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A review by fatimareadsbooks
Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally
4.0
Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my views & opinions.
Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series has always been 50/50 for me. I hated some of the first few books in the series, but still, I kept reading. Why, you ask? Because every once in a while, I find gems like this book. I hoped Defending Taylor would be a book that I enjoyed, and I was definitely not disappointed. So far, it comes in as my second favorite after [b:Stealing Parker|12551077|Stealing Parker|Miranda Kenneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334451985s/12551077.jpg|17552643]. Yay!
I love how with each book, Kenneally manages to tackle teenagers' flaws and the problems they face in a completely relatable manner. Our studious heroine, Taylor, attends a prestigious private school, that is, until a terrible misstep gets her expelled and transferred to Hundred Oaks High, a public school. Now, she's treated differently by everyone, especially her parents. Her expulsion & the reasons behind it have caused problems for her father's re-election campaign and for her carefully laid out plans to get into Yale. Everything is unraveling and the lies keep building up. With all these pressure, how is Taylor going to be able figure out her goals?
I found Taylor's character to be very... real. She has flaws, but she tries to overcome them. There were many occasions where I felt sorry for her, even. She's trying to figure out what she wants, but the pressure that comes from everyone's expectations is hindering that. There were so many times when I wanted to shake her and yell "What are you doing?!". Still, I couldn't hate her. That's how relatable she is.
Then there's also Ezra, Taylor's childhood best friend whom she believes to have previously betrayed her. He seems to be the only one who understands her and what she's going through. I knew I would love Defending Taylor after I heard that the romance would be with the MC's brother's best friend. I have a weakness for the childhood-friends-turned-lovers trope. It didn't disappoint! This book was so much more mature than the other books in the series, especially because of the sexy time scenes. *wink wink* They were more detailed, and I'm glad they weren't just 'fade-to-black' like in other YA books.
So every Hundred Oaks book has a sport as its focal point, and Defending Taylor's is supposed to be soccer. However, I felt like the soccer plot was just pushed aside in favor of exploring the relationships between Taylor and her family & Ezra. The soccer aspect of the book was more of an incomplete subplot, which wasn't satisfying at all. I don't have a problem with soccer not being the main point of the book, but that cover is pretty misleading. So, yeah, that's a disclaimer if you wanted a more sport-focused book.
Overall, Defending Taylor is a fun summer read with a relatable heroine and no shortage of heart-fluttering romance. It's a beautifully written YA story that is sure to suck you in from the beginning 'till the very end.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series has always been 50/50 for me. I hated some of the first few books in the series, but still, I kept reading. Why, you ask? Because every once in a while, I find gems like this book. I hoped Defending Taylor would be a book that I enjoyed, and I was definitely not disappointed. So far, it comes in as my second favorite after [b:Stealing Parker|12551077|Stealing Parker|Miranda Kenneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334451985s/12551077.jpg|17552643]. Yay!
I love how with each book, Kenneally manages to tackle teenagers' flaws and the problems they face in a completely relatable manner. Our studious heroine, Taylor, attends a prestigious private school, that is, until a terrible misstep gets her expelled and transferred to Hundred Oaks High, a public school. Now, she's treated differently by everyone, especially her parents. Her expulsion & the reasons behind it have caused problems for her father's re-election campaign and for her carefully laid out plans to get into Yale. Everything is unraveling and the lies keep building up. With all these pressure, how is Taylor going to be able figure out her goals?
I found Taylor's character to be very... real. She has flaws, but she tries to overcome them. There were many occasions where I felt sorry for her, even. She's trying to figure out what she wants, but the pressure that comes from everyone's expectations is hindering that. There were so many times when I wanted to shake her and yell "What are you doing?!". Still, I couldn't hate her. That's how relatable she is.
Then there's also Ezra, Taylor's childhood best friend whom she believes to have previously betrayed her. He seems to be the only one who understands her and what she's going through. I knew I would love Defending Taylor after I heard that the romance would be with the MC's brother's best friend. I have a weakness for the childhood-friends-turned-lovers trope. It didn't disappoint! This book was so much more mature than the other books in the series, especially because of the sexy time scenes. *wink wink* They were more detailed, and I'm glad they weren't just 'fade-to-black' like in other YA books.
So every Hundred Oaks book has a sport as its focal point, and Defending Taylor's is supposed to be soccer. However, I felt like the soccer plot was just pushed aside in favor of exploring the relationships between Taylor and her family & Ezra. The soccer aspect of the book was more of an incomplete subplot, which wasn't satisfying at all. I don't have a problem with soccer not being the main point of the book, but that cover is pretty misleading. So, yeah, that's a disclaimer if you wanted a more sport-focused book.
Overall, Defending Taylor is a fun summer read with a relatable heroine and no shortage of heart-fluttering romance. It's a beautifully written YA story that is sure to suck you in from the beginning 'till the very end.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter