Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Source: hooray library!
I straight-up loved this book. It was a quick, un-put-downable read that had great characters and was smart, sexy, and sweet as heck.
Meg is a blue-haired rebellious teenager who doesn't fit into her small town well at all. She's just trying to survive until high school graduation so she can escape. One night, after getting drunk and stoned with her loser boy toy, she goes onto a bridge that's famous for killing two high school sweethearts back in the day. Unfortunately, she, boy toy, and her two friends are busted by the police for trespassing. Ensue drama and teen angst. As punishment, Meg must spend a week riding night partol with Officer John After, the cop who arrested her.
Despite the fact that Office After (what a weird name) is obviously a rookie because he's a liiiittle overzealous with the law-enforcing, for some reason Meg thinks he's in his forties. She pretty much hates him until she discovers two intriguing facts: one, John After took sophmore Spanish with her; and two, he is seriously built. Never underestimate the power of the six-pack abs! Once she sees him with his shirt off, she's pretty much a goner.
I've been seeing Going Too Far around the webbernets for quite a while now, but I resisted reading it, mainly because of the cover. I hate the cover. Maybe it's the obviously-photoshopped eyebrow piercing, or that it looks like he might be wiping his nose on her hair, but it really turns me off. Also, I'm not a fan of books where both main characters have Serious Issues They Need to Work Through, especially when persented in a short, pop-y format. However, when I read Katiebabs' review of the book, I was intrigued by the 19-year-old cop hero. Y'all know how I love my cop heroes. Throw in some opposites-attract action and I decided to give the novel a try.
I'm so glad I did! The Major Issues were perfectly balanced out by Meg's snarky, sarcastic humor and John's Dudley Do-Right attitude. Despite the fact that Meg is exactly the type of person I would have stayed far, far away from in high school, I ended up really liking both her and John. The secondary characters, especially John's friend, Will, and Meg's friend, Tiffany, were also fun as complete goody-two-shoes.
Even though there are no sex scenes, this novel is very sexy. At one point Meg and John share a handshake that sent tingles down my spine--who ever thought a handshake could be sexy?? And John, despite being nineteen, is hawt. He has brains and creativity, and there's no doubt that he uses both when it comes to sex.
I thought the ending, which resolves both Meg's and John's Major Issues--and believe me, these two are totally psycho--in thirty pages, was a little ridiculous. But it was okay; I wanted them to get together and have a happy ending, and they did. In fact, Going Too Far delivered completely as a romantic novel, and I closed the book smiling and with the warm fuzzies. I definitely recommend this book!
Other opinions:
Babbling About Books, and More!
Teen Book Review
Nocturnal Reviews
Lurv A La Mode
The Story Siren
Violet Crush
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
The Booksmugglers
Did I miss yours? Please let me know in the comments if I did!
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