Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Bought
IBSN: 9781451658019
Blurb:A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.
When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.
Heaven Beach, South Carolina, is anything but, if you live at the low-rent end of town. All her life, Leah Jones has been the grown-up in her family, while her mother moves from boyfriend to boyfriend, letting any available money slip out of her hands. At school, they may diss Leah as trash, but she’s the one who negotiates with the landlord when the rent’s not paid. At fourteen, she’s the one who gets a job at the nearby airstrip.
But there’s one way Leah can escape reality. Saving every penny she can, she begs quiet Mr. Hall, who runs an aerial banner-advertising business at the airstrip and also offers flight lessons, to take her up just once. Leaving the trailer park far beneath her and swooping out over the sea is a rush greater than anything she’s ever experienced, and when Mr. Hall offers to give her cut-rate flight lessons, she feels ready to touch the sky.
By the time she’s a high school senior, Leah has become a good enough pilot that Mr. Hall offers her a job flying a banner plane. It seems like a dream come true . . . but turns out to be just as fleeting as any dream. Mr. Hall dies suddenly, leaving everything he owned in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. And they’re determined to keep the banner planes flying.
Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.
I wanted to love Such a Rush so much, but I just couldn’t. It seems like Jennifer Echols books are hit or miss for me. I loved Going Too Far and really enjoyed Love Story, but I didn’t like Forget You at all. I went from being frustrated to being bored with Such a Rush.
There was some things that I really enjoyed about the book. The setting was fantastic. I think Jennifer Echols did a great job of capturing the feel and heat of South Carolina. It felt very real. I adore the whole flying aspect of the story. I mean how unique is that? Is there any other YA books out there with a teenage girl pilot? I loved all the scenes in the air and about the airplanes.
What I didn’t enjoy was Leah. She had a big chip on her shoulder and I had a hard time connecting with her because of that. She also came off as pretty inconsistent to me. She was so angry about people thinking she was a whore, but she never once stood up for herself when others made comments. I didn’t understand her feeling when it came to Mr. Hall. He obviously cared a lot about her and vice versa, but then she would have the thoughts that maybe he had ulterior motives. I read a few other reviews saying they wished Mr. Hall’s death would have impacted her more. I definitely agree with that. I felt no connect with Grayson or their romance either.
The pacing was very slow as well. Things were repeated a lot instead of moving the story along. I found myself getting distracted very easily. I can usually fly through a contemporary, not Such a Rush. It was a challenge for me that ultimately ended in disappointment for me.
I do plan to keep readings Echols’ books, but I’m not going to go into them with the same expectations now.
I haven’t read Such a Rush yet. but now I’m wondering if I will like it or not. I love Jennifer Echols books. My favorite is Going to Far.
starryblue recently posted..What I Won: October 30, 2012
aww I actually really loved Such A Rush and Leah. I feel her behavior is just a result of the circumstances she’s been in and basically how she grew up so I understood the reason she has that chip on her shoulder.
Still, great review, and hope you enjoy her next novel, i think its an adult one right?
- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
Farah recently posted..Review: Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
Jennifer Echols’ books are hit or miss with me too. The first book I read of hers was Major Crush (YA romantic comedy) and I loved it. Then I read Lovey Story, and really disliked it. I didn’t like any of the characters, and I didn’t get a lot of resolution with the ending. I’ve also read The One That I Want which I liked, but didn’t love.
I think I prefer her romantic comedies more than her romantic dramas.
Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook recently posted..Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones
Now see, I loved Such A Rush. I really fell for Grayson.
Autumn @The Autumn Review recently posted..SWOON Thursday 11/1
It’s too bad that this book just didn’t do it for you. You can’t love them all. This one had caught my interest, but I don’t have time to read it anytime soon anyways. By the time I do there will be other books I am pining for. Great review hon!
Amy @ Book Loving Mom recently posted..October Monthly Recap
omg yes thank you, everyone I know LOVES this and I was kind of underwhelmed? Perhaps because my expectations were too high and I was just left wanting chocolate croissants. It was okay but it wasn’t love.
Thanks for insightful and honest review, Lori!
elena recently posted..(child number ten) review: the peculiar by stefan bachmann
Nooooooooooooooo.
I really loved this one. A lot. I actually thought it was the best Echols I read, but I didn’t like Love Story and I’m not a huge fan of her romantic comedies. If she could just fuse the sexy with the comedy, I think things would work out a lot better. Leah was definitely hard to know and connect with at times, but something about the story really got me and I couldn’t put it down.
I do love Jen but I do agree that she’s not always a home run for me.
Estelle @ Rather Be Reading recently posted..One Year Anniversary + Giveaway
Aww, nooo! Like Estelle, I really liked this book. Though I wasn’t always Leah’s biggest fan, I think that something about her just drew me in.
Then again, this might have something to do with the fact that this was the first Echols book I’ve ever read. I may have a change of heart after reading her others.
Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books recently posted..Hurricane Sandy + NaNoWriMo
I have read quite a number of books written by Jennifer Echols and her work is usually outstanding. I hope this will be a great read too. I will will have to buy it.
Nancy Glowsome recently posted..kimkardashian24h.com
I’ve never actually read a Jennifer Echols book. Which is crazy, right? Of course, when you consider I’ve never read a John Green book, it seems less crazy. lol But for whatever reason, her books have just never appealed to me…
KM recently posted..Book Review: Valkyrie Rising, by Ingrid Paulson
I still have to read Echols’ novels, and had so high hopes, but tbh, I’m kind of afraid now.. Especially because I’m not the biggest YA fan as it is, so. Hmm.
Patricia recently posted..Giveaway (INT) & New Beginnings
Aw, man. The last thing I need is another reason to suffer whiplash when it comes to Echols’s books. Like you, they’ve mostly been hit or miss. Or right in between. I still have to read Forget You to make a better determination and I was so excited for Such a Rush, and now the eagerness has fizzled. *sigh* We’ll see if I’ll ever get to it. No–ha ha–rush.
Princess Ash @ Paranormal Indulgence recently posted..Hotly Gratifying: THANKS for GIVING Us These Beauties Edition
That’s a shame! I wasn’t planning on reading this book, because I don’t like the blurb, but I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t like it! I hope her next book will work for you
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted..Feature & Follow (15)
Oh no that sucks!! I love Jennifer Echols books, but thanks for the honest review. I won’t go into it with high expectations just in case I don’t love it either.
Cynthia recently posted..The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
Awww so sad you didn’t like this one! But you’re right, I loved all the things you liked. The pilot thing was sort of unique til I read Code Name Verity. And yet, it’s not the same bc its historical fic. I can’t wait to read Echols’ adult books tho, since her romance scenes are so steamy!
Sab (YA Bliss) recently posted..Stacking the Shelves (1)
I feel the same way about certain authors. Some of there books are hits and some are huge misses for me and I’m sorry you go so up and down with this author. It makes it hard to keep buying the author’s books when you never know if you will love it or hate it.
Thanks for the great review, I hope you read more books by her that you love.
Alexa recently posted..Sunday Snapshots (17): We Are Back!