boring, but it's definitely not. It's one of the best books I've read it a while, and I'm going to lend it to all of my friends.
 
Overall: I loved it- 5 stars!