Jenn P. Nguyen
Genre:
YA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June
7, 2016
Publisher: Swoon
Reads
ISBN: 978-1250084071
ASIN: B018291M66
Pages: 336
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
My Rating: 5.0
Book Description:
Taylor Simmons
is screwed.
Things were
hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the
reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking
up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on
tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.
Desperate to
salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious
romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild
surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.
My Take
on the Book:
I don't know
what it is about these types of books that I love. I'm not sure what draws me
in... but I'm inexplicably drawn to them. Every time I get offered a chance to
review them, I'm all for it. This book was no exception. These books with
romances that start of as fake and somehow morph into something real seem to be
a big thing at the moment and every time I come across one, I just
have to read it.
What I like
about this book was the slight variances to the traditional way these
stories always seem to be told. It's not some super popular jock (football and
basketball being the 2 most popular) or the hulking and mysterious motorcycle
riding bad boy. And it’s not some unknown or severely picked on girl. Sure
there is a bit of that teasing as the synopsis points out but it’s not a
common occurrence. It’s a new development that happens only after the event
that starts the whole story. I liked how different the characters were than the
typical mainstream leads, faulted and bruised characters with real depth. They
had real problems that made them instantly someone
you could connect with. There were a lot of parallels in their
lives and to me that made the connection between the 2 all the more realistic.
The more I read, the more I found the characters to be strong willed and
likeable. The progression of each relationship was believable and
endearing. Evan was the adorable epitome of bad boy with a heart of gold.
A character that genuinely was a good guy, just one with some questionable
habits and past 'relationships' and Taylor is a fun, sometimes snarky and way
smart leading lady. They complement each other in a way that really works and I
love that about this book.
5 Quills
My only
problem with this book was the minimal interaction with each character's
respective best friends. I really liked each of them and I would have loved a
little more page time for Carly, who was a super strong female who was fiercely
loyal to her bestie. I kinda hope that this author releases some more goodies
with more characters in this book. Another thing I really liked was the
fluidity of the book and the story progression. It goes from 1 point to the
other in an almost seamless way and that’s pretty awesome. There isn't too much
in the way of drama, and what I mean by that is that there is no 'big bad'
person or event just some points of human error. Nothing sinister, which was
refreshing. Kudos to the author for writing such a good story :D
About The Author
Jenn Nguyen
fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school
years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the
school library. She has a degree in business administration from the
University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband.
Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge
watching Korean dramas all in the name of ‘research’. The Way to Game the
Walk of Shame is her debut novel.
Enter
The Giveaway Here
A Print Copy of ‘The Way
to Game the Walk of Shame’
Tour Organized By:
“I received a free copy of the book from the
author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no
way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my
own”
