Series: Dragonfly #1Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Leigh Talbert Moore
Publication Date:
Format: ebook
Pages: 265
Source: Received from author for review
Rating: 3 stars
"Gossip Girl meets VC Andrews in this contemporary family saga. Love, lies, and betrayal become the new normal when Anna enters the world of Jack and Lucy Kyser.” –Magan Vernon, international bestselling author of The Only Exception
Three bad things I learned this year:
-People you trust lie, even parents.
-That hot guy, the one who’s totally into you, he might not be the one.
-Things are not always how they appear.
Three good things I learned this year:
-Best friends are always there for you, even when they’re far away.
-That other hot guy, the one who remembers your birthday, he just might be the one.
-Oh, and things are not always how they appear.Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy.
Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed Anna outside her comfort zone, and Jack showed her feelings she’d never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew.
Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins’ distant, single father.
A secret that could permanently change all their lives.
Dragonfly is compared to a CW show in the blurb, and that is really accurate. It is a coming-of-age story filled with teen angst and scandals galore. Totally fun if you're into the drama.
Dragonfly is one of those stories I feel readers will likely either get, or they won't. If you need your heroine to always make the right choices and be completely decisive, Anna will probably frustrate you. And that's okay, I have my own reading pet peeves, it just happens bad choices in characters is not one of them. And here's the thing, for better or worse, I was a teen that made dumb decisions on a near daily basis. I partied, I drank, I kissed a lot of boys, and though I'm not exactly proud, those choices and the aftermath helped form the nearly well-adjusted woman I am today. So when I read a book with "dumb" teens, I see a YA story I can relate to.
Dragonfly does have a love triangle of sorts, but seeing as I had my money behind one boy all along, it didn't bother me. But I'm not bothered by the dreaded love triangle in general. I knew which of the guys, Jack or Julian, was the right one for Anna. I just had to sit back and let her figure it out for herself.
In addition to Anna's story, Dragonfly also features a small town scandal that is sure to rock some serious socks off in the future. I liked that the mystery was slowly introduced into the story, without my even realizing it. As clues began to slowly drop, the suspicions slowly built, and when it came out, the series was set off into a cool direction for the next book in the series, Undertow.
If you like a story with angst, scandals, and can hang tight and let the story play out, Dragonfly just might be the right book for you.
Dragonfly Series
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Wow
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good scandalous summer read
GREAT review, as always!
your reader,
Soma
http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/
Good review. Sounds interesting :)
ReplyDeleteYou aren't well adjust at all!! Lol great review :)
ReplyDeleteAnna definitely frustrated me in this book! Yet, as frustrated as she makes me, this is one series I can't put down. I've read both books and I can't wait for the third! :D
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I am LOVING the cover arts for this series! Makes me want to got to the beach!
ReplyDeleteI adore small town stories, it's so sweet and more romantic because the "date spots" are so personal. The setting I love too, it's so quaint even if the townspeople are nosey, at least they all know each other and go way back.
P.S. I think we'd hit it off as teens! And yeah, I can relate to them crazy bunch too.
I hate love triangle and stupid character decisions, but I'm surprised that I didn't know this wasn't a hang up for you, Andrea. When you explain your reasoning about being more tolerate about stupid decision making that way, it makes sense. I guess I should think about that, because I was the queen of stupid decisions, also kissing a lot of boys, drinking and partying. Maybe that's why it annoys me, though, because I have a lot of guilt and regret for that, and I want the character not to make the same stupid mistakes (yes, I do know this is books! Lol!). Maybe I should look at it the way you do, everything I've done in the past made me who I am today, and let go of the regret.
ReplyDeleteLovely review, Andrea! :)
I liked this book, but LOVED the next book Undertow! It is steamier and even more dramatic, I highly recommend it even if Dragonfly was eh to you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading!
( ˘ ³˘)♥
Great review! I am really curious to read this one. I just need to make the time :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the "dumb teens" things. WE all did stupid things and made mistakes as teens. It makes US real and those characters real as well. No one is perfect. :P
Fabulous review, Andrea. I've had Dragonfly on my radar - after reading your review, I know I'll like it. :) I love how you compare your teen self to Anna. :) I know I didn't always make the wisest of choices as a teen either, so I definitely always cut YA/NA characters some slack. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteGreat review Andrea!
ReplyDeleteThis book is going to be added to my long list of books to be read! It sounds really interesting. Lindy really enjoyed this book too.
RO
A Bookish Escape
Fab review Andrea and as long as the character learns from mistakes I am cool with that :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I have read another series of hers, so I really need to check out this one!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good, but it's not something I am dying to read. Honestly, when books say that they are comparable to a CW show, it makes me want to run away quick. I am not into the teen drama shows at all. I don't mind a book with drama, but I don't go looking for them. I'm glad that you enjoyed this one though. Great review!!
ReplyDeleteI've had this for a while, but haven't had a chance to get to it yet. It sounds cute. Thanks for the great review.
ReplyDeleteunfortunately I was one of the ones who found Anna to be extremely annoying so I wont be continuing with the series. :o/ Glad you liked it though!!
ReplyDeleteNice review. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this book, but the second one is even better! It gets in to all of the secrets, and the affair! Awesome Review! I love your insight and sharing about the teen years!
ReplyDeleteLindy@ A Bookish Escape
I don't go for perfect characters - how boring if they never grow. I'm glad this one lets the characters be who they are. Great review.
ReplyDelete