Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett! I am excited to share a review with you today, and a giveaway!!
Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett Published by Simon Pulse on April 3rd 2018
Pages: 432
Format:eARC
Source:Copy provided by publisher for review, via Netgalley
Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?
Confession time! This was my very first Jenn Bennett book! But fret not friends, for it shan’t be my last. Confession number two: I don’t often “do” fluffier books. Oh, but how glad I am that this one called to me!
First of all. Who would not love what is basically a hybrid of friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers? This book combines all the favorite romance tropes into a romance that you cannot help but root for. Zorie is kind of my fave from the start, because I related to her so very much. I mean, she thinks camping is the worst, and she also gets idiopathic hives, which SAME, girl! I wanted to high-five her many times, but I feel like the hives solidified my love for her early on.
Anyway. Camping she goes, after some (totally legit) hesitation. And I’ll be damned if Zorie’s adventure didn’t make me think for a hot second that maybe camping wouldn’t be *all* bad? Though in fairness, I think it’s the epic love affair that appealed to me, and maybe less of the camping. I digress. Lennon used to be Zorie’s bestie, but Zorie’s crappy father, as well as some other stuff that would be spoiler-y to talk about, have put the kibosh on their friendship. So who ends up on the camping trip with Zorie and her friends? Of course, it’s Lennon!
Only…. Zorie’s friends are a wee bit garbage, and she and Lennon end up together, and not in the “glamping” grounds her friend promised. This is where I’ll start getting vaguer because of spoilers, and we shall talk about all the other things I loved about this book!
- It’s both sex and birth control positive! Oh, this is such a win. The author really, really does this topic service. And I’ll leave it at that.
- I am always, always here for survival stories. And things are tough out there in the wilderness! I’d have died, probably. So getting to watch Zorie and Lennon navigate these tense moments, while still trying to figure out what their relationship is/was/will be was kind of epic.
- Zorie’s relationship with her step-mother Joy made me happy on so many levels. First, that the step-mother is the parent of choice is refreshing. Second, that their mother-daughter bond is just lovely in general was great- I feel like theirs is one of my favorite of said dynamic that I’ve read. Ever.
- I wanted to punch Zorie’s father so many times, but many of the characters agreed with me! Lennon’s moms (who were also freaking awesome characters, by the by) probably would have kicked him in places he deserved to be kicked. View Spoiler »
Bottom Line: Oh, I am here for this book. I flew through it, loved the relationships, the plot, all of it. Guess it’s time to binge the rest of Jenn Bennett’s books- good thing I own them! 😀
About Jenn Bennett
Jenn Bennett is an award-winning author of young adult books, including: Alex, Approximately; The Anatomical Shape of a Heart (aka Night Owls in the U.K.); and Starry Eyes. She also writes romance and urban fantasy for adults. Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, won the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award, and been included on Publishers Weekly Best Books annual list. She lives near Atlanta with one husband and two dogs. Visit her at www.jennbennett.net.
Enter to win one of three advanced copies of STARRY EYES by Jenn Bennett (US Only)
This might be one of my favorite recent covers. Are those sparklers? But either way, it looks awesome. And it does almost make camping look fun, doesn’t it? Glamping would probably be more my thing. Which I didn’t even know existed. But survival plus the relationship angst? That sounds pretty dang good. 🙂
I *think* it is a bush illuminated by the campfire, but I thought it was sparklers too- sparklers might have been better, but also wouldn’t have fit the story as well I guess. It really did make camping *almost* seem fun, but then I regained my sanity and realized that they could have had similar…. adventures in NOT the woods so I can still live camp-free. Glamping still seems wholly unnecessary- like if I want to be comfortable, I will just go indoors, not pay MORE to sleep in a tent. But hey, to each his own. The book itself was REALLY good though- like, definitely one of my Top 5 Fluffies. (Actually, now I feel like I need to make that a blog post…)
We definitely need to see Top 5 Fluffies! You COULD coin new phrases for ALL the various different genres- that might be fun 🙂
SHANNON. I need this book so bad. Admittedly, I only read one book by this author, her debut, and wasn’t all that impressed with it but I did enjoy the characters and the banter. BUT this one sounds sooo good and I have a very strong need for it. I’m not a camping kind of person but I love those two tropes you mentioned and a hybrid of it sounds fabulous. YES.
Yesss I think it is a book you want in your life! Like- I am NOT a fluffy fan, but this one was very much worth it!
I’m sorry but did you just give a fluffy contemporary 4.5 stars? *hits self in head to clear the fog* I read that right?
I’m actually (sorta) reading Alex, Approximately right now. (I say “sorta” because my reading has been practically nil in the past week and I’ve only made it to page 40. Ahem.) It’s my first by Bennett but I already like her writing and the easy flow of the dialogue. Now go forth and binge and maybe I’ll do the same.
Bwhahah YEP! Right, I am so bad with fluffy but this one was awesome! Oooh I need to read Alex too. And whatever the first one is called in the US. I have the UK version because I liked the cover better, oops 😀 I hope you are able to read more, too!
Ahh I want to read this because I really liked Night Owls by this author! BUT. I hate camping.?I freaking hate it, I absolutely would rather eat a brick wall than camp. I never never can sleep and I hate nature and my family has lots of stressful bad experiences of childhood camping trips so….*flies away on a unicorn and lives in a house forever* ?
I need to read Night Owls. I have it- the Night Owls version, too, not whatever the American one is called. (Because PRETTIER.) And SAME, dude, I am devouring the wall if those are my choices. Why would anyone willingly sleep outside? Like is that not offensive to homeless people who would do anything for a roof? Wrong on SO many levels, tbh.
Yay glad you loved this. I loved Joy and Lennon’s moms too. They were great. I almost wanted to go camping bc of this book but not really lol. Hope you love her other books too!
Bwhahha right!? Like…. almost. But then no just kidding, especially since you could have the epic love affair in NOT the woods too ?
I love Jenn Bennett, so I’m so excited that this book lives up to her others. Can’t wait to dive in!
YAY I hope you love it! Honestly, I think you will, because… well, twinsies!
I love Bennett’s adult stuff. (Highly recommend her Roaring Twenties PNR series!) But I haven’t read her YA yet because like you said I don’t read a lot of fluffy romance. This review has me thinking I should really move them up the TBR.
Ooooh I am going to look up some of her adult stuff, thanks for the recommendation! And I think if you like her stuff, you’d like this- even though it was fluffy, it had substance too!
I’m going to need you to read her other books, Shannon! You are going to LOVE them! ALL of her books are super sex positive, which I love!
But right? She made camping sound kind of appealing, but then again I don’t want all that getting lost in the woods thing. I would have gotten eaten by that bear. And that mother-daughter relationship was GOLD. I’m so with you on that.
Now hurry up and go read the rest of her books!!
OH I will, that is good to know! I have them so I definitely will be reading them, no question. HA I would have been eaten by the bear too bwahha. But is it worth it for the other parts? Maybe… maybe 😀
Yes I added it! It sounds amazing! Can’t wait to read it!
Aw yay, I hope you love it!
This one sounds excellent! I love the friends to more book idea. I could use a fluff read too! Great review!!
Thanks!! It really was awesome, I hope you enjoy it if you read it!
I haven’t read anything by Jenn either, but I really feel like I need to get on that. I am so not a camper. I mean, glamping I could probably get behind. But yeah, don’t stick me in a tent. LOL I’m so glad you enjoyed this one – and I love that Zorie has a good relationship with her stepmom.
-Lauren
You mentioned it, and I pointed it out in my review too – sex positive. This is something Bennett does so well in her books, and I like that she has her characters discuss sex in such a mature way. I think it’s important for teens to see other teens behaving that way. And she does it so well. It’s not pandering or heavy handed. It comes across really natural and honest. And moms for the win in this book. Great review!
People keep saying good things about this book and it makes me sad it’s not out until May in the UK! That long wait will be awful, I want it now! I knew it was gonna be great though because it’s Jenn Bennett and she always writes good books. I mean, I hate camping but by the sounds of it it will sound fun after reading this. That is essentially witchcraft because me and the great outdoors do not mix well. Great review and I cannot wait to get my copy.
I looove Jenn Bennett’s Alex, Approximately. it was fluffy, sex positive, and have amazing father-daughter relationship. I’m glad this one seems to follow the pattern too!
Yes those are definitely my favourite romance tropes haha so you got me there! I love how it’s a survival story but there’s so many great positive themes in here. Lovely review Shannon!
I love camping but only from our comfortable travel trailer, and when we have full hookups for water and sewer. Not so good with tent camping.
I am not into camping, but I loved Alex, Approximately and can’t wait to read this too! Thanks!
don’t like camping
Seeing as it is Jenn Bennett who has written the novel it was already on my TBR. I will literally read anything she rights. But then a hybrid of my two FAVOURITE ROMANCE TROPES?! I don’t even know how those two would fit together but seeing as it does, I cannot wait to read this book. I think I might now be over-excited 😀 Great review!