Friday, October 28, 2011

That Boy - Jillian Dodd - Blog Tour Review

That Boy is a contemporary romance about falling in love with the boys next door.

You know, being friends with two cute boys does have its benefits.

There's Danny. Danny is a golden boy in every way. He has dreamy blue eyes and blonde hair that always looks perfect, even when it’s windblown or been stuck under a football helmet. He’s the boy every girl crushes on. The boy I get into trouble with, the boy I fight with, the hot quarterback no girl can resist, not even me. Being with Danny is like being on an adventure. He has a bright, contagious smile and abs to die for. He’s pretty much irresistible.

Equally crush worthy is Phillip. Adorable, sweet Phillip, who I have known since birth. Phillip has dark hair, a perfect smile, brown eyes, and the sexiest voice I have ever heard. He’s the boy I talk to every night before I go to sleep. The boy who rescues me, the boy who can read my mind, the boy who is always there for me, the boy who tries to keep me out of trouble, the boy who irritatingly keeps getting hotter, and whose strong arms always seem to find their way around me. And when he gives me that grin, I can never say no.

One boy will give me my very first kiss.
One boy will teach me to make out.
One boy will take me to prom.
And finally, one boy will ask me to marry him.
They will both be my best friends.
But only one of them will be the boy I fall in love with.
Only one of them is That Boy.
Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Title: That Boy
Author: Jillian Dodd
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Publication Date: May 2011
Format: E-book
Source: Received from author courtesy of Teen Book Scene. Many thanks goes to Jillian Dodd and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Blog tour: Teen Book Scene blog tour. You can follow along with the tour here, or by clicking through the banner located below the review.
Look for it: Amazon
My rating: 4/5


That Boy is Jay's story. She has never been close to girls, certainly not as close friends as she is to both Phillip and Danny. She likes them both for different reasons, but doesn't want their relationship with her to change if they take things past the 'just friends' stage. If she did that, one of the relationships would never be repaired, and the other, would be a match made in heaven. Will she decide to follow her heart, and will she realize what is right in front of her, before she loses out on her forever after?
Jay is a cute main character. I enjoyed reading the book from her point of view, even when it skipped from grade to grade within a few pages. I was never lost during the transitioning  between pages as Jay kept us informed of what was going on in her life, especially pertaining to boys. She is quite the boy crazy, football wielding main character, and I found her enthusiasm infectious. She calls things as she sees them, and is a daredevil with both Phillip and Danny. At least Phillip looks after her to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. 
I have to say though, that Phillip won my heart. He and Danny are both excellent characters, and they have their attractions and are both heart-breakers for different reasons. Phillip was there for Jay through everything. She had quite a tumultuous time during high school, but both Phillip and Danny were there for her, and it was nice to see them looking out for her. 
There are several laugh out loud scenes in this book, and some scenes are also tearjerkers. I was shocked by the turn of events at one point in the book and did end up tearing up at said point. The one thing I noticed in the book is that Jay or JJ, keeps the same attitude throughout. Her personality and character don't seem to vary much, even as the read progresses through her college years. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but she ends up having to be told by everyone around her just what is in front of her before she realizes her feelings and the feelings of her said paramour. 
All in all, a cute coming of age read. Phillip and Danny hooked me as soon as I read about them. I absolutely loved the friendship between all three of the main characters and enjoyed reading about the trouble they got themselves into. I also enjoyed how football oriented the book is as football played a major focal point during the read. This is definitely a fun read, and I know that I will enjoy diving back in to Jay's world to see what is up next for her, Phillip, Danny, and their friends and family.  

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