Mundie Moms

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally / Book Review


By: Miranda Kenneally
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Released on: July 5th, 2016
Series: Hundred Oak
Purchase from: Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 4 Stars - I Enjoyed It
*I received an e-arc of this book to review from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review

There are no mistakes in love.

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?

This is another great, sit and read in one afternoon, book from Miranda Kenneally. One of the things I really like about Kenneally's books is the way she writes her realistic fiction. She includes the gritty, the good, and sometimes the not so great things that make up the teen years. I love that there's never an absence of family, friendships, having fun, working hard, being responsible, learning from mistakes, love, heartbreak, and humor in her books. Don't worry, she always includes the right amount of swoon too. 

Soccer superstar, Taylor deals with a lot of pressure being a Senator's daughter. Whether she likes it or not, her decisions, both good and bad, are in the spotlight. One bad decision changes everything for Taylor, and now she has to learn to live with the consequences of that choice. Taylor is a pretty level headed character, and while there were times I got frustrated with her decisions, I liked that she took ownership in her choices. I also liked that she learns to over come the consequences of her choices. While she may not be able to go back and fix things, she does learn how to make things right. I loved seeing how much she grows throughout her story.

Another thing I love about Kinneally's books are the presence of parents. I admired the fact that Taylor's dad instilled a good worth ethic in her, and what he taught her, aside from a not so stellar choice he makes. Like all of Kenneally's characters, whether they're adults or teens, everyone's choices have consequences. Part of the story, along with the character growth, comes from watching them learn from their consequences. Like Taylor, her parents aren't perfect. They too make mistakes, and learn from them. Without giving anything a way, I loved a moment that both Taylor and her dad shared in the book. 

Kinneally does a great job at storytelling. Whether it's a main character or side one, they are all three dimensional characters who have a purpose for being in the story. Some are characters I enjoyed getting to know, and others not so much. I love the appearance of other Hundred Oaks characters. I also love that this book has the right amount of humor and swoon. Ezra was a character I enjoyed getting to know, and I liked the relationship he and Taylor had. 

Over all this is another great Miranda Kinneally book. It combines some of the elements I love, like sports (something I love), romance, real life issues, friendship, love, and more. *There is some content in this book that may not be suitable for young readers. 

My favorite quotes from the book is, ".....If you want to live, you need to do what you love."

Check out my earlier post for Defending Taylor, which features a sneak peak from the book, here.

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