Series: Superlatives #1
Published by Simon and Schuster on May 20th 2014
Genres: Young Adult, Love & Romance, Social Issues, Friendship, General
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Also by this author: Love Story, Such a Rush, Perfect Couple, Most Likely to Succeed
Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger. As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…
Jennifer Echols is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to get the chance to talk about her latest book, Biggest Flirts! This book has romance, humor, marching band, and drama, and it’s such a fun spring read. Today I’ll talk about the book, share my Biggest Flirts’-inspired book playlist, and tell you how you can enter to win a copy of the book!
I’ve read all of Jennifer Echols’ romantic dramas (yup, all five) but Biggest Flirts is my first time reading one of her romantic comedies. Biggest Flirts is the first book in the Superlatives trilogy and it’s so cute. Biggest Flirts is the story of Tia Cruz and Will Matthews. Will just moved to Florida from Minnesota for his senior year of high school. He meets Tia at a party and later finds out that they are in band together in the drumline. The two have amazing chemistry, though Tia is not interested in having a boyfriend, much to Will’s disappointment. Their flirting doesn’t go unnoticed though, and soon they are named Biggest Flirts in the yearbook. Will starts dating someone else since Tia says she’s not interested, though the attraction is still there.
As a former band geek, I love that marching band is the backdrop of this book. A lot of the details rang true like the long hot days spent rehearsing on the field, the teacher with the megaphone, the camaraderie, and the silly mascot (in this case it’s the pelican.)
Something else that interested me is Echols’ bringing up introverts vs. extroverts. I wish I knew there was a name for it when I was in high school! Being an introvert is hard in high school, and especially when you’re the new kid like Will. People tend to think you’re stuck up because you’re not that outgoing. (Introverts get energy from being alone vs. extroverts that thrive on being around people) Will is mortified to be named Biggest Flirt, since that just brings him more attention. Will is not adjusting well to Florida, and lost a lot in the move, from his girlfriend to his chance at being drum major and student body president. Maybe that’s why he wants to have a girlfriend, even if it’s not the one he really wants.
Tia has Will’s back when the other students call him out for being “stuck up.” She is the classic extrovert, and notices that people are misreading Will and steps in to defend him. Tia has her reasons for not wanting a boyfriend, though it’s clear to the reader that she and Will are a great fit. Tia is a polarizing character, though I personally thought she was entertaining and had a good heart. She is smart and talented, though she does the bare minimum at school and sabotages herself so she doesn’t have to do more work (like messing up her drum captain audition on purpose.) She has family drama that keeps her from wanting a serious relationship, though she has a great support system in her friends.
There are some great supporting characters in this book. Tia’s two best friends are Kaye (Most Likely to Succeed) and Harper (yearbook photographer and named half of the “Perfect Couple that Never Was”) And Sawyer is Tia’s occasional hookup buddy (and the Pelican mascot.) Echols’ makes you want to know more about these characters, and I’m glad that Kaye and Harper will be the focus of the two remaining books in the trilogy.
Biggest Flirts is light hearted, fun and breezy, though the characters have some depth to them as well. Biggest Flirts is the book you’re “most likely to take to the beach”- it’s a fun and flirtatious fast read. And Will will remind you not to forget the sunblock as you’re soaking in the rays. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, Perfect Couple.
I put together a book playlist for Biggest Flirts, drawing on the marching band and fun and flirty theme of the book:
GIVEAWAY! If you haven’t read any of Jennifer Echols books yet, you’re missing out! So go and enter the giveaway for your chance to win Biggest Flirts.
GIveaways are US Only:
3 Winners will receive a copy of Biggest Flirts
One winner will get Biggest Flirts, Such a Rush, Dirty Little Secret, and The One that I Want (jealous!)
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway ——-> Here
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.
Say hi to Jennifer here: Blog * Twitter
Band as a backdrop is great!! There is so much richness with all those automatic friends & shared cultish type experiences. Brothers in Arms.
This sounds like a lot of fun – perfect for the summer!
Nice review. Awesome playlist! Thanks for participating.
Band is the backdrop? Those are the magic words! There really aren’t enough YA books out there about band nerds, and that was my life in high school (low brass section leader and band president — woo-hoo!). I thought the cover was cute when I first saw it, but now I think I need to get it into my hands 🙂
I’ve read all of her romantic dramas, too. Actually, I’ve probably reread all of them. Jen is just amazing 🙂 I can’t wait to get my hands on Biggest Flirts.
Somehow I have not read any Jennifer Echols yet. This sounds like a super fun beach read.
[…] group of friends introduced in last year’s Biggest Flirts is back in Perfect Couple, letting us catch up with Tia and Will, and tease the next pairing Kaye […]