I love all the Hundred Oaks books and Jesse's Girl is no exception. No sports in this one but even so Maya and Jesse are great characters with a truly engaging story. As usual Miranda Kenneally did not disappoint. ( )

Review
I adored this book! It's fun, full of music, and sweet.

Jesse's Girl is the perfect summer read. Maya is hilarious, and so comfortable in her own skin. Except when it comes to singing. She's terrified to be in the spotlight. But shadow day changes that for her. She learns so much from being Jesse's shadow. Not only about music, but also about herself. She's fun, and I love that she loves Queen so much. I watch Flash Gordon many times because they did the soundtrack.

This book is about learning to let people in for both Jesse and Maya. And sometimes you may thing you loathe a person only for them to become a really great friend. Not to mention all the other confusing lusty feelings that Maya sometimes has for Jesse. I loved every bit of it. Especially the playfulness between Maya and Jesse. There were times where they were completely carefree.

The playful elements, sweet romance, and shenanigans these two get into make Jesse's Girl a great book to add to you beach bag.

This review was originally posted on Bookish Things & More ( )

If you loved music enough to keep at it even after your schoolmates made fun of you when your voice cracked and your bandmates (in the band you started a year ago) threw you under the bus, that would mean your commitment was pretty strong. Meet high school senior Maya Henry. She drives a Suzuki bike she rebuilt herself, plays guitar, writes songs and can do an oil change with the best when working at the auto repair place with her dad. Her family is loving and supportive with older brother a scout for the Tennessee Titans and crazy in love with his high school sweetheart who now coaches the football team at her alma mater.
On the day her high school principal sets her up to shadow three time grammy winner and teen idol, Jesse Scott (who is his nephew), she's amazed for all of five minutes. That's how long it takes Jesse to start being deliberately rude and obnoxious, but one look at his guitars and she's pumped enough to start sassing him right back. This not only surprises him, but intrigues him as well and in short order, the scripted schedule for her career day gets tossed. By the time it ends, well into the night, they've opened up to each other and shared things neither imagined talking about.
Maya isn't sure what the day meant to herself at first, let alone Jesse, but the more time goes on, the more she realizes her initial hope that they might be friends isn't really how she feels her desire is a lot stronger than friendship. Meanwhile, Jesse has his own doubts and fears to process. The last time he opened himself up to a girl, he was badly hurt and his parents' displeasure with his music (for religious reasons), just made it that much easier to build a wall around his feelings.
How Jesse and Maya work through fear and doubt as well as what happens once she decides that music really IS what makes her feel alive makes a great read. Miranda does as good a job as anyone out there when it comes to describing the emotional energy that moves between two teens on the cusp of loving each other. I've read all her books and have yet to close one without feeling like I just read a great story. ( )