Book Review: Hard To Get by Emma Carlson Berne

Hard to Get by Emma Carlson Berne
Genre: YA/Romantic Comedy
Release Date: Available Now

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 288
Received From: Publisher

Summary: Val Rushford has it all: The boyfriend, the looks, the grades, the friends--she's perfect. But when she dumps her cheating boyfriend, Dave, she's bombarded with all types of advances from boys all over school! Totally overwhelmed, Val decides to swear off boys until the end of the year. She buries herself in her school work and spends all her time on a class project that has her paired up with the artsy and intellectual Adam--the unlikliest candidates to ever win Val's heart...or so she thinks. Val soon finds a connection in Adam she has never experienced before, but she's so dedicated to her promise and so unsure of her feelings that she keeps him at an awkward distance. If Val can't figure out what she truly wants, she may just lose her one chance at real love!

My Review: Hard to Get was a cute, light read. The writing was simple and easy to get into. The only negative aspect was the predictability of the storyline. However, I did really like the characters. Val was sweet, intelligent and was always surrounded by her supporting best friends. I love when the main character has a group of best girl friends. I, on the other hand have close friends but best friends? Nope. So, it's nice to see a group of girls who love each other unconditionally. Val was going through a rough break-up and she made a bet with her friends that she wouldn't deal with guys until the end of the year. Ha, that's easier said then done. Once word got out that she was single, all hell broke loose. She was bombarded with gifts and "stalkers" who practically threw themselves at her. At that point, I was like oh come on that doesn't happen in real life, but it is fiction after all.

My favorite part of the book was when Val met Adam, a guy that she normally wouldn't go for. I thought he was adorable. He reminded me of those punk guys who wear skinny jeans and are artistically gifted. You know which ones I'm talking about :) I enjoyed seeing Val fight the urge to like him because of her bet. Overall, it's a nice, quick read with a cliche storyline. But if you are looking for a book to relax your brain cells after reading an emotional novel, pick this up!

My Rating:
Author's Info:

Emma Carlson Berne writes fiction and non-fiction books for children and young adults. She specializes in work-for-hire genre fiction, with a focus on YA romance, as well as biography and popular culture. Some past and present clients include MTV Books, Alloy Entertainment, and Scholastic, Inc. She is currently working on a new YA thriller with Alloy Entertainment.

For more info on Emma, visit her site:
http://emmacarlsonberne.com/homepage.html