Review and Giveaway: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story
~Jennifer Echols

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: MTV
Publish Date: July 19, 2011
ISBN-10: 1439178321
ISBN-13: 978-1439178324
ASIN: B004G8QU7E

From the author's website:
SHE'S WRITING ABOUT HIM. HE'S WRITING ABOUT HER. AND EVERYBODY IS READING BETWEEN THE LINES.

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.
Learn more here.
About the author: Jennifer Echols is the author of romantic dramas for MTV and romantic comedies for Pulse. She currently lives in Birmingham. Visit her on the web at www.jennifer-echols.com.

Erin Blackwell is a Kentucky horse-racing princess.  Or rather, she was a princess, until she told her grandmother that she wanted to go to college to pursue her dream of becoming a novelist instead of majoring in business so she could come home and run the family farm.  Now Erin is attending school on an academic scholarship, working jobs to support herself in New York City while she goes to school.

Hunter Allen has been a fixture on Erin's grandmother's race horse farm since Erin and Hunter were both 12 years old.  Hunter's father is a stable hand, and Hunter works in the stable too.  Now Hunter is going to the same college to major in business and will become the heir to the farm.

Erin figures they probably won't see much of each other, until he transfers into her creative writing class on the day she's written a story to share with the class about a young girl and her affair with a stable boy.  Now she's afraid Hunter thinks she's in love with him, and worse, that he'll say something to the other students or the teacher that will affect her chances at an internship she desperately needs.  Hunter promises he won't say anything, because he doesn't want his new friends to know he was a stable hand, but he's already spoken about it with his two roommates.  Then, after a dorm party that both Erin and Hunter attend, Hunter's story for the class is about the party.  In the story, he talks about both Erin and a girl he was with at the party.  This leaves their friends (Hunter's roommates and Erin's roommates) speculating about Hunter and Erin's feelings for each other.

My thoughts:  I thoroughly enjoyed Love Story!  I love the idea of two people working out their histories through creative writing.  Each story, while different, was an interesting and significant glimpse into their personal histories, showcasing how their relationship ended up the way it did.  The way they each read into the subtext of the other's stories and reacted accordingly left me wanting to pitch in and help their friends get them together. I liked the background of the NYC college and their multicultural roommates; the cast of secondary characters were likeable and a good foil for the angst between Erin and Hunter.  While more a Happy for Now rather than a Happily Ever After, I liked the way the ending showed promise for these two.

I like Ms. Echols' style of writing and will be checking out her backlist. 

My Rating:

The Giveaway:

Gallery/MTV Books is offering two winners a copy of Love Story!

To enter:  leave a comment with a way to contact you.  Contest ends August 5.

US addresses only.

(Following is not required but is always appreciated.)

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.