Mundie Moms

Thursday, July 16, 2015

JESSE'S GIRL by Miranda Kenneally / BLOG TOUR: Book Review, Excerpt & Enter To WIN!



By: Miranda Kenneally
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Released on: July 7th, 2015
Series: Hundred Oaks
Purchase from: AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-A-MillionIndieboundIndigoiTunes
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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?
 

This is just the book I needed! Something with a sweet, southern romance, humor, and two characters who made it so easy to love them. I love it when an author introduces me to characters who don't hit right off. Jesse and Maya are about as opposite as you can get, though they have a talent for music, and doing things their own way, that connects them. Their first meeting is anything but sweep you off your feet. That part comes later on in the story.

It's not until Jesse and Maya end up sending a day together, that I really fell for the two of them individually and together. Complete with a ode to Ferris Bueller's Day Off (I highly recommend you watch it if you've not seen it), and Maya's killer 80's Madonna inspired wardrobe, Jesse's Girl had the right amount of friction, sweetness, and snarky comebacks, that I couldn't stop reading it. One of the things I've come to love about Miranda's books, is the way she writes her romances. They're not sugar coated, but these realistic romances that are sweet, hot, frustrating, and beautiful. I felt like I got all that and more with Jesse's Girl. 

Despite the differences both Jesse and Maya have, they have something incredibly special together. They see each other for who they really are, and push each other to be better, and to follow their dreams. One of my favorite lines from the books is, "You have to take chances if you want a chance at your dreams." Following ones dream is a theme that drives Jesse and Maya in the book, though it doesn't make them forget who they are. I admired how open and honest they were with each other. 

Jesse and Maya come from totally different worlds. Jesse is a broken, country super star, and Maya comes from a working class family, who's dealing from the ultimate betrayal from her former bandmates. Though they come from two different back grounds, I loved how the simple things are what fortifies their relationship. Jesse's an open book, and Maya learns to become better at opening herself up to Jesse. Jesse's definitely the broken one in this story, but he teaches Maya a lot about herself, and gets her out of her shell that she's built around her insecurities. Maya herself helps Jesse remember that even though he's a country super star, there's much more to him than that. 

Being with Maya allows Jesse to be himself. For Maya, Jesse helps her gain the confindence she needs to do great things with her talent for music, and singing. This book has a great cast of characters who make up Jesse and Maya's world. Aside from not liking Jesse's parents, which you'll know why when you read the book, I really enjoyed getting to know the rest of the cast in this book. This cast of characters is awesome! I loved the character dynamics in this story. I really enjoyed seeing how loving and supportive Maya's family is of her (which is totally opposite of anything Jesse has had from his family), as well as how supportive and loving Jesse's Uncle and agent/personal assistant are of him.

Fans of Kenneally's previous books in this series, will love seeing Sam and Jordan. These two are fabulous in this book. I loved seeing them in here, and what they brought to the story. They definitely added to some of the humor in this book. I also love a big brother who's protective of his little sister. Country singer or not, nobody is good enough for Maya. Oh that big brother, little sister relationship. 

Jesse's Girl is that perfect summer YA romance read. Complete with a sweet, slow burning romance, great friendship, plenty of humor, family dynamics, and two characters who couldn't be more opposite, or more perfect for each other. I loved this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop reading it. This book seriously has the right amount of sass in it! I loved it! I think I've got a new favorite Miranda Kenneally book! This book is one I'd recommend picking up this summer. 

*This e-book was provided to me from the publisher to read/review, in exchange for my honest review. 

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READ AN EXCERPT 





As much as I love music, I am generally not a fan of country. I don’t like banjos. I don’t like sappy lyrics about trucks and hauling hay. Dolly Parton is my mortal enemy—my mom plays “Jolene” over and over and over and over, and it makes me want to chop my ears off like van Gogh. Yeah, yeah, I’m from Tennessee, where it’s a crime if you don’t love country, but I like deep, rumbling beats and singing loud and fast and hard. I do not like closing my eyes and crooning to a cow in the pasture. Yet here I am at a Jesse Scott concert, getting ready to meet him and to see if he’ll let me shadow him next Friday.

My school requires every senior to “shadow” a professional for a day. It’s their way of helping us figure out what kind of career we want. Like, if you want to be president when you grow up, you might get to shadow the mayor. Want to be a chef? Have fun kneading dough at the Donut Palace. When I said “I want to be a musician,” I figured they’d send me to work in the electronics section at Walmart.

I certainly never expected to shadow the king of country music.

It turns out that Jesse Scott is my principal’s nephew. Jesse won TV’s Wannabe Rocker when he was ten and has gone on to become very successful. In sixth grade, every girl in class—myself included—took the Teen Beat quiz: “Would Jesse Scott Like Your Kissing Style?” (Obviously the answer was yes.) In middle school, I had a Jesse Scott poster on my ceiling. It’s hard to believe he’s only eighteen, because he’s already won three Grammys. When he was younger, his songs were about family, fishing, and playing baseball, but lately they’re about love and making love and all things sexy.

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan anymore, but I would never give up an opportunity to learn from a professional with such a gorgeous, pure voice. I want to learn what it’s like to perform day in and day out. Despite what everyone and their mom says—that I’ll struggle as a musician—all I want is to play guitar in front of a crowd and hear people cheer for me.

I can’t believe I’m backstage at the Grand Ole Opry! I bounce on my toes. Jesus, is that an archtop Super 4, the model Elvis played? I’ve never seen one in real life. It probably cost more than my house. I’m ogling the guitar when Jesse Scott comes out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. He pads across the room to the couch, wearing nothing but a pair of rugged jeans with more holes than Swiss cheese. The lighting is dim, and he doesn’t seem to notice I’m here, which is good, because I’ve moved from ogling the guitar to ogling him. 

Who wouldn’t? He was one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” and it is a truth universally acknowledged that you should stare at people who’ve made that list. The guy’s gorgeous. Like in the boy-next-door way. His wet, wavy, brown hair curls around his ears and nearly hits his shoulders, and while he doesn’t have a six-pack or anything, his body is fit. I wish he’d look my way so I can see his famous brown eyes. They always remind me of those caramel chews Poppy gives me when I visit. Jesse has some sort of Gaelic symbol tattooed on his left shoulder blade. I want to reach out and trace the design.

God, get ahold of yourself, Maya. Don’t be a horndog. Besides, he’s so not my type. I don’t do pretty boys.


About the Author

Growing up in Tennessee, MIRANDA KENNEALLY dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband. Visit www.mirandakenneally.com, and follow Miranda @MirandaKennealy &www.facebook.com/miranda.kenneally.


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