Scan barcode
michalice's review against another edition
4.0
I have enjoyed the Hundred Oaks series from the beginning, I like how they can be read as a stand alone, or as part of a series, letting us catch up with some old friends in each new addition. I've had Jesse's Girl waiting to be read for a while, and getting the next book in the series for review was the incentive I needed to pick this one up.
Career mentoring isn't really popular at Hundred Oaks High, but for Maya it's her chance to see what really goes on, and get some ideas and inspiration for achieving her own dream of being in the spotlight. Maya gets to shadow THE Jesse Scott, she is unbelievable excited to get behind the scenes about his job, and hopefully get a few tips, but her first meeting of his has her regretting her decision and wanting to back out of it all, and honestly, I really don't blame her. Jesse is a self absorbed, arrogant ass, and I really disliked him.. He automatically thinks Maya is a fan and his attitude towards her stinks, fan or not,that was no way to talk to someone.
Jesse's Girl was a fun read for me, not only did I like the story and most of the characters...some took a while for me to really like, it was also a book I could relax with and read, without the pressure of having to write a review. The progression of the story felt real, it wasn't rushed and it wasn't unbelievable. I liked how we see Jesse changing as the story goes on as his eyes are opened to life without the paparazzi and his security around him, getting to be a teenager and not a pop star. We get to experience the craziness of of Jesse's life, with the paparazzi following him, and constantly getting swarmed by fans.
There were ups and downs along the way between Jesse and Maya, some of them led to positive things, sharing secrets and hidden places, whilst others weren't. As the book neared the end, I wasn't sure what would happen, and I was glad to have it revealed and ending in a way I liked.
Final Verdict
Jesse's Girl is the perfect read for a relaxing day, it has the perfect mix of romance, adventure, and surprising turn to keep you interested all the way through. I can't wait to dive into the next book.
Career mentoring isn't really popular at Hundred Oaks High, but for Maya it's her chance to see what really goes on, and get some ideas and inspiration for achieving her own dream of being in the spotlight. Maya gets to shadow THE Jesse Scott, she is unbelievable excited to get behind the scenes about his job, and hopefully get a few tips, but her first meeting of his has her regretting her decision and wanting to back out of it all, and honestly, I really don't blame her. Jesse is a self absorbed, arrogant ass, and I really disliked him.. He automatically thinks Maya is a fan and his attitude towards her stinks, fan or not,that was no way to talk to someone.
Jesse's Girl was a fun read for me, not only did I like the story and most of the characters...some took a while for me to really like, it was also a book I could relax with and read, without the pressure of having to write a review. The progression of the story felt real, it wasn't rushed and it wasn't unbelievable. I liked how we see Jesse changing as the story goes on as his eyes are opened to life without the paparazzi and his security around him, getting to be a teenager and not a pop star. We get to experience the craziness of of Jesse's life, with the paparazzi following him, and constantly getting swarmed by fans.
There were ups and downs along the way between Jesse and Maya, some of them led to positive things, sharing secrets and hidden places, whilst others weren't. As the book neared the end, I wasn't sure what would happen, and I was glad to have it revealed and ending in a way I liked.
Final Verdict
Jesse's Girl is the perfect read for a relaxing day, it has the perfect mix of romance, adventure, and surprising turn to keep you interested all the way through. I can't wait to dive into the next book.
1madchild's review against another edition
2.0
Not sure why this has glowing reviews. I found it enjoyable, yet quite frustrating at times and pretty unrealistic. Also, i didn't really connect with maya.
reddyrat's review
4.0
Any time a new Hundred Oaks book comes out, I run to the bookstore. Miranda Kenneally's books are known for having nuanced characters, strong family relationships (and not just 2 parents, white picket fence families), and hot romance. Jesse's Girl is no exception.
The book takes place over a relatively short amount of time. Most of it is about one day - the day Maya shadows Jesse for Career Day. Their relationship goes from nothing to a lot in that day. With Kenneally's skill as a writer, it doesn't feel like insta-love.
Maya and Jesse both have trust issues. Jesse's is understandable. He's a world famous country star and is only 19. Girls throw themselves at him. Everyone throws themselves at him - but they always want something back. Maya isn't famous, but she's still been betrayed. She lost her virginity to her bandmate. Maya thought she meant something to him, but he quickly kicked her out of the band and started going out with her best girl friend. So both characters have walls to break through.
The Shadow Day is a highlight of the book. Jesse starts off prickly, but he and Maya quickly make a connection and go off schedule. Jesse realizes that Maya is a talented guitarist and singer and pushes her to get beyond her stage-fright. Maya gets Jesse to lift a few of his barriers by treating him like a normal person and not asking anything of him. By the end of the day, they're jumping in fountains, running from police, and having a wonderful time. It felt like they were the best of friends even though they didn't know each other that well.
Don't worry - the story isn't insta-love. Their relationship arc has its ups and downs after Shadow Day. For the most part, it's not that dramatic, but feels very realistic to their personalities and situations. And when their relationship is on the up, it gets steamy! There are both super-romantic and smexy times ahead.
Like all Hundred Oaks books, Jesse's Girl incorporates characters from previous novels. Sam Henry and Jordan are the most prominently featured of the old guard. Maya is Sam's little sister. Catching Jordan is still probably my favorite book of this series, so I was thrilled to get so much more of their story.
This is another solid hit in the Hundred Oaks series. It's probably not my favorite, but it does hit one of my favorite buttons - romances with famous people. It is a light and fun read.
*Hundred Oaks books are companion stand-alones. I think it's more fun to start at the beginning, but you don't need to.
Recommendation: Buy all of the Hundred Oaks books, including this one.
The book takes place over a relatively short amount of time. Most of it is about one day - the day Maya shadows Jesse for Career Day. Their relationship goes from nothing to a lot in that day. With Kenneally's skill as a writer, it doesn't feel like insta-love.
Maya and Jesse both have trust issues. Jesse's is understandable. He's a world famous country star and is only 19. Girls throw themselves at him. Everyone throws themselves at him - but they always want something back. Maya isn't famous, but she's still been betrayed. She lost her virginity to her bandmate. Maya thought she meant something to him, but he quickly kicked her out of the band and started going out with her best girl friend. So both characters have walls to break through.
The Shadow Day is a highlight of the book. Jesse starts off prickly, but he and Maya quickly make a connection and go off schedule. Jesse realizes that Maya is a talented guitarist and singer and pushes her to get beyond her stage-fright. Maya gets Jesse to lift a few of his barriers by treating him like a normal person and not asking anything of him. By the end of the day, they're jumping in fountains, running from police, and having a wonderful time. It felt like they were the best of friends even though they didn't know each other that well.
Don't worry - the story isn't insta-love. Their relationship arc has its ups and downs after Shadow Day. For the most part, it's not that dramatic, but feels very realistic to their personalities and situations. And when their relationship is on the up, it gets steamy! There are both super-romantic and smexy times ahead.
Like all Hundred Oaks books, Jesse's Girl incorporates characters from previous novels. Sam Henry and Jordan are the most prominently featured of the old guard. Maya is Sam's little sister. Catching Jordan is still probably my favorite book of this series, so I was thrilled to get so much more of their story.
This is another solid hit in the Hundred Oaks series. It's probably not my favorite, but it does hit one of my favorite buttons - romances with famous people. It is a light and fun read.
*Hundred Oaks books are companion stand-alones. I think it's more fun to start at the beginning, but you don't need to.
Recommendation: Buy all of the Hundred Oaks books, including this one.
sophia_she1's review
5.0
miranda kenneally has done it again!!!! this one was MUCH more lighthearted than literally EVERY OTHER book in the hundred oaks series but just as cute & feet-kicking. very short, you leave feeling like you haven't gone quite in depth enough but it was kind of nice to have such a stress-free read for once
mfumarolo's review
3.0
*ARC provided by the publisher - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*
Real review to come, but for now I'll just say this was a cute, light contemporary read. It was fun in that it takes an everyday girl (and readers) and lets them have a day with a rock star, but it is also grounded and shows how it's not all glitz and glamor. In a word, this was cute.
Real review to come, but for now I'll just say this was a cute, light contemporary read. It was fun in that it takes an everyday girl (and readers) and lets them have a day with a rock star, but it is also grounded and shows how it's not all glitz and glamor. In a word, this was cute.
charlottenw1's review
4.0
I loved the romance in this book and the chemistry throughout. It was well written and really kept my attention through the whole book. I loved the pitfalls that they had to overcome and the progress they made together.
afretts's review against another edition
2.0
I'm a huge Kenneally fan. I've read all of her novels. They're usually about strong, independent young girls who are struggling to overcome and compete in male dominated sports. Keneally's last novel, [b:Breathe, Annie, Breathe|16045306|Breathe, Annie, Breathe|Miranda Kenneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418736647s/16045306.jpg|21823574], was poignant and heart-felt and full-on amazing. To be honest, the latest installment in the Hundred Oaks series seems a little beneath this author. It's by far her weakest novel.
From the beginning, I hated Maya. She was unbelievably cliche. Kenneally seemed to struggle with the idea of creating a realistic "rebel." Maya plays guitar in a metal band, wears a duct tape belt and ironic bracelets, she built and drives a motorcycle... It's all a little much. Pair it with the fact that she has a bad attitude and isn't into the super famous country star (obviously) because she's too cool for school and I was over her by page 20. It was as if Keneally was trying to write the cool "guys' girl." This is the most annoying trope ever. It never seems genuine.
The two main characters seemed to almost instantly fall in love despite the authors attempts to make it seem like they were opposites with a ton of stuff in common. Almost nothing about this novel read true to life. Jordan and Sam were disgustingly saccharine and intolerable. Jesse's family drama and his decision to quit the music business was stupid. I didn't for one second feel sorry for him.
I think the bottom line is that I've read this story (normal girl falls for rockstar) too many times to be impressed with this sub-par version of it. I hope in her next novel she sticks with what she's good at and writes about a girl who wants to play on the boy's rugby team or something. This book was a quick read, but really a waste of time if you've read any of Kenneally's previous work and expect a certain degree of quality from her.
From the beginning, I hated Maya. She was unbelievably cliche. Kenneally seemed to struggle with the idea of creating a realistic "rebel." Maya plays guitar in a metal band, wears a duct tape belt and ironic bracelets, she built and drives a motorcycle... It's all a little much. Pair it with the fact that she has a bad attitude and isn't into the super famous country star (obviously) because she's too cool for school and I was over her by page 20. It was as if Keneally was trying to write the cool "guys' girl." This is the most annoying trope ever. It never seems genuine.
The two main characters seemed to almost instantly fall in love despite the authors attempts to make it seem like they were opposites with a ton of stuff in common. Almost nothing about this novel read true to life. Jordan and Sam were disgustingly saccharine and intolerable. Jesse's family drama and his decision to quit the music business was stupid. I didn't for one second feel sorry for him.
I think the bottom line is that I've read this story (normal girl falls for rockstar) too many times to be impressed with this sub-par version of it. I hope in her next novel she sticks with what she's good at and writes about a girl who wants to play on the boy's rugby team or something. This book was a quick read, but really a waste of time if you've read any of Kenneally's previous work and expect a certain degree of quality from her.
rdyourbookcase's review
4.0
When I was about seven pages into Jesse’s Girl, I thought it was going to be super predictable with annoying characters. I was expecting it to be a lame love story.
I have no idea why, because Miranda Kenneally’s books are always so much more substantial and well-written than that. Maybe because this one featured singing, and not a sport?
So I kept going, and I loved that it was more Ferris Bueller’s Day Off than it was a made-for-TV Disney Channel movie. (Nothing against those, either.) The characters were interesting and I wanted to see them get together. It’s been a while since Kenneally’s books first started coming out, and now I want to go back and read them in order. (And will we have a book with Maya’s little sister and basketball soon?) In general, I loved Jesse’s Girl and the development of the characters.
I have no idea why, because Miranda Kenneally’s books are always so much more substantial and well-written than that. Maybe because this one featured singing, and not a sport?
So I kept going, and I loved that it was more Ferris Bueller’s Day Off than it was a made-for-TV Disney Channel movie. (Nothing against those, either.) The characters were interesting and I wanted to see them get together. It’s been a while since Kenneally’s books first started coming out, and now I want to go back and read them in order. (And will we have a book with Maya’s little sister and basketball soon?) In general, I loved Jesse’s Girl and the development of the characters.
merkyr's review
4.0
Saved this to read at the beach and I sat down and devoured it in one sitting. Such fun!
maddieg's review against another edition
5.0
I think this just became my second favorite book in the Hundred Oaks series after Catching Jordan! Maya and Jesse were both loveable characters that were so amazing by themselves and as a couple. Their chemistry was undeniable from the start and I loved how they brought the best out of one another. I think that is key in all relationships and to see it so well portrayed made me so happy. The growth that both of them experienced throughout the course of the book made for a great plot and I would love to see some small update on them. I also enjoyed the music aspect of this story because it set it apart from the previous stories in the series as they all related to athletics and I felt I could truly understand and relate to this one the best. Miranda Kenneally did a great job at tying in Sam and Jordan into the story as it created a cute and special family aspect that I also enjoyed.
Favorite Quote: “You have to take chances to get a chance at your dreams.”
Favorite Quote: “You have to take chances to get a chance at your dreams.”