Author: T.M. Franklin
Release Date: June 12, 2014
Pages: 152
Goodreads Rating: 4.57/5 Stars
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
My Content Rating: PG (Nothing more than kissing)
Summary from Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wendell Holmes (Yes, his parents are just that peculiar, but his brother's name is Sherlock, so it could have been worse) knows that he's different. He's quirky, awkward, and he's okay with that. Oliver also likes making lists-meticulous procedures for achieving his goals, step-by-step. Whether it's "How to Get an A in Chemistry" or "How to Get Accepted to MIT," he has a process, and it's worked for him so far. He doesn't even care that the popular kids mock him. Oliver's got his eye on the prize.
So when he decides it's time to declare his feelings for Ainsley Bishop, the girl of his dreams, it's only natural for him to make a list- a point-by-point strategy to win her heart. He knows it will take a grand gesture for her to see all he has to offer, and her approaching birthday provides the ideal opportunity for Oliver to put his plan into action.
Finding the perfect gift is a challenge Oliver meets with his usual dogged determination. He'll need to watch her carefully for clues to pinpoint exactly what he should give her. And along the way, he might just learn that what Ainsley really needs is not quite what he expected.
How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You was exactly what I was expecting it to be - a light, sweet YA romance that hit all the right notes. Since I really enjoyed Franklin's other books (the first two books in the MORE series), I was eager to get my hands on this one. I wasn't disappointed!
The synopsis describes the book pretty well, so I'll just get right to my review.
What I loved:
- Oliver's lists. I really loved the concept of Oliver's lists. He had a list for everything with a step-by-step checklist to help him accomplish his goals. And they work for him. I've gotta say that even his list for Ainsley was pretty spot-on. With great advice like "Make her feel secure and important," "Pay attention" and "Admit when you're wrong," he's got a solid foundation for a good relationship. I mean, what girl doesn't want someone to treat them like they're important and pay attention to them? I was really glad that his list wasn't all silly little things to get her attention (though there were a couple of those too!).
- The gifts. The best thing about this book was the many gifts that Oliver bought for Ainsley while he was trying to come up with the perfect birthday present. In order to come up with gift ideas, he had to get to know her better (and write another list!) - this prompted him to really try to understand Ainsley in a way that no one had understood her before. Ainsley spent her life pleasing other people and Oliver was the first person to really put effort into finding out what she wanted. Because of this, a really sweet friendship developed between the two, and I was completely rooting for them as a couple!
- The play. Part of the book revolves around a play that Ainsley has written for her drama class. It's horrible - so horrible that it's hilarious. I loved the concept of the play (a girl joins the football team to get the attention of the quarterback) and how they adjusted it to make it into something great!
- The male perspective. You don't see too many YA romances written from a male POV. I think Franklin did a great job at writing a somewhat geeky teen boy's perspective!
The negatives:
- Nothing groundbreaking. This isn't the type of book that you read if you're looking for something completely unique or incredibly impacting. It's just not that sort of book. We've all read something similar to this before, but Franklin does manage to give the story her own fun twist and make it stand out from the crowd.
How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You is the perfect summer YA read. Pick it up if you're looking for something funny and sweet. You won't be disappointed! I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by NetGalley and The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
About the Author
T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards.
In addition to MORE and its sequel, The Guardians, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short stories A Piece of Cake and Window, which also won a Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award for Short Story/Fantasy. Her new YA romance, How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You, is Franklin’s first love story without a paranormal or fantasy element, although she believes love is the best kind of magic.
TWELVE, the final installment in the MORE Trilogy will be released in the fall of 2014.
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