But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…Me.
I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him. Forever.
**Mature situations and sexual content - recommended for ages 17+**
Paperback, 155 pages
Published January 10th 2013 by Monica Murphy
We read this book separately, right before starting the blog, but we both loved it. In preparation for the release of Drew + Fable #2 - Second Chance Boyfriend (expected April 9th), we wanted to do a review of One Week Girlfriend.
**Courtney** 5 Stars
Shelley, I am a complete sucker for the "Big man on campus guy (With Heavy Emotional Issues)/Down on her luck girl" romance. (Well...I guess it doesn't take much for me to get attached to a book boyfriend) Add in emotionally unavailable parents with enough baggage to load a moving truck and you have One Week Girlfriend. And that cover..*fans myself*..loved it.
1) Drew. Drew makes me swoon. On the outside, he is the perfect guy. Good son, good at football, good at school. But he never lets anyone close enough to find out what his secrets are. He's ashamed, he's downtrodden, and he needs Fable's help to go home and spend a week with his parents for Thanksgiving. What are his secrets? Why does this guy who seems to have everything need to hire a girl to pretend to be his girlfriend?
2) Fable. This poor girl can't catch a break, either. I really, really liked her because when the going got tough, she just kept going. She's the one who is used to taking care of everyone else. I liked how she stood up to some people. Had me cheering for her, but when she doesn't stand up to another I just want to smack her. But I guess if I could get the characters to do what I wanted or thought they should, the story would be downright boring!
3) Shelley, Marshmallow....M-A-R-S-H-M-A-L-L-O-W...didn't know that word would someday break my heart, but Monica Murphy---major kudos to you for that one. I know you want to find out what this means, so why don't you go ahead and buy the book to find out. I even linked it for you! Because that is ALL you're getting from me on the subject!
4) Adele. Adele the singer made me love this name. Adele the step-mom made me hate it. Ugh, I despise this woman, and hope that she will get knocked down a notch or five off her high, country-club frequenting, horse. Me, bitter? Never!
5) Loss. This story centered a lot on loss, whether it be for loss of innocence, trust, life, faith, belief in love. I could probably go on and on and on, but then I would somehow spoil it and that would be a shame.
This might seem a little bit vague, but I really am trying not to spoil the story. While you probably will figure out how things are going to mostly go, it didn't make it any less heartbreaking when it finally happened. Just saying the names Drew and Fable sound good together, don't they? What did you think?!?
**Shelley** 4 Stars
Courtney, this could've easily been a cliched romance novel: the rich jock and the local poor girl meet and eventually fall for each other. Nothing could be further from the truth.
1) Drew. Gosh he seems wonderful. He's a considerate jock, a good son to a cold father, and an attentive fake boyfriend. Yep. Fake. Boyfriend. He's a good guy -- but not without flaws (why did he think Fable wouldn't be offended when he first propositions her--I'd feel like a prostitute too!).
2) Fable. I love that she's a little rough around the edges and can handle herself in uncomfortable situations (the shopping trip!). She absolutely refuses to take crap off of anyone and is fierce in her role as protector for her brother and Drew. She has this spunky, tough exterior but, boy oh boy, does she have a tender spot for the special boys in her life. I love her quips--she has some great lines.
3) Marshmallow. Courtney, I will never think of this word the same. :) The End.
4) Trust. I see this as a huge issue in this novel. Both Drew and Fable have significant problems trusting others. Obviously if you have trouble trusting say a family member who is supposed to take care of you and love you, how do you learn to trust a complete stranger? How do you allow yourself to be open to the opportunities of friendship and love if you've long felt deeply betrayed by the people who are supposed to protect and support you?
5) Adele. This woman is evil, disgusting, and slimy. She is the epitome of evil step
6) The quotes at the beginning of the chapter. What a was a nice touch. They really connected to what was going on in each chapter and I appreciated the extra effort it must have taken to find that perfect quote for each chapter. Thank you, Monica Murphy!
7) The rainy alley scene. It seemed so magical. I still remember it weeks after reading it. The writing in this scene and many others was so wonderfully descriptive--it fed my overactive imagination.
My only real dislike?
The cliffhanger. UGHHHHH!!! You are killing me Monica Murphy. Killing. Me.
So, while this could've easily been a cliched college romance, it wasn't. Instead you have a female protagonist that swoops in to save the day. You have a male who feels legitimate shame. And by the end, you have the start of a relationship that could be healing. I look forward to seeing where these characters end up.
"Adele the singer made me love this name. Adele the step-mom made me hate it." <----Exactly! What a horrible excuse for a human being. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great review. I hope you get to read Second Chance Boyfriend when it releases.