The Book Barbies: Review: Double Clutch by Liz Rienhardt

Author: Liz Rienhardt

Publication date: September 6th 2011

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Double Clutch: A Brenna Blixen Book (Volume 1)

Goodreads summary:

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

Recommended Age Group: Older YA

Racquel's thoughts:

Liz Rienhardt is the first ever author to ask me to read and review their book so from the beginning
this book was special. I was kind of anxious to read it though because I was scared I wasn’t going to like it and since Liz is just THE sweetest person ever, she’s so nice and I’m so glad I got to talk to her it would have been plain awful writing negative review. But thank goodness, I was spared from having to deal with that because this book ROCKS!

What I love about this book:

*It’s about as realistic (from MY perspective) as realistic YA fiction can get.

-Brenna wears make up. I know this is not big deal but as a make up freak that just adores make up I’m actually glad for once that a character doesn’t describe herself as plain Jane. Brenna knows she’s pretty though she’s not arrogant about it. I’m so tired of every female MC not caring or not knowing how to deal with their looks and they think they’re ugly and end up with THE hottest guy imaginable. Good for you plain Jane but the other girls have stories too.

-Brenna has a backbone. I’m sure you don’t know what that is because the majority of the books you and I read have plain Janes as MC’s and usually they keep to themselves and their outspokenness is limited. I will tell you what a backbone is, it’s the factor that makes you stand up for yourself, say what’s one your mind and take no bullshit from anybody at all cost. Brenna has this so very rare backbone and the only other MC I can think off who does too is Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy series.

-I can relate with the book! More then once I came across a scene which I have been in the situation as or said the same thing/had same reaction.

Ex: “‘HAGS’ in my yearbook at the end of eight.” If I wasn’t lazy, I would get up right now and take a picture of my eighth grade yearbook and show you all the HAGS over you.

Ex 2: “Even though it was about a bunch of killer school boys, I never managed to get into this one.” Lord or the flies was one of the books I had to read last year and I definitely couldn’t get into either!

Ex 3: “Run, forrest run.” I say this phrase everyday I’m at school and see someone running. So those words per year come out my mouth approximately 555 times per school year, I thought I was the only one making Forrest Gump references,

Ex 4: “I checked your Facebook page.” Let’s face it, we all have Facebook’s. You’re probably going to go write your status right now about how you read the world’s stupidest review but in the end we (REALTIY) use the site known as facebook but how come it never shows up in realistic fiction books? Uhmmm, people propose to other people to facebook nowadays. It’s basically the most important communication tool in world. You see those riots in the Middle East? Wonder how they were planned? If you guessed Facebook good for you, if not then go back to the cave you live in. Just kidding:D

More things I love:

-As I told Mary from @anxirium about this book, Brenna did not come about this earth through random pollination. She has parents, yes a father (well a step dad but nonetheless, there mention of the sperm donor) and a mother (once again, yes a mother body) who carried her in her womb for nine months and these parents are HEXA-GASP! present in the book. Good god, an actual YA book with ACTUAL guardian’s or and parental figures who actual play a role in their child’s life in it? 2012 is real; get ready for an apocalypse…!

-The mature and realistic way sex was handled in the book. To be honest, I’m starting to like adult contemporary romance more because sometimes YA books get me so mad from how not YA they are! They take place in an ideal world and are nowhere near what actually happens in a teenager’s life but thanks to Reinhardt, Double Clutch doesn’t suffer from that. The book doesn’t shy away from tackling sex to what it is and I love that. No it’s not graphic, but it’s honest it’s portrayal of sex which made me so damn happy I can combust! For once sex in YA is not just “it happened and then later…” I would kiss Reinhardt if I can.

Overall: I can go on and on about all the things I loved about this book, it’s absolutely one of my favorites of the year. It was funny, cute and realistic and I personally believe if you don’t like it, you should get yours head checked. From the writing, to the characters, the dialogue and the details I couldn’t find anything wrong:D And this is coming from a person who hates hype! This is the perfect review to post on my birthday!

Rating: 5 hearts~ one of my favorites, I hope you enjoy it just as much as me((:

First:

My mom waltzed into my room early on the morning of my first day of high school back at Sussex County, NJ after a year in Denmark, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she kissed my forehead like it was my first day of kindergarten instead.

Favorite: