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Beautiful One
Transformation, empowerment, love and music come together in the book, Beautiful One. Elizabeth Ryan is a beautiful, shy, naïve high school senior. Having never dated she meets the boy of her dreams, Aidan Mitchell. Despite his history of womanizing Liz is drawn to him. Soon Liz becomes the envy of all the girls on campus, when they become a couple and her dream boyfriend sweeps her off her feet and into the dating world that is all too new and strange for her. When other guys start to take notice of Liz, Aidan is troubled with fits of jealousy. Elizabeth then meets the ruggedly handsome, Spencer Hayes and they quickly bond over their passion for music. Liz begins to struggle with the feelings that spark between them. In the end Elizabeth finds herself torn between helping Aidan overcome his jealousy and anger and giving into what her heart truly wants.
316 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2014
1 person is currently reading
94 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 13, 2014
During her senior year in high school Elizabeth Ryan transforms from a slightly overweight, frizzy-haired, naïve student into a striking, perfectly coifed beauty that has no problem command male attention. This lifestyle makeover gives her the opportunity to date the boy of her dreams, Aidan Mitchell, and snag the attention of Spencer Hayes.
It sounds like the setup of a perfect New Adult novel, right? Well, if you know anything about high schoolers, their lives are FAR from perfect. In BEAUTIFUL ONE Mrs. Cope gives readers an opportunity to see how parents’ choices can have a lasting effect on their children’s actions and their relationships.
BEAUTIFUL ONE asks readers to look deeply into the characters, beyond the surface love triangle.
Elizabeth (a.k.a. Liz) is a fraternal twin that spent a lot of her overweight, high school years envying her brother, Mason’s perfect relationship with her friend Melissa. They’re the type of teens that have no problem kissing in front of their friends and when Mason’s band groupies get overzealous they laugh it off because their relationship is build on love and trust. From what can be gathered from this story, Liz, Mason and Melissa come from supportive, loving families and each teen as have a strong ideal of what a healthy relationship looks like.
On the other side of the spectrum is the background of Aidan Mitchell and Spencer Hayes. Both young men are dealing with their parents’ baggage and it colors the way they handle their responsibilities and their relationships. So when you place a beautiful, shy, compassionate girl (Liz) in between them it makes for an eventful academic year.
I really enjoyed the way Mrs. Cope layered her characters. There wasn’t a clear-cut hero or a villain. I could easily tell you the reasons you should be Team Aiden or Team Spencer because both of these young men are inherently good guys. The way this novel is written makes you feel like you’re right in high school with these students. Emotions are raw and complex as they learn more about themselves and the repercussions of their choices at the close of senior year.
This novel is clean fiction that focuses on how teenagers deal with reinventing themselves, pre-martial sex, the toxicity of controlling relationships, vehicular manslaughter, and the repercussions of parental drug abuse. It also showcases how healthy relationships will push you to be a stronger person to reach your goals (i.e. conquering shyness and tackling hard subjects to improve your GPA).
Mrs. Cope created beautifully flawed characters determined to live by their own rules. She makes readers feel like they’ve stepped into the lives of the teenagers surrounding a budding Indie-Alternative California band.
Everything about this first installment was perfect. I love the relationships, the second chance, the misunderstandings, and the tender kisses. The characters are so well developed that by the end of the novel you’ll feel like you know them personally.
I’m looking forward to the other books in this series and I highly recommend BEAUTIFUL ONE for all New Adult readers.
It sounds like the setup of a perfect New Adult novel, right? Well, if you know anything about high schoolers, their lives are FAR from perfect. In BEAUTIFUL ONE Mrs. Cope gives readers an opportunity to see how parents’ choices can have a lasting effect on their children’s actions and their relationships.
BEAUTIFUL ONE asks readers to look deeply into the characters, beyond the surface love triangle.
Elizabeth (a.k.a. Liz) is a fraternal twin that spent a lot of her overweight, high school years envying her brother, Mason’s perfect relationship with her friend Melissa. They’re the type of teens that have no problem kissing in front of their friends and when Mason’s band groupies get overzealous they laugh it off because their relationship is build on love and trust. From what can be gathered from this story, Liz, Mason and Melissa come from supportive, loving families and each teen as have a strong ideal of what a healthy relationship looks like.
On the other side of the spectrum is the background of Aidan Mitchell and Spencer Hayes. Both young men are dealing with their parents’ baggage and it colors the way they handle their responsibilities and their relationships. So when you place a beautiful, shy, compassionate girl (Liz) in between them it makes for an eventful academic year.
I really enjoyed the way Mrs. Cope layered her characters. There wasn’t a clear-cut hero or a villain. I could easily tell you the reasons you should be Team Aiden or Team Spencer because both of these young men are inherently good guys. The way this novel is written makes you feel like you’re right in high school with these students. Emotions are raw and complex as they learn more about themselves and the repercussions of their choices at the close of senior year.
This novel is clean fiction that focuses on how teenagers deal with reinventing themselves, pre-martial sex, the toxicity of controlling relationships, vehicular manslaughter, and the repercussions of parental drug abuse. It also showcases how healthy relationships will push you to be a stronger person to reach your goals (i.e. conquering shyness and tackling hard subjects to improve your GPA).
Mrs. Cope created beautifully flawed characters determined to live by their own rules. She makes readers feel like they’ve stepped into the lives of the teenagers surrounding a budding Indie-Alternative California band.
Everything about this first installment was perfect. I love the relationships, the second chance, the misunderstandings, and the tender kisses. The characters are so well developed that by the end of the novel you’ll feel like you know them personally.
I’m looking forward to the other books in this series and I highly recommend BEAUTIFUL ONE for all New Adult readers.
June 15, 2014
I like it when a book starts off with an intriguing hook then pulls me in like Beautiful One did. The story is fast paced and well written; a story about a young lady in her senior year in high school and her journey into the dating world and her own emotional growth. Mary Cope has a way with words in that, for me, her writing is so descriptive and her characters so alive. She pays attention to details with the settings that brought me into Elizabeth’s world helping me picture every scene. The emotions of each character were touching, real. This story is a great read and I’m looking forward to the next two that will complete the trilogy.
February 14, 2016
Even though I am probably not the intended demographic for this novel, I loved it!! A tale of a once heavy girl, who finds herself winning the attention of the popular boy, even though she's not always sure how much of his attention she wants. I really enjoyed this young adult story about a girl's struggle to do the right thing by everyone, including herself. Its a clean read I would recommend to my teenagers.
November 17, 2014
Despite the occasionally abrupt scene shifts and the feeling that Spencer arrives a little late in the book, Ms. Cope pens an enrapturing tale.
Read full review in the 2014 November issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2014 November issue of InD’tale Magazine.
September 10, 2014
** JOSIE'S 4.5 STAR REVIEW **
Beautiful One by Mary Cope is a new adult novel focusing on young adults in high school who appear to have it all together on the outside but on the inside things are not what they seem. Elizabeth Ryan is a senior in High school. She has always been a little over weight, naïve and never felt pretty. Until one day she decided to lose weight and slowly the boys started to notice how beautiful Liz is. The change in Liz gave her the confidence and chance to date Aidan Mitchell, the boy she had a crush on. She also catches the eyes of Spencer Hayes.
Liz is the fraternal twin to her brother Mason and because of her weight issues, she was never in a relationship. She was jealous of her brother’s relationship with her best friend Melissa. Mason and Liz have a very comfortable and loving relationship. Mason is in a band and all of the members are used to seeing how close their relationship is. Mason is always trying to get his sister to come out of her shell and sing with the band.
Aidan and Spencer have different back grounds than Liz. They both have parents that are troubled and are still dealing with the baggage their families left behind. Because of their troubled upbringing, they both handle relationships differently than Liz. Liz is a lovely, shy, kindhearted girl and she is thrown into a world she never thought possible.
Aidan opens up to Liz, in ways he hasn’t done with anyone else. He is in Mason’s band and tries to get Liz to sing with them as well, but Liz is never interested. Liz sees a side of Aidan that no one sees and because of that she knows there is a lot of good in him, even when friends tell her to be careful with her heart. Being in a relationship with Liz is new and difficult for Aidan. He has so much going on in his life and does not know how to react in certain situations. Liz is patient with Aiden and tries to help him through his feelings.
“I was worried about you. I hadn’t heard from you since earlier today. I texted mason and Melissa but they haven’t texted me back. Then I thought I’d come over to find out where you were. When I didn’t hear from you it drove me crazy.”
“Aidan, it’s no big deal. He’s the music director.”
“No big deal? You’re clueless, Liz. That guys into you.”
“Aidan you have got to stop being jealous. Please don’t me this way.”
“I know, Liz. I guess it just got to me. First it was Spencer and now this guy. I’ve never felt this way before. I hate the thought of someone taking you away from me.”
Spencer has taken over as director of the choir is Liz and Mason’s church. There is an immediate connection between the two, but neither will act on. Liz loves Aidan and will not do anything to damage their relationship. Spencer knows that Liz is shy so he encourages her to sing in front for the choir by offering to help in private. Spencer brings out feelings from Liz that she does not understand. With Spencer’s help, support and kindness Liz’s self-confidence increases. She overcomes her fear and ends up singing lead in the church choir and with band.
“Are you alright, darling? Shhh, you’re safe.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t Elizabeth. When you’ve gone through anything tragic, you never know when it’s going to hit you. Trust me, I know.”
“Never got to dance with a pretty girl to some cheesy song.”
“I’ve never slow-danced before.”
“Do you know how much I wanted you?”
“Yes. As much as I wanted you.”
The author has a way to make a reader connect with all the major characters in this book. When it comes to Aidan and Spencer you really do not know there is a wrong choice for Liz. They both love Liz and will do anything for her. The author had a way of writing these characters where I really could not pick a team. I loved them both. I am normally the type of reader that has a team picked out by the middle of a book and I could not do that. I honestly did not want either one to lose. My emotions were both raw and complex as I started to learn more about the characters and how the choices each make will have consequences whether good or bad.
The author gives readers a book that is innocent and clean shows us how teenagers deal with changes, sex, healthy and unhealthy relationships, vehicular manslaughter, and how parental drug abuse can leave families with long lasting negative effects. Mary Cope created brilliant imperfect characters that are unwavering in living their lives the way the want to. She had a way that made me connect with the characters and feel what they experienced and I felt like I was once again a teenager. The characters are so well established, by the time I finished the book, I felt like I knew them all personally. Will Aidan be able to keep the girl that showed him unconditional love, in the darkest times? Will Liz be able to distinguish between first love and true love? Will Spencer be able to win Liz’ heart? Who will Liz choose, Aidan or Spencer? The answer to that is by clicking and reading.
Beautiful One by Mary Cope is a new adult novel focusing on young adults in high school who appear to have it all together on the outside but on the inside things are not what they seem. Elizabeth Ryan is a senior in High school. She has always been a little over weight, naïve and never felt pretty. Until one day she decided to lose weight and slowly the boys started to notice how beautiful Liz is. The change in Liz gave her the confidence and chance to date Aidan Mitchell, the boy she had a crush on. She also catches the eyes of Spencer Hayes.
Liz is the fraternal twin to her brother Mason and because of her weight issues, she was never in a relationship. She was jealous of her brother’s relationship with her best friend Melissa. Mason and Liz have a very comfortable and loving relationship. Mason is in a band and all of the members are used to seeing how close their relationship is. Mason is always trying to get his sister to come out of her shell and sing with the band.
Aidan and Spencer have different back grounds than Liz. They both have parents that are troubled and are still dealing with the baggage their families left behind. Because of their troubled upbringing, they both handle relationships differently than Liz. Liz is a lovely, shy, kindhearted girl and she is thrown into a world she never thought possible.
Aidan opens up to Liz, in ways he hasn’t done with anyone else. He is in Mason’s band and tries to get Liz to sing with them as well, but Liz is never interested. Liz sees a side of Aidan that no one sees and because of that she knows there is a lot of good in him, even when friends tell her to be careful with her heart. Being in a relationship with Liz is new and difficult for Aidan. He has so much going on in his life and does not know how to react in certain situations. Liz is patient with Aiden and tries to help him through his feelings.
“I was worried about you. I hadn’t heard from you since earlier today. I texted mason and Melissa but they haven’t texted me back. Then I thought I’d come over to find out where you were. When I didn’t hear from you it drove me crazy.”
“Aidan, it’s no big deal. He’s the music director.”
“No big deal? You’re clueless, Liz. That guys into you.”
“Aidan you have got to stop being jealous. Please don’t me this way.”
“I know, Liz. I guess it just got to me. First it was Spencer and now this guy. I’ve never felt this way before. I hate the thought of someone taking you away from me.”
Spencer has taken over as director of the choir is Liz and Mason’s church. There is an immediate connection between the two, but neither will act on. Liz loves Aidan and will not do anything to damage their relationship. Spencer knows that Liz is shy so he encourages her to sing in front for the choir by offering to help in private. Spencer brings out feelings from Liz that she does not understand. With Spencer’s help, support and kindness Liz’s self-confidence increases. She overcomes her fear and ends up singing lead in the church choir and with band.
“Are you alright, darling? Shhh, you’re safe.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t Elizabeth. When you’ve gone through anything tragic, you never know when it’s going to hit you. Trust me, I know.”
“Never got to dance with a pretty girl to some cheesy song.”
“I’ve never slow-danced before.”
“Do you know how much I wanted you?”
“Yes. As much as I wanted you.”
The author has a way to make a reader connect with all the major characters in this book. When it comes to Aidan and Spencer you really do not know there is a wrong choice for Liz. They both love Liz and will do anything for her. The author had a way of writing these characters where I really could not pick a team. I loved them both. I am normally the type of reader that has a team picked out by the middle of a book and I could not do that. I honestly did not want either one to lose. My emotions were both raw and complex as I started to learn more about the characters and how the choices each make will have consequences whether good or bad.
The author gives readers a book that is innocent and clean shows us how teenagers deal with changes, sex, healthy and unhealthy relationships, vehicular manslaughter, and how parental drug abuse can leave families with long lasting negative effects. Mary Cope created brilliant imperfect characters that are unwavering in living their lives the way the want to. She had a way that made me connect with the characters and feel what they experienced and I felt like I was once again a teenager. The characters are so well established, by the time I finished the book, I felt like I knew them all personally. Will Aidan be able to keep the girl that showed him unconditional love, in the darkest times? Will Liz be able to distinguish between first love and true love? Will Spencer be able to win Liz’ heart? Who will Liz choose, Aidan or Spencer? The answer to that is by clicking and reading.
September 22, 2014
*this review originally appeared at www.readsandreviews.com
Beautiful One, the début novel from Mary Cope, is a timeless story of a young woman on the brink of adulthood who finds herself on a path of self-discovery. The first in a planned trilogy centered on young women struggling with their self-image, Beautiful One is complete with more than one coming of age story and the bittersweet experience of first love.
Elizabeth “Liz” Ryan is an overweight wallflower and rising high school senior when we first meet her. Her twin, Mason, is her opposite in almost every way: lead singer in a popular local band, Random Plan, handsome, popular, and half of the “it” couple at their high school. Despite their differences, Liz and Mason are unexpectedly close and part of a solid, loving family. The twins are members of their church’s band, the one place that Liz feels comfortable in shaking off her self-image issues and sharing her beautiful singing voice, despite her need to hide behind her piano.
An embarrassing encounter with Random Plan’s new bassist, Aidan Mitchell, tips the scales for Liz, leading her to lose the weight that is at the core of her low self-esteem. She starts an enthusiastic and successful campaign to change her unhealthy lifestyle and a request for tutoring puts her firmly on Aidan’s radar. Despite Aidan’s well-deserved womanizing reputation, a newly svelte Liz agrees to a date, and eventually a relationship with the sexy, blonde, and blue-eyed musician as both find themselves experiencing love for the first time.
As things change for Liz two seemingly insignificant things happen: she takes a spill while out running and finds herself saved by a mysterious stranger and Liz and Mason gain a new band leader at church, Spencer Hayes.
As Spencer spends more time working with the church group he recognizes Liz’s musical talent, coaxing the spotlight-shy young woman from behind her piano, giving her the courage to share her music with the world. As her confidence grows, the reader witnesses Liz’s journey as she learns to love herself, inside and out.
I enjoyed reading Beautiful One as it has many of the elements readers have come to expect from a YA novel. Mary Cope creates a fairly diverse cast of characters to support Liz’s story including Mason’s girlfriend and Liz’s best friend, Melissa, a young woman that’s down to earth, sure of herself, and a dedicated friend. Spencer is a young man of quiet strength who has overcome tragedy and loss. It’s Aidan, though, that is the story’s most complex character and, though this is Liz’s story of self-discovery, he is the one that struggles the most to find himself.
As much as there is to like about Beautiful One, Cope struggles at times to find her footing. She writes believable teenagers, including Liz’s boy crazy tendencies and the typical speech patterns you’d find from teens on the brink of adulthood, but there are many unnecessary scenes, which affect the story’s pacing. There were moments that Cope teetered into cliché territory, but she seemed to always bounce back with a nice touch of originality. My biggest disappointment with Beautiful One was the lack of detail showcasing Liz’s weight loss. Yes, there are many passages of Liz running, but they were more of a plot device then a lesson on healthy weight loss. Seeing Liz struggle to make changes would let Cope’s young readers know that losing weight/getting healthy takes time and in the end is something you have to do for yourself and not to catch a boy’s eye.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
Beautiful One, the début novel from Mary Cope, is a timeless story of a young woman on the brink of adulthood who finds herself on a path of self-discovery. The first in a planned trilogy centered on young women struggling with their self-image, Beautiful One is complete with more than one coming of age story and the bittersweet experience of first love.
Elizabeth “Liz” Ryan is an overweight wallflower and rising high school senior when we first meet her. Her twin, Mason, is her opposite in almost every way: lead singer in a popular local band, Random Plan, handsome, popular, and half of the “it” couple at their high school. Despite their differences, Liz and Mason are unexpectedly close and part of a solid, loving family. The twins are members of their church’s band, the one place that Liz feels comfortable in shaking off her self-image issues and sharing her beautiful singing voice, despite her need to hide behind her piano.
An embarrassing encounter with Random Plan’s new bassist, Aidan Mitchell, tips the scales for Liz, leading her to lose the weight that is at the core of her low self-esteem. She starts an enthusiastic and successful campaign to change her unhealthy lifestyle and a request for tutoring puts her firmly on Aidan’s radar. Despite Aidan’s well-deserved womanizing reputation, a newly svelte Liz agrees to a date, and eventually a relationship with the sexy, blonde, and blue-eyed musician as both find themselves experiencing love for the first time.
As things change for Liz two seemingly insignificant things happen: she takes a spill while out running and finds herself saved by a mysterious stranger and Liz and Mason gain a new band leader at church, Spencer Hayes.
As Spencer spends more time working with the church group he recognizes Liz’s musical talent, coaxing the spotlight-shy young woman from behind her piano, giving her the courage to share her music with the world. As her confidence grows, the reader witnesses Liz’s journey as she learns to love herself, inside and out.
I enjoyed reading Beautiful One as it has many of the elements readers have come to expect from a YA novel. Mary Cope creates a fairly diverse cast of characters to support Liz’s story including Mason’s girlfriend and Liz’s best friend, Melissa, a young woman that’s down to earth, sure of herself, and a dedicated friend. Spencer is a young man of quiet strength who has overcome tragedy and loss. It’s Aidan, though, that is the story’s most complex character and, though this is Liz’s story of self-discovery, he is the one that struggles the most to find himself.
As much as there is to like about Beautiful One, Cope struggles at times to find her footing. She writes believable teenagers, including Liz’s boy crazy tendencies and the typical speech patterns you’d find from teens on the brink of adulthood, but there are many unnecessary scenes, which affect the story’s pacing. There were moments that Cope teetered into cliché territory, but she seemed to always bounce back with a nice touch of originality. My biggest disappointment with Beautiful One was the lack of detail showcasing Liz’s weight loss. Yes, there are many passages of Liz running, but they were more of a plot device then a lesson on healthy weight loss. Seeing Liz struggle to make changes would let Cope’s young readers know that losing weight/getting healthy takes time and in the end is something you have to do for yourself and not to catch a boy’s eye.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*
September 22, 2014
Elizabeth Ryan (Liz) has envied her fraternal twin, Mason. He’s outgoing and has a wonderful, loving relationship with Liz’s best friend, Melissa. Liz has always been hiding because she’s overweight and has a head full of frizzy hair.
During their senior year in high school, Liz finds herself crushing on Aidan Mitchell, Mason’s bandmate. One instance of him talking to her, and she decides that she wants to do something about her appearance. She begins to eat better and exercise and suddenly after months, she’s lost so much weight and is looking good. Aidan asks her for tutoring in Math and after some time, they become a couple.
This book deals with toxic relationships, in the form of Aidan and his possessiveness and jealousy. He is constantly checking up on Liz and even her speaking to another guy sets his temper flaring. When the new music director, Spencer Hayes, shows up and the chemistry between him and Liz starts showing, Aidan becomes even worse and Liz has a hard time dealing with his temper.
We are also shown how sometimes our first crush, is just that, a crush and not necessarily our first love. Liz has a hard time saying “I love you” to Aidan, and no matter how much she likes him and tries, she can’t seem to say it. Aidan’s behavior and her constant nearness and interaction with Spencer begin to take a toll on Liz and her heart takes a beating. She realizes that things need to change and she has to make a choice.
The characters are very well layered and the story develops at a great pace. Both Aidan and Spencer are good guys so deciding who the real hero is can be a bit difficult. Liz is a very smart girl and she has her ideas straight, making it difficult for her to be influenced.
All these characters make you feel like you’re back in high school, living through first crushes, loves, and lasting friendships. The way they deal with their emotions, responsibilities, and relationships is very real and by the end of the story, you will feel like you really know them.
During their senior year in high school, Liz finds herself crushing on Aidan Mitchell, Mason’s bandmate. One instance of him talking to her, and she decides that she wants to do something about her appearance. She begins to eat better and exercise and suddenly after months, she’s lost so much weight and is looking good. Aidan asks her for tutoring in Math and after some time, they become a couple.
This book deals with toxic relationships, in the form of Aidan and his possessiveness and jealousy. He is constantly checking up on Liz and even her speaking to another guy sets his temper flaring. When the new music director, Spencer Hayes, shows up and the chemistry between him and Liz starts showing, Aidan becomes even worse and Liz has a hard time dealing with his temper.
We are also shown how sometimes our first crush, is just that, a crush and not necessarily our first love. Liz has a hard time saying “I love you” to Aidan, and no matter how much she likes him and tries, she can’t seem to say it. Aidan’s behavior and her constant nearness and interaction with Spencer begin to take a toll on Liz and her heart takes a beating. She realizes that things need to change and she has to make a choice.
The characters are very well layered and the story develops at a great pace. Both Aidan and Spencer are good guys so deciding who the real hero is can be a bit difficult. Liz is a very smart girl and she has her ideas straight, making it difficult for her to be influenced.
All these characters make you feel like you’re back in high school, living through first crushes, loves, and lasting friendships. The way they deal with their emotions, responsibilities, and relationships is very real and by the end of the story, you will feel like you really know them.
September 10, 2014
It was amazing! I love how the plot was created.
It's about Elizabeth Ryan who has this huge crush on Adian Mitchell and knowing Adian is out of her league by being "fat" and all, she started exercising and doing stuff to make her look good. When Adian finally notices Liz, he fell in love with her and asked her to be his girlfriend.
When the For Sale house near Elizabeth's house was sold, she was intrigued to find out who bought it and got a glimpse of her new hot neighbor, Spencer .She was attracted to him physically with his mysterious demeanor but stayed loyal to Adian. But there is more to him than just her neighbor.
Wanna know more about how the story goes?? READ IT!
I just love how the story was not the usual boy meets girl and they fell in love then something happen and yadah yadah yadah. . .
I am still a TEAM ADIAN because I saw how hard he's trying to be better for Elizabeth and for himself and how he loved Elizabeth. I see what Elizabeth seees in Adian and I just can't seem to move on and say he is a "jerk" for what he did. He has a past and I fully and completely understand it. Though I agree the he needs to do something that Elizabeth told him to do.
Though, I also like Spencer in the story; how he was the source of the confidence and faith of Elizabeth to believe in herself, was a guy to keep.
Both men are great but the character that won the medal would be Elizabeth. She is super sweet and kind and gentle that in the beginning and half way through the story her kindness has been overused but still she remain the sweetheart I love. I also liked how she was strong throughout her trials in the story and how she grew even stronger achieving the greatness that was always within her.
This story is a great read because it really talks about teenagers and how their way of life is when dark past are there and how to see goodness to people even when they keep on hurting you until they realized the fault in their actions and truly change.
FIGHT. FAITH. FINISH.
It's about Elizabeth Ryan who has this huge crush on Adian Mitchell and knowing Adian is out of her league by being "fat" and all, she started exercising and doing stuff to make her look good. When Adian finally notices Liz, he fell in love with her and asked her to be his girlfriend.
When the For Sale house near Elizabeth's house was sold, she was intrigued to find out who bought it and got a glimpse of her new hot neighbor, Spencer .She was attracted to him physically with his mysterious demeanor but stayed loyal to Adian. But there is more to him than just her neighbor.
Wanna know more about how the story goes?? READ IT!
I just love how the story was not the usual boy meets girl and they fell in love then something happen and yadah yadah yadah. . .
I am still a TEAM ADIAN because I saw how hard he's trying to be better for Elizabeth and for himself and how he loved Elizabeth. I see what Elizabeth seees in Adian and I just can't seem to move on and say he is a "jerk" for what he did. He has a past and I fully and completely understand it. Though I agree the he needs to do something that Elizabeth told him to do.
Though, I also like Spencer in the story; how he was the source of the confidence and faith of Elizabeth to believe in herself, was a guy to keep.
Both men are great but the character that won the medal would be Elizabeth. She is super sweet and kind and gentle that in the beginning and half way through the story her kindness has been overused but still she remain the sweetheart I love. I also liked how she was strong throughout her trials in the story and how she grew even stronger achieving the greatness that was always within her.
This story is a great read because it really talks about teenagers and how their way of life is when dark past are there and how to see goodness to people even when they keep on hurting you until they realized the fault in their actions and truly change.
FIGHT. FAITH. FINISH.
March 26, 2015
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *
This is author Mary Cope's debut novel and she has started off with a true winner! I loved this book from the very first page, well to be honest from just looking at the cover! I immediately became invested in the book shortly after starting it. My heart went out to Liz as soon as her brother brought Aiden over to meet her and her first thought was that she needed to change for him. This is a subject that every girl or woman can relate to on a personal level...some of us actually do change for a guy and some of us don't, but we can all relate!
I loved the characters and even though they were of high school age (and I am not) it brought me right back to those awkward days! The author did an amazing job with developing the characters. I love the twin bond between Liz and Mason that she created as well as the band's bond with each other and with Liz. The characters were just likable and complex enough that the reader could relate, empathize with and enjoy them. Throughout the book we are introduced to several more characters, Spencer most notably and it makes the reader wonder why they ever rooted for Aiden...
The plot is smooth, fast paced and fun. I enjoyed the banter between characters, as it was realistic and funny to read - it was true real life banter. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the twists, turns, loops and curves that the author threw at us were surprising, intriguing and original as she kept the reader on the edge of their seats. This was a fast paced book that instantly jumped onto my top reads list and I know that it will yours as well. Do yourself a favor and get this book soon! You won't want to miss out on the story, characters or lessons that the author is trying to get across to us! Add it to your TBR list soon and Enjoy!
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
This is author Mary Cope's debut novel and she has started off with a true winner! I loved this book from the very first page, well to be honest from just looking at the cover! I immediately became invested in the book shortly after starting it. My heart went out to Liz as soon as her brother brought Aiden over to meet her and her first thought was that she needed to change for him. This is a subject that every girl or woman can relate to on a personal level...some of us actually do change for a guy and some of us don't, but we can all relate!
I loved the characters and even though they were of high school age (and I am not) it brought me right back to those awkward days! The author did an amazing job with developing the characters. I love the twin bond between Liz and Mason that she created as well as the band's bond with each other and with Liz. The characters were just likable and complex enough that the reader could relate, empathize with and enjoy them. Throughout the book we are introduced to several more characters, Spencer most notably and it makes the reader wonder why they ever rooted for Aiden...
The plot is smooth, fast paced and fun. I enjoyed the banter between characters, as it was realistic and funny to read - it was true real life banter. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the twists, turns, loops and curves that the author threw at us were surprising, intriguing and original as she kept the reader on the edge of their seats. This was a fast paced book that instantly jumped onto my top reads list and I know that it will yours as well. Do yourself a favor and get this book soon! You won't want to miss out on the story, characters or lessons that the author is trying to get across to us! Add it to your TBR list soon and Enjoy!
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
September 10, 2014
Check out more of my reviews on my blog www.gemmareadstoomuchforittomenormal....
3.5 Stars
Beautiful One is a standalone novel by an author I have never read before; I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review so here goes....
This is a YA book and it’s suitable for everyone especially tween and teenage girls.
To say that this book is sickly sweet would be a severe understatement!!!
Liz is the atypical ‘fat’ girl who is prompted to lose weight when a hot new boy starts at her school. I liked Liz she was innocent to the point of ridiculous but there was an endearing quality to her naivety.
I have to say that I hated Aiden from his first appearance and he didn’t grow on me at all. He showed no real interest in Liz until she was a stick thin size 4 and then turned into a possessive asshole.
I’m not sure about Spencer he was the sweet ‘church’ boy but dressed in tats and riding a bad boy motorbike. I just felt like he acted far too old for his 21 years and was almost a father figure to Liz and Mason.
To be honest this book was just so sweet and innocent it reminded me of a point romance for those of you old enough to have heard of them crossed with a sweet valley high feel.
I absolutely loved Mason and Melissa they were so lovely and in love and such a likeable couple.
This is a story about first love and for that reason I appreciated the cuteness. Even the drama was so damn adorable I struggled to take it seriously.
If you are looking for an easy, happy read that is guaranteed to put a smirk on your face then this is the book for you. For me it was too Brady bunch nice so 3.5 stars.
3.5 Stars
Beautiful One is a standalone novel by an author I have never read before; I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review so here goes....
This is a YA book and it’s suitable for everyone especially tween and teenage girls.
To say that this book is sickly sweet would be a severe understatement!!!
Liz is the atypical ‘fat’ girl who is prompted to lose weight when a hot new boy starts at her school. I liked Liz she was innocent to the point of ridiculous but there was an endearing quality to her naivety.
I have to say that I hated Aiden from his first appearance and he didn’t grow on me at all. He showed no real interest in Liz until she was a stick thin size 4 and then turned into a possessive asshole.
I’m not sure about Spencer he was the sweet ‘church’ boy but dressed in tats and riding a bad boy motorbike. I just felt like he acted far too old for his 21 years and was almost a father figure to Liz and Mason.
To be honest this book was just so sweet and innocent it reminded me of a point romance for those of you old enough to have heard of them crossed with a sweet valley high feel.
I absolutely loved Mason and Melissa they were so lovely and in love and such a likeable couple.
This is a story about first love and for that reason I appreciated the cuteness. Even the drama was so damn adorable I struggled to take it seriously.
If you are looking for an easy, happy read that is guaranteed to put a smirk on your face then this is the book for you. For me it was too Brady bunch nice so 3.5 stars.
September 11, 2014
I was so very happy to read this book Beautiful One. It was so refreshing to read a current NA
book. The characters were so real and with Cope's writing ability they really grabbed you an suck you in.This has a little bit of everything music, love and heartache. Sweet Liz decides one day that she wants to change her lifestyle and puts her mind to eating healthy and starts running. As time goes by she has lost 40 pounds and looks fabulous. being one to never really be into guys all that much they start checking her out.One in particular was Aiden Mitchell he played in her brothers band and although he was considered a ladies man she was still swept off her feet by him. Liz was a fabulous singer herself but only wanted to sing at Church. Aiden and her brother and the rest of the band really wanted her to sing with them but she was just not that comfortable yet. Until she met the new music director at the Church Spencer Hayes and boy what a man. Spencer loved her voice and decided that he would help her get over her fear so they started meeting once a week. Will Spencer give Liz more than just music lessons or will he fall for her? Will Mr Casanova Aiden sway towards his old ways with others? Be sure to check out this first book in this trilogy. I so cannot wait to read the next one.
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for an honest opinion.
September 25, 2014
I won this book a while back as part of a release party for the publisher. I'd forgotten about it, but found it while scrolling through my Kindle. Reading and supporting fellow authors is very important to me, so I put it in my queue. So glad I finally got around to reading it!
BEAUTIFUL ONE was a solid YA read that focuses on Elizabeth, a teenager naive to relationships, her boyfriend Aidan, and smokin' hot neighbor Spencer. Elizabeth has to deal with all kinds of relationship pitfalls, and stares down some tough decisions. I liked that this was a fairly clean read (no language and no graphic sex. When I say no graphic sex, I mean there are implications--unbuttoned pants, a couple in a backseat, that kind of thing--but no nitty gritty details) while still being fairly realistic and romantic.
I had a few minor technical issues with the story, which I'm blaming on the fact that I'm also a writer and always wear my critique hat... even when I don't want to.
This was a book I looked forward to sitting down with whenever I had the chance to do some reading. I even fell in love with a certain character (not telling who, though!). Hoping there's more to come in this story!
BEAUTIFUL ONE was a solid YA read that focuses on Elizabeth, a teenager naive to relationships, her boyfriend Aidan, and smokin' hot neighbor Spencer. Elizabeth has to deal with all kinds of relationship pitfalls, and stares down some tough decisions. I liked that this was a fairly clean read (no language and no graphic sex. When I say no graphic sex, I mean there are implications--unbuttoned pants, a couple in a backseat, that kind of thing--but no nitty gritty details) while still being fairly realistic and romantic.
I had a few minor technical issues with the story, which I'm blaming on the fact that I'm also a writer and always wear my critique hat... even when I don't want to.
This was a book I looked forward to sitting down with whenever I had the chance to do some reading. I even fell in love with a certain character (not telling who, though!). Hoping there's more to come in this story!
September 8, 2014
I see this book as a coming of age story about a young girl finding herself and beginning to feel comfortable in her own skin. We have all had those moments when we want to change ourselves to get the attention of someone we lust after,and Elizabeth does just that. Despite being ready for the change in her appearance she is never ready for where this attention leads her life to. Aidan is your typical boy who you can love and hate of equal measure. While Spencer is the guy who is soulful and full of tortured emotions it seems. The scene with Maggie and Elizabeth being injured was so traumatic i really did not know who would survive. Mason and Melissa are such a cute couple who will stand by Elizabeth no matter what, and are true friends. The situation between Spencer and Elizabeth was so ramped up with tension and emotions it was like waiting to see if the spark would start a fire between the two. This story is suitable for young teenagers as it discusses feelings they may begin experiencing soon in their lives, while for us adults it reminds us of that innocence and vulnerable time when we where all beginning dating and dealing with relationships
September 8, 2014
This was such a great read!! Once I started, I was hooked and did not want to put this book down.
Elizabeth (Liz) is tired of living in the shadows of her fraternal twin brother Mason. Being over weight most of her life she decides to make a change to gain the attention of her brothers best friend Aiden. Once she loses the weight and finally gains Aiden's attention things begin to change. Aiden is always jealous of anybody Liz talks to.
Spencer Hayes comes to town to take over the music directors position at the church Mason and Liz attend. No matter how hard she tries, Liz has an instant connection with Spencer. She wants things to work with Aiden but over time, she knows he is not the one for her. In the end, will Elizabeth stay with Aiden and deal with all his jealousy or will she take a leap of faith and finally be with Spencer?
I really loved the ending of this book but I so did not want it to end. I am crossing my fingers that maybe we will get another book on someone in the series so we can at least see how things are going for Elizabeth and her man :)
This is my first Mary Cope book but it will not be my last!!
Elizabeth (Liz) is tired of living in the shadows of her fraternal twin brother Mason. Being over weight most of her life she decides to make a change to gain the attention of her brothers best friend Aiden. Once she loses the weight and finally gains Aiden's attention things begin to change. Aiden is always jealous of anybody Liz talks to.
Spencer Hayes comes to town to take over the music directors position at the church Mason and Liz attend. No matter how hard she tries, Liz has an instant connection with Spencer. She wants things to work with Aiden but over time, she knows he is not the one for her. In the end, will Elizabeth stay with Aiden and deal with all his jealousy or will she take a leap of faith and finally be with Spencer?
I really loved the ending of this book but I so did not want it to end. I am crossing my fingers that maybe we will get another book on someone in the series so we can at least see how things are going for Elizabeth and her man :)
This is my first Mary Cope book but it will not be my last!!
February 13, 2017
this was a sweet story
September 12, 2014
I absolutely fell in love with this story. I just fell into the story. I read it in no time. Once I started to read I didn't want to put the story down. I fell in love with Elizabeth right from the beginning. She had it hard always thinking about herself being overweight. She worked really hard at losing the weight and felt so good about it. Then she started to see herself differently. She now had a boyfriend, singing at church, and her great family. Then because of some unfortunate event she met a new guy in the neighborhood that she was admiring from afar. He actually turned out to also be her new choir teacher at church. He started to help her come out of her shell a little with her singing and make her into a better person. I don't want to give too much away but this book is a must read! It is also good for young adults.
January 16, 2015
This is a sweet, light read. I think high school age kids would especially enjoy it. It has Christian themes, so if you are looking for something with positive messages to recommend for your teen, this fits the bill. The story also addresses some of the challenges of teen relationships and peer pressure. The protagonist is someone most girls can relate to. A nice girl struggling with body issues and finding her way through her first romance. I think the author, Ms. Cope, hit the nail on the head with her realistic portrayal of the relationship dramas.
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August 19, 2014I gave no stars because honestly I found the heroin extremely annoying and fake. She was described as being innocent, kind and all that stuff, but really, I think she cared a lot about appearance. Basically, there was a hot guy, so she liked him. Then another hot guy appeared, she fell in love with him. (=.=). I laughed out loud when I read about her crying over the boyfriend's betrayal. I think she was just relieved that she had an excuse to break up with the guy, but being a "good" girl as she was,she acted like a victim of a heartbreak. bleh'.
September 11, 2014
I received this for an honest review. This was a very good read. I found it to be a very nice coming of age story.
I found this to be a very sweet story of a girl who wants nothing more than the cute boy in school and in the band to notice her. Elizabeth was a frumpy girl who changed her appearance by working hard and figuring it out. Aiden is the cute boy who is in a band that she wants to attract that attention. Then enter Spencer and let the sparks fly.
This is one of those books that you can just sit back and let it absorb you!!!
I found this to be a very sweet story of a girl who wants nothing more than the cute boy in school and in the band to notice her. Elizabeth was a frumpy girl who changed her appearance by working hard and figuring it out. Aiden is the cute boy who is in a band that she wants to attract that attention. Then enter Spencer and let the sparks fly.
This is one of those books that you can just sit back and let it absorb you!!!
September 25, 2016
I don't typically read young adult novels but I happened to meet the author and wanted to lend my support in reading her book because she was such a nice person.
I loved this book. It took me back to my own high school experience, the characters were very real as were the scenarios. The main character was the ugly duckling that became as swan but was so humble and like able.
There are themes of love and there were very clever insinuations of sexual situations which I actually felt were more impactful than heavily descriptive situations because it went with the innocence of the character.
I loved this book. It took me back to my own high school experience, the characters were very real as were the scenarios. The main character was the ugly duckling that became as swan but was so humble and like able.
There are themes of love and there were very clever insinuations of sexual situations which I actually felt were more impactful than heavily descriptive situations because it went with the innocence of the character.
September 12, 2014
A very nice sweet romance about a teenage girl coming of age.
Mary's writing was great easy to follow story that keeps you interested.
Liz is your typical teenage girl over coming body hang ups, boy issues all the usual teenage girl stuff we can all relate to.
Mary's writing was great easy to follow story that keeps you interested.
Liz is your typical teenage girl over coming body hang ups, boy issues all the usual teenage girl stuff we can all relate to.
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