Blog Tour Book Review – Dating The It Guy by Krysten Lindsay Hagen

Publisher: Clean Reads

Publication Date: 21^st March 2017

Format: ARC e-Book

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

About the book:

Emme is a sophomore in high school who starts dating, Brendon Agretti, the popular senior who happens to be a senator’s son and well-known for his good looks. Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon’s world and it doesn’t help that his picture perfect ex, Lauren, seems determined to get back into his life, along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already conflicted due to the fact her last boyfriend cheated on her and her whole world is off kilter with her family issues. Life suddenly seems easier keeping Brendon away and relying on her crystals and horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you’re dating the it guy.

What I Thought:

Emme’s summer starts off badly, she gets a phone call to tell her the internship at the local paper she’d worked hard for is being withdrawn as she doesn’t drive. Her mum is determined she doesn’t waste the summer and suggests she attend summer school. Emme is minding her own business in class when the most popular guy in school, Brandon Agretti, sits in the only spare seat, next to her.

Working together on projects soon leads to the beginning of a relationship and Emme finds herself dealing with dating the it guy, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend, her own insecurities and the declining health of her grandparents

There were several layers to the plot of Dating The It Guy:-

Firstly is the budding relationship between Emme and Brandon, which goes through it’s ups and downs as Emme tries to deal with her own insecurities, the fact her previous boyfriend cheated on her with his ex-girlfriend and that Brandon’s beautiful ex-girlfriend is still all over him at any opportunity.

Generally speaking I liked Emme and Brandon’s relationship, there were parts that were frustrating, and Emme’s actions irritated me at points but ultimately I thought they had the potential to be good for one another, Emme doesn’t want to date him just because he’s attractive and the senator’s son, she’s not looking at him as being useful for her future, and because of this Brandon finds someone he can speak with, and who encourages him to do what he wants to do for him, and not what everyone expects him to do because of the family he was born into.

Secondly we deal with some of Emme’s friendships, this was the area that was most problematic for me. Emme’s relationship with Margaux just didn’t feel healthy at all, there was a part in the book where Emme and another friend Kylie, discussed the way Margaux sometimes gave them false fashion advice because it would make her look better next to them. Margaux’s behaviour within her own relationships also irritated me, although I’ll admit people like her do exist, it was frustrating that Emme still looked to her for advice on her own relationship. While Emme’s relationship with Kylie seemed positive, their relationship with Margaux just felt a little toxic for me, and I would have liked to see more positive female friendships within the book.

Finally, and for me the bit that made the book stand out a little, were the parts of the book which focuses on Emme’s grandparents. Emme was always very close to her grandma and struggles with seeing her grow frail and fade from the strong woman she had always known her to be, and then also has to deal with her grandpa becoming ill. This more than anything was where I empathised with Emme, I think it’s something that everyone has to deal with in life, although some people are lucky enough to not have to deal with it until much later in life.

I felt that the story concluded fairly suddenly, but at the same I would happily see what happens in their future which can only be a positive thing!

Would I Recommend?

Yes, I felt some bits were a bit problematic, I would have liked some more positive female friendships within the story but at the same time I knew people like Margaux while I was at secondary school so I couldn’t say it was unrealistic. At the same time I appreciated that the book had an additional layer of emotion with the deeper family issues Emme was facing.