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Crushing on You #1
Crushing on the Enemy
Alyssa begins her senior year living the life that most teenage girls dream of. She's surrounded by friends, she's captain of the cheer squad, and her crush has just asked her out. Things at home are a little wonky, but isn't that true for everyone?
Alyssa's illusions of happiness are very quickly busted when the people she thought were her friends turn on her. She's unsure of how she's going to manage to survive the rest of her senior year, until she finds two unlikely allies. A long forgotten best friend from middle school and the quarterback from the rival school's football team, but Alyssa's problems are a long way from being solved.
She still has to keep her grades up, put her with overbearing step-father, and deal with being branded a traitor for dating a guy from another school.
Jake's father is a jaded man and he has constantly warned his son not to date until after high school. More than a warning, he's made it a rule that he forces his son to live by.
“Son, if you want to make it to college, you'll listen to me,” his father has said again and again.
Jake manages to follow his fathers rules until he meets a pretty cheerleader from the rival school crying in the parking lot after a football game. After that all bets are off. Alyssa instantly steals his heart, but will his high school football career survive their relationship? If he doesn't stay focused he'll lose out on the only chance he has of going to college: obtaining a football scholarship.
Will their young love be able to survive the storm of teen drama and school spirit called senior year?
Alyssa's illusions of happiness are very quickly busted when the people she thought were her friends turn on her. She's unsure of how she's going to manage to survive the rest of her senior year, until she finds two unlikely allies. A long forgotten best friend from middle school and the quarterback from the rival school's football team, but Alyssa's problems are a long way from being solved.
She still has to keep her grades up, put her with overbearing step-father, and deal with being branded a traitor for dating a guy from another school.
Jake's father is a jaded man and he has constantly warned his son not to date until after high school. More than a warning, he's made it a rule that he forces his son to live by.
“Son, if you want to make it to college, you'll listen to me,” his father has said again and again.
Jake manages to follow his fathers rules until he meets a pretty cheerleader from the rival school crying in the parking lot after a football game. After that all bets are off. Alyssa instantly steals his heart, but will his high school football career survive their relationship? If he doesn't stay focused he'll lose out on the only chance he has of going to college: obtaining a football scholarship.
Will their young love be able to survive the storm of teen drama and school spirit called senior year?
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2013
26 people are currently reading
659 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 24, 2021
Spoiler alert:
What just happened? From the book description, I was expecting a book about a couple from rival schools that meet, fall in love and must overcome the wrath of their peers. Sort of a Romeo and Juliet story but without ending in a double suicide (oops, did I just ruin the end of R&J for you?). In reality, it was just about a couple from rival schools who meet, fall in love for no apparent reason (because apparently the author has never heard of 'show, don't tell'), face a bunch of obstacles that are never really resolved, they just go away, then the book ends. The conclusion wasn't satisfying at all because 1) I wasn't invested in the story or the characters at all due to a complete lack of development and 2) since their problems just sort of go away, the story just kind of ends with an inconsequential conversation and a summary of their college years and beyond. It was worse than a Woody Allen movie.
What just happened? From the book description, I was expecting a book about a couple from rival schools that meet, fall in love and must overcome the wrath of their peers. Sort of a Romeo and Juliet story but without ending in a double suicide (oops, did I just ruin the end of R&J for you?). In reality, it was just about a couple from rival schools who meet, fall in love for no apparent reason (because apparently the author has never heard of 'show, don't tell'), face a bunch of obstacles that are never really resolved, they just go away, then the book ends. The conclusion wasn't satisfying at all because 1) I wasn't invested in the story or the characters at all due to a complete lack of development and 2) since their problems just sort of go away, the story just kind of ends with an inconsequential conversation and a summary of their college years and beyond. It was worse than a Woody Allen movie.
September 11, 2013
(As always, if interested in a short and sweet summary skip the end "Ratings" section where I break down pros and cons)
Had this book had a little more re-working, I think it could have been a lot better! For the good points, it has a decent plot and doesn't digress. The characters' trials and tribulations are laid our and believable. It depicts a fairly normal teenage life with the worries of parental approval, starting college, and figuring out what one wants to do in life. Another good thing - it doesn't have a cliffhanger ending. It simply tells a cute story of a good guy and an honest girl falling for each other even when their peers turn on them because of it.
However, throughout Crushing on the Enemy, you could tell that the author was trying to find a foothold with her characters. Unfortunately, the characters were wanting in substance and likability. This is a teen-based book that revolves around Alyssa and Jake in their senior year of High School - but an older reader can still enjoy the book as long as the dialog is good and actions make sense. And that is exactly where Crushing on the Enemy fell flat.
Starting with dialog, a lot of it was filler; "Yeah", "Okay", "Sure", etc. Because of that it was really hard to connect with the characters. Did Alyssa's "Okay" mean she was truly okay or was she trying to hide her disappointment? There was no depth to the dialog and it was about impossible to tell.
My next issue, which is more of a personal thing, was the description of sports. I am a HUGE sports fan. While I recognize that a lot of the population doesn't care about sport technicalities - I do! And I find it especially important if you are going to be writing a book that sports becomes a focus in. For this reason I have a couple of go-to advice options for writers.
1.) skip over the game sequences - a fade to black and then jump back in post-game party
OR
2.) give a simple touchdown, field goal, free throw, base hit, ect. and then STOP. Don't try to create the scene for us. Action sequences are hard to write (and be understandable) as it is. Don't make it any more difficult than it has to be.
In one of the scenes, I believe what started out as a "quarterback sneak" actually turned the quarterback into a center and a receiver - in the same play - and then concluded with a tie game after one overtime...while in playoff season...Doesn't make sense! And while a majority of readers probably either skipped over that part or didn't realize it was wrong, there are those of us that DID notice and drove us near insane.
I also found the relationship pacing to be off. People (moms/dads/stepparents/friends/boyfriends/girlfriends) hated each other in one paragraph and were kissing/holding hands/best friends/frienemies/enemies in the next paragraph! Talk about whiplash.
The ebook version also has obvious edit lines in it which became extremely distracting. Many times "was" was edited to "were", or "has" to "have" - and I found myself having internal debates on whether or not the edit was correct!
If you are going try this book - look for an edited version after 6/1/13 (when this particular eBook was purchased).
Ratings:
Character love connection: Typical teen-aged style
Character development: *** (good back stories, but failed to portray real emotion)
Writing Quality: *** (errors)
Plot progression: **+ (lack of continuity)
http://www.thebookcove.com/2013/08/cr...
Had this book had a little more re-working, I think it could have been a lot better! For the good points, it has a decent plot and doesn't digress. The characters' trials and tribulations are laid our and believable. It depicts a fairly normal teenage life with the worries of parental approval, starting college, and figuring out what one wants to do in life. Another good thing - it doesn't have a cliffhanger ending. It simply tells a cute story of a good guy and an honest girl falling for each other even when their peers turn on them because of it.
However, throughout Crushing on the Enemy, you could tell that the author was trying to find a foothold with her characters. Unfortunately, the characters were wanting in substance and likability. This is a teen-based book that revolves around Alyssa and Jake in their senior year of High School - but an older reader can still enjoy the book as long as the dialog is good and actions make sense. And that is exactly where Crushing on the Enemy fell flat.
Starting with dialog, a lot of it was filler; "Yeah", "Okay", "Sure", etc. Because of that it was really hard to connect with the characters. Did Alyssa's "Okay" mean she was truly okay or was she trying to hide her disappointment? There was no depth to the dialog and it was about impossible to tell.
My next issue, which is more of a personal thing, was the description of sports. I am a HUGE sports fan. While I recognize that a lot of the population doesn't care about sport technicalities - I do! And I find it especially important if you are going to be writing a book that sports becomes a focus in. For this reason I have a couple of go-to advice options for writers.
1.) skip over the game sequences - a fade to black and then jump back in post-game party
OR
2.) give a simple touchdown, field goal, free throw, base hit, ect. and then STOP. Don't try to create the scene for us. Action sequences are hard to write (and be understandable) as it is. Don't make it any more difficult than it has to be.
In one of the scenes, I believe what started out as a "quarterback sneak" actually turned the quarterback into a center and a receiver - in the same play - and then concluded with a tie game after one overtime...while in playoff season...Doesn't make sense! And while a majority of readers probably either skipped over that part or didn't realize it was wrong, there are those of us that DID notice and drove us near insane.
I also found the relationship pacing to be off. People (moms/dads/stepparents/friends/boyfriends/girlfriends) hated each other in one paragraph and were kissing/holding hands/best friends/frienemies/enemies in the next paragraph! Talk about whiplash.
The ebook version also has obvious edit lines in it which became extremely distracting. Many times "was" was edited to "were", or "has" to "have" - and I found myself having internal debates on whether or not the edit was correct!
If you are going try this book - look for an edited version after 6/1/13 (when this particular eBook was purchased).
Ratings:
Character love connection: Typical teen-aged style
Character development: *** (good back stories, but failed to portray real emotion)
Writing Quality: *** (errors)
Plot progression: **+ (lack of continuity)
http://www.thebookcove.com/2013/08/cr...
May 27, 2013
It was an enjoyable story. There was nothing special about it. But it also was... You know... Cute. The ending was a little too perfect in my opinion... After reading the epilogue, I just thought: "Yeah right, like that's ever going to happen in real life."
Okay, something like that can happen in real life, but most teen relationships just don't last that long.
November 19, 2017
Creo que desperdicié totalmente el tiempo que le dediqué a este libro, no hubo nada entrañable en él, no la historia, no los personajes, no la narración, todo era un enorme pozo vacío. VACÍO. No lo recomiendo a nadie, lo mejor que puedes hacer en tu vida es no perder el tiempo leyendo esta basura insípida.
Want to read
June 8, 2013I'm not entirely sure why I want to read this, LOL. The cover really caught my eye and the summary sounds interesting, if standard. It's only 99 cents and could be a cute, mindless read. We'll see!
June 15, 2013
Awful. Just the bare bones, no meat.
The frame of a good story with no real details in the plot.
It was like the summary of a book.
No problems, no drama, no fun.
The frame of a good story with no real details in the plot.
It was like the summary of a book.
No problems, no drama, no fun.
October 11, 2019
Oh man was this book not great. It was super choppy and the whole basis of their relationship just seemed superficial. The way Alyssa was treating her friends and family by the end, she was just being a brat. I read to the end, hoping it would get better. It was just suddenly done and I feel like I would not have bet on them getting married and having this relationship work out. I'm curious what the other books in the series are about, but I don't know if I'm curious enough to actually read them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2023
So I was really thrilled for this book, I would have liked it probably if I read it when I got this book. If you are really young you would like this book, nothing really happens and it's a quick read too.
So this book starts out with Alyssa and Jake they are the main character in this book. Each chapter goes back to either one and tells what happens in third person, I personally don't like third person but in this book it works. To be honesty, this book doesn't really have any action nor drama really. And it is predictable to so I would keep that in mind when you read it.
So this book starts out with Alyssa and Jake they are the main character in this book. Each chapter goes back to either one and tells what happens in third person, I personally don't like third person but in this book it works. To be honesty, this book doesn't really have any action nor drama really. And it is predictable to so I would keep that in mind when you read it.
February 26, 2019
Es el primer libro que leo de Sarah Adams, y aunque es un libro corto, al principio se me hizo algo tedioso y me costo engancharme. A la mitad del libro mejoró la lectura, sin embargo, algunas escenas suceden tan rápido que uno se pierde en la lectura. En general no estuvo tan mal a como esperaba después de leer tantos comentarios malos.
August 14, 2017
Un libro muy sencillo con una trama sencilla, todo como que cae y ya. La autora pudo elaborar mas el argumento sin necesidad de caer en el drama, que aqui no hubo.
No esta mal pero no me dan ganas de leer el siguiente.
No esta mal pero no me dan ganas de leer el siguiente.
December 27, 2023
Que acabo de leer?!
October 12, 2014
2.5 stars
I bought this book because of the pretty cover, ('bought' being a loosely used word; it was free one day on Amazon) which may have not been the wisest decision. I knew that there was basically a ninety percent chance this would be the same old Romeo and Juliet kind of story, but I bought it anyway, hoping it would bring something new to the table.
My theory proved correct. This story was extremely predictable, with characters who weren't necessarily likeable. It seemed that basically every single girl that was introduced in this book was catty and rude. Alyssa included. Although other reviewers have brought up the sketchy divorce included in this book, I too have something to say about it; WHAT THE HECK??? Cody is not the problem! Your daughter is!
Luke was probably the nicest character in the book, though I didn't appreciate him calling Mattie annoying, because as much as she had her faults, she was the least catty girl in the whole book. Speaking of Mattie, one of the later scenes in the story was extremely hard to believe. SPOILER: Mattie goes and gossips to the cheerleaders that Alyssa will be dumping Jake soon, which isn't even true. Really? Mattie has been the super dependable best friend this whole time, and she gets a mad over something trivial that Alyssa has done, so she goes and stabs her in the back? It didn't click with me.
However, the book has its redeeming qualities. The main one is that it's a quick story that you can finish on the busiest of days. (I read it in the span of forty minutes tops on Christmas night.) As much as the book bugged me, the romance was cute, so I have bumped my rating up half a star.
I probably will not continue with this series.
This review (and others) can be found on http://myfullbookshelfreviews.blogspo...
I bought this book because of the pretty cover, ('bought' being a loosely used word; it was free one day on Amazon) which may have not been the wisest decision. I knew that there was basically a ninety percent chance this would be the same old Romeo and Juliet kind of story, but I bought it anyway, hoping it would bring something new to the table.
My theory proved correct. This story was extremely predictable, with characters who weren't necessarily likeable. It seemed that basically every single girl that was introduced in this book was catty and rude. Alyssa included. Although other reviewers have brought up the sketchy divorce included in this book, I too have something to say about it; WHAT THE HECK??? Cody is not the problem! Your daughter is!
Luke was probably the nicest character in the book, though I didn't appreciate him calling Mattie annoying, because as much as she had her faults, she was the least catty girl in the whole book. Speaking of Mattie, one of the later scenes in the story was extremely hard to believe. SPOILER: Mattie goes and gossips to the cheerleaders that Alyssa will be dumping Jake soon, which isn't even true. Really? Mattie has been the super dependable best friend this whole time, and she gets a mad over something trivial that Alyssa has done, so she goes and stabs her in the back? It didn't click with me.
However, the book has its redeeming qualities. The main one is that it's a quick story that you can finish on the busiest of days. (I read it in the span of forty minutes tops on Christmas night.) As much as the book bugged me, the romance was cute, so I have bumped my rating up half a star.
I probably will not continue with this series.
This review (and others) can be found on http://myfullbookshelfreviews.blogspo...
June 27, 2013
Crushing on the Enemy was a cute story of a nice girl meeting a sweet boy. Typically this is exactly the kind of book that I love. Sweet love story, with sweet characters. Unfortunately, some parts just fell flat for me.
Alyssa meets Jake at the end of a football game. She’s the head cheerleader; he’s on the rival team. At first, Alyssa wants nothing to do with him. She couldn’t possibly be interested in the enemy, could she? But when Jake keeps popping up, Alyssa’s resolve falters, and soon enough, they start dating.
Marked as a traitor, Alyssa struggles to find her new place at school, and her awful step-father doesn’t make life easier. But Alyssa is not the only one struggling. Jake’s father is no peach either. Can Alyssa and Jake’s budding love survive their parents and the drama of senior year? You’ll have to read Crushing on the Enemy to find out.
Okay, like I said at the start, Alyssa is a nice girl. She has an overabundance of school spirit. She keeps her grades up, and she has an overall positive outlook on life. And Jake, well, he really is a sweet guy. They really were a cute couple. Their overall characters could used a bit more substance, but as it is, I did get a good feeling for them, and by the last page, I was somewhat invested in how their lives would end up.
I guess my main issue with this book was the conflict. The issues Alyssa and Jake went through were realistic and had potential; it was just that everything was solved so easily, and it was the solving part that didn’t feel real to me. Everything was just very predictable and too easy to fix.
Overall, this was an okay read. It was quick, cute, had likeable characters, but unfortunately, it didn’t make it to my ‘Need to Re-read Shelf’.
Alyssa meets Jake at the end of a football game. She’s the head cheerleader; he’s on the rival team. At first, Alyssa wants nothing to do with him. She couldn’t possibly be interested in the enemy, could she? But when Jake keeps popping up, Alyssa’s resolve falters, and soon enough, they start dating.
Marked as a traitor, Alyssa struggles to find her new place at school, and her awful step-father doesn’t make life easier. But Alyssa is not the only one struggling. Jake’s father is no peach either. Can Alyssa and Jake’s budding love survive their parents and the drama of senior year? You’ll have to read Crushing on the Enemy to find out.
Okay, like I said at the start, Alyssa is a nice girl. She has an overabundance of school spirit. She keeps her grades up, and she has an overall positive outlook on life. And Jake, well, he really is a sweet guy. They really were a cute couple. Their overall characters could used a bit more substance, but as it is, I did get a good feeling for them, and by the last page, I was somewhat invested in how their lives would end up.
I guess my main issue with this book was the conflict. The issues Alyssa and Jake went through were realistic and had potential; it was just that everything was solved so easily, and it was the solving part that didn’t feel real to me. Everything was just very predictable and too easy to fix.
Overall, this was an okay read. It was quick, cute, had likeable characters, but unfortunately, it didn’t make it to my ‘Need to Re-read Shelf’.
August 11, 2013
First of all, there were so many mistakes underlined in this book I wondered if it was in fact the rough draft and wasn't supposed to be published yet.
There was absolutely no character development in the entirety of this story. And everyone was unlikable. The things the characters would get mad at didn't even make sense! Alyssa on of the main characters was 'so pissed off at her stepdad' the whole book for being worried about her safety. He asks her where she's been when she misses dinner and didn't call them. Is that really so bad? Isn't that a good thing that someone is concerned when you don't show up? Then the mother kicked him out of the house and asked for a divorce for a reason unjustified.
There was no depth to the book either. It was just a bland run-down of what happened. Like cliff-notes or something. I only spent 99 cents on this book...and I want my money back. That's how bad this book is. And it's not that its a cheesy teen romance book, I could handle JUST that...it's that the writing is atrocious! The characters are AWFUL! The plot line does not exist! IT is truly the worst book I have ever read...and that's saying something.
There was absolutely no character development in the entirety of this story. And everyone was unlikable. The things the characters would get mad at didn't even make sense! Alyssa on of the main characters was 'so pissed off at her stepdad' the whole book for being worried about her safety. He asks her where she's been when she misses dinner and didn't call them. Is that really so bad? Isn't that a good thing that someone is concerned when you don't show up? Then the mother kicked him out of the house and asked for a divorce for a reason unjustified.
There was no depth to the book either. It was just a bland run-down of what happened. Like cliff-notes or something. I only spent 99 cents on this book...and I want my money back. That's how bad this book is. And it's not that its a cheesy teen romance book, I could handle JUST that...it's that the writing is atrocious! The characters are AWFUL! The plot line does not exist! IT is truly the worst book I have ever read...and that's saying something.
May 31, 2013
First let me say, I love the cover and title of this book. It caught my attention immediately and made me want to read it. After reading the summary, I was positive I'd love it. Sure the plot's been done before but I love the 'popular girl falls in love with wrong boy' YA theme. Unfortunately, though I loved the characters and the story, it just didn't seem fleshed out to me. It was more like someone was just telling me what happened instead of showing me. 'She sobbed, and then he showed up and she was happy again'. Also, just about every time there was a conflict, his dad, her step-dad, her mom being angry, etc., it was easily solved without much angst or struggle. *Spoiler* Example: Her mom suddenly sticks up for her, out of the blue, and her step-dad just moves out. No build up and/or explanation. I really think this author has a lot of potential, and I did enjoy the story, but don't expect it to be another Abbi Glines novel or Tammara Webber's 'Easy'.
March 6, 2014
Cheering is Alyssa's life that is till she meets Jake who plays for the rivalry school. After losing to the Panthers Jakes friends decided to tee pee the panthers field. Jakes tries to stop them but falls asleep and when he got there his friend Craig was stomping on Alyssa's phone. Jake and Alyssa start dating and her cheerleading friends call her a traitor and deface her clothes and her locker. She quits the squad and starts cheering for Jake. Jake makes it to state, wins, and is going to Georgia with Alyssa. Alyssa changes her major to sports medicine, heads back to her hometown to get married to Jake after they finish college. Jake choices don't to go to the NFL and instead start a family with Alyssa.
April 22, 2015
WTF?!?!?
When I read the title and saw the beautiful color, I thought I was in for a huge treat.
Just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover!
First of all, Alyssa:

is a whiny little baby who seriously isn't a good friend. I understand that your father died and you grieve, but then you push forward. And if your mom is pushing forward, you should be happy for her.
That takes me to her mother. SHE WAS AN IDIOT! You never choose a man over your daughter!
I actually liked Jake, except for the fact that he was a huge pushover and needed to be more confident in himself.

Overall, I didn't like the story, but I will read something else from the author. I don't just want to quit her, but this book is a huge NO NO!
When I read the title and saw the beautiful color, I thought I was in for a huge treat.
Just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover!
First of all, Alyssa:

is a whiny little baby who seriously isn't a good friend. I understand that your father died and you grieve, but then you push forward. And if your mom is pushing forward, you should be happy for her.
That takes me to her mother. SHE WAS AN IDIOT! You never choose a man over your daughter!
I actually liked Jake, except for the fact that he was a huge pushover and needed to be more confident in himself.

Overall, I didn't like the story, but I will read something else from the author. I don't just want to quit her, but this book is a huge NO NO!
December 26, 2015
Honestly I don't know what to say about this book. I was hoping for more with that description. I didn't love or hate the book it was ok. It felt dull, there needed to be more to stand out, I feel like I've read this book a dozen different times just different names. The ending was okay, but what did she really like about the dude to want to change her college life for this dude. I wished to know more about the characters in general. I didn't really connect to the characters at all. I just wished that there was more to this book, it was okay.
September 15, 2013
I totally agree with those people who said that there are some sort of errors in this book but since I've been searching for a book with a cute plot I tried to consider this one.
Alyssa and Jake have troubles of their own but when the two of them met, everything goes on a poof! it just bothered me because Jake is such a wuss and Alyssa always doing the first move toward their relationship. lol
Alyssa and Jake have troubles of their own but when the two of them met, everything goes on a poof! it just bothered me because Jake is such a wuss and Alyssa always doing the first move toward their relationship. lol
June 8, 2013
ill give this book a rating of 4 it was a good book to read, Jake was a really nice guy even tho he went to a different school to alyssa, I think Jake and Alyssa are great together, I can't believe her cheerleading friends just dump her because she likes Jake, I enjoyed the ending it was really nice, this book was written pretty good,
September 9, 2016
Book was ok, but way too young for me I think. It was a bit naive and cute and totally appropriate for a much younger audience. No sex, just a few innocent kisses and they were way too moral for most teens I know today.
June 18, 2016
Waste of money
This book was not worth $3. Sure the plot was okay, however the characters were flat and poorly developed. I was unsure of the author's overall message as I'm sure there was one, but it was portrayed loosely. Good for a quick read, but not worth spending $2.99.
This book was not worth $3. Sure the plot was okay, however the characters were flat and poorly developed. I was unsure of the author's overall message as I'm sure there was one, but it was portrayed loosely. Good for a quick read, but not worth spending $2.99.
June 28, 2013
Boring!!read it all before, and coud see the ending after the first chapter!!:0(
June 27, 2013
I could not really get into this book.
June 8, 2013
Well, this book was an ok book. The story was good but I had a difficult time "feeling" it. If the author would've been more descriptive this book would be awesome!
August 7, 2013
It was to shallow to be really good. Both the storyline and the character felt shallow. It made me even skip some paragraphs of the story that just felt unnecessary
August 5, 2013
not enough story line to keep interested in. bored me to tears
September 22, 2013
este libro sí que me aburrió
October 7, 2013
No fue lo q esperaba :/
October 11, 2013
It was uhm ok!! :/
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews