Review: Dedicaton by. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Title: Dedication                                                       Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Series: Stand-Alone
Age Range: 14+
Publication Date: June 5, 2007
Pages: 278
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 7.5/10

Synopsis from goodreads:  What if your ex was famous and adored by millions? What would you do if you had one chance to make him regret his entire existence? How much would you risk? 
Kate Hollis's ex-boyfriend's face plasters newsstands and TV, the Internet, and the multiplex. Jake Sharpe is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet, and every song he's famous for is about Kate. For over a decade his soundtrack has chased her -- from the gym to the supermarket, from the dentist's office to the bars. Now thirty-year-old Kate gets the call that Jake has finally landed back in their Vermont hometown for an MTV special. The moment she has been waiting for has arrived.
On the eve of their prom, Jake Sharpe vanished, resurfacing when his song "Losing" -- about his and Kate's first sexual experience -- shot to the top of the Billboard charts. And the hits kept coming, each more personal than the one before.
Now Kate gets her chance to confront Jake and reclaim her past. But after eleven years of enduring protracted and far-from-private heartbreak, everyone in Kate's life has a stake in how this plays out. Kate must risk betraying the friends Jake abandoned, the bandmates whose songs he plundered, and her own parents, who fear this will dredge up a shared past more painful than any of them want to acknowledge. But after getting the call in the dead of night and jumping on a plane, can she turn back now?

Review: The dynamic duo of Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have done it again by creating a funny and entertaining book for for chick lit lovers everywhere. The book is told from the main character's perspective in two time periods. Her high school years, and her life as an accomplished 30 year old with a score to settle.

Kate Hollis is out for revenge, on her ex-boyfriend Jake. Who has made his whole music career out of revealing what went on in their high school relationship, including her secrets and her personal family problems. Kate was a fun character. She seems so fearless. This could be her only chance at confronting her ex about basically exploiting their relationship in order to build his career, an she is ready to make the most out of it.

In the beginning I really didn't get what was going on in this book at all. It was just confusing to me, but after a while things started to make sense and I got a lot more into the book. The plot was interesting to say the least and it kept my nose in the book. I enjoyed the high school years part of the book more than the present day telling of the book. The high school sections were a lot more believable, and they seemed like real actions and emotions a high schooler would feel going through what Kate went through. Though when it came to the present day sections, I found it hard to believe that it was a thirty year old telling the story. I had to flip back to the beginning of the chapters many times to see if it was high school Kate talking or 30 year old Kate. Besides that, the book was enjoyable.

There were many ups and downs in the book, that throw you off whatever idea you will have about how the book will end. Jake and Kate went through a lot of roller coasters in their relationship that I think a lot of girls can relate to. Through the high school and middle school years, Jake was a wonderful character. But as he showed up in Kate's adult life, I started to question his compassion, and how he viewed women as a whole. You'll understand what I mean if you read the book.

In the end, I did enjoy this book. I loved how the book ended and I felt Kate finally womened up and became the strong 30 year old she should have been all along. 

I Recommend: this book to all Chick-lit fans! 

Characters:  6/10 
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 8/10 
Entertainment: 8/10 
Ending: 8/10 
Writing Style: 8/10 
Cover: 8/10
Total: 7.5/10



 

Posted in: Contemporary,romance