Taylor Blake Is a Legend

by Laura Jane Williams

Welcome to the life of Taylor Blake: complicated crushes, awkward encounters and hoping for a first kiss! A hilarious and heartfelt new teen series that fans of Geek Girl and Jacqueline Wilson will love.

'A fresh, touching story for girls, with a great message' - Jacqueline Wilson

Taylor is determined to be in control of her own life story - and it's going to be a romance! So far her entire social life consists of her two best friends Star and Lucy, who are also a couple and always together, plus her sometimes embarrassing but always hilarious Grandma and Grandad. But Taylor writes for the school newspaper, she creates fan-fiction and she's even been asked to enter a competition by her English teacher – surely she can script the perfect love story for herself?

Her school is about to play host to some French exchange students. They'll be experts on this topic, Taylor reckons. After all, it must be called French kissing for a reason! The perfect first kiss is surely on the horizon. And Taylor can make it happen – can't she? This is Taylor's moment to LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE!

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2024

About the author

Laura Jane Williams (she/her) is known as the queen of the meet-cute. She is the author of six rom-coms, as well as the forthcoming Lovestruck (June 2023). She is also the author of three works of non-fiction.

The rights to Laura's international bestseller Our Stop have been sold for television, and her books have been translated into languages all over the world. She loves romance, being a parent, and lifting very heavy weights.

Find out more about Laura on www.laurajaneauthor.com

Reviews

[hannah! (lowkey gone) · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many exclamation marks - like i have just realised that’s a massive ick i have. but anyways a pretty annoying book that was more middle grade than young adult

here’s a weird ass quote that made me go what the fuck - ‘urgh!!
my life is OVER!!!
I WILL NEVER BE KISSED NOW I AM CACA GIRL!!!!!!!!!!’

so yeah it read like a thought dump in a really bad way.

[lea ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny and sweet. a fun middle grade book i would recommend to teens <3 also i am the biggest duncan fan

[Vivian Teo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Taylor Blake is a Legend by Laura Jane Williams, 14-year-old Taylor is excited about her school’s French exchange program where she’ll get to host a student from France. More importantly, she anticipates meeting a French boy whom she can share a romantic French kiss with. But when other boys start paying her attention and she finds herself in embarrassing encounters, Taylor must navigate relationships and tricky situations while learning that life - and her quest for that elusive first kiss - does not always pan out the way you plan.

This is a coming-of-age story about crushes, first kisses, friendships and all things teen. It’s about that exciting yet confusing period of life where you wonder about the opposite sex and romantic relationships. Taylor’s obsession about her first kiss feels a tad annoying initially (which her two best friends rightly point out), but after I took off my adult lenses and reminded myself of what it was like in my teen years, I realised the younger me would have found Taylor’s fixations and gaffes pretty relatable. With LGBTQIA+ characters and friendship and family themes, this story ultimately sends the message that there is value in not rushing into things and waiting for the right person.

I recommend this upper middle grade, early young adult book to tweens and younger teens who aren't ready for young adult books but want to explore romance books with mild romance. Thank you Definitely Books Kids (Pansing):for sending this uncorrected proof copy for my review!

[Camilla Chester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book and told that I was about to meet a character based on Georgia from Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison which is a book I LOVED. Taylor Blake, I was saddened to discover, is a very diluted version. A pale, cardboard cut out and to be described as a legend just for having an afternoon party at her house without alcohol or being able to go upstairs, is misleading to say the least.

There’s nothing wrong with this book but it’s a bit like eating air. I kept looking for substance but there’s no depth to any of it.

To safe. Too twee.

We’re told Taylor is the product of a sperm doner- now that’s a story, instead it’s a bland girl obsessed with a boring book about being a Parisian Woman who hopes one of the French exchange boys will break her ‘kiss virginity’. Yawn.

There were a few moments I quite enjoyed and I can see how this is definitely a taste thing. I’m sure there will be a lot of readers who will enjoy this book, but even though I did finish the book, it definitely isn’t my thing.

Sorry for negative review. I know how hard writing is, but if I’m asked to write a review then be prepared for honesty.

Feel free to be outraged and tell me how wrong I am!

[MISS RACHEL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taylor Blake is finally in Year 9 and, along with her friends Lucy and Star(who are a couple), is busy obsessing about all the kinds of things 14 year old girls obsess about - though especially when she's going to have her first kiss.

The upcoming arrival of the French Exchange students seems like the perfect opportunity for Taylor to find some romance and secure her first kiss - but it's not that simple!

I enjoyed the way it gradually becomes clear that Taylor has a number of admirers at school - even though she's unaware of what makes her attractive - her personality rather than her looks.

There are some good messages here: the importance of friendship (and of not ignoring your friends when you're obsessed with a potential love interest!); the support of family; how we can easily make fools of ourselves when we go all out to impress someone!; the value of friendship as the basis for a romantic relationship etc. I also enjoyed how Taylor is a talented writer. This seems to be a common theme in middle grade/YA books at the moment - but I guess keen readers may also be good at writing and it's great to encourage them.

Grateful to the School Library Association for a free copy to review.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor Blake is...unusual. In more ways than one. She is being raised by a very cool single mother who does tik toks, has an unknown sperm donor for a father, and BFFs who're both gay AND a couple!

Yet Taylor thinks that the most unusual thing about her is the fact that she is one of the few girls in her class at school (or so she suspects) who have never been kissed! As a result, she risks becoming a little obsessed with orchestrating first kiss...

When some French students come over for a week long exchange program and she accidentally gets a male student as her exchange partner, Taylor thinks that her problem is about to be solved. But she is about to get a lot more than she bargained for!

This is a cute, humorous read with likeable protagonists and an appealing intergenerational cast of characters. Likely to be a big hit with the target readership, it gets an easy 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Hannah Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought I’d hate this when I saw it on the Staffordshire YTF shortlist but I really did judge this cover before I read it. I loved this!! It felt a bit like reading a mix between a Jacqueline Wilson teen book and an Emily Henry romance - a perfect balance between young and mature. Taylor is such an excellent character (as is her mum) and I read this from cover to cover in an afternoon. I’d love it to win in many ways because romance as a genre is very much snubbed as something that’s cringey and typically not well written, but these characters and the dialogue is hilarious. There were moments of conversation between the characters that were slightly outdated but this was always going to happen as teen culture moves along so rapidly but it didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed reading this!

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read, που λένε και οι φίλοι μας οι Άγγλοι, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση ένα βιβλίο που προσφέρει έστω και την απειροελάχιστη τροφή για σκέψη. Έχει γρήγορο ρυθμό, και παρά που είναι αρκετά μεγάλο για το κοινό στο οποίο απευθύνεται, η αφήγηση κυλάει τόσο γρήγορα που σχεδόν δεν το καταλαβαίνεις πως περνάει η ώρα. Έχεις κάποιες καλές στιγμές χιούμορ, που υποθέτω πως στα παιδιά της ηλικίας όπου απευθύνεται θα μπορεί να “πιάσει” καλύτερα, σίγουρα αρκετά κορίτσια θα ταυτιστούν με την Taylor σε ορισμένα σημεία, είναι αρκετά ρεαλιστικό, και σίγουρα πιάνει τον παλμό της εποχής και της νεολαίας, με όλα τα trends που την απασχολούν.

(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)

[Carys Rhodes Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book it shows how in your early teens you feel everyone else is so grown up and that you aren’t. It shows the deep wanting of love as an early teen who hasn’t dated before. I also love the LGBTQIA+ inclusion and this is something I love in books, like it doesn’t have to be the main plot cantered around LGBTQIA+ experiences but it still includes queer characters and shows them in a way that normalises it which is greatly appreciated by me (a queer person).

[Fabulas Mea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet, coming-of-age Rom-com in the tradition of the late great Louise Rennison.

[christine &#x1f90d; · Rating 4 out of 5]

just what I needed to get out of my reading slump, oh btw, Duncan, what a gentleman you are

[OniReadsBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hated this book. Being about a teenage girl on the quest for romance, I thought I would find it enjoyable. This book, though, is possibly the most toxic book I've ever read!

The reason for disliking this book- the sexism. The MC says she's a "feminist" but the amount of sexism she encourages is unbelievable and unacceptable.

She reads a book with says women must do skincare, fall in love, think about fashion and cook for their lover to be a "Parisian woman" and she never challenges these pressures put on women to look a certain way and like certain things.

She calls STEM jobs "masculine".

Then there was this scene where a woman comes to talk about encouraging girls to study and explore STEM subjects and not be pressured into doing subjects like English and art if they don't want to.
And what does our so called "feminist" MC does?
She calls the woman "anti feminist" and says the woman is "telling girls into English and art that they are making the wrong choice" when really this woman is saying that there are more options for girls than English and art and that they can study STEM subjects if they want to. And other characters says she's "intelligent" and encourage her for doing so. I found this part really disgusting because this one character was vilified for encouraging girls to study STEM subjects if they wanted to and not to be pressured into doing English and art if those subjects aren't for them. Just because you encourage people to do subjects which don't fit the gender stereotypes doesn't mean that you dislike people who choose subjects which fit the gender stereotypes.

DNF@50%

[Brown Guy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.8

This book is definitely one of those intense, unapologetically young adult reads! It dives straight into teenage life, capturing all the highs, lows, and in-betweens that come with that age. The story flows easily, and, honestly, there were moments where I just had to shake my head and laugh—I might be getting a bit too old to fully relate to all the teenage drama, but that just added to the fun. The characters are well-developed, each fitting perfectly into the storyline. Duncan, in particular, stole the show for me! Now, I can’t wait to see what twists the author has planned for the sequel coming out soon.

Thank you #pansing @definitelybooks for the review copy. ❤️❤️