Book Review of Before It’s Love by Michelle Pennington

I had the unique opportunity to read BeforeIt’s Love by Michelle Pennington in various draft stages. As one of Michelle’s critique partners, I had a chance to help edit the manuscript as she was writing it. I was a terrible critique partner for her because I love everything she writes! I am definitely her target-market!

I was hooked on Before It’s Love from page one and couldn’t put it down. It’s like a complex web of interwoven tangled relationships with roommates secretly crushing on the same guy, conflicts of interest between a young college professor and a girl who attends the same college (don’t worry, he’s not her teacher!), and family relationships getting in the way of make-ups and break-ups. It’s just crazy. But the story is spun slowly enough that the reader can keep up (almost!).

I loved Before It’s Love, and will look forward to reading anything Michelle publishes in the future.

There are several things by which I evaluate a book.

1) Is it well written? Yes, Before It’s Love was well-written with very few typos or grammatical errors

2) Does it deliver what it promises? Yes, Before It’s Love is a sweet, clean love story with lots of drama.

3) Is it the kind of book that captures my attention and I ‘can’t put it down’? Yes, I’ve read Before It’s Love several times, and love it more each time!

4) Is the story predictable and cliché? If a writer can shock me or have a twist that I didn’t see coming, that deserves super high marks. Before It’s Love is definitely not cliche, but is a bit predictable. Still a great read. Anything that makes me read it twice gets high marks!

Have you read Before It’s Love by Michelle Pennington? What’s your opinion? –Julie L. Spencer

Other books by Michelle Pennington:

Book Review of Candid by Michelle Pennington

Book Review of Candid by Michelle Pennington

It’s like Candid Camera meets Extreme Makeover High School Edition

I was hooked on Candid by Michelle Pennington from page one and couldn’t put it down. The storyline is like Candid Camera meets Extreme Makeover High School Edition (that is a thing, right? It should be!). The main character, Sienna sees things through her lens that other people miss. She uses her photography skills to display less-popular peers in a way that changes student body perception.

Unfortunately, change usually involves growing pains. And BOY does she cause problems. Thankfully, there’s a BOY involved in the story and he is hot! In any YA story, the guy has to be hot and he has to find the geeky wallflower girl beautiful. Candid is no exception.

Michelle’s writing style is great and the character development was well-done. Rather than have Sienna say “I’m so clumsy I couldn’t even open the gate,” Michelle shows Sienna fumbling with the latch, juggling her equipment and ultimately falling on her face in front of a stadium of people. And that’s just page one. Michelle introduces each new character slowly and with description. When I grow up, I wanna be just like her!

I loved Candid so much, I started immediately into the next book in the series, Focused. It was just as good, and I’ll post a review of it in a few days. Have you read Candid by Michelle Pennington? What’s your opinion? –Julie L. Spencer

Read the second book in the series, Focused by Michelle Pennington:

Buy the Candid and Focused together as a set: