Love Story

Gr 10 Up—Erin Blackwell moves to New York City from Kentucky to go to college, and even though her grandmother wants her to study business, she follows her dream of becoming a romance writer. She wonders how the students in her creative writing class will react to the first story she's sharing with them-a historical romance that stars a male lead based on Hunter, the stable boy who works on her grandmother's farm, and her crush. To her utter horror, Hunter walks into class that very day. Realizing that Erin's story is about him, he decides to write his own. In class, the two battle their pasts and feelings for each other through assignments. Outside of class, Erin isn't sure if she can trust Hunter, especially since her grandmother refused to pay for Erin's education and instead gave her college money to him. As she begins to believe his feelings for her are genuine, she learns more about Hunter's deal with her grandmother to get her home. This is a pretty typical romance story. Erin and Hunter are likable characters and their romance will keep readers turning the pages, but both are at times unrealistic. Erin's issues keep piling up as the story moves along, through flashbacks and her assignments for her creative writing class. There is some sex in the story, but it isn't explicit. The secondary characters stay in the background. An additional purchase where romance is popular.—Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL