Author: Leigh Talbert Moore
Series: Dragonfly #1
Pages: 265
Genre: YA Contemporary
Date Published: June 6th, 2013
Publisher: Self published
Format Read: eBook provided by author for honest review
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Summary:
“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.
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.
-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:
This book was the perfect fluffy and fun summer read. It's got a few hard hitting moments, but mostly it's about a girl trying to fit in around people she doesn't understand and learning about a family secret that doesn't belong to her or her own family.
I think what I love the most about Moore's writing is that even though she writes steamier novels, she somehow manages to do so without making me, or any of the rest of her audience uncomfortable. She folds the romance into the story, instead of letting the romance take everything over. It's refreshing and most importantly it's not distracting. It gives her room to build characters and make you feel connected to them.
I thought that Anna was an interesting protagonist. She stuck between two guys, her best friend and the mysterious rich kid. Yes, it's a love triangle and one of the relationships is destructive, while the other is sweet, but in the end the story is about Anna learning self control. It was nice to see a girl make the choices that Anna did, even though sometimes she didn't actually follow through. I have to admit that as much as I liked Anna she also drove me up the wall at times. She just hasn't figured life out yet, but this being a series I can't wait to see where she actually ends up.
And the boys. Girls the boys are so swoony! Jack is the blonde, rich and all over the place emotionally guy. He's nice and all, but there is something off about him and as the story unfolds, you uncover some of those things. Julian on the other hand is your tall, dark, artist. He's talented and driven and knows what he wants. While one has had to work for what he wants (Julian) and one has been given everything and doesn't know what he wants to do with his life (Jack) they both have a huge amount of chemistry with Anna. In all honesty I couldn't fault her for falling for either of them.
The book also focuses on family. I adored Anna's parents and her grandma. Their relationship was refreshing and actually existed. Both of the boys parents are also heavily featured in the plot. And Jack's sister Lucy brings a lot of drama and light into Anna's life.
Knowing that Dragonfly is just the beginning of this series by the sea leaves me excited for more. A big secret is revealed at the end of the book, which makes you want to pick up the second book Undertow right away. The fact is you never know who is going to end up being someone that you can't avoid for the rest of your life! Dragonfly was a blast to read and I highly suggest it to anyone looking for something fun and summery with a high dose of drama and some romance!
Rating:
4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!
