July 1, 2015

Jesse's Girl - Miranda Kenneally

Jesse's Girl book cover
Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #6
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Source/Format: Author (Thank you!) || ARC
[I received this novel for review. This is no way affects my opinions.]

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?


Whenever I read a novel by Miranda Kenneally, it's always proven to be a real treat. Jesse's Girl is no exception, as I started and finished the entire thing in one sitting. It reminded me of the boy band fan fiction I used to write in high school (in a good way), but infused with Kenneally's much more charming characters. Plus, the fact that I was overwhelmed by giddiness as I read is definitely a a bonus! Jesse's Girl might not pack the same emotional punch as many of its predecessors, but it is certainly a delightful tale that holds its own.

Maya Henry, Sam Henry's little sister, is a girl with a passion for music but a decided lack of confidence in herself and direction in her life. She meets her match in Jesse Scott, a teen heartthrob who loves music but not all the obligations and pitfalls of fame. Both of them are such well-rounded characters, good, decent people with just the right amount of sass, spirit and snark in their attitudes. It's no surprise that I thought their story was really fun to read! I loved seeing them banter, rooted for them to find their way (separately and together), and just really had a great time getting to know them.

For the sake of brevity, I'm going to share the three things that stood out the most to me:

1. Jesse Scott - I've found a new Kenneally boy to crush on y'all! I still remain devoted to Will Whitfield at this point, but Jesse is his closest competition. It was inevitable that I would fall for Jesse because he's just my type. He's passionate about music, he cares deeply for his loved ones; he's smart, witty and kind. I love his various  layers, and I volunteer to be Jesse's girl anytime!

2. Music - It is music that draws Maya and Jesse together. They're mutually passionate about making it a part of their life, if not the biggest portion of it! I loved seeing how Jesse, who had a full musical career, struggle with his love for the art and the effects his resulting fame was having on his personal life. I loved seeing how Maya, who was looking for a way to start her own musical career journey, struggled with her confidence. Kenneally definitely emphasizes how music is their passion, their salvation, their joy, their creative expression, and that spoke to my own love of music.

3. Cameos - Two of our favorite Hundred Oaks characters, Jordan and Sam, make an appearance in a big way! For long-running series, I love it when an author manages to bring back some familiar faces. And the way Sam and Jordan are written into this novel? It's perfection. I was so happy to see them, and so glad to see how they played a big role in Maya's story.

It was nice to dip my toes back into the world of Hundred Oaks! I adored Jesse's Girl, and had the silliest grin on my face the entire time I was reading it. It definitely appealed to me because of the musical aspect of the tale, but I think that Jesse's Girl is much more than just the story of a girl and a heartthrob who fall in love. It's about one girl's journey to gaining confidence to pursue her dream. It's about one boy's turmoil as he tries to reconcile his passion with its unexpected consequences. Kenneally successfully managed to entertain me with Jesse's Girl, and I highly recommend this most recent installment of the Hundred Oaks novels.

24 Comments:

  1. Kristin @ Simply BookishThingsJuly 1, 2015 at 2:57 AM

    Ahh, I love the hundred oaks series and I can't wait to start reading this one! :D great review

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  2. Lena @ Addicted 2 NovelsJuly 1, 2015 at 8:43 AM

    *sigh*

    Don't you just wish Miranda could write a book a month? Her books always leave me floating in the clouds, laughing, and filled with warmth. Plus, the cameos. Like you, I love it when an author recycles characters.

    Beautiful review, Twinster! LOVE YOU!

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  3. I'm so so so curious about this one. I have only read Racing Savannah, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn't madly in love. So I'm a bit hesitant, because maybe her books just aren't for me, but everyone is just loving this, and the summary makes this book sound so cute. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review.

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  4. I just read this one last week and totally enjoyed as well! I loved glimpsing the music business through Jesse and was very happy that Maya worked hard to find her place in it. And yes the cameos are awesome!! Never ever gonna get tired of the Hundred Oaks series! <3

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  5. I need to read all of these books as soon as possible! I read the first book way back when it released but I haven't read the rest of them!

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  6. How cow how did you read 33 books in one month?? What is your secret??? haha. I'm glad you got to see older friends and had some quality time with your hubby; those are the most memorable moments!

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  7. Nicole @ The Quiet ConcertJuly 6, 2015 at 12:54 PM

    Love the photo collage and happy to hear that you had such a great June! I hope July is just as awesome :)

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  8. I just finished reading Catching Jordan today! I'm excited to binge the series :) Plus the sound of this one sounds like something I'd completely love!

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  9. It's such a fun series to binge! I love a lot of the books in the series, but this one has definitely made it into my top 3.

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  10. You definitely should! I enjoy Miranda's novels, and I love meeting her characters.

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  11. I'm still adamant about Stealing Parker being my favorite, but like you, I think I need to reread. Her books are so great!

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  12. I absolutely agree! I don't think I'll ever tire of reading Miranda's novels, particularly because of the setting and characters and cameos. And yes, Jesse's Girl is awesome!

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  13. I hope you give this one a shot! It's really cute :)

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  14. I would LOVE it if she had a book a month - I always enjoy Miranda's books. And thank you, Twinnie! <3

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  15. Yay! I hope you get a chance to read it, Kristin!

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  16. Thank you, Nicole! July has been really great so far ;)

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  17. Well, I was traveling a lot early in the month so that meant hours of uninterrupted reading time! I also had weekends where all I did for fun was read ;)

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  18. Yes, we definitely should! And 23 is still a very impressive number. I swear - 33 books is a fluke. I don't think I normally ever read that much!

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  19. Well, considering you're a student and have to study so much additional text, 15 is impressive! And yes, Truthwitch was AWESOME. I really loved it and can't wait to talk about it.

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  20. Yes, I'm totally wearing those sunglasses! And it would be so, so fun if we lived nearer to each other. We'd get to hang out more often <3

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  21. The sticky notes were great, weren't they? I had so much fun reading the ones in the book and then adding some of my own to the mix :)

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  22. The Avatar comics are FANTASTIC. I desperately need to own them! And yay, Invasion of the Tearling - I really enjoyed that book. And yes, Truthwitch discussion will happen in our future!

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  23. It was a fluke, I think! With the amount of travel time and free weekends I had, it all worked out so I could read this many books :)

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  24. I AM SORRY. But yes, it does! I think you'll like it - I'd be curious to discuss it with you.

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