Seven Ways to Lose Your Heart
My Rating: four-half-stars
Published by: Entangled Publishing on July 11th 2016
Genres: Mature Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age, Cliffhanger Free, HEA
ISBN: 168281243X
ASIN: B01HMNEY1I
Pages: 240
Disclosure: I was invited by the publisher to read this title in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I received no monetary compensation, and all comments are subjective and mine alone.
Content Warning: sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence make this title appropriate for readers 18 and over.
In the span of seven days, Annabel Lee will lose her heart.
Kennedy Harrison, as reckless with life as Annabel is obsessed with order, never could commit to anything-not to a person, not to a job, not to a path. But he's got a history with Annabel, and for once Kennedy doesn't want to run. Determined to spend time with her before she leaves for college, Kennedy dares her to join him on a road trip to a music festival.
And neither of them could ever say no to a dare.
But Annabel's got a plan. She'll complete seven dares in seven days-if Kennedy applies for one writing internship per dare. Because Kennedy needs to be pushed just as much as she does.
What follows is a dizzying week of music, shady hotels, comical dares, and a passion neither one knew existed. But when it ends, Annabel and Kennedy will realize the biggest dare of all might just be falling for each other.
Seven Ways to Lose Your Heart, by Tiffany Truitt, is a fun, sweet romance between Kennedy and Annabel. It was sometimes funny and emotional throughout.
First sentences: It Feels good out. The kind of cool that makes your skin tingle with anticipation. That odd in between place neither cold nor hot, comfortable, peaceful and exhilarating all at once. Something hard to define. Contradictory in its very nature.
The story is a take on second chances. Annabel and Kennedy started off as childhood friends. They were inseparable, each given the other what they needed at different times in their lives. But a cruel twist of fate changes the course of Annabel’s, scarring her, both literally and figuratively. Although just a child, Kennedy made a decision that damaged — seemingly beyond repair — his relationship with Annabel. Things are never the same again between them. They lose their friendship and the love it was predetermined to grow into.
Favorite line: If only there was Viagra for writer’s block.
The main characters were well-developed and likable. Annabel and Kennedy each had their own personal demons and flaws to work through, which only seemed to make them more likable in my opinion. Throughout the story, they grapple with the past and how one horrible incident changed their lives so drastically. Annabel has to work through her trust issues with Kennedy and forgive him for the decision he made that hurt her so deeply. Kennedy works tirelessly to prove to Annabel that he regrets the decision he made. Although, there were times I wanted to smack him upside the head, shaking my Kindle and yelling, “just tell her you were there, idiot! Tell her you were just a frightened child.” And there were times when I rolled my eyes and thought, “get over it already. He was just a little boy,” when Annabel would constantly dwell on the fact that he didn’t behave the way she wanted him to.
Secondary characters left me wanting more. Annabel’s grandmother was a hoot and everybody is sure to love her. But beyond the grandmother, developed secondary characters were almost nonexistent. And as a lover of secondary characters, I craved more.
I originally decided to review the book because of the blurb:
Seven dares. Seven days. And the road trip of a lifetime.
The idea of seven dares in seven days was intriguing. I mean, who can turn down a dare, right? (Although, I’ve had some I probably should have turned down) It sounded fun and unique, so I opted to review the title. However, I was halfway through the book before the first dare was issued. So pacing was a bit of a problem for me. Also, the dares weren’t placed sporadically throughout the text. They all seem to come in a clump. Beyond pacing, and a few awkwardly worded sentences, I have very little issues with the mechanics of the book. There were a few formatting and punctuation issues, but I was reviewing an ARC, so these problems might be rectified in the final copy.
Bottom line: While I had some issues, I enjoyed seven ways to lose your heart. I’m a sucker for second chance love stories, and Kennedy and Annabel’s story was unique and sweet and emotional. If you’re looking for a quick read, that also has some emotional meat to it, I recommend you check out Seven Ways to Lose Your Heart by Tiffany Truitt. A HEA and no cliffhanger, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
meradethhouston
Hmm, I’m not really one for guys who need a kick in the pants. Had a little too much time with them in real life, I’m afraid 🙂 But this does sound like fun. Great review, as ever!!
Michelle
Thanks! And I totally know what you mean. I’m kind of over the bad boy turns good thing, too. I like good guys!! 🙂 In this case, the character is a pretty good guy. He just made a stupid decision.
Thanks for stopping by!