Tag: Superlatives Series

Review: Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols

Posted July 8, 2015 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

most likely to succeed
Rowena’s review of Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3) by Jennifer Echols.

In this sexy conclusion to The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Sawyer and Kaye might just be perfect for each other—if only they could admit it.

As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.

To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…

As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?

Book 3 in the Superlatives series and it was a book that I was looking forward to reading because we were finally getting Sawyer’s book. Sawyer was the class screw up when we first meet him but over the course of the series, you see him change his ways. He goes from smoking pot, partying and going through girls every weekend to getting his shit together. I loved Sawyer. I thought he was the very best part of this book. Even when he was being a bonehead, I loved him.

Kaye on the other hand drove me crazy for a good portion of the book. Every time she would push and pull and play with Sawyer’s emotions, I wanted to smack her. But in the end, she gets it together and I ended up liking her. She wasn’t my favorite girl of the bunch but I could see why Sawyer liked her. I also understood why Kaye thought and acted the way that she did. I don’t know how she lived to be 17 without killing her mother. Her Mom was such a bitch.

My main gripes with the story were Aidan and Kaye’s Mom. Every time Sawyer had to pay for Aidan’s jealousy and his stupidity, I wanted to kick Aidan in the nuts. Every time Kaye talked down to and about Sawyer, I wanted to claw her eyes out. She’s a grown ass adult and the way she treated others made me want to smack the shit out of her. She thoroughly pissed me off over and over again. Her actions and the way she treated her daughter and Sawyer also made me mad at Kaye’s Dad. He’s supposed to be cool parent but you don’t let your wife talk to your kids like that. You don’t let your daughter go through that kind of shit. That’s not tough love. That’s bullshit. In the end, where the Mom apologizes and makes nice, I still wanted to beat the every loving shit out of her.

Aidan was no better. He was such a weak character. So focused on getting to the top that he didn’t care who he trampled on and hurt to get there. The way that he treated Kaye and the shit he put Sawyer through made me hate him so much that there was no prayer of redemption for him. Fuck him. I was so glad when Kaye finally put him out of her life for good. She deserved so much more than he ever gave her and I was so freaking happy when she left Aidan behind for good and jumped on the Sawyer train.

Getting to know Sawyer more throughout this story made me love him even more than I did in the previous books. My heart hurt for him and I wanted to hug him close and take care of him, I liked him so much. Every time that Kaye would make him happy, only to hurt him made me think that maybe he deserved better than her but then seeing Kaye come around, I changed my mind. Kaye was Sawyer’s person. She was the one that he wanted in his corner and I liked seeing Kaye come to the realization that Sawyer was her person too. When they finally decide to get their shit together and just be together, I loved seeing the lengths that they went to, to be together. To be happy. I loved that they didn’t care about what anyone thought (including Kaye’s parents). They liked each other and they were going to be there for each other through thick and thin.

Jennifer Echols did a great job of pulling every emotion out of me with this book. There were times when I laughed, times when I teared up and then times when I was so rip roaring pissed off that I wanted to throw this book but it wasn’t a boring book. There were a few times that I thought I was going to DNF this one but I’m glad that I stuck with it. I enjoyed seeing the couples from previous books and I thought Echols handled their addition to the story well. They weren’t completely corny and lovey dovey, and I appreciated that. Nothing drives me crazier than recurring characters that are couples that come back and are nauseating in their love for each other. That wasn’t the case with Brody, Harper, Will and Tia. I loved that even though they loved Kaye, they were still there for Sawyer.

The romance between Kaye and Sawyer was cute and enjoyable. I was happy with the way that this book ended but I’m not going to lie, it was a bumpy road getting there.

Grade: 3 out of 5

This book is available from Simon Pulse. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Review: Perfect Couple by Jennifer Echols

Posted January 19, 2015 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

perfect couple
Rowena’s review of Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2) by Jennifer Echols.

Perfect Couple is #2 in the Superlatives series about seniors at a Florida high school who are selected for their class’s superlative categories in the yearbook, and how the labels change the way they view themselves and alter the course of their lives.

Can your heart be put to a popular vote?

As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for capturing those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents’ bitter divorce has left her wondering what a loving relationship would look like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody the “Perfect Couple That Never Was,” her friends have been on her case to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn’t lack in female admirers, but Harper can’t see herself with him. He seems confused about why they were matched together, too. They’re total opposites—the last people in the world who would ever be compatible, let alone the “perfect couple.” Yet ever since the class paired the two of them, they’ve found themselves drawn together–first by curiosity, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they’re very attracted to each other and both of them admit this, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating clearly. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But after they walk away, both of them feel so changed from making the effort that they can’t forget each other. What if that means this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

This is the second book in the Superlatives series. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read the book or not but requested it, just in case I did. It took me a while but I finally got this one read and all I can say is that I’m glad I did because it was such a super cute read and the perfect read to pick up after being knee deep in paranormal romances.

Harper is Tia’s (from Book 1) friend and Brody Larson is the starting Quarterback for their school football team. The senior class voted Harper and Brody, the Perfect Couple that Never Was. Harper is shocked since she has absolutely nothing in common with him. He’s sociable and an athlete and she’s a photographer who would rather spend her time alone but none of that matters when she’s by herself with her huge crush on him. He doesn’t see her like that because he’s with the beautiful and blonde Grace but when the more they talk, the more interested they are in each other.

This was a quick read about two high school seniors that weren’t meant to be together until they were together. I thought it was such a cute story and if I had a complaint about the book it would have been I wish we had gotten inside Brody’s head. We only get Harper’s POV and I think the story would have benefited more from dual perspectives. Oh, well.

The book was still cute. Harper was a great heroine who acted the way a normal teenager would act. She was strong and when she decides that she’s had enough with letting others dictate her life, she becomes even more awesome. I loved the person that she was with Brody. She starts off really shy around him and Echols did a great job of showcasing the growth of their relationship. They didn’t jump into a relationship right after it was announced that they were the perfect couple that never was. Their relationship grew over time and it was genuine and real. I ate it all up.

Brody was a great love interest. I loved that when things got hard, he didn’t let Harper off the hook. He didn’t let her walk all over him. He made her make a decision and I liked that. I liked that Harper didn’t let up on herself as well. She knew when she made mistakes and she apologized when she was being an idiot. You certainly see the growth that both characters go through with this book and really, I just had fun with this whole book.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I hope Kaye gets that giant stick out of her butt where Sawyer is concerned and I hope that he finally mans up and goes after what he really wants. I liked them as characters and am pretty anxious for their story. It was good to see the gang back together again and to see Tia and Will doing well together. I liked their book and really enjoyed this book as well. I have every faith that I’m going to enjoy the heck out of Most Likely to Succeed. I think fans of Jennifer Echols will find this new addition to her back list a delight. I definitely recommend.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Simon Pulse. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Review: Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

Posted August 4, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Rowena’s review of Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1) by Jennifer Echols.

Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.

Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger.

As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…

Jennifer Echols is hit or miss with me. I have really loved some of her books but I have really hated some of her books as well. I’m happy to say that this book was a total hit for me.

Biggest Flirts is the first book in the Superlatives series and it follows Tia and Will as they fumble their way to that happily for now.  It’s a YA contemporary novel that was cute, fun and funny. The characters are wonderfully flawed and the story moves at a great pace and it wasn’t hard to fall into this story at all. Tia is a big time flirt, the resident party girl and when she meets new boy Will, he wants to be in a relationship with her. Tia’s not a relationship girl though. She’s a hit it and quit it kind of girl and that works for her. But there’s something about Will that is getting under her skin.

Will moved from Minnesota to Florida for his senior year and he’s not exactly happy about it but when he meets Tia at a party, he’s mighty interested. Both Tia and Will are on the drumline in their school band and they stand right next to each other and during practice, they spend a whole lot of time getting yelled at for flirting.

Watching these two get closer and closer is a lot of fun.  Echols does a great job of making Tia connectable with readers and Will was a great love interest. They’re both flawed and do really stupid things but it was still an enjoyable ride to be apart of.  I really liked getting to know both Tia and Will and meeting the other characters in the series was pretty great too.

I’m super excited to read the next book in this series and I’m crossing my fingers that I will enjoy it just as much as I did this one.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Simon Pulse. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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