Review: FIRST KISS by Ann Marie Frohoff

Title: FIRST KISS

Author: Ann Marie Frohoff

Source: eARC from author for review

AMAZON

GOODREADS

goodreads...

About an up and coming teenage rocker on the verge of stardom, when the girl next door becomes something more; they're forced to face the harsh realities on his road to fame and the expectations of their friends and family. Sacrifices are made as everything changes as they know it.

My take...

At fourteen you are coming into your own, learning new things about yourself, and about to embark on a new journey of your life: high school. Life will either explode for you in different and wonderful ways or it will end up pulling you down if you let it. Aly is bound and determined to have the best summer of her young life. She wants to be with her crush, Matt, as much as possible and hang poolside with her friends. Then enters Jake, her neighbor since, well forever. In one day, Aly’s eyes get opened to the wonderful world of guys and Jake is front and center. Matt becomes a thing of the past and Jake is her future. Feelings Aly has never before experienced are ripping from the inside out to be set free.

Jake is overcome with feelings for a girl he has known his whole life and he couldn’t be happier. Every second not spent practicing or preforming with his band is spent with Aly. And no matter how cliquish it sounds…Aly makes him want to be a better person. But while surrounded in their little bubble they don’t notice the outside forces that are coming at them until it’s almost too late. Relationships will be tested and families torn apart. Sacrifices will be made in order to make things right once again. But in the end one question will have to be answered…was it all worth it?

There was a lot of dialogue between characters and usually I find that a bit annoying. But I think with this book it was necessary to establish that history between the two MC’s and to back up their growing relationship. Also thought the author would jump from one scene to the next without any type of warning and I would be left a little confused for a moment. But I did have an advanced reader copy, so edits were still to be had. And I am fully confident that once it’s released this book will be ready for it’s readers.

Other than that little bit, I adored the story. It took me back to when I was 15 and seeing a guy that my parents forbid me to see when certain things came to light. We dated secretly for a time but slowly drifted apart. Throughout high school we would be off and on and ended up just really good friends. So everything that Jake and Aly went through was spot on for me. Well, besides the fact that my boyfriend was the same age as me and not an up and coming rocker. Hey, I can pretend right? But the author had the feelings and emotions down flat and I thought she did a wonderful job telling the story. It was real and it was believable.

Jake is one of those characters no matter what happens you are going to keep on loving him. No matter who steps in the way, you are going to keep rootin’ for him. No matter what substances get involved, you are going to hope for the best. The minute I read about him in SKID OUT I knew I would always love him no matter what. Does that mean I condone his behavior throughout the book? Absolutely not. There were times I wanted to hate him, due to the way he treated Aly, but I couldn’t. Yes, he could be a total jerk much of the time but he was that embedded in my heart for me to just give up on him.

And lord help me, with an ending like that, there better be a book 2. Seriously Ann, you can’t leave us hangin’ like that. Ah!! It was sweet and it was hopeful and it was a freakin’ cliffhanger!! Here FIRST KISS isn’t even out and I am in need of more. Buckle up folks, this is one book you are going to want to read!