Release Date: September 6, 2011Publisher: Self-Pubbed
Pages: 223 (epub edition)
Series: Brenna Blixen #1
Review Source: eBook from author for review
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?
Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.
What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.
The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.
But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.
Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.
Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.
She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?
My Thoughts:
‘Double Clutch’ was a contemporary that kept me reading and interested. Despite some of her poor decisions I actually really liked the main character, Brenna, and I was cheering for her. I enjoyed the fact that the characters in this novel were pretty layered. No one was perfect, and they all had different aspects to their personality. For example, the really good guy has a tough family life and a pretty sketchy past, and the manipulative bad boy is obviously a jerk, yet he has a spark of goodness in him, so you can never quite figure out his motivations.
Another great aspect about this one is that the parents that are involved. They’re overprotective to an extent, but mostly just caring, and Brenna’s stepdad is super awesome. I also appreciated how Brenna interacted with and reacted to her Mom. She loved her Mom and appreciated her, yet she drove her nuts at times as well. It just seemed very true to life, especially for a teenager.
This story is mostly a romance, and I thought that Brenna and ___ (leaving it spoiler free, folks, since it is about a love triangle, after all) got really physical really quickly. I mean, I think it was done pretty responsibly, with Brenna talking about only doing what she felt comfortable with, but I still thought their relationship as a whole moved pretty quickly. I wish there had been a bit more time of them getting to know one another before actually dating, because those scenes were really cute. I actually wish there could have been another side plot besides the romance. I really enjoyed the scenes with Brenna on the track team and Brenna talking about her art, so more of that would have been appreciated.
My one other complaint is that seemingly everyone was in love with Brenna. She was so special, so gorgeous, etc, etc. I get that she had some unique aspects about her, but I think that type of trope is a bit overdone. Your main character can be special and have worth without everyone falling all over her.
Honestly, though, I did have fun reading this one. My complaints about the book are minimal compared to my overall enjoyment. The fact that I stayed up late reading it straight in one sitting proves how addicting and fun the writing is, and how invested in the characters I was as well.
The Cover:
I generally REALLY like it, except it's awkward looking where the wall goes into her face. But the overall design? Very cool.
Rating:
[3.5/5]Find Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt on Goodreads, Smashwords, Amazon, & B&N.
Mmmm. It'd be interesting to read a book where the focus IS the love triangle, and isn't a device meant to grab your attention while the plot fails. However, I do think that the issues you mentioned would bother me to a greater extent. :P Glad you liked it, though!
ReplyDeleteWhat? You mean it's not realistic for a girl to have EVERYONE in love with you? Pssh. Everyone was in love with me when I was in high school.
ReplyDelete*dies laughing*
(Yeah, no. That was a lie.)
Also *nudges Ashley* YOU won my Paranormal Girls Pack, btw.
http://msforster.blogspot.com/2011/11/winner-of-paranormal-girls-pack-and-how.html
Email me your address and I'll mail the books to you. :)
This one sounds very interesting, I like the idea of her actually falling in love with two guys (though the In the Same Day part seems a little far fetched), :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it, I'm going to put it on the Maybe list. :D
Good review, but I don't think this one's for me, to be honest. Sounds like the book's all about the love trial and not so much with a supporting plot. And Brenna sounds a bit like a Mary Sue if she's so perfect with no noticeable flaws. So, yeah...it's a pass for me for now.
ReplyDeleteSmiles!
Lori
Eden: Agreed, I don't really see many books where the romance is really the entire focus. It was kind of cool and kind of lacking at the same time, if that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteMiriam: Oh gosh, yes, that was totally me as well. Definitely most popular person ever. Errr, not so much. ;) Thanks so much for letting me know!! Just sent you an email.
Alex: Hmm yah, from what I remember it's more like she meets them both the same day and has different types of sparks with both of them.
Lori: Hmmmm I don't think she was a Mary Sue, but it was a bit much having all the attention on her.
This one sounds interesting though I don't think it is for me since it seems to focus on the love triangle. I'm just so tired of the love triangle storyline.
ReplyDelete