Review by Booklist Review
When Wren Caswell performs the Heimlich maneuver on a gorgeous guest at the wedding where she is a waitress, she has no idea she is forever changing the course of her high-school trajectory. Since the night I saved him, I'd felt a magnetic pull toward Grayson so strong, it scared me, she says, and that feeling is remarkably intuitive, because Grayson Barrett is as gregarious as Wren is reserved; he is as socially heralded as she is overlooked; and his past is as shady as hers is flawless. Recently expelled for running a term-paper scam, Grayson is trying to shed his devious past as Wren wrestles to overcome being pigeonholed as just plain average. But is getting tangled up in a relationship with Grayson and the mistakes of his past the best way for Wren to forge an identity of her own? In her lively debut novel, Constantine unveils two authentic characters who discover that they not only have a hand in scripting how they're perceived but also who they become.--Walters Wright, Lexi Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
First-time novelist Constantine puts some creative twists on the "opposites attract" theme in this well-crafted romance starring good-girl Wren Caswell and "brainathiminal" (combination brain, athlete, and criminal) Grayson Barrett. Told from the teens' alternating points of view, the story begins when Wren, a waitress at her parents' medieval-themed inn, saves the life of a choking guest. At this point, she knows nothing of the guest, Grayson, whose shady past got him expelled from his old private school, news Wren later acquires through gossip and confessions. When Grayson lands a job at the inn, the two begin to fall for each other, in spite-or perhaps because-of their different personalities. Conflicts arise as Grayson's former partners in crime threaten to ruin his relationship with Wren, and Wren, tired of being labeled "bright but quiet," grows too bold for her parents' taste. Filled with action, passion, and adolescent angst, Constantine's novel introduces two believable characters with strong, honest voices who work to find themselves as they chart new territory together. Ages 14-up. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literary Agency. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Wren, a shy, quiet junior, falls for gorgeous bad-boy Grayson in this enjoyable and sometimes surprising romance. Their initial meeting is less than ideal: he chokes on the pastry-wrapped frankfurters she serves him in her family's Arthurian-themed catering hall. She performs the Heimlich maneuver, and he vomits on her shoes-but it's still love (and lust) at first sight. Wren is struggling to find her place in a family of overachievers. Grayson was kicked out of his private school, where he was involved in a dangerous, criminal enterprise, which he's trying to break away from despite old friends who don't want to let him go. The chapters told from his point of view are not always convincing, as this former player describes his sweet, mushy romantic feelings for Wren, but readers will enjoy seeing how love changes him. There are a few subplots, but the focus is on the whirlwind romance. Misunderstandings, secrets, a jealous classmate, and other obstacles get in the couple's way. The pace of the story picks up around the halfway point as Grayson's past comes back to haunt him. This is a mostly light, often funny story. Grayson sometimes borders on unlikable, but the believable characters speak and behave like teenagers, whether they are drinking and hooking up at parties or worrying about college applications. This is a solid choice for readers who like a little more heft than the average teen romance novel.-Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Alternating narration between fly-under-the-radar average-student Wren and handsome "term-paper pimp" Grayson exhibits the teenagers' personal struggles with their identities and the implications of such on their developing relationship. Rife with contrived circumstances, Wren and Grayson's love story is predictable but also likely diverting for fans of light teen romance. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Good girl tames bad boy in Constantine's first novel. High school junior Wren Caswell has entered her "semester of discontent." Denied entry to Sacred Heart Academy's National Honor Society for being "too quiet" and ranked No. 49 out of 102 students, Wren has never stood out from the crowd. Grayson Barrett is a repentant player and self-described "term-paper pimp" trying to distance himself from his crew of baddies and leave his manipulative ways behind. When Wren saves him from choking on a cocktail weenie at a wedding reception held at her family's banquet hall, the Camelot Inn, their lives become a game of Mars vs. Venus. The stereotypical male-female dynamic takes hold: Wren becomes the reformed con artist's "moral compass," and she spends too much time overanalyzing his actions and apparent disses, pretending she doesn't care when he doesn't return her texts. Wren and Grayson share the narration chapter by chapter, and their witty banter moves the story along. Nevertheless, it's still a fairly standard teen love story: Girl and boy from different social circles meet, face obstacles from family and friends, and fall in love. Feminists may recoil, but fans of light romance will discover a satisfying weekend read. (Fiction. 14 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
