I’m trying something new today: a set of mini reviews. I don’t usually post shorter reviews but I was tempted to after reading these two Jenn Bennett books. I just didn’t have too much to say about them but still wanted to gush about them here. Jenn Bennett is probably one of my favorite new-to-me authors that I discovered this year and I’m looking forward to reading her other books.
Click to skip to a particular review: Alex, Approximately | Starry Eyes
TITLE: Alex, Approximately
AUTHOR: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon Pulse
PUBLICATION DATE: April 4, 2017
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
RATING:
Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.
And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. View Spoiler »
In this delightfully charming teen spin on You’ve Got Mail, the one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.
Setting the Scene
Mood Before Reading
Craving some romance reads after finishing The Bromance Book Club.
Dates Read
April 27, 2020 — April 27, 2020
One day read. I put everyone else on hold to read and finish this.
Review
Alex, Approximately was such a fun read! It’s about Bailey, a film geek, who just moved to the same town as her internet crush, Alex, and how she deals with her new job and her annoying coworker, Porter. Honestly, the synopsis ruined some of the magic of this book for me, so if you haven’t read the synopsis yet, DON’T. There’s a bit of a spoiler in it that prevented this story from being a 4.5 star read for me. View Spoiler »
Regardless of the spoiler in the synopsis, I found Bailey to be really relatable, and that connection with her kept me turning the pages. Not going to lie, the first few chapters were a little tough to get through (they were kind of awkward), but Alex, Approximately turned into such a cute read afterward. I can definitely see myself rereading this later when I need a quick pick me up read. It just has so many cute and fluffy moments that make me so happy to read.
I should also note that unlike Bailey, I am not a film geek, so I might have missed some classic film Easter eggs and references that fans might enjoy. Still, not quite understanding those references didn’t deter me from enjoying this book at all.
In conclusion…
Alex, Approximately is a cute and quick read that I look forward to rereading. It was a great introduction to Jenn Bennett’s writing and a perfect summer read.
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| Overall: | 4.1 |
TITLE: Starry Eyes
AUTHOR: Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon Pulse
PUBLICATION DATE: April 3, 2018
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
RATING:
Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?
Setting the Scene
Thoughts Before Reading
I really enjoyed reading Alex, Approximately so I was excited to try another Jenn Bennett book.
Dates Read
May 2, 2020 — May 2, 2020
Once I started it, I couldn’t stop reading.
Review
There are few tropes that I love more than enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers, and Starry Eyes has both. Sort of. In Starry Eyes, former best friends and current enemies, Zorie and Lennon, are stranded in the woods together. It’s such a great premise and features some of my favorite elements, so of course, I was excited to read this. I was not disappointed. At all.
In fact, I was left speechless at the end. Starry Eyes was so good it even gave me a bookish hangover. I don’t even know the last time I got a bookish hangover, let alone one from a YA contemporary (my least read genre these days). Ugh, I loved reading it so much!
Zorie and Lennon were both so cute and relatable to read about. I love how neither of them are stereotypical teenagers and that they both have their own little quirks. But even more than that, I really loved watching them work on their relationship and finally revisit why their friendship ended in the first place.
Still, as much as I love Starry Eyes, there’s just something preventing me from giving it 5 stars. Perhaps it’s just me being stingy, but I feel like it just was missing something. Hmm, maybe it was just missing some… tension? Like everything was wrapped up a little too fast and neatly? I honestly don’t know. 🤷🏻♀️
In conclusion…
Starry Eyes is one of the best YA contemporaries I’ve read in a while. I loved it so much it gave me a bookish hangover after I finished reading it.
| Final Rating | |
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| Overall: | 4.4 |
Have you read these? What did you think?
Do you prefer shorter or longer reviews?
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