Name: Kritika Narula's review of Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally
Item: Jesse's Girl
Rating: 4
Author: Kritika Narula

Miranda Kenneally

Practice makes perfect. Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she'd get to shadow the Jesse Scott, Nashville's teen idol. But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He's as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he's accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya's lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse's pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya's playing back up to other people's dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart-and go solo? Praise for Miranda Kenneally's Breathe, Annie, Breathe: "[An] expertly paced and realistic romance."-Booklist, starred review "Heartfelt, uplifting, and quite possibly enough motivation to make readers reach for their running shoes." -Publisher's Weekly "Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. Her best book yet." -Jennifer L. Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

Jesse's Girl

Karen Hinh

Kritika Narula

Originally reviewed at  So many books, so little time 

How do you review a book which has been nothing but a pure light hearted joyride for a stretch of 6 hours to you? 
Well, one can always try. So here we are. Although this is a book in the series by this amazing YA author, this is read just as cheerfully as a standalone. The story of Jesse Scott and Maya Henry is endearing, quirky and romantic interspersed with hilarity in just the right amount. When I read love stories, especially Young Adult stories that are not about star-crossed lovers, what I most look forward to the most are the conversations, repartee and friendly banter and wordplay. And this novel is brimming with such banter, much to my pleasure. 
It begins in the cliched way & for a moment I think It will turn out to be just another hatred-turns-into-love story. But its not. Well, in a way it IS hate into love but it isn't cliched at all. There is a substance in the whole plot. 

Both the protagonists are driven by passion. And there are some explicit and implicit lessons in living. Consistent effort. Never giving up. Undying yearning to learn. And I live that in a novel- when it has something to offer in soul besides the plot in mind. 
One thing about the novel that deserves a speacial mention is the fact that everything seemed pretty balanced and thought out. Nothing seemed forced or out of the place or extraneous. All characters fit the plot just fine. 

To top it all, I was smiling continuously while reading the novel. I like that about a book. That is able to give me reason to smile through words. 

I could totally relate to Maya Henry, not in the factual sense but in what we feel. She asks at a point "What am I doing wrong? Why don't I belong anywhere?". And all I manage is a sigh, thinking to myself: I feel you Maya. I really do. And that is when I am completely, like entirely engrossed in the novel. There is a gripping urge to see it through the end. 

And the best part is that there is a reality to it all: no one sacrifices anything and reason and practicality always remain dominant. What more could have one asked of a novel? 
Maya's family and especially her brother and his girlfriend are all adorable characters, for lack of a better adjective. They are the most endearing supporting characters I have ever seen. 
The journey: defeat, betrayal, a pestering family, love, agony, despair, longing: all the emotions are worth living in this book, with this book. 

I am already in love with this author. On to reading more. 

oh, and a friendly advice:Never waste time pining for a boy, because the boy you're meant to be with will want you so bad, you won't have to pine at all.
This book gives too much to fangirl for.

Kathryn 

To be completely honest I definitely bought this book because of the title however it was actually pretty cute. The writing was really simple and kind of bothered me at points but all in all it was a decent read. would recommend.

Becky

I almost forgot I’d requested this book on NetGalley, so when that little email came through that I had been approved I was surprised. I was more surprised than I normally am when I’m approved for books. What I didn’t realise at the time of requesting is that this was another Hundred Oaks novel. That was probably stupid of me, I knew Miranda Kenneally wrote those books, but the premise seems so different to some of the other books that I was surprised. Luckily for me, these books can be read in any order, and I’m glad I didn’t realise because it meant I want into the book blind, and that’s sometimes better.

It was a mixed book for me, as with every book there were flaws, but I did enjoy it. It was a light easy read with a bit of teenage drama made more dramatic by one half of the couple being a teenage celebrity. It also had a girl who knew when to fight for her dreams, which was great when too frequently girls end up sacrificing things for the male in the story. It’s also an enjoyable read because it’s a fun story. It’s farfetched and ridiculous but the characters are great, and you can’t fault it for the crazy good family dynamic here. I would recommend it for a quick a easy read in summer.

My full review is over at my blog here

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads
.

I truthfully believe Miranda Kenneally can do no wrong. Her books are the perfect escape from every day life. They have a ton of heart and humor – strong girls and seriously swoony boys – and, best of all, they tackle realistic issues teens face. I love how they let me get lost for a few hours. 

Jesse's Girl was a fantastic addition to the Hundred Oaks standalone series. I'm a sucker for books having to do with music – particularly country music, which is odd because I rarely listen to country music – so I knew this would be right up my alley when I started. I ended up getting completely sucked in right from the very start.

The characters, as always, were just plain wonderful. Maya was a great protagonist. She was sweet and likable. I didn't like some of the things she had to deal with at the beginning of the book, but I did like how she handled them. I admired her dedication to music and her spunk. She and Jesse don't exactly hit it off, but I loved that. He was a bit of a jerk in the beginning, but it was understandable and, my goodness, he was the furthest thing from a jerk in reality. He was sweet and swoony. They might've gotten off to a rocky start, but I loved where they wound up – and more importantly, I loved reading along as they got there. 

Jesse's Girl was a great light-hearted and realistic young adult contemporary. Obviously I loved Maya and Jesse, but as has become the norm with Miranda's novels, I loved getting updates on some of my favorites from the Hundred Oaks gang. Catching Jordan is one of my favorite of her books, so I LOVED getting another dose of Jordan and Sam, too. But, more than anything, I just loved Maya and Jesse's story. It was fun and sweet, all with a music backdrop I couldn't help but love. It definitely left me with a huge, goofy grin on my face. 

I don't even know who the next book in the Hundred Oaks series will be about, but I'm already anticipating it. I might even have to do a little series reread in the meantime... 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Celia Adams

WARNING- THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN WHILE ON A READING HIGH

OH MY GOD. I don't know what to say. My stomach still has butterflies. I haven't caught my breath. I nearly cried when I saw I only had 2 pages left. I don't know why I'm on a contemporary romance kick right now but let me tell you, it is working out really well for me. This books was so sweetly beautiful, not in an angsty, punch-you-n-the-gut way, like most books I read, but in a gentle, heartwarming, this-is-the-relationship-i-want kind of way. It's a quicker read, but I love how detailed and into the book Miranda Kenneally gets, especially since this book is about music and not sports like the rest in the series. Anyway, I loved this book and you all should read it, like NOW

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

4.5 stars!

My first Miranda Kenneally book was Breathe, Annie, Breathe, which I ended up really enjoying when I read it last year. So you could say I was pretty excited to read this book. After reading this one, I’m determined to go back and read the ENTIRE Hundred Oaks series now! This book was FANTASTIC! I loved it so much. And I can’t wait to meet more of this great crew of characters.

Maya loves music. She spends her time playing in a rock band with some friends from school. So when Hundred Oaks High sets her up to shadow the country music star “Jesse Scott” for the day as part of a career mentor program, she’s excited, yet hesitant. Country music isn’t exactly her thing. And neither is Jesse’s stuck-up, better-than-you-are attitude that he’s known for. Yes, he’s easy on the eyes… VERY easy… but his attitude is hard for Maya to ignore. Right from their first meeting she’s put off by his demeanor and entitlement, acting super snarky right back to him. These two get off to a rough start. But as their shadowing day continues, they begin to see a different side of each other, and the feelings begin. But can the local snarky punk rock girl really end up with the spoiled country rock start guy?

This was such a fun story! I loved the whole opposites attract story line. I loved how their entire day was inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, both of them trying new things and enjoying their day to the fullest at all costs. These two opposites (Jesse, “a little bit country”, the Maya, “a little bit rock and roll”) find themselves having more fun on this shadow day than they’ve had in quite some time.

I don’t have a single complaint about this book. I fell in love with Jesse right from the beginning. He was struggling with family issues, as well as trying to learn how to live in the spotlight, all while just trying to live his life and enjoy it as much as he can. Maya, who wanted to branch out a bit and play different kids of music in her band, was constantly outnumbered and made to feel that she was never good enough. Maya, searching for some self-confidence, and Jesse, searching for himself, make one of the cutest couples I’ve ever read about. They’re definitely up there with Lola & Cricket for me now!

I would DEFINITELY recommend this book! It had it all. I can’t imagine fans of Miranda Kenneally not being totally blown away by this adorable story, and even more adorable couple. This is the perfect beach read, the type of book you will pick up while you’re relaxing outdoors and refuse to put down until you’ve devoured the entire thing in one sitting.

(Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire & Xpresso Book Tours for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Sara 

This book was a really sweet story!!! I loved it a lot, and it only took me a day to finish, (or a few hours. . .) Jesse's girl is a fun-read and I highly recommend it!!

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

It’s been a while since I’ve read a young adult book, but what better way to go back to the YA contemporary genre than by reading a Miranda Kenneally book? I really enjoyed Jesse’s Girl – it’s a super sweet, fun romance that fans of the series shouldn’t miss.

I loved that Jesse’s Girl is about Maya, Sam Henry’s little sister. We get to see a lot of Sam and Jordan (from Catching Jordan), which I was so happy about, because I adored that book. Maya is a high school senior who is passionate about music. She loves to play the guitar and sing (though she’s more talented at playing the guitar than singing), but when she gets dumped by her band and crush, she’s left feeling devastated. The one thing that makes her feel better is the fact that she’ll be ‘shadowing’ eighteen-year-old country star and heartthrob Jesse Scott, but things don’t go as well as Maya thought it would.

I was so excited about the opportunity to spend time with a famous musician, but Jesse Scott is a certified country-boy ass.

Jesse is rude to Maya, thinking that she’s just another ‘fan’ of his who only wants to use him. After being the in music industry for so long, he’s tired of all the fake people and wants to retire and focus on his family. So Maya is a refreshingly different to Jesse, though he’s still reluctant to mentor someone. He decides to change things up a bit and have a sort of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off kind of day with Maya. And the more time they spend together, the more they get to know each other, and know themselves as well.

The romance developed slowly – Maya and Jesse are both the wary kind of people, but they slowly break down each other’s walls. I liked reading about their adventures, their deep conversations, and how they slowly fell for each other. They both connect so well with music and they bond easily over it.

I felt like Jesse’s Girl was a bit too short – the pages flew by and when I got to the end, I was left wanting for just a little more. It’s a quick, easy read with not much drama, but it was still a lot of fun to read. It’s not my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series (that one would be Breathe, Annie, Breathe) but it was definitely a worthwhile, sweet read about chasing your dreams and falling in love. I highly recommend this for fans of the series!

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1ESaOW4
Amazon Hardcover: http://amzn.to/18VW3FM
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1BVlHa9

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Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

Kaye Oliva

Prerana agrawal

Beatrix Haase

Kaitlin Cassell

Music already broke Maya's heart. She's not about to let country star Jesse do the same. Career Shadow Day at Hundred Oaks High is a joke. So when Maya sarcastically says, "I want to become a pop star," and gets paired with the famous (and gorgeous) Jesse Scott, she should be thrilled. But the last thing Maya wants is to be reminded of how music broke her heart. Jesse rose to fame at a young age and has no real friends. He doesn't want to give up performing, but retiring is the only way he'll get the normal life he craves so badly. Maya and Jesse might be just what the other needs, but can they open up enough to become real friends--or even something more?

Karen Hinh &
Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

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