Review: The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

The One That I Want

by Jennifer Echols

pub date 12/6/2011

product description from goodreads.com

Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?

My Review:

The One That I Want is yet another winner from Jennifer Echols! It's fun, quirky, sexy, filled with great dialogue...need I go on? The difference with this one, however, is that it kind of breaks the mold with its characters.

Let's start with Gemma, who is not your typical high school teenager. We learn right away that Gemma just lost some weight. A lot of it. About 50 pounds to be exact (which is a lot if you've never struggled with your weight, believe me!). And throughout the book, we see how Gemma deals with her new image--both inside and out. That's definitely not something you see everyday in these fun romance novels. I love it! Gemma is an excellent character, very real and down-to-earth in a way that makes her very relatable. I found myself chugging right along with her, keeping my fingers crossed that things worked out the way she hoped!

Now on to Max, the male lead. He's your typical jock: hot, athletic, hot, popular, hot. Ahem. What's different about Max, what makes him stand out from the endless supply of YA male leads...is he's Asian. Now that is definitely not something you see often in this genre, and it's a breath of fresh air! On the surface, Max seems to have it all: outstanding talent in sports, steamy good looks, parents who love him. But what we learn is that just like Gemma, Max struggles with being different--and always has. This connects Gemma and Max in a way that nothing else can.

It also connects the reader with these two characters in that same way, that "I was different growing up, too, so I can relate!" way. As each of these characters came to life and their stories unfolded, I was right there with them, nodding my head and completely understanding the feelings they expressed. Well done, Ms. Echols!

My Rating:

As if you have to ask. I honestly don't think I could ever give one of Ms. Echols' books less than a 5 star rating, and The One That I Want is no exception. A great story told through relatable, believable characters, witty, spot-on dialogue, and of course romance, believe me when I tell you that this book is The One That You Want! :)