Sophie Reads YA: Miranda Kenneally

2021 New Release challenge

ARC Review: The Pick-Up by Miranda Kenneally

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The Pick-Up
Series: None
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published September 1st 2021 by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Synopsis
When Mari hails a rideshare to a music festival, the last thing she expects is for the car to pick up a gorgeous guy along the way. Mari doesn't believe in dating--it can only end with a broken heart. Besides, she's only staying at her dad's house in Chicago for the weekend. How close can you get to a guy in three days?

TJ wants to study art in college, but his family's expectations cast a long shadow over his dreams. When he meets Mari in the back of a rideshare, he feels alive for the first time in a long time.

Mari and TJ enter the festival together and share an electric moment but get separated in a crowd with seemingly no way to find each other. When fate reunites them (with a little help from a viral hashtag), they'll have to decide: was it love at first sight, or the start of nothing more than a weekend fling?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Taking a ride share cab to the festival may have been the cheaper option, but was it also the right one for Mari? When she and her stepsister, Sierra, pick up two very hot boys, especially TJ, they hit it off right away, and spend the night together at the festival. Then they are separated, but a bit of luck, and a viral hashtag reunites them. Though only in Chicago for the weekend, will they be able to make it work, or was it all just a weekend fling?

The Pick Up was a book I've been highly anticipating, because I've always enjoyed Miranda's books in the past. Unfortunately, this one wasn't as a big a hit for me. I did like it, and the fact that it was set over a weekend was definitely a plus, because it was a quick paced story, and definitely suited the plot line. I don't know what it was that I was missing from it, but I didn't get the same feeling or connection with the main characters like I have with others. Mari was an okay MC, and I really felt for what she was dealing with in her family, and at home in Tennessee, but I feel like there was more to be explored with both her, and with TJ. All in all, it was an enjoyable book, but not one that I think will stay with me long term.

Dates Read:
August 19-20, 2021

Rating
3 Stars

Four Days of You and Me

Waiting On Wednesday: Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

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5 Stars

ARC Review: Coming Up for Air (Hundred Oaks #8) by Miranda Kenneally

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Coming Up for Air
Series: Hundred Oaks #8
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published July 4th 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Summary
Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series is one of my favourite YA Contemporary series, of all time! I simply adore her story telling, and immediately started the final book in the series as soon as it became available on NetGalley. In Coming Up For Air, Maggie has next to no time for a personal life. Everything revolves around swimming, and her hope that she will one day qualify for the US Olympic team. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is in the same position, so neither feel guilty when they think about swimming. However, Maggie starts to realise she hasn't had a 'normal' high school experience, and wants to explore life as a teenage girl. One problem, though, as she starts to explore this side of life, her feelings about Levi soon change to something much more than friendship.

This book is my favourite of the whole series, hands down! I just loved Maggie so much. She was the perfect MC, and really relatable, though I have no inclination to sports or Olympic dreams. I couldn't put the book down as soon as I picked it up, and devoured it in one sitting.

Maggie and Levi's relationship was smooth, and felt natural from day one. Their progression from best friends to lovers never felt rushed or forced, and it was completely swoony. The way they cared for each other, and didn't want to jeopardise their friendship was what endeared them the most to me.

Yes, there were moments when the plot was a bit predictable, but not so much that it meant the book wasn't enjoyable. Even now, I am already planning on re-reading Coming Up For Air, and look forward to more from Kenneally in the future. If you haven't read any of the books in this series yet, I can't recommend them enough!

Dates Read:
January 13, 2017

Rating
5 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks #7) by Miranda Kenneally

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Defending Taylor
Series: Hundred Oaks #7
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published July 5th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Synopsis
Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision - one lie to cover for her boyfriend - and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?
Goodreads

Review
See my reviews of:
- Catching Jordan (#1)
- Breathe, Annie, Breathe (#5)
- Jesse's Girl (#6)

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

When I first discovered Kenneally's books last year, I fell in love with her writing and her characters. I'm not a sporty person, like at all, but reading about all the different sports available at American schools, and the American school system in general. When I was younger I used to play football (soccer to Americans), so when I found out that book 7 in the series would be about football, I was dying to get my hands on it. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations, though I did still enjoy it.

Defending Taylor is about Taylor, the daughter of a state senator, who has been kicked out of her elite private school when she took the rap for her boyfriend's drug possession. She has caused a huge problem for her dad's re-election campaign, and now has to enrol in Hundred Oaks High for her senior year. She knows she needs to make it up to her dad, who's entire career is now in trouble with the bad publicity surrounding Taylor's expulsion, and as a consequence she has to visit the school's guidance counsellor on a regular basis. She'd been due to become captain of the St Andrew's football team, and needs to join the Hundred Oaks team or else she'd lose her mind. However, the team is one of the worst in the state, and her new team mates are nothing like her old friends. It's only when her brother's best friend, Ezra, whom she had a crush on when she was younger, comes back into her life, that she begins to feel like her old self.

I don't know why, but the book just fell flat for me. Maybe it's because it dealt with more darker stories that the earlier books in the series, and it wasn't as cutesy as I was expecting. I never cared about Taylor as much as I have for the other protagonists, and I wasn't as keen on the storyline. I did like Kenneally made it clear that being a teenager isn't all perfect, and having pressure on you from an early age, to live up to the examples set by older siblings, especially when your family is in the spotlight. Taylor has had to deal with being the 'disappointment' for most of her life, and when she tries to do something selfless, by taking the blame for her, now ex-, boyfriend so he doesn't lose his scholarship, she ends up disappointing even more people.

I did enjoy the romance between Ezra and Taylor. When everyone else was down on Tee for messing up her father's campaign, etc., Ezra knew what it was like to disappoint his parents. They both just really understood each other, and even though Ezra had disappointed Taylor in the past, he had an extremely valid reason for doing so, and was gutted that his friendship had been ruined. Really, it was their relationship that made the book for me - Kenneally does write extremely swoony romances.

All in all, though I didn't like Defending Taylor, I did enjoy it in the end, and will definitely read more in this series. I know I'm probably one of the only ones who didn't love this, so I don't want to put you off.

Dates Read:

May 10-12, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

Defending Taylor

Waiting on Wednesday: Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks #7) by Miranda Kenneally

10:00

5 Stars

Review: Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks #6) by Miranda Kenneally

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Jesse's Girl
Series: Hundred Oaks #6
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published July 7th 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Synopsis
Practice Makes Perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry 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?
Goodreads

Review
I seriously think this book may be my favourite of the Hundred Oaks series. Being English, and not all that interested in sport, I've found I can't really relate to the sportier aspects of the previous books. However, I didn't have the same difficulties here.

In Jesse's Girl, we follow Maya Henry, the younger sister of much loved Sam Henry (our fave from Finding Jordan), as she shadows the country music star, Jesse Scott, for career mentoring day. When I was at school we didn't have anything like this; the closest I could compare it too would be works experience week at the end of year 10 (aged 15), but even then, all I did was help out at the local primary school. Nothing anywhere near as exciting as shadowing a famous musician.

Something we all know Miranda succeeds at is writing swoon worthy boys, and Jesse Scott is no exception. Though Sam Henry will always hold a special place in my heart, Jesse may actually be my favourite of the Hundred Oaks boys. The relationship between himself and Maya was so wonderful, I honestly couldn't stop smiling. While it may have been far-fetched at times, it seemed real, and not rushed at all. I seriously hope we will be able to revisit Jesse and Maya in the future.

One of the best things about this book, hands down, was seeing Sam and Jordan again. They will always be my favourite Hundred Oaks couple, and seeing them in a proper, defined relationship, exactly as amazing as they were in Finding Jordan, was delightful. Considering there is another Henry kid, Anna, I hope she will be the protagonist of a future Hundred Oaks book.

All in all, Miranda's writing gets even better with each book, and I am so happy there will be two more. I loved how she branched outside of sport, and into music, and can't wait to see what she writes about in the future. Jesse's Girl was a wonderful, swoon worthy book, and everyone should just get this book, ASAP!

Dates Read:
July 13th, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5) by Miranda Kenneally

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Series: Hundred Oaks #5
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published April 7th 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Synopsis
Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.
Goodreads

Review
Breathe, Annie, Breathe tells the story of Annie, a 17 year old who is training to run the Country Music Marathon to honour her late boyfriend's memory. Whilst training, Annie falls for her trainer's brother, Jeremiah, and feels guilty.

This story may quite easily be my favourite instalment in the Hundred Oaks series, but I'm definitely due a re-read of them all I think, perhaps once Jesse's Girl is released.

The guilt that Annie feels for moving on, and for still being alive, is so real, and fresh, that I felt like I was somewhat living her life. I could understand the guilt, especially when her feelings for Jeremiah blossomed into something more, and I felt that Annie dealt with this problem perfectly.

Re-seeing past Hundred Oak characters, like Jordan (from Catching Jordan), Matt (from Things I Can't Forget) and Savannah (from Racing Savannah), was wonderful. This is one of the things I love most about YA Contemporary series, whilst the books are companions, you still get some insight into past characters without it seeming boring and the plot overstretched.

I really enjoyed Annie's interactions with older characters in her running group, as I believed the variety of friends she made helped her to come out of her shell, and deal with her guilt, Annie really blossomed as a character throughout the course of this book, and seeing her develop into a well rounded adult (starting university, completing her goal, falling in love again) made the story into a five star read.

I could never recommend this series enough; it is perfect YA Contemporary Fiction, and I'm so happy there is at least three more instalments.

Dates Read:
April 13th, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks #1) by Miranda Kenneally

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Catching Jordan
Series: Hundred Oaks #1
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published December 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire

Goodreads Synopsis
ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?
Goodreads

Review
Since Jesse's Girl is due for publication, I thought this would be the prefect time to re-read the entire Hundred Oaks series, and my Book Depository voucher sold me on purchasing physical copies. The second read of this book was even better than the first. During this time, I was able to understand stuff a whole lot better, and connect with the characters even more.

Catching Jordan is about Jordan Woods, the captain and Quarter Back of her school's football team. As a girl, she suffers with some quite sexist comments and ideals, and strives to work as hard as she can, to be the best that she can be. Her dream is to go to Alabama and play college football, and for her dad, the 'great' Donovan Woods, to go to her games, and finally be happy for her.

I loved Jordan. She was one of the best female protagonists I've seen in YA contemporaries for quite some time. Yeah, she's popular, sporty, etc., but that's not all she is. She still has insecurities and things that she feels like she must time from other people, such as her love for writing and poetry. She feels that, because she is on the football team, she can't enjoy 'girly' things as they'll make her seem weak. For the majority of the book, she can't stand being around other girls, especially the cheerleaders, and doesn'treally have much in common with them. I loved how she came into her own and started to realise that just because she was captain doesn't that she can't be a girl, and just because someone else is a cheerleader doesn't mean they're vapid and shallow. I'm really glad that she discovered this, and that she finally had some girl friends.

That's not to say that I didn't like her guy friends, though. I adored them all, especially Sam Henry. JJ and Carter were wonderful friends/older brother figures, and even though they don't do feelings, I'm glad they helped Jordan when she was struggling emotionally. Sam and Jordan were beautiful from page 1, and even without knowing what happens, you could see the romantic and emotional connection between them from the very beginning.

As with basically all YA contemporaries, romance plays a large role in this book. While I liked parts of Ty and Jordan's relationship, I really couldn't 'ship' it. I thought Ty was controlling and jealous, especially when it came to Sam. I kind of thought their relationship went very fast too, perhaps a bit too fast. I also hated who Jordan was when she was with Ty, as she became a whole new person, one who didn't stand up for herself, and who began to doubt herself. Ty wanted her to stop doing the thing that she loved, and didn't support her when she was being criticised, even by her own father.

Sam, on the other hand, was the perfect gentlemen to Jordan throughout the whole book. Though he had his own issue, being a 'man-whore' and all, whenever it came down to it, he was there for Jordan, until he wasn't. He always supported her and was the best best friend she could want. It was only when his feelings became known to Jordan (everyone else had already known) that he became distant. His jealousy of her relationship with Ty was fun to see, even he was the one who pushed her towards Ty. However, when Jordan really needed him, when she was injured, he never left her side, and did everything he could to help her, right to the very end. I think I shipped Jordan and Sam pretty much from page 1, and could not stop smiling at the end. I know we see more of them in further books, and I honestly can't wait to read the others, especially Jesse's Girl, for this reason.

Hundred Oaks is one of my favourite contemporary series, and everyone should read at least one of them during their life, as they aren't just about cute, fluffy stories, but actual real issues prevalent in today's society.

Dates Read:
June 27-28th, 2015

Rating
5 Stars