Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 384 pages
On Sale Date: December 31, 2013
Genre: Juvenile Fiction / Love & Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
Challenge: SARC
Summary
A sexy, poignant, funny, and authentic debut novel about two New Jersey teens as they discover who they really are-and find their way to each other.
Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she's not popular, not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet good girl who's always done what she's supposed to-only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change but doesn't know how.
Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe's: star of the lacrosse team, at the top of his class, on the fast track to a brilliant future-until he was expelled for being a "term-paper pimp." Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change but doesn't know how.
One fateful night, their paths cross when Wren, working at her family's Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are-and falling in love.
Thoughts
Let me start with the cover. The cover fits Wren and Grayson SO well. Bravo! Most adorable couple on a cover goes to this book.
I love when you find out how the book got its title. In this case, it's from a passage when Wren was referring to Grayson's eyes: "Hands in pockets, swoon-worthy grin, deep brown eyes full of the promise of amazing." Wren was excited at the possibility of Grayson. She was just an average girl living a normal, uneventful life. He was engrossed and kept popping up.
I enjoyed the developing relationship between Wren and Grayson: ups and downs, fears and doubts.
I could have completely lived without the "hit" part of the story. Guys being guys, pretending to be other people, blah blah blah...fine. Whatev! But the stealing, and the fact that Grayson wasn't honest with Wren up front about it instead of letting Luke become a creepster, just made me want to reach inside the pages and slap him.
When the ish finally hit the fan, I was sad for Wren and Grayson. The remainder of the story, the actions, emotions, revenge, forgiveness, etc...I found to be a little unbelievable.
Overall, it was a cute relationship story with outside issues that weren't quite believable. It's either that, or I'm too old and kids have really changed!
A review copy was provided. All thoughts are my own and I have not been persuaded in any way.
Rating
Robin Constantine is a born-and-raised Jersey girl who moved south so she could wear flip-flops year-round. She spends her days dreaming up stories where love conquers all, eventually, but not without a lot of peril, angst, and the occasional kissing scene. The Promise of Amazing is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.robinconstantine.com.
