Book Review: Love Story

Title: Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 2.5 stars
Source: ARC from Publisher

Goodreads Summary: 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.

Love Story had so much potential be a great contemporary romance but unfortunately, it fell flat. I was left feeling like I cared more about the main character’s dreams and goals than she did and not liking the leading man at all.

There are two Erin Blackwells in this book. In the first half of the book, Erin is this awesome girl determined to live her dream of majoring in creative writing and becoming a published novelist. In order to live her dream, she gives up her million dollar inheritance and moves to New York taking minimum wage jobs and eating peanut butter crackers for dinner. Erin refuses anything from her controlling and manipulative grandmother and while this is stubborn and proud, I completely understand. Erin works really hard at everything she does and I was rooting for her to make it and get the publishing internship she so badly wanted. Love this Erin!

In the later part of the book, Erin is this annoying girl who can’t stop thinking about Hunter. She becomes this needy stalker who allows herself to be used because she can’t get this boy out of her system. Her priorities seem to change to the point that she is willing to sabotage her creative writing grade and internship to get a reaction out of Hunter. Did not like this Erin.

I loved Jennifer Echols’ writing and the idea of Love Story but I am curious as to why she would write Hunter’s character so flawed to the point that he is not likable. Hunter is controlling and manipulative, just like Erin’s grandmother but he is also a user which makes him worse. He and Erin have a sad history and their families have bad blood but I could not get past these issues enough to like him. I did, however, like the secondary characters and the classroom conversations between Erin and Manohar are some of the funniest I have read in a long time!

Quick question: How does a book get classified as young adult? Teenaged characters, high school/college setting? I am curious because I feel Love Story was more suitable for the adult market than YA. The main characters are over 18 and Erin’s first story for her creative writing class can best be described as a bodice buster while Hunter’s stories are almost all about his sexual encounters.

Content: Sex, underage drinking and profanity. Not recommended for younger teens.