GOOD GIRL
by Lauren Layne
On Sale May 17th | Ballantine/Loveswept
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/544566/good-girl-by-lauren-layne/
Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.
Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.
So I am torn on this book. I liked it but I didn’t love it like I have with my previous LL Books. However, I also realize that this book has characters who are younger than the other characters she’s written. So nothing is going to be the same.
Good Girl is definitely a NA novel, if not a tad YA, for me. The characters are slightly juvenile in their choices and are in need of some growing and maturing. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing either – not every character should have their sh*ttogether so young. It was refreshing to see how young kids would act when their lives are throw into the spotlight and rumors start to unfold for the whole world to give their opinion on.
I think Lauren wrote her characters well for their age and maturity. As I said, they needed to grow and learn, which they did as the book progressed. Do I agree with everything they did, no. But again, it’s the author’s creativity and the book isn’t suppose to be true to life. It was nice watching them fight a losing battle and see their inner struggles.
My biggest thing was I knew exactly how the book was going to go almost immediately. So if you are looking for something with some angst and a bit of suspense, don’t expect it from Good Girl. It’s a very simple and enjoyable read of young adults learning the ways of the world.
Overall, it’s a nice read. If you have read LL before, do not expect to get the same thing in this book. While it is still well written, it’s a much easier and breezier read and very simplistic in it’s plot. Definitely a summer read.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LAUREN LAYNE is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels. Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals. Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).
Sorry to hear that you are not as pleased with this book. I, too, like Lauren Lane but will hold off a bit before I read this. Thanks for the review.
I would definitely consider this one of those books you read in between the gut wrenching books. It’s light and nI angst or drama. Nice, easy, light read.