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One of the Guys
Tomboy to the core, Toni Valentine understands guys. She'll take horror movies, monster hunts and burping contests over manicures. So Toni is horrified when she's sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, where she has to wear a skirt and learn to be a lady while the guys move on without her.
Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. Word spreads of Toni’s connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay big money for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine’s Rent-A-Gent Service.
But the business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends--the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date. With everything she's built on the line, Toni has to decide if she wants to save the business and her old life, or let go of being one of the guys for a chance at love.
Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. Word spreads of Toni’s connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay big money for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine’s Rent-A-Gent Service.
But the business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends--the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date. With everything she's built on the line, Toni has to decide if she wants to save the business and her old life, or let go of being one of the guys for a chance at love.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2015
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4711 people want to read
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February 3, 2015
This review is also posted HERE.
I was really hesitant to read this at first because of its Goodreads rating. However, as I started this one, I'm glad I didn't backed down because of that!
So the story started with Tonya (Toni to her friends) and her guy friends being out in the lake before their senior year starts and they didn’t find what they were looking for. After that, Toni kind of freaked out because it felt like an end and everything’s going to be different after that so she decided to do something. She and Ollie, one of her friends, played a prank to their school principal. Guess what? They were punished. Ollie was being given a hard time by his parents and Toni was sent to an all-girl school.
Of course, Toni felt like an alien in there. She was always “one of the guys”. She doesn’t think she was going to fit in. But when she discovered something and that could help her still be close with her friends, she goes “Why not?”. She started a business about kind of renting her guy friends to some girls for some reasons. (which totally sounds weird, right? Anyway it was all strictly PG so nothing to worry about.. I think.) But sometimes plans don’t always go as we expect them to be (DID THEY EVER?) and maybe what she thought could bring her friends closer to her push them even farther away from her…
So.. to the review.
Toni was your average teenage girl who I believed wasn’t dumb like most of the protagonist I’ve read about. (Sadly, I’ve encountered a lot of them.) She was actually pretty smart but does that mean she will never make mistakes? Of course not.
I kind of roll my eyes on Toni’s antics sometimes but then I realized she was just afraid of change. Who wasn’t right? It feels right to just settle on what’s familiar and safe. Taking risks meant getting out of your comfort zone and that’s not something everyone has the courage to do.
I SO love a romance between two best friends. They’re the best for me. Do you guys think so, too? Anyway, I don’t like the part where they get both idiotic at times THOUGH. Like “what if he doesn’t feel the same way? Our friendship would be ruined.” I mean, dude, he just kissed you okay? How the hell did that DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING? -_-
This book also got genuine girl friendship. So Emma asked Toni if it’s okay to date Loch(one of her guy friends) because Toni seems kind of in love with him (she’s totally denying it, however) and she must have seen something on Toni’s face after that so Emma backed off. Some girls don’t and Toni just met her when she changed schools so I guessed that’s something. Also, the parents weren’t absent. They were very much involved, thank you heavens. I mean, contemporary at its finest guys.
This book’s lesson would probably be about how change can’t always be good but change wasn’t always bad either. That was what I’m proud about being a human. We are constantly changing. We learn to adapt and then we move on.
The plot was simple enough but I think it was what I needed right now. After a bunch of exams, this made me relax even for a little bit. So guys, if you’re looking for a really fun read with a cute and light romance, this book is something to watch out for.
I was really hesitant to read this at first because of its Goodreads rating. However, as I started this one, I'm glad I didn't backed down because of that!
So the story started with Tonya (Toni to her friends) and her guy friends being out in the lake before their senior year starts and they didn’t find what they were looking for. After that, Toni kind of freaked out because it felt like an end and everything’s going to be different after that so she decided to do something. She and Ollie, one of her friends, played a prank to their school principal. Guess what? They were punished. Ollie was being given a hard time by his parents and Toni was sent to an all-girl school.
Of course, Toni felt like an alien in there. She was always “one of the guys”. She doesn’t think she was going to fit in. But when she discovered something and that could help her still be close with her friends, she goes “Why not?”. She started a business about kind of renting her guy friends to some girls for some reasons. (which totally sounds weird, right? Anyway it was all strictly PG so nothing to worry about.. I think.) But sometimes plans don’t always go as we expect them to be (DID THEY EVER?) and maybe what she thought could bring her friends closer to her push them even farther away from her…
So.. to the review.
Toni was your average teenage girl who I believed wasn’t dumb like most of the protagonist I’ve read about. (Sadly, I’ve encountered a lot of them.) She was actually pretty smart but does that mean she will never make mistakes? Of course not.
I kind of roll my eyes on Toni’s antics sometimes but then I realized she was just afraid of change. Who wasn’t right? It feels right to just settle on what’s familiar and safe. Taking risks meant getting out of your comfort zone and that’s not something everyone has the courage to do.
I SO love a romance between two best friends. They’re the best for me. Do you guys think so, too? Anyway, I don’t like the part where they get both idiotic at times THOUGH. Like “what if he doesn’t feel the same way? Our friendship would be ruined.” I mean, dude, he just kissed you okay? How the hell did that DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING? -_-
This book also got genuine girl friendship. So Emma asked Toni if it’s okay to date Loch(one of her guy friends) because Toni seems kind of in love with him (she’s totally denying it, however) and she must have seen something on Toni’s face after that so Emma backed off. Some girls don’t and Toni just met her when she changed schools so I guessed that’s something. Also, the parents weren’t absent. They were very much involved, thank you heavens. I mean, contemporary at its finest guys.
This book’s lesson would probably be about how change can’t always be good but change wasn’t always bad either. That was what I’m proud about being a human. We are constantly changing. We learn to adapt and then we move on.
The plot was simple enough but I think it was what I needed right now. After a bunch of exams, this made me relax even for a little bit. So guys, if you’re looking for a really fun read with a cute and light romance, this book is something to watch out for.
February 8, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary and NetGalley.)
“Toni. Relax,” Ollie whispers to me, rather pleased with himself. At least someone had fun tonight. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Yeah. Famous last words.
This was an okay story, but I lost interest the further into it I got.
“My dad used to joke that the day I wore a skirt would be the day the zombie apocalypse rolled into town. Two hours in and I have yet to see a zombie, but I do feel like the living dead.”
Toni started out as a girl who really didn’t act like a girl. She wore basketball shorts under her skirt (in case her wearing a skirt initiated a zombie apocalypse), belched loudly, scratched her butt in public, and was generally pretty unladylike. She was also pretty clueless when it came to guys in a romantic sense, but she did have a lot more male friends than anyone at the Winston Academy, which was possibly the only thing she had over them!
I land on the shaggy carpet with a giant thud and let out a belly-shattering belch that could put any beer-guzzler to shame.
“Aw, that’s better! I’ve been holding that in all day!” I exclaim, rubbing my stomach.
The storyline in this started out alright, and I was enjoying the story up until the 30% mark, then things started to go a bit downhill. I liked the girl-who-acts-like-a-boy storyline, I liked the clueless-about-romance storyline, but the fixing-girls-up-with-dates-for-cash storyline? Not so much. I don’t know whether this was because I feel like I’ve read similar books like this before, or if it’s just that I thought it was a bad idea, but I really lost interest when this became the main storyline.
A splendid little smile spreads across Emma’s glossed lips. “She wants to book him for the rest of the year,” she says. “We’re officially in business Toni Valentine.”
There was a tiny smidgen of romance, but this book was really lacking on the romance front in my opinion. I thought that Lock and Toni would make a cute couple, I liked the romantic tension, and I liked the will-they/won’t they? But unfortunately there just wasn’t enough of it! I felt like I was really short-changed, and I wanted more about Toni and Lock, but it just didn’t happen.
My blood runs cold.
His lips are close to her skin. His fingers in her hair. Her eyes locked with his, her small body folding into him like a missing puzzle piece.
“Do you know that guy or something?” Kevin asks, scratching at his loin cloth.
“I thought I did.”
The ending to this was okay, but it wasn’t anything surprising or exciting, and I just felt a little disappointed. It was a shame that a book that seemed really promising at the beginning just didn’t pan out.
6.25 out of 10
“Toni. Relax,” Ollie whispers to me, rather pleased with himself. At least someone had fun tonight. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Yeah. Famous last words.
This was an okay story, but I lost interest the further into it I got.
“My dad used to joke that the day I wore a skirt would be the day the zombie apocalypse rolled into town. Two hours in and I have yet to see a zombie, but I do feel like the living dead.”
Toni started out as a girl who really didn’t act like a girl. She wore basketball shorts under her skirt (in case her wearing a skirt initiated a zombie apocalypse), belched loudly, scratched her butt in public, and was generally pretty unladylike. She was also pretty clueless when it came to guys in a romantic sense, but she did have a lot more male friends than anyone at the Winston Academy, which was possibly the only thing she had over them!
I land on the shaggy carpet with a giant thud and let out a belly-shattering belch that could put any beer-guzzler to shame.
“Aw, that’s better! I’ve been holding that in all day!” I exclaim, rubbing my stomach.
The storyline in this started out alright, and I was enjoying the story up until the 30% mark, then things started to go a bit downhill. I liked the girl-who-acts-like-a-boy storyline, I liked the clueless-about-romance storyline, but the fixing-girls-up-with-dates-for-cash storyline? Not so much. I don’t know whether this was because I feel like I’ve read similar books like this before, or if it’s just that I thought it was a bad idea, but I really lost interest when this became the main storyline.
A splendid little smile spreads across Emma’s glossed lips. “She wants to book him for the rest of the year,” she says. “We’re officially in business Toni Valentine.”
There was a tiny smidgen of romance, but this book was really lacking on the romance front in my opinion. I thought that Lock and Toni would make a cute couple, I liked the romantic tension, and I liked the will-they/won’t they? But unfortunately there just wasn’t enough of it! I felt like I was really short-changed, and I wanted more about Toni and Lock, but it just didn’t happen.
My blood runs cold.
His lips are close to her skin. His fingers in her hair. Her eyes locked with his, her small body folding into him like a missing puzzle piece.
“Do you know that guy or something?” Kevin asks, scratching at his loin cloth.
“I thought I did.”
The ending to this was okay, but it wasn’t anything surprising or exciting, and I just felt a little disappointed. It was a shame that a book that seemed really promising at the beginning just didn’t pan out.
6.25 out of 10
Want to read
June 29, 2014Super hot male friends? Check
Exploiting your male friends for you own benefit and profit? Check
Messy feelings? CHECK
WILL I BE READING THIS? HELL YES CHECK
Exploiting your male friends for you own benefit and profit? Check
Messy feelings? CHECK
WILL I BE READING THIS? HELL YES CHECK
June 5, 2015
♥{Ever So Mela}♥{Bloglovin}♥{Facebook}♥{Google+}♥
So One of the Guys reads like a coming of age story.
We have Toni who is used to living a certain way. She's used to hanging out with her four friends every summer looking for the swamp monster. She's used to going to the same school with the same people. She's used to her old Maxima. She's used to her old clothes. She's not accustomed to change but one action sets forth the beginning of her new life.
People change. Some grow up, some don't. Some leave, others stay. Sometimes we grow closer and with others we grow further apart.
What makes us into the person we're supposed to be is how we deal with these changes, how we embrace them and make room for more because, every once in a while, maybe change isn't so bad.
I really loved the idea of the story but the execution was not really on point.
At times the story really dragged especially the last 30%. I also felt Toni didn't really grow up that much, still being a weak character by the end of the book.
To be honest she didn't even feel like a tomboy. All she had were really bad table manners.
She would just go on burping and chugging soda or scratching her butt to remind us that she is, in fact, a tomboy. My dog has better manners than that.
It was sadly stereotypical.
Also, I would have loved to see more of their friendship as a whole. We're told they've been best friends for years but that doesn't really come across to the reader. They're all quite different and it would have been nice to see them interact as friends at some point without having feelings of resent in the background. I found most of the characters were flat and one dimensional and not really all that intriguing. To be honest the only characters I really liked were Emma and Micah.
In the end it was light and cute. Really easy to read and at times relatable. I enjoyed it quite a lot.
"I received this book via Netaglley in exchange for an honest review."
February 13, 2015
For all of my years as a reader, I've always stood firm to the belief that every book deserves a chance to be read until the very end. This was the reason why every time I found myself reading a book that I wasn't really enjoying so far, I always forced myself to keep going.
Well because, who knows. It just might get better, right?
Wrong.
At the start of 2015, I realized that every time I felt tempted to put down a book but continued to read it nonetheless, I always ended up disappointed, I always ended up regretting that I even bothered to give it a chance in the first place. So right then, I decided to start trusting my insticts. I decided not to settle for books that I felt not even the slightest bit of passion for.
Unfortunately, the moment I started reading One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin, I knew it wouldn't last.
Well, I was right.
Damn it, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't even finish reading the first several chapters. I tried to, that I did. My heart sank after reading the first couple of sentences, yet I forced myself to read some more before deciding to give up. I just couldn't stand the choice of names, and what's even worse, I couldn't stand the dialogues, the narrations, the writing style.
And yes, I know. It's quite awkward, and disappointing at the same time, that a lot of my friends here on Goodreads liked this book while here I am with nothing nice to say. I really did appreciate the free digital advanced reader copy provided by the publisher, but sadly, I did not enjoy this book.
Well because, who knows. It just might get better, right?
Wrong.
At the start of 2015, I realized that every time I felt tempted to put down a book but continued to read it nonetheless, I always ended up disappointed, I always ended up regretting that I even bothered to give it a chance in the first place. So right then, I decided to start trusting my insticts. I decided not to settle for books that I felt not even the slightest bit of passion for.
Unfortunately, the moment I started reading One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin, I knew it wouldn't last.
Well, I was right.
Damn it, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't even finish reading the first several chapters. I tried to, that I did. My heart sank after reading the first couple of sentences, yet I forced myself to read some more before deciding to give up. I just couldn't stand the choice of names, and what's even worse, I couldn't stand the dialogues, the narrations, the writing style.
And yes, I know. It's quite awkward, and disappointing at the same time, that a lot of my friends here on Goodreads liked this book while here I am with nothing nice to say. I really did appreciate the free digital advanced reader copy provided by the publisher, but sadly, I did not enjoy this book.
February 8, 2015
One of the Guys caught my attention at first with its adorable cover. Growing up with my two brothers I was definitely a tomboy. Once I was able to dress myself and pick my own interests, dresses and princesses were out the window, and in walked sneakers and sports. I loved spending our evenings and summers playing outside with my brothers, riding our bikes, playing basketball obsessively, and adding some football in for variety. My point to this long story? I was and always will be a tomboy. Even to this day I prefer sweats and sneakers over dresses and heels any day. I also find guy friends much easier to keep and get along with. Maybe that’s because I work in a office with 15 women every day. Yeah… definitely difficult at times. LOL So anyway, this story definitely spiked my inner boyishness and had me grinning from ear to ear.
Toni is a tomboy, plain and simple. She doesn’t have any gal pals, strictly guy friends, that all enjoy the same things as her. She much prefers monster hunting with the guys to manicures and sleepovers with the girls. But after a silly prank she finds herself attending an all-girls school where she’s forced to wear a uniform with a skirt and even attend meetings to discuss her feelings. Basically her worst nightmare! And to make all of this worse, she feels her group of guy friends becoming distant since she’s not around as much anymore, having to drive quite a distance to school and back every day.
This group of characters was so much fun!! I loved how the guys and Toni all went by nicknames. Each guy was SO different and so unique. It was fun to see them all together with their different personalities. I think Cowboy was my favorite. So very shy and quiet, awkward and so quick to blush. Loch was adorable too, and super sweet. These are definitely guys I would be friends with myself if I had the chance.
Also this story has a great family component to it. Toni’s mother remarried, and Toni is still struggling to get to know her stepfather, Brian, a bit better. She feels like he’s so tough on her, setting her punishments harsher than her mother would, and setting limits that her mother never enforced, such as not allowing Loch to sleep over anymore, which they’ve been doing since they were very young. He’s strict, and Toni doesn’t like it one bit.
I don’t like to go into too much detail in my reviews in general, since I feel all too often the synopsis already gives too much away. If you haven’t read this synopsis yet, just don’t. Just go into this book knowing only what I said in the paragraph above, and based on the adorable cover. I’d like to think that you won’t be disappointed, specially if you’re a tomboy and can relate like I did. It brought back so many fun memories from my teenage years, ones I tend to forget now that I’m adult. I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end.
Another adorable contemp, another win for 2015! Also a great debut from an author I’m sure will write many more stories that I will enjoy. Call it a feeling. ;) I also have a feeling this is going to be THE YEAR for contemporaries. So far, so good. Let’s do this, 2015!
(Thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
Toni is a tomboy, plain and simple. She doesn’t have any gal pals, strictly guy friends, that all enjoy the same things as her. She much prefers monster hunting with the guys to manicures and sleepovers with the girls. But after a silly prank she finds herself attending an all-girls school where she’s forced to wear a uniform with a skirt and even attend meetings to discuss her feelings. Basically her worst nightmare! And to make all of this worse, she feels her group of guy friends becoming distant since she’s not around as much anymore, having to drive quite a distance to school and back every day.
This group of characters was so much fun!! I loved how the guys and Toni all went by nicknames. Each guy was SO different and so unique. It was fun to see them all together with their different personalities. I think Cowboy was my favorite. So very shy and quiet, awkward and so quick to blush. Loch was adorable too, and super sweet. These are definitely guys I would be friends with myself if I had the chance.
Also this story has a great family component to it. Toni’s mother remarried, and Toni is still struggling to get to know her stepfather, Brian, a bit better. She feels like he’s so tough on her, setting her punishments harsher than her mother would, and setting limits that her mother never enforced, such as not allowing Loch to sleep over anymore, which they’ve been doing since they were very young. He’s strict, and Toni doesn’t like it one bit.
“We know it’s last minute. But we both think you’re responsible enough to take care of the house while we’re gone.”
Maybe SHE thinks that, but Brian looks pale at the thought of leaving a (gasp!) teenage girl alone in a house. He believes a teenage girl to be the equivalent to an in-heat hyena. Like I’ll stain the couch with my hormones or something.
I don’t like to go into too much detail in my reviews in general, since I feel all too often the synopsis already gives too much away. If you haven’t read this synopsis yet, just don’t. Just go into this book knowing only what I said in the paragraph above, and based on the adorable cover. I’d like to think that you won’t be disappointed, specially if you’re a tomboy and can relate like I did. It brought back so many fun memories from my teenage years, ones I tend to forget now that I’m adult. I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end.
Another adorable contemp, another win for 2015! Also a great debut from an author I’m sure will write many more stories that I will enjoy. Call it a feeling. ;) I also have a feeling this is going to be THE YEAR for contemporaries. So far, so good. Let’s do this, 2015!
(Thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
November 24, 2015
Jungs to go war eines dieser Feelgood-Bücher, das einem ein paar amüsante, romantische, süße Stunden beschert.
Was mir wohl am Besten hier gefallen hat, das war er Humor der Geschichte, ganz besonders die Szenen in der Skihütte. Das mit dem Poledance... Ich könnte da noch jetzt drüber lachen. Aber generell war Toni eine sympathische Protagonistin mit ner ordentlichen Portion Humor und auch die Nebencharaktere haben mir gefallen.
Eines der größten Themen des Buches ist natürlich Freundschaft. Die Freundschaft zu den Mädchen, die Toni zu zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben überhaupt entdeckt, und natürlich die Freundschaft zu den vier drei Jungs. Die Autorin hat dabei perfekt das Gefühl von Verlust eingefangen, wenn eine Freundschaft in der Schule sehr eng ist, aber auseinanderbricht, wenn sich die Freunde nicht mehr so häufig sehen. Aber mit am Besten ist durchgekommen, dass man für diese Freundschaften auch kämpfen kann und soll.
Toni wirkt an manchen Stellen ein wenig kindisch, aber all das ist durchaus durch Tonis Vergangenheit begründet. Zu Recht hat sie Angst vor Veränderungen und das ist auch der Grund dafür, dass es ihr so schwerfällt zu akzeptieren, dass sich die Beziehung zu ihrem besten Freund etwas verändert...
Insgesamt vergebe ich 3,5 Sterne für diese Geschichte. Mir hat es gut gefallen, aber es ist auch nichts das einem lange im Gedächtnis bleibt. Allerdings hat Jungs to go diesen Anspruch auch gar nicht und gerade deshalb waren es sehr unterhaltsame Stunden mit dieser Geschichte.
Was mir wohl am Besten hier gefallen hat, das war er Humor der Geschichte, ganz besonders die Szenen in der Skihütte. Das mit dem Poledance... Ich könnte da noch jetzt drüber lachen. Aber generell war Toni eine sympathische Protagonistin mit ner ordentlichen Portion Humor und auch die Nebencharaktere haben mir gefallen.
Eines der größten Themen des Buches ist natürlich Freundschaft. Die Freundschaft zu den Mädchen, die Toni zu zum ersten Mal in ihrem Leben überhaupt entdeckt, und natürlich die Freundschaft zu den vier drei Jungs. Die Autorin hat dabei perfekt das Gefühl von Verlust eingefangen, wenn eine Freundschaft in der Schule sehr eng ist, aber auseinanderbricht, wenn sich die Freunde nicht mehr so häufig sehen. Aber mit am Besten ist durchgekommen, dass man für diese Freundschaften auch kämpfen kann und soll.
Toni wirkt an manchen Stellen ein wenig kindisch, aber all das ist durchaus durch Tonis Vergangenheit begründet. Zu Recht hat sie Angst vor Veränderungen und das ist auch der Grund dafür, dass es ihr so schwerfällt zu akzeptieren, dass sich die Beziehung zu ihrem besten Freund etwas verändert...
Insgesamt vergebe ich 3,5 Sterne für diese Geschichte. Mir hat es gut gefallen, aber es ist auch nichts das einem lange im Gedächtnis bleibt. Allerdings hat Jungs to go diesen Anspruch auch gar nicht und gerade deshalb waren es sehr unterhaltsame Stunden mit dieser Geschichte.
February 16, 2015
3.5 Stars
I live for these sweet contemporary coming of age stories. There is just something so sweet about them. So heartwarming, that I can't help but pick them up every time they cross my path and I am so glad that this is one that I picked up and tried.
Toni and the boys were just fabulous. I love reading about tomboys even though I was never one myself. There is just something endearing about watching them grow up surrounded by boys. And lets talk about those boys! Cowboy, Loch, Ollie, I loved them! I loved how this rag tag group of boys, and Toni (McRib) all came together over the search of a sea monster and how that search brought them a friendship they would never forget.
You could see their bond, their past, and their closeness and as well as all the changes that you just knew were going to come. It was sometimes hectic and messy and everything that growing up truly is and should be. Lots of mistakes, lots of learning, and lots of fun and even heartbreak along the way.
This was a seriously cute read that was perfect for some lighthearted fun that we all need once in a while.
I live for these sweet contemporary coming of age stories. There is just something so sweet about them. So heartwarming, that I can't help but pick them up every time they cross my path and I am so glad that this is one that I picked up and tried.
Toni and the boys were just fabulous. I love reading about tomboys even though I was never one myself. There is just something endearing about watching them grow up surrounded by boys. And lets talk about those boys! Cowboy, Loch, Ollie, I loved them! I loved how this rag tag group of boys, and Toni (McRib) all came together over the search of a sea monster and how that search brought them a friendship they would never forget.
You could see their bond, their past, and their closeness and as well as all the changes that you just knew were going to come. It was sometimes hectic and messy and everything that growing up truly is and should be. Lots of mistakes, lots of learning, and lots of fun and even heartbreak along the way.
This was a seriously cute read that was perfect for some lighthearted fun that we all need once in a while.
Want to read
August 29, 2014When I saw the title and the publication date, I was like
I am amazed that no one thought of publishing a book with this title until now. I just hope it will live up to my expectations.
I am amazed that no one thought of publishing a book with this title until now. I just hope it will live up to my expectations.
November 23, 2015
Thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary via Netgalley for the free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Did I like this book?
Although I did enjoy my time with this one, I think with better writing and/or better editing and a lot more depth, it could have been soooooo much better. The characters were good, but it felt a lot of the time like the author was just skimming the surface. I wanted to feel like these characters were real people, I wanted to know more of Toni's history with the boys. Heck, I even wanted to know what Toni's mom and stepdad did for a living!
I found Toni easy to relate to - although I would never consider myself a tomboy, there was a time in my life when I was the same age as Toni and was "one of the guys" as well. It was so much fun to hang out with my high school guy pals - we were always going somewhere new or doing something cool. Mud bogging in someone's jacked up truck? Check! Rock climbing (without any harnesses or ropes because none of us knew what we were doing)? Check! Speed walk tag through the centre of town? Check! Man, even going to the video store to rent a movie with those guys was an adventure! But even though we were having the time of our lives, there was no way it could stay the same forever. I could absolutely understand why Toni wanted to hang onto her guys as tight and as long as possible, because I remember feeling exactly the same!
I really enjoyed watching Toni adjust to her new school and attempt to make new friends. I also enjoyed watching her struggle with the moral implications of starting her "business ". I thought the author did a good job of showing Toni's personal growth, as well as in exploring Toni's changing feelings for one of her best friends. The romance was well done, with more than a bit of angst thrown in, but I have to admit I was disappointed in the ending. Everything wrapped up way too quickly and tidily for my liking.
Will you like this book?
It's hard to say. I guess it depends on how picky you are about those little details. Toni is certainly an enjoyable character, and so are her boys, but like I said, they all need a bit more...meat, I guess. The story has potential, but that probably won't be enough to win over the masses.
Will I read more by this author?
I'd definitely be open to reading more by this author. With a debut like "One of the Guys", I think the future holds great things for Lisa Aldin!
Did I like this book?
Although I did enjoy my time with this one, I think with better writing and/or better editing and a lot more depth, it could have been soooooo much better. The characters were good, but it felt a lot of the time like the author was just skimming the surface. I wanted to feel like these characters were real people, I wanted to know more of Toni's history with the boys. Heck, I even wanted to know what Toni's mom and stepdad did for a living!
I found Toni easy to relate to - although I would never consider myself a tomboy, there was a time in my life when I was the same age as Toni and was "one of the guys" as well. It was so much fun to hang out with my high school guy pals - we were always going somewhere new or doing something cool. Mud bogging in someone's jacked up truck? Check! Rock climbing (without any harnesses or ropes because none of us knew what we were doing)? Check! Speed walk tag through the centre of town? Check! Man, even going to the video store to rent a movie with those guys was an adventure! But even though we were having the time of our lives, there was no way it could stay the same forever. I could absolutely understand why Toni wanted to hang onto her guys as tight and as long as possible, because I remember feeling exactly the same!
I really enjoyed watching Toni adjust to her new school and attempt to make new friends. I also enjoyed watching her struggle with the moral implications of starting her "business ". I thought the author did a good job of showing Toni's personal growth, as well as in exploring Toni's changing feelings for one of her best friends. The romance was well done, with more than a bit of angst thrown in, but I have to admit I was disappointed in the ending. Everything wrapped up way too quickly and tidily for my liking.
Will you like this book?
It's hard to say. I guess it depends on how picky you are about those little details. Toni is certainly an enjoyable character, and so are her boys, but like I said, they all need a bit more...meat, I guess. The story has potential, but that probably won't be enough to win over the masses.
Will I read more by this author?
I'd definitely be open to reading more by this author. With a debut like "One of the Guys", I think the future holds great things for Lisa Aldin!
January 3, 2015
This was a quick, cute fluff for a cozy afternoon read. Toni is a likable character who's desperately trying to hold on to the past while finding herself adapting to her new life. I like the dynamics of each character and the role they play in this book.
Having said that, I wish that Aldin had taken more advantage of the convenient synopsis she had set up. I think one of the reasons Toni is trying so hard to keep the past within grasp was because of her father. I just wish that we had more of that relationship with her father, rather than just a tombstone - perhaps some memories or special moments that she remembers that makes her who she is.
Also, I think it would have been nice to actually see more of that relationship with her guys rather than their last Champ-hunt together when they weren't even all whole heartedly into it. It would have been nice to maybe start out with that initial trip or even have a flashback of it to really bond us with the characters.
I would have also liked to have more on the girls. Emma was just a girl that spoke a word to her until all of a sudden she became her bff. And she seemed cray at first, but we never saw her actually become normal. And Shauna. I had NO clue that she was THE QUEEN BEE until she suddenly appeared as a potential client.
All in all, a cute read, but like I said, I would have liked to see Aldin take advantage of some of her elements instead of just giving them the glossover. I'm not saying beat a dead horse and bore down the story. I just feel that it would give us a bit of deeper connection to the characters than a "Hmm, that was nice, moving right along..."
Having said that, I wish that Aldin had taken more advantage of the convenient synopsis she had set up. I think one of the reasons Toni is trying so hard to keep the past within grasp was because of her father. I just wish that we had more of that relationship with her father, rather than just a tombstone - perhaps some memories or special moments that she remembers that makes her who she is.
Also, I think it would have been nice to actually see more of that relationship with her guys rather than their last Champ-hunt together when they weren't even all whole heartedly into it. It would have been nice to maybe start out with that initial trip or even have a flashback of it to really bond us with the characters.
I would have also liked to have more on the girls. Emma was just a girl that spoke a word to her until all of a sudden she became her bff. And she seemed cray at first, but we never saw her actually become normal. And Shauna. I had NO clue that she was THE QUEEN BEE until she suddenly appeared as a potential client.
All in all, a cute read, but like I said, I would have liked to see Aldin take advantage of some of her elements instead of just giving them the glossover. I'm not saying beat a dead horse and bore down the story. I just feel that it would give us a bit of deeper connection to the characters than a "Hmm, that was nice, moving right along..."
February 9, 2015
So I was totally ready for some a fun contemporary with fluffy romance and that's EXACTLY what I got!
As a kid, I used to be a bit of a tomboy, my best friend was a boy and I didn't get why other girls weren't interested in climbing trees. So I could identify with Toni, even if I turned into a girly girl somewhere during high school. I think One of the Guys was awfully cute, but it also had themes that are so important: friendship, dealing with the loss of a parent and changing relationships. I could so feel for Toni because she sees her friendship with the boys changing and she's desperately trying to recapture the feeling of the summer when they first became friends. She's just trying to keep this friendship that's helped her through grieving for her father the same and I absolutely understood her fear of seeing it slip through her fingers even with all of her efforts. And I think that it's only after you can see that childhood friendhips need to either grow (and change) with you, or they usually die a silent death. So yeah, this is pretty much a subject close to my heart.
I loved seeing Toni make a new female friend at Winston Academy and the birth of their business and the handling of it was pretty fun. I'm not sure about how feasible it is that so many girls were in need of a fake date at this one school, but hey, it makes for an entertaining story. I also liked seeing how Toni gets more in touch with her girly side while still firmly being herself. I loved that she's this brave, loyal girl who truly cares for her mom and her friends and just tries to hold them close.
I also really liked the boys, Loch is just plain awesome and I'd want him for my friend (or more) as well. He's just a caring, reliable, good guy who has swoony moments. VERY swoony moments. Cowboy is this shy, intelligent guy who could also probably win my heart with his boyishness. I have to admit that I wasn't really a fan of Ollie. He's a bit mean at times and he's blaming Toni for something that wasn't entirely her fault and I just felt that he was throwing their friendship away over pretty much nothing. But he sorta redeems himself in the end.
So this is the background to which my cute romance is set and it was AWESOME. OMG, I shipped it so hard! I just wanted to pinch them and scream OMG YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE, BUT KISS ALREADY!!! They were both so insecure about taking action and that last scene hit me right in the feels and I totally had tears in my eyes and I don't know, this best friend turns love interest thing just works for me! Or maybe this particular ship just worked for me, cause they were just perfect! I love that they had a real basis for their romance as they've been friends for years and they really KNOW each other. There's no insta-love, but lots of awkwardness and glances and cluelessness and I JUST SHIP IT OK?
So bottom line: I totally loved One of the Guys, it was SO cute and it deals with important friendship themes. You definitely add it to your TBR list if it isn't on there already! I stayed up till 2AM to finish this, it was THAT good.
My rating: 5 stars
As a kid, I used to be a bit of a tomboy, my best friend was a boy and I didn't get why other girls weren't interested in climbing trees. So I could identify with Toni, even if I turned into a girly girl somewhere during high school. I think One of the Guys was awfully cute, but it also had themes that are so important: friendship, dealing with the loss of a parent and changing relationships. I could so feel for Toni because she sees her friendship with the boys changing and she's desperately trying to recapture the feeling of the summer when they first became friends. She's just trying to keep this friendship that's helped her through grieving for her father the same and I absolutely understood her fear of seeing it slip through her fingers even with all of her efforts. And I think that it's only after you can see that childhood friendhips need to either grow (and change) with you, or they usually die a silent death. So yeah, this is pretty much a subject close to my heart.
I loved seeing Toni make a new female friend at Winston Academy and the birth of their business and the handling of it was pretty fun. I'm not sure about how feasible it is that so many girls were in need of a fake date at this one school, but hey, it makes for an entertaining story. I also liked seeing how Toni gets more in touch with her girly side while still firmly being herself. I loved that she's this brave, loyal girl who truly cares for her mom and her friends and just tries to hold them close.
I also really liked the boys, Loch is just plain awesome and I'd want him for my friend (or more) as well. He's just a caring, reliable, good guy who has swoony moments. VERY swoony moments. Cowboy is this shy, intelligent guy who could also probably win my heart with his boyishness. I have to admit that I wasn't really a fan of Ollie. He's a bit mean at times and he's blaming Toni for something that wasn't entirely her fault and I just felt that he was throwing their friendship away over pretty much nothing. But he sorta redeems himself in the end.
So this is the background to which my cute romance is set and it was AWESOME. OMG, I shipped it so hard! I just wanted to pinch them and scream OMG YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE, BUT KISS ALREADY!!! They were both so insecure about taking action and that last scene hit me right in the feels and I totally had tears in my eyes and I don't know, this best friend turns love interest thing just works for me! Or maybe this particular ship just worked for me, cause they were just perfect! I love that they had a real basis for their romance as they've been friends for years and they really KNOW each other. There's no insta-love, but lots of awkwardness and glances and cluelessness and I JUST SHIP IT OK?
So bottom line: I totally loved One of the Guys, it was SO cute and it deals with important friendship themes. You definitely add it to your TBR list if it isn't on there already! I stayed up till 2AM to finish this, it was THAT good.
My rating: 5 stars
January 19, 2015
Istyria book blog ~ B's world of enchanted books
4.5 stars
One of the Guys was fairly predictable and not very original, but it was still so very good! I read this in one pretty short sitting. One tip, don't start this late in the evening, because it'll keep you up late finishing it.
Toni Valentine is a tomboy and she understands guys. She prefers horror movies, monster hunts and burping contests over manicures. When Toni is sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, she's horrified. She has to wear a skirt and learn to be a lady while the guys seem to move on without her. Then Emma elizabeth, a girl at her school, has boy troubles and Toni volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. When word spreads about Toni's new service, Toni starts up her own business as a way to connect to her old best friends. What Toni did not see coming is her own changing feelings for one of her friends.
One of the Guys was a very quick read for me and I enjoyed every second of it. I wouldn't have minded if it was a little longer. I loved these characters! I loved the story and the romance, all of it! Toni is so relatable to me and her new friendship with Emma reminds me of me and my own best friend! She grows a lot over the course of the book and I just love her to bits. Emma was also great, she's a lot like my best friend, which is so awesome. I loved the guys! I want friends like them! But Loch/Micah is the best one of course. Though Cowboy is adorable too.
The romance is totally predictable but that didn't make it any less sweet. It builds the whole book because Toni isn't ready to face her real feelings in the beginning and I loved that! There's no rushing things here. It was perfect to me. And that end had a total Notebook moment. Seriously. I loved it.
One of the Guys is perfect if you're looking for a pretty quick, light but still so very sweet story about friendship and love and family. And hot guys. Of course. I recommend it to fans of contemporary, in particular fans of books by authors Kelly Oram and Kasie West. I can't wait to read another book by this author!
This review is also (or -soon- will be) posted on Istyria book blog
January 25, 2016
I want to thank Spencer Hill Press for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
Can I just say that the blurb of this book had me at the first word: Tomboy. Why, you ask? Well, I was a total tomboy growing up. So I knew I would immediately connect with the main character of the book. Then throw in this little business she starts and I knew I'd be in for a fun ride.
Can you imagine being a tomboy and being sent to an all girls school? Well, that's what happens to Toni. And she doesn't fit in at all. She has a hard time making friends because she'e tough and rough around the edges and just doesn't fit the persona of a girl at Winston Academy. But Toni is nothing if she's not opportunistic and when she sees the need for her to set the girls at the school up with boys, she goes for it. She's always been just one of the guys, so why not use that power.
You can imagine things don't go as planned. Toni finds herself falling for the one guy everyone else wants. And, while she wants to run the business, she can't help but have a streak of jealously over any girl who asks for him or actually goes on a date with him. I loved this conflict she went through. And the premise of falling for a guy who has only been a friend in the past is one trope I will always read!
I will say that the business she runs isn't totally believable to me. I can't see any teen getting away with this so easily. I also felt like there should have been more romance for a book that really is based around romance (dates and all that). I wanted more of a build up with Toni and Loch. The tension between them just wasn't enough.
Overall this was a really cute and fast read. Not the most intense or in depth contemporary romance of it's kind, but fun none-the-less. Fans of Miranda Kinnealy will enjoy this light and fun read.
Can I just say that the blurb of this book had me at the first word: Tomboy. Why, you ask? Well, I was a total tomboy growing up. So I knew I would immediately connect with the main character of the book. Then throw in this little business she starts and I knew I'd be in for a fun ride.
Can you imagine being a tomboy and being sent to an all girls school? Well, that's what happens to Toni. And she doesn't fit in at all. She has a hard time making friends because she'e tough and rough around the edges and just doesn't fit the persona of a girl at Winston Academy. But Toni is nothing if she's not opportunistic and when she sees the need for her to set the girls at the school up with boys, she goes for it. She's always been just one of the guys, so why not use that power.
You can imagine things don't go as planned. Toni finds herself falling for the one guy everyone else wants. And, while she wants to run the business, she can't help but have a streak of jealously over any girl who asks for him or actually goes on a date with him. I loved this conflict she went through. And the premise of falling for a guy who has only been a friend in the past is one trope I will always read!
I will say that the business she runs isn't totally believable to me. I can't see any teen getting away with this so easily. I also felt like there should have been more romance for a book that really is based around romance (dates and all that). I wanted more of a build up with Toni and Loch. The tension between them just wasn't enough.
Overall this was a really cute and fast read. Not the most intense or in depth contemporary romance of it's kind, but fun none-the-less. Fans of Miranda Kinnealy will enjoy this light and fun read.
January 10, 2015
2.5 stars
I sort of have mixed feeling about this book. I liked the idea of it and I'm such a sucker for BFF to more stories, but it seemed to be lacking something.
I struggled with Toni. It seemed like she was a tomboy for the sake of her father, but it's never really addressed. When she decides to be a bit feminine, it comes across as sudden. Even though she says she's hiding her true self, I never got the impression she wanted anything but men's basketball shorts & ratty tank tops.
A lot of random "boy bad habits" get mentioned and it started to get annoying. It was almost like having Toni chugging soda, itching her butt and constantly belching were thrown in as an afterthought to make sure we remembered she's a tomboy.
The other boy characters {besides Loch} weren't fleshed out as much as I would have liked. We just got snippets of them when a little bit of background would have been helpful. How are these boys supposed to be your BFFs and you know next to nothing about them?
I did really like Emma. She's quite a force and the type of friend every girl needs. There was a bit of a slight build up before the big reveal, but then the book is pretty much over. I get that this is a story about the journey, but I would have liked just a bit more.
**Hugs thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I sort of have mixed feeling about this book. I liked the idea of it and I'm such a sucker for BFF to more stories, but it seemed to be lacking something.
I struggled with Toni. It seemed like she was a tomboy for the sake of her father, but it's never really addressed. When she decides to be a bit feminine, it comes across as sudden. Even though she says she's hiding her true self, I never got the impression she wanted anything but men's basketball shorts & ratty tank tops.
A lot of random "boy bad habits" get mentioned and it started to get annoying. It was almost like having Toni chugging soda, itching her butt and constantly belching were thrown in as an afterthought to make sure we remembered she's a tomboy.
The other boy characters {besides Loch} weren't fleshed out as much as I would have liked. We just got snippets of them when a little bit of background would have been helpful. How are these boys supposed to be your BFFs and you know next to nothing about them?
I did really like Emma. She's quite a force and the type of friend every girl needs. There was a bit of a slight build up before the big reveal, but then the book is pretty much over. I get that this is a story about the journey, but I would have liked just a bit more.
**Hugs thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
May 5, 2015
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
When I first requested this book from Netgalley, I had a lot of hopes for it because I loved the sound of it. But then I checked it out on Goodreads, and it turns out that it had a low rating. Because of that, I lowered my expectations. And then, when I actually read the book, for the first 5% or so of the book, the main character sounded like a kid instead of a senior in high school. Those things made me cringe.
But the thing is, after that 5%, it got better, and I was finally able to enjoy it! I can relate to the struggles of the main character, although sometimes it seemed like she was laying the self-pity too thick, but it was manageable. Also, the guy MC was a jerk without him seeming like a jerk, and I kind of didn't like that, but aside from those, I enjoyed the book quite well.
What I loved the most was the main character's journey from being a tomboy to accepting that she can be girly and boyish at the same time. She is allowed to do that, and that is her own choice. I just love books tackling self-discovery, so I give this one a thumbs up for that!
Overall, I was really taken by surprise by this one because my journey went from expecting to like, to not expecting to much, to actually not liking it, then to liking it. It was crazy, but I'm glad that I enjoyed this one!
When I first requested this book from Netgalley, I had a lot of hopes for it because I loved the sound of it. But then I checked it out on Goodreads, and it turns out that it had a low rating. Because of that, I lowered my expectations. And then, when I actually read the book, for the first 5% or so of the book, the main character sounded like a kid instead of a senior in high school. Those things made me cringe.
But the thing is, after that 5%, it got better, and I was finally able to enjoy it! I can relate to the struggles of the main character, although sometimes it seemed like she was laying the self-pity too thick, but it was manageable. Also, the guy MC was a jerk without him seeming like a jerk, and I kind of didn't like that, but aside from those, I enjoyed the book quite well.
What I loved the most was the main character's journey from being a tomboy to accepting that she can be girly and boyish at the same time. She is allowed to do that, and that is her own choice. I just love books tackling self-discovery, so I give this one a thumbs up for that!
Overall, I was really taken by surprise by this one because my journey went from expecting to like, to not expecting to much, to actually not liking it, then to liking it. It was crazy, but I'm glad that I enjoyed this one!
March 2, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
I personally enjoyed this book a lot! I thought that Toni Valentine and her wild schemes were very entertaining. I found it very difficult to put this book down, because I wanted to read more about Toni's latest plan and how she would pull it off. This is such a good story for those who are pressured to change. I feel like it would help them see that they don't have to change to get people to like them.
One of the Guys is definitely a feel-good book. It's fun and upbeat. With each page, the story grows more intense! This would be the book to curl up by the fire with on a cold day. I would say it's the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump.
I think One of the Guys is pretty relatable; to the girls who have more boy friends than girl friends, to anyone who has made a pretty big mistake and suffered some severe consequences, to basically everyone, really. I really like a book that I can make connections to, it gives the book a special place in your heart, if that makes sense. When you desperately need something to read, you know you can count on those kinds of books to please you.
I think any contemporary fans should give this book a try. It's not predictable at all and not mushy. This is a real boredom buster!
I personally enjoyed this book a lot! I thought that Toni Valentine and her wild schemes were very entertaining. I found it very difficult to put this book down, because I wanted to read more about Toni's latest plan and how she would pull it off. This is such a good story for those who are pressured to change. I feel like it would help them see that they don't have to change to get people to like them.
One of the Guys is definitely a feel-good book. It's fun and upbeat. With each page, the story grows more intense! This would be the book to curl up by the fire with on a cold day. I would say it's the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump.
I think One of the Guys is pretty relatable; to the girls who have more boy friends than girl friends, to anyone who has made a pretty big mistake and suffered some severe consequences, to basically everyone, really. I really like a book that I can make connections to, it gives the book a special place in your heart, if that makes sense. When you desperately need something to read, you know you can count on those kinds of books to please you.
I think any contemporary fans should give this book a try. It's not predictable at all and not mushy. This is a real boredom buster!
June 14, 2020
This looked like a cute book about a close group of friends. Despite it's summery looking cover, only the first two chapters take place over summer, and then it switches to her starting a new school. Which wasn't very fun to read about.
The pages are blindingly white, which I really don't like in a book, and have only encountered a couple times. I think it makes it look cheap.
It was clear from the beginning that Loch would be the romantic interest, what with Cowboy being hung up on his crush, & Ollie seemed too goofy.
I didn't like Loch's real name Micah, or that hers was Toni, with an I, as if that's somehow short for Tonya.
I'm a tomboy, I love books about tomboy heroines, but she was a little too tomboy for me, with all the burping, and gross snot scenes.
I found this book pretty stereotypical. Emma, the tomboy who burps and drools, and is messy, has a 'banging body,' big boobs, nice legs. Go figure.
They all compliment each other on their burps. It was a bit much.
I didn't find this group of guys very...swoon-worthy. They're a little nerdy. I wouldn't be attracted to them. What with the hunting sea monsters stuff. Seems a bit lame. I also found it hard to believe high school teens were going around looking for this mythical sea -or lake- creature. Then again, I remember a guy in high school who believed in Big Foot, so you never know.
We're given their nicknames first, so it's impossible to remember real names.
This is one of the cases where characters have a distinct smell. Micah magically smells like vanilla, and we're not ever told why. Does he use vanilla shower gel? Does his mom have vanilla softener?
I didn't like that Loch dated some girl for two years, and was in love with her, and apparently wasn't over her. I hated that Loch said he should get over his ex and that Emma was cute. If he likes Toni wtf is he doing?
I hated hated HATED that Emma and Loch kissed. That Toni was stupid enough to offer her friend to play pretend boyfriend, when she could have chosen Ollie. Ollie should have been the one to fake-date Emma, cause he thought she was beautiful. When Loch asked if he had to kiss her and Toni says no kissing, and he says is that a request or a demand, I thought the matter was settled. Emma grinds against him dancing, he whispers in her ear, has his fingers in her hair, all bad enough. Toni tells her her ex-boyfriend saw them together, she then drags Toni outside to see his reaction. They all go out, for some reason, to find him puking in the bushes. He looks up and sees them, and for some unexplainable reason Emma grabs Loch and kisses him. And he didn't even back away, just stands there letting it happen. Kevin already saw them together dancing and heard they were a couple,and now he's puking, so why make him more jealous? Why would you do that? It made no sense. And Kevin didn't even sound like he wanted her back, that he was remotely jealous. He said she was clingy!
Then we have to read about Shauna kissing his cheek and nibbling his ear.
As if Toni didn't make a mistake with Emma and Loch, and can't figure out how she very clearly likes Loch and is jealous, she goes and offers all her friends up to the entire school. Like every girl there has boy trouble. Just because she has platonic relationships with them doesn't mean other girls want platonic relationships with them, too. How does she know more girls won't be kissing Loch, or her other friends?
I was beyond annoyed when Loch says he's had sex in his car while wearing a tuxedo and is the only non-virgin in their group. I wished Toni liked Ollie or Cowboy. I also wished someone had kissed her, so Loch could have saw like she had to watch him w/ other girls.
Of course the heroine is a virgin with no experience, hasn't dated anyone. I'm surprised Toni had even kissed two guys. But of course both encounters sucked. Heroines can't have pleasurable kisses/sex with anyone besides the hero.
The guys didn't even comment or react to her sexy Halloween look or that she was dressing more girly. So what was the point?
Toni acted like none of the fake dating could turn real. I didn't like that Cowboy was involved, because he had a crush on someone else.
Emma seemed really fickle, the way she wanted Kevin back, then asked if she could date Micah, then moved on to Ollie. I kept waiting for Toni to say something about it, to tell her off, for their friendship to end in an argument.
Emma was the typical friend who gives you a makeover, does your nails and hair.
Emma was in nearly every scene. She spent more time with her than her supposed best friends. I was annoyed by Emma, I wanted some space from her and never got it. After she kissed Loch and wanted to date him, I didn't really like her.
Emma burps just like Toni and has never had a girl for a friend either. Which isn't even remotely believable. Shauna also didn't have girl friends, but that makes sense because she's mean.
What about Lemon? Isn't she friends with Lemon? Anyone from grades K-11?
She isn't friends with guys so that means she's never had friends period.
It was obvious it was Micah who was leaving the bandannas at her dad's grave.
There was never a complete scene or real bonding moment, or a real conversation. All the scenes were short. Conversations that started and then stopped shortly after. Like the author couldn't write a complete scene.
This group of friends didn't seem that close to me. I mean the relationship started to fall apart the second she transferred to the academy. From lack of communication. There was a major lack of communication all around. They all needed to sit around and talk, but they never did. About their choice of schools, about their friendship.
It took Toni entirely too long to realize she loves Micah, like 220 pages long. Her hands get sweaty, her heart races when he's near, yet it takes her an incredibly long time to realize she has feelings for him. So annoying.
I didn't get the vibe that Toni wanted to be more girly. She all of a sudden says she wants to paint her nails and wear a skirt. It didn't feel authentic. She seemed to like being one of the guys, being a tomboy. She wasn't even insulted that Cowboy said she wasn't a girl.
I found it ridiculous Toni spent the book saying Brian thinks teenagers are irresponsible then at her first weekend home alone she throws a party and two people get sick in the house.
Of course the stepdad turns out to be a nice guy, just wanting to bond with her. Another predictable element.
This ended on a pretty sudden note. There could have been an epilogue or something.
This was so inconclusive it wasn't even funny.
How long did Loch like Toni? Why, if he liked her, did he date someone for two years and have sex with them?
What is her friendship gonna be like with Ollie and Cowboy? It wasn't even repaired in here.
Will her and Loch end up going to different schools?
We needed less scenes with Emma and nail painting and running the business and more with the boys, & the person she ends up with. I also didn't understand why her and Emma had to wait together while the boys were on their 'dates.' Or why they needed to be involved at all. Was Emma there to do wardrobes? Why wait up when all the guy is doing is taking someone on a date and then dropping them off? They don't even need to see him that night, just wait for their report. It made no sense.
We don't know if they'll last, how it will affect the other guys, how they'll manage going to two different schools. Where was Cowboy going to school at? I can't even remember. The characters needed more fleshing out. They weren't developed enough.
After all the fuss Ollie made he's giving up snowboard camp for Emma.
This isn't even remotely as cute as the cover looks.
There really should be three guys on the cover. They left one of them out.
I couldn't get a real good sense of what the guys looked like. Just Micah's vague square hero whiskered chin. The other two guys were even more vague.
It didn't seem like Ollie was Emma's type or that Cowboy was Katie's type. We dk how Ollie(Luke) got his nickname.
This was refreshing in that these characters weren't manwhores. Her guy friends were more shy and hadn't slept with anyone, excluding Loch. Of course the guy she likes ins't a virgin. Why can't the hero of books be virgins? Can anyone answer me that?
This was humorous in places, but I can't say it was enjoyable. The pole-dancing scene made me laugh. That was the funniest scene, and her nervous itchy butt was funny too.
Toni sort of matures and grows, realizing her mistake in the business, how you can't control people or put them into envelopes. But I feel like the author missed a whole angle there. I thought Toni would end up calling Emma on being fickle, how she'd tell Lemon not to lie to her parents about her sexuality, how that wouldn't solve anything, how she'd tell Shauna to be honest with the stalkery guy who liked her instead of using a fake date to keep him away. But no. She dropped the ball there.
Also was she trying to make a switch from tomboy to girly? Why couldn't she stay a tomboy? She ripped her shorts up, for some reason. Not really sure what that signified. This could have handled the changes in her past to her future better, and bridged the gap better.
If Emma was blackmailing Shauna by telling her she'd let the school know she used their service, then why did Shauna end up implicating Emma in the scheme?
Also, I found it ridiculous that Toni blamed herself for Ollie getting beat up. Just because she started the service didn't mean that was her fault. That was just a crazy random scenario with Lemon's gf's crazy brother.
Loch didn't even see Champ when Toni spots him at the end, so he doesn't get it on video. Although it kinda showed how in that moment he cared more about her than his hunt for the legendary creature. And Toni realizes it's enough knowing it's real or something like that, and that they're the legends.
I'm glad I got done with this; I wouldn't have wanted to read this more than two days. In the end, it didn't live up to my expectations, to the cute cover it has, and I'm disappointed by it.
The pages are blindingly white, which I really don't like in a book, and have only encountered a couple times. I think it makes it look cheap.
It was clear from the beginning that Loch would be the romantic interest, what with Cowboy being hung up on his crush, & Ollie seemed too goofy.
I didn't like Loch's real name Micah, or that hers was Toni, with an I, as if that's somehow short for Tonya.
I'm a tomboy, I love books about tomboy heroines, but she was a little too tomboy for me, with all the burping, and gross snot scenes.
I found this book pretty stereotypical. Emma, the tomboy who burps and drools, and is messy, has a 'banging body,' big boobs, nice legs. Go figure.
They all compliment each other on their burps. It was a bit much.
I didn't find this group of guys very...swoon-worthy. They're a little nerdy. I wouldn't be attracted to them. What with the hunting sea monsters stuff. Seems a bit lame. I also found it hard to believe high school teens were going around looking for this mythical sea -or lake- creature. Then again, I remember a guy in high school who believed in Big Foot, so you never know.
We're given their nicknames first, so it's impossible to remember real names.
This is one of the cases where characters have a distinct smell. Micah magically smells like vanilla, and we're not ever told why. Does he use vanilla shower gel? Does his mom have vanilla softener?
I didn't like that Loch dated some girl for two years, and was in love with her, and apparently wasn't over her. I hated that Loch said he should get over his ex and that Emma was cute. If he likes Toni wtf is he doing?
I hated hated HATED that Emma and Loch kissed. That Toni was stupid enough to offer her friend to play pretend boyfriend, when she could have chosen Ollie. Ollie should have been the one to fake-date Emma, cause he thought she was beautiful. When Loch asked if he had to kiss her and Toni says no kissing, and he says is that a request or a demand, I thought the matter was settled. Emma grinds against him dancing, he whispers in her ear, has his fingers in her hair, all bad enough. Toni tells her her ex-boyfriend saw them together, she then drags Toni outside to see his reaction. They all go out, for some reason, to find him puking in the bushes. He looks up and sees them, and for some unexplainable reason Emma grabs Loch and kisses him. And he didn't even back away, just stands there letting it happen. Kevin already saw them together dancing and heard they were a couple,and now he's puking, so why make him more jealous? Why would you do that? It made no sense. And Kevin didn't even sound like he wanted her back, that he was remotely jealous. He said she was clingy!
Then we have to read about Shauna kissing his cheek and nibbling his ear.
As if Toni didn't make a mistake with Emma and Loch, and can't figure out how she very clearly likes Loch and is jealous, she goes and offers all her friends up to the entire school. Like every girl there has boy trouble. Just because she has platonic relationships with them doesn't mean other girls want platonic relationships with them, too. How does she know more girls won't be kissing Loch, or her other friends?
I was beyond annoyed when Loch says he's had sex in his car while wearing a tuxedo and is the only non-virgin in their group. I wished Toni liked Ollie or Cowboy. I also wished someone had kissed her, so Loch could have saw like she had to watch him w/ other girls.
Of course the heroine is a virgin with no experience, hasn't dated anyone. I'm surprised Toni had even kissed two guys. But of course both encounters sucked. Heroines can't have pleasurable kisses/sex with anyone besides the hero.
The guys didn't even comment or react to her sexy Halloween look or that she was dressing more girly. So what was the point?
Toni acted like none of the fake dating could turn real. I didn't like that Cowboy was involved, because he had a crush on someone else.
Emma seemed really fickle, the way she wanted Kevin back, then asked if she could date Micah, then moved on to Ollie. I kept waiting for Toni to say something about it, to tell her off, for their friendship to end in an argument.
Emma was the typical friend who gives you a makeover, does your nails and hair.
Emma was in nearly every scene. She spent more time with her than her supposed best friends. I was annoyed by Emma, I wanted some space from her and never got it. After she kissed Loch and wanted to date him, I didn't really like her.
Emma burps just like Toni and has never had a girl for a friend either. Which isn't even remotely believable. Shauna also didn't have girl friends, but that makes sense because she's mean.
What about Lemon? Isn't she friends with Lemon? Anyone from grades K-11?
She isn't friends with guys so that means she's never had friends period.
It was obvious it was Micah who was leaving the bandannas at her dad's grave.
There was never a complete scene or real bonding moment, or a real conversation. All the scenes were short. Conversations that started and then stopped shortly after. Like the author couldn't write a complete scene.
This group of friends didn't seem that close to me. I mean the relationship started to fall apart the second she transferred to the academy. From lack of communication. There was a major lack of communication all around. They all needed to sit around and talk, but they never did. About their choice of schools, about their friendship.
It took Toni entirely too long to realize she loves Micah, like 220 pages long. Her hands get sweaty, her heart races when he's near, yet it takes her an incredibly long time to realize she has feelings for him. So annoying.
I didn't get the vibe that Toni wanted to be more girly. She all of a sudden says she wants to paint her nails and wear a skirt. It didn't feel authentic. She seemed to like being one of the guys, being a tomboy. She wasn't even insulted that Cowboy said she wasn't a girl.
I found it ridiculous Toni spent the book saying Brian thinks teenagers are irresponsible then at her first weekend home alone she throws a party and two people get sick in the house.
Of course the stepdad turns out to be a nice guy, just wanting to bond with her. Another predictable element.
This ended on a pretty sudden note. There could have been an epilogue or something.
This was so inconclusive it wasn't even funny.
How long did Loch like Toni? Why, if he liked her, did he date someone for two years and have sex with them?
What is her friendship gonna be like with Ollie and Cowboy? It wasn't even repaired in here.
Will her and Loch end up going to different schools?
We needed less scenes with Emma and nail painting and running the business and more with the boys, & the person she ends up with. I also didn't understand why her and Emma had to wait together while the boys were on their 'dates.' Or why they needed to be involved at all. Was Emma there to do wardrobes? Why wait up when all the guy is doing is taking someone on a date and then dropping them off? They don't even need to see him that night, just wait for their report. It made no sense.
We don't know if they'll last, how it will affect the other guys, how they'll manage going to two different schools. Where was Cowboy going to school at? I can't even remember. The characters needed more fleshing out. They weren't developed enough.
After all the fuss Ollie made he's giving up snowboard camp for Emma.
This isn't even remotely as cute as the cover looks.
There really should be three guys on the cover. They left one of them out.
I couldn't get a real good sense of what the guys looked like. Just Micah's vague square hero whiskered chin. The other two guys were even more vague.
It didn't seem like Ollie was Emma's type or that Cowboy was Katie's type. We dk how Ollie(Luke) got his nickname.
This was refreshing in that these characters weren't manwhores. Her guy friends were more shy and hadn't slept with anyone, excluding Loch. Of course the guy she likes ins't a virgin. Why can't the hero of books be virgins? Can anyone answer me that?
This was humorous in places, but I can't say it was enjoyable. The pole-dancing scene made me laugh. That was the funniest scene, and her nervous itchy butt was funny too.
Toni sort of matures and grows, realizing her mistake in the business, how you can't control people or put them into envelopes. But I feel like the author missed a whole angle there. I thought Toni would end up calling Emma on being fickle, how she'd tell Lemon not to lie to her parents about her sexuality, how that wouldn't solve anything, how she'd tell Shauna to be honest with the stalkery guy who liked her instead of using a fake date to keep him away. But no. She dropped the ball there.
Also was she trying to make a switch from tomboy to girly? Why couldn't she stay a tomboy? She ripped her shorts up, for some reason. Not really sure what that signified. This could have handled the changes in her past to her future better, and bridged the gap better.
If Emma was blackmailing Shauna by telling her she'd let the school know she used their service, then why did Shauna end up implicating Emma in the scheme?
Also, I found it ridiculous that Toni blamed herself for Ollie getting beat up. Just because she started the service didn't mean that was her fault. That was just a crazy random scenario with Lemon's gf's crazy brother.
Loch didn't even see Champ when Toni spots him at the end, so he doesn't get it on video. Although it kinda showed how in that moment he cared more about her than his hunt for the legendary creature. And Toni realizes it's enough knowing it's real or something like that, and that they're the legends.
I'm glad I got done with this; I wouldn't have wanted to read this more than two days. In the end, it didn't live up to my expectations, to the cute cover it has, and I'm disappointed by it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2016
Update: I haven't reread this book but I am updating my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars. My reasoning for this is simply because it's been a year later and I catch myself thinking of this book fondly. Since I have read this book, I've read a few books where the girl is seen as "one of the guys" and I will say this is one of the better ones. Definitely would recommend you pick this one up if you like cute contemporary reads.
I was provided with an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
I was provided with an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion
I started reading this book a few days ago while in a reading slump so I didn't get very far (probably about 10% through). So today I picked it back up and finished it.
You can probably tell from the title what the book is about but I shall explain anyway. One of The Guys is about a girl (Toni) who is a complete tomboy, and has grown up with a small group of boys. Then something happens and her parents make her switch to an all girls school which is completely out of her comfort level. She then finds that her friends are moving on without her and the book basically deals with all of that and how she tries to stay connected with her friends.
I really liked how Tori developed as a character. At the beginning of the book I thought she was immature and I couldn't stand her, but she got better as the book went on. Although there were a few choices she made that I really didn't agree with (if you read the book you will know what I am talking about) and I honestly almost stopped reading it because of it, but I am glad I didn't as I thought it all panned out nicely.
I thought that Tori and Lochs friendship was so sweet and the development of their relationship was very well written and real, and at times a real page turner. I loved that it wasn't mushy gushy and wasn't very typical/cliched story, it was REAL and it makes it that much easier to fall into that world and "become one with the book" :P
One thing I do have to say about Tori is that even at the end of the book, while I don't think she was as immature as she was at the beginning, she was still insecure which bugged me slightly. She definitely wasn't a "strong female character" in this book.
Overall this was a very enjoyable read for me. Lisa's writing was very captivating and upon reflection I seem to be liking it more and more. As always with contemporary novels though, I would have loved more of Tori and Loch together after the "story".
January 11, 2015
Cute, G-rated, tomboy dramedy
At the start of this book, Tonya Valentine (Toni) is 17, it is the summer before her senior year, and she turns 18 midway through the book. Her father, whom she adored, died in a motorcycle accident two years ago. Her mother remarried a year ago. Toni loves her mother, but she resents her stepfather.
Toni has been close friends for 10 years, since they were in second grade, with three boys who are her age and live on her street. They initially formed a close circle of friendship when they spotted what they all agreed was the tail of a Loch Ness style monster in a local lake in their small hometown in Vermont. Over time, as a group they came up with the following nicknames for each other:
Toni is McRib because at one point she gorged on 10 of them in a single sitting. Micah, Toni's next-door neighbor, is Loch, because he is most interested in seeking out the local Loch Ness monster. Luke is nicknamed Ollie and Justin is Cowboy, for reasons I can't recall.
Even though the four friends have spent many hours together over the years shooting hoops, watching football, playing video games, and hanging out together at school, Toni is convinced that the chief thing holding them together is that they periodically go out on the lake in a hopeful quest to see the lake monster again. At the very beginning of the book, after yet one more failed attempt at a monster sighting, Toni is afraid that Cowboy and Ollie are losing interest in their ongoing quest. In a desperate attempt at renewing her bond with her guys, so that the gang doesn't drift apart, Toni suggests that the four of them moon their principal, who is just leaving the local movie theater with a date. Loch and Cowboy refuse, but Ollie is game. Unfortunately, though Toni and Ollie hide their faces during the prank, the principal figures out who they are and calls their parents. Ollie's parents are so angry, they refuse to fund a snowboarding trip he has been greatly looking forward to. He blames Toni entirely for his punishment and holds a huge grudge against her. Even worse, Toni's mother and her stepfather insist on sending her to an all-girl private school an hour's drive away for two reasons: to drastically reduce the time she spends with her gauche, male friends, and to force her to experience living as a girl, due to the female academy insisting that its students wear skirts and engage in "ladylike" behavior. These two disastrous consequences of Toni's prank are the dead-opposite of what she desired--instead of re-bonding her to her guy friends, it has driven them physically and emotionally farther away.
Toni has never had a female friend or participated in female culture before this new school, and she feels like she's on a foreign planet--until suddenly Toni finds herself comforting a weeping fellow student, and offering her advice on how to win back her boyfriend, which ends with Toni asking Loch to be her friend's pretend date to make her friend's ex jealous. This turns out to be the beginning of Toni's first female friendship, and the dawning of a brand new scheme by Toni to rope her guy friends back into her life. She decides to help them earn much needed money for Ollie's snowbarding and for college by working for Toni's G-rated escort service as fake dates for lovelorn, wealthy girls at Toni's female academy.
This young adult novel combines comedy and drama in a form that I personally would call "dramedy." The main focus of the story is a young-adult staple, "coming of age," and the secondary story is a classic romance plot, falling for the boy next door. I am very happy to report there is no romantic triangle.
The drama comes from Toni's poignant loss of her father and the emotional fallout from that. The comedy lies in slapstick situations surrounding Toni's gender-identity issues as a perpetual tomboy. Her version of being "one of the guys" is to emulate certain crude, immature behaviors of preteen and teenage, male culture, including competitive, loud belching, drooling while sleeping, dripping snot and wiping it on her pants or her sleeve, and scratching her behind in public. There is also frequent emphasis on the slovenliness of her bedroom and car and the fact that she loves wearing ugly, male athletic shorts and sloppy T-shirts as her primary attire.
In a YA market that is saturated with sex, drugs, violence, and suicidally depressed teens, among other dark subjects, it is a pleasure to run across, if not all-out comedy, at least a mix of comedy and drama, such as occurs in this novel. There is no swearing, and no sexual contact beyond kissing. There is one scene of drinking to excess at a wild party, but it is not glorified because most of the drunken teens get sick.
Overall, I would rate this book as G shading a bit toward PG due to the underage drinking.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Subcharacters: 4 stars
Romantic interest: 5 stars
Coming of Age Plot: 5 stars
Romance Subplot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 4.7 stars rounded to 5 stars
Reviewer disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley.
At the start of this book, Tonya Valentine (Toni) is 17, it is the summer before her senior year, and she turns 18 midway through the book. Her father, whom she adored, died in a motorcycle accident two years ago. Her mother remarried a year ago. Toni loves her mother, but she resents her stepfather.
Toni has been close friends for 10 years, since they were in second grade, with three boys who are her age and live on her street. They initially formed a close circle of friendship when they spotted what they all agreed was the tail of a Loch Ness style monster in a local lake in their small hometown in Vermont. Over time, as a group they came up with the following nicknames for each other:
Toni is McRib because at one point she gorged on 10 of them in a single sitting. Micah, Toni's next-door neighbor, is Loch, because he is most interested in seeking out the local Loch Ness monster. Luke is nicknamed Ollie and Justin is Cowboy, for reasons I can't recall.
Even though the four friends have spent many hours together over the years shooting hoops, watching football, playing video games, and hanging out together at school, Toni is convinced that the chief thing holding them together is that they periodically go out on the lake in a hopeful quest to see the lake monster again. At the very beginning of the book, after yet one more failed attempt at a monster sighting, Toni is afraid that Cowboy and Ollie are losing interest in their ongoing quest. In a desperate attempt at renewing her bond with her guys, so that the gang doesn't drift apart, Toni suggests that the four of them moon their principal, who is just leaving the local movie theater with a date. Loch and Cowboy refuse, but Ollie is game. Unfortunately, though Toni and Ollie hide their faces during the prank, the principal figures out who they are and calls their parents. Ollie's parents are so angry, they refuse to fund a snowboarding trip he has been greatly looking forward to. He blames Toni entirely for his punishment and holds a huge grudge against her. Even worse, Toni's mother and her stepfather insist on sending her to an all-girl private school an hour's drive away for two reasons: to drastically reduce the time she spends with her gauche, male friends, and to force her to experience living as a girl, due to the female academy insisting that its students wear skirts and engage in "ladylike" behavior. These two disastrous consequences of Toni's prank are the dead-opposite of what she desired--instead of re-bonding her to her guy friends, it has driven them physically and emotionally farther away.
Toni has never had a female friend or participated in female culture before this new school, and she feels like she's on a foreign planet--until suddenly Toni finds herself comforting a weeping fellow student, and offering her advice on how to win back her boyfriend, which ends with Toni asking Loch to be her friend's pretend date to make her friend's ex jealous. This turns out to be the beginning of Toni's first female friendship, and the dawning of a brand new scheme by Toni to rope her guy friends back into her life. She decides to help them earn much needed money for Ollie's snowbarding and for college by working for Toni's G-rated escort service as fake dates for lovelorn, wealthy girls at Toni's female academy.
This young adult novel combines comedy and drama in a form that I personally would call "dramedy." The main focus of the story is a young-adult staple, "coming of age," and the secondary story is a classic romance plot, falling for the boy next door. I am very happy to report there is no romantic triangle.
The drama comes from Toni's poignant loss of her father and the emotional fallout from that. The comedy lies in slapstick situations surrounding Toni's gender-identity issues as a perpetual tomboy. Her version of being "one of the guys" is to emulate certain crude, immature behaviors of preteen and teenage, male culture, including competitive, loud belching, drooling while sleeping, dripping snot and wiping it on her pants or her sleeve, and scratching her behind in public. There is also frequent emphasis on the slovenliness of her bedroom and car and the fact that she loves wearing ugly, male athletic shorts and sloppy T-shirts as her primary attire.
In a YA market that is saturated with sex, drugs, violence, and suicidally depressed teens, among other dark subjects, it is a pleasure to run across, if not all-out comedy, at least a mix of comedy and drama, such as occurs in this novel. There is no swearing, and no sexual contact beyond kissing. There is one scene of drinking to excess at a wild party, but it is not glorified because most of the drunken teens get sick.
Overall, I would rate this book as G shading a bit toward PG due to the underage drinking.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Subcharacters: 4 stars
Romantic interest: 5 stars
Coming of Age Plot: 5 stars
Romance Subplot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 4.7 stars rounded to 5 stars
Reviewer disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley.
April 5, 2015
As a tomboy myself I am a sucker for books about girls who have always been one of the guys and are struggling with the fact that they might, occasionally, want to be seen as a girl. Therefore, when Nori recommended this to me and I found out she loved it, I kind of had to get it. And I am so glad I did!
Toni and her three best friends(Cowboy, Ollie, and Loch) bonded the night they all saw Champ(the monster that lives in the lake) and, ever since, they've been best friends determined to catch sight of Champ again. One night, before senior year, Toni can feel them all drifting apart so she comes up with a new plan, a new bonding experience, that ends with her getting sent to an all girls school. Things fall apart from there.
This book isn't just about Toni struggling to be girly while surrounded by guys, it's mostly about her struggling to keep her friends together when a stupid prank tears them apart and, so what if along the way she learns that it's not the worse thing to wear a skirt and it's okay to paint your nails?
I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun and a fairly short read, my main issue with it was that sometimes the characters really annoyed me.
A Few Of My Favorite Things:
Characters - I really loved Toni and Emma both. I loved that for the most part it wasn't a huge deal to Toni when she started being more girly, more feminine. She fought it at first, she wanted to cling to who she's always been, but in the end it wasn't a huge life changing thing, it felt very real. I also loved that everything she did was just because she wanted to stay friends with the guys forever, she was terrified of losing them. And Emma was just awesome, she 's a good friend and she's not the typical girly girl character, yes she taught Toni how to wear makeup and forced her to dress up more, but she also wasn't afraid the act like one of the guys too and show Toni that's it's not an either or situation.
The fake dating service - While this did account for some stupid moments I really liked this part of the plot. It was so much fun. Toni and Emma set up fake dates for the girls at their school with Cowboy, Ollie, and Loch, now these aren't any fake dates it's for when you need an excuse, to make an ex jealous or to convince your conservative parents that you're dating a boy. It was just a really fun aspect of the book.
Champ(Aka, basically the Loch Ness Monster) - Confession, I totally believe in things like Bigfoot and Nessie so I really really loved this little side part. Champ is what made them friends in the first place and Toni is convinced that if they can see him just one more time everything will magically be fixed. Still, it's basically the loch ness monster, what could be cooler than that?
A Few Of My Not So Favorite Things:
The boys - They were selfish jerks for the biggest part of the book, at times I wanted to yell at Toni 'why are you even trying, they don't care!' It was kind of disappointing. Cowboy was the best of them, the nicest, but even he ends up dropping Toni randomly. Ollie blames Toni for the prank they pulled that pissed his parents off and Loch just flip flops back and forth. Personally, I thought it'd be more interesting if the love interest(who I shall not name) had been pushed aside and one of the other boys swooped in, because there was one I thought would be so much more interesting with Toni.
Certain plot points that don't make sense - Some things were kind of blown out of proportion, I thought, kind of unrealistically. Mostly when it came to the whole fake dating service thing, at the end everything kind of just blows up and it just felt unrealistic to me
Overall: I really enjoyed this book.
Would I Recommend This? Yes.
To Whom? YA Contemporary fans and fans of Kasie West's One The Fence
Will I read more from this author? Probably.
Toni and her three best friends(Cowboy, Ollie, and Loch) bonded the night they all saw Champ(the monster that lives in the lake) and, ever since, they've been best friends determined to catch sight of Champ again. One night, before senior year, Toni can feel them all drifting apart so she comes up with a new plan, a new bonding experience, that ends with her getting sent to an all girls school. Things fall apart from there.
This book isn't just about Toni struggling to be girly while surrounded by guys, it's mostly about her struggling to keep her friends together when a stupid prank tears them apart and, so what if along the way she learns that it's not the worse thing to wear a skirt and it's okay to paint your nails?
I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun and a fairly short read, my main issue with it was that sometimes the characters really annoyed me.
A Few Of My Favorite Things:
Characters - I really loved Toni and Emma both. I loved that for the most part it wasn't a huge deal to Toni when she started being more girly, more feminine. She fought it at first, she wanted to cling to who she's always been, but in the end it wasn't a huge life changing thing, it felt very real. I also loved that everything she did was just because she wanted to stay friends with the guys forever, she was terrified of losing them. And Emma was just awesome, she 's a good friend and she's not the typical girly girl character, yes she taught Toni how to wear makeup and forced her to dress up more, but she also wasn't afraid the act like one of the guys too and show Toni that's it's not an either or situation.
The fake dating service - While this did account for some stupid moments I really liked this part of the plot. It was so much fun. Toni and Emma set up fake dates for the girls at their school with Cowboy, Ollie, and Loch, now these aren't any fake dates it's for when you need an excuse, to make an ex jealous or to convince your conservative parents that you're dating a boy. It was just a really fun aspect of the book.
Champ(Aka, basically the Loch Ness Monster) - Confession, I totally believe in things like Bigfoot and Nessie so I really really loved this little side part. Champ is what made them friends in the first place and Toni is convinced that if they can see him just one more time everything will magically be fixed. Still, it's basically the loch ness monster, what could be cooler than that?
A Few Of My Not So Favorite Things:
The boys - They were selfish jerks for the biggest part of the book, at times I wanted to yell at Toni 'why are you even trying, they don't care!' It was kind of disappointing. Cowboy was the best of them, the nicest, but even he ends up dropping Toni randomly. Ollie blames Toni for the prank they pulled that pissed his parents off and Loch just flip flops back and forth. Personally, I thought it'd be more interesting if the love interest(who I shall not name) had been pushed aside and one of the other boys swooped in, because there was one I thought would be so much more interesting with Toni.
Certain plot points that don't make sense - Some things were kind of blown out of proportion, I thought, kind of unrealistically. Mostly when it came to the whole fake dating service thing, at the end everything kind of just blows up and it just felt unrealistic to me
Overall: I really enjoyed this book.
Would I Recommend This? Yes.
To Whom? YA Contemporary fans and fans of Kasie West's One The Fence
Will I read more from this author? Probably.
February 3, 2015
I know some people have been having some issues getting into this book or liking the character according to some reviews I've read but for me One of the Guys is one of those cutesy books you'll love to curl with on the sofa on those horrible rainy days. It was actually king of perfect. One of the guys is a coming of age book that will make you squirm sometimes because you just want to help the main character but mostly you'll be smiling and grinning like an idiot.
One of the guys centers around Tonya Valentine, also known as simply Toni (McRib for her closest friends). She is a tomboy and has 3 best friends, all boys: Micah (Loch), Luke (Ollie) and Justin (Cowboy). They all have nicknames and throughout the book call themselves like that. They became friends after sighting what seemed like a monster on their town's lake and have been since them gone "hunting" at time, trying to see and catch on film the legendary creature. When Toni feels like the group is destined to grow apart she wants to prolong what feels to her like their last night together. That's when things take a wrong turn and land her in an all girls academy. There she meets Emma and after an incident they start their "rent-a-gent" business. And that's where I'm ending my little repeat of the summary because you should just go read the book.
When I started reading the book and on the sixth page of the copy I had read "A massive belch escapes me." I knew I would love what was coming. I enjoyed immensely Toni's character. She never stopped being who she was. There were times she felt a little out of place but she never wanted to change herself. Emma tried and she did go with what Emma said sometimes (Halloween costumes and such) but inside, she was always Toni. During the book we find out Toni's dad is dead and that she doesn't like change. Some people might have some issues with the way Toni acts but I understand her: she likes the way things are and is afraid of the future, of what might change.
What really bothered me was Ollie's attitude towards Toni. He was caught alongside Toni doing the prank that made Toni go to the Winston Academy. He blamed her throughout the whole book because of it. Now, come on! He wanted in, he could have done the same as Loch and Cowboy and just watch but he wanted to try it as well. He is as to blame as Toni. She might have given the idea but he chose to do it so to hell with him. I really liked when Toni finally hit him, I wanted to do so myself.
Now now, onto the important stuff: the romance! I loved loved loved Toni and Loch interaction. They are so cute and dense! They like each other but don't have the nerve to do something. Eventually Loch makes the first move which makes Toni realise she actually loves him. GUYS THIS IS SO CUTE BELIEVE ME! Loch is kind of perfect.
I just wanted to know more about what happens in the future: how they deal with the relationship when they go to college and how the group's dynamic is. Apart from that this is one of those fluffy books you'll stare up to and reread when you feel down. One of the guys will definitely make you feel better and rise your spirits!
Favourite part: "'I love you too,' I blurt out. His mouth hangs open. I've stunned the poor guy."
PS: Love the cover, so peaceful and relaxed!
*I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*
One of the guys centers around Tonya Valentine, also known as simply Toni (McRib for her closest friends). She is a tomboy and has 3 best friends, all boys: Micah (Loch), Luke (Ollie) and Justin (Cowboy). They all have nicknames and throughout the book call themselves like that. They became friends after sighting what seemed like a monster on their town's lake and have been since them gone "hunting" at time, trying to see and catch on film the legendary creature. When Toni feels like the group is destined to grow apart she wants to prolong what feels to her like their last night together. That's when things take a wrong turn and land her in an all girls academy. There she meets Emma and after an incident they start their "rent-a-gent" business. And that's where I'm ending my little repeat of the summary because you should just go read the book.
When I started reading the book and on the sixth page of the copy I had read "A massive belch escapes me." I knew I would love what was coming. I enjoyed immensely Toni's character. She never stopped being who she was. There were times she felt a little out of place but she never wanted to change herself. Emma tried and she did go with what Emma said sometimes (Halloween costumes and such) but inside, she was always Toni. During the book we find out Toni's dad is dead and that she doesn't like change. Some people might have some issues with the way Toni acts but I understand her: she likes the way things are and is afraid of the future, of what might change.
What really bothered me was Ollie's attitude towards Toni. He was caught alongside Toni doing the prank that made Toni go to the Winston Academy. He blamed her throughout the whole book because of it. Now, come on! He wanted in, he could have done the same as Loch and Cowboy and just watch but he wanted to try it as well. He is as to blame as Toni. She might have given the idea but he chose to do it so to hell with him. I really liked when Toni finally hit him, I wanted to do so myself.
Now now, onto the important stuff: the romance! I loved loved loved Toni and Loch interaction. They are so cute and dense! They like each other but don't have the nerve to do something. Eventually Loch makes the first move which makes Toni realise she actually loves him. GUYS THIS IS SO CUTE BELIEVE ME! Loch is kind of perfect.
I just wanted to know more about what happens in the future: how they deal with the relationship when they go to college and how the group's dynamic is. Apart from that this is one of those fluffy books you'll stare up to and reread when you feel down. One of the guys will definitely make you feel better and rise your spirits!
Favourite part: "'I love you too,' I blurt out. His mouth hangs open. I've stunned the poor guy."
PS: Love the cover, so peaceful and relaxed!
*I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*
February 16, 2015
Oh my cuteness! I liked this book so much ♥ One of the Guys is the kind of book perfect for a late afternoon or Friday night read to make you feel light and have butterflies flying around your stomach.
This book tells the story about a girl who's best friends with three boys and is a tomboy true and true. She doesn't like wearing skirts or makeup, and if you ever ask her what she likes to do in her afternoons, she would probably say that hang out with her boys down at the lake looking for monsters. But when a prank doesn't go according to plan, Toni is forced to start her senior year of high school in an all-girls school, a place that makes her wear skirts and demands she act more lady-like, and to top it all off, no more hanging out with her boys. However, after she tries to help out a new friend, she accidentally opens a business where she rents her guy friends for fake dates for those "in need". In other words, a business that screams disaster.
I had a lot of fun reading this book, especially when it gets to the part where Tonya starts setting up the fake dates and starts hanging out with her new girl friend. I was half-expecting every one of the dates would end up in disaster, but most of them were a hit, making it a blooming business.
Tonya's character is one I had some trouble liking at first since she was a bit too much of a tomboy for my liking. I mean, I'm okay with the wearing boy shorts and no makeup stuff, but I didn't like how she was always burping or thinking about scratching her butt. She wasn't a character I wanted to hang around with, but thankfully, once she started hanging out with Emma, she brought her boyish personality down a notch. She's quite cool, smart and so nice once she realizes she can hang around guys, like boy stuff, and be a bit girlie at the same time.
The whole drama inside this book, besides the rent-a-gent business, is how Tonya's friendship with the guys is affected. Everyone grows distant, misunderstandings arise, and feelings that weren't there before soon come to the surface. Oh, this is when the really good stuff comes in. Three words: Best Friends Romance!
I loved Loch/Micah & Tonya as a couple. It took forever for them to kiss or even admit their feelings towards each other. It was a scary step for both, but it was all worth it in the end.
I read what he wrote on my cast in his sloppy boy-writing: My sincerest apologies. I look up. Before his lips link with mine, Loch adds, "I have to break the promise I made. About avoiding, you know, change between us?"

So.Darn.Cute.
Bottom line is: I really recommend One of the Guys. I believe it's a great addition to the contemporary genre and it's quite an enjoyable read. You should read it ;)
Thanks so much to the publisher for the free copy in exchange of my honest opinion. This review can also be found on my blog, The Reader and the Chef.
This book tells the story about a girl who's best friends with three boys and is a tomboy true and true. She doesn't like wearing skirts or makeup, and if you ever ask her what she likes to do in her afternoons, she would probably say that hang out with her boys down at the lake looking for monsters. But when a prank doesn't go according to plan, Toni is forced to start her senior year of high school in an all-girls school, a place that makes her wear skirts and demands she act more lady-like, and to top it all off, no more hanging out with her boys. However, after she tries to help out a new friend, she accidentally opens a business where she rents her guy friends for fake dates for those "in need". In other words, a business that screams disaster.
I had a lot of fun reading this book, especially when it gets to the part where Tonya starts setting up the fake dates and starts hanging out with her new girl friend. I was half-expecting every one of the dates would end up in disaster, but most of them were a hit, making it a blooming business.
Tonya's character is one I had some trouble liking at first since she was a bit too much of a tomboy for my liking. I mean, I'm okay with the wearing boy shorts and no makeup stuff, but I didn't like how she was always burping or thinking about scratching her butt. She wasn't a character I wanted to hang around with, but thankfully, once she started hanging out with Emma, she brought her boyish personality down a notch. She's quite cool, smart and so nice once she realizes she can hang around guys, like boy stuff, and be a bit girlie at the same time.
The whole drama inside this book, besides the rent-a-gent business, is how Tonya's friendship with the guys is affected. Everyone grows distant, misunderstandings arise, and feelings that weren't there before soon come to the surface. Oh, this is when the really good stuff comes in. Three words: Best Friends Romance!
I loved Loch/Micah & Tonya as a couple. It took forever for them to kiss or even admit their feelings towards each other. It was a scary step for both, but it was all worth it in the end.
I read what he wrote on my cast in his sloppy boy-writing: My sincerest apologies. I look up. Before his lips link with mine, Loch adds, "I have to break the promise I made. About avoiding, you know, change between us?"

So.Darn.Cute.
Bottom line is: I really recommend One of the Guys. I believe it's a great addition to the contemporary genre and it's quite an enjoyable read. You should read it ;)
Thanks so much to the publisher for the free copy in exchange of my honest opinion. This review can also be found on my blog, The Reader and the Chef.
February 13, 2015
3.5 stars
This book is great for a light summer read. The heroine is quite likeable and cute. Her friendship with Winston Academy powerchick Emma was fun to watch as it developed. Also, the relationship between Toni and 'her boys' was cute. I liked how she knew that she was being desperate when trying to hold onto them. And I think it will resonate with a lot of readers, whether they are remembering trying to hold on to their own high school relationships or going through it themselves. It's a topic a lot of YA explores (thinking ahead about all the changes that will take place as college looms on the horizon). Aldin does a superb job of exploring Toni's conflicted feelings about it. Should she go where the boy she loves is going? Or strike out on her own?
Although I liked watching Toni and Emma become friends, I don't know that it sends a great message to girls who identify as tomboys. It seemed to be saying that tomboys are either 1. damaged girls with daddy issues who are only pretending to be 'one of the guys' while really longing to wear revealing clothes and jump around shrieking with joy at every exciting event in their lives, or 2. they should really consider the revealing clothes thing if they want to get the guy they've been lusting over, because obviously guys don't pay any attention to girls without cleavage and maybe some pole dancing thrown in. I kept waiting for Toni's love interest to say, "I've loved you all along, even before you started painting your nails and trying to act all sexy like the other girls," but he never did. As someone who was never very girlie-girl, I found that a bit offensive, and I don't think it will do anything good to the self-esteem of tomboyish girls in high school who may want to read it, thinking they'll identify with Toni's "one of the guys" attitude.
I did, however, really like that Emma, ultimate girlie-girl, was clever, driven, smart and an all-around force to be reckoned with. I just didn't care for Toni's transformation. I don't see what's wrong with a girl being 'one of the guys' if she's comfortable with it, nor do I think it makes her less of a woman. So while this was a fun read, I don't like the message I got from it. The plot was a bit predictable as well, but for a romance, I guess that's standard. My only other complaint was that Toni's relationship with her stepfather seemed to turn around way too fast and conveniently.
Overall, this was an engaging book with fun characters. Toni and her friends, both male and female, were fun to read about. And of course I like my romance with some realism (like the guy sitting around in sweatpants and a hoodie most of the time) and a nice guy for the love interest. Sometimes, Toni seemed a little clueless about guys, considering they were her best friends, but it didn't keep me from wanting to find out how they got together in the end.
A good book for light reading, if you don't take the message to heart.
Content: mild language, some kissing. Age 12+
This book is great for a light summer read. The heroine is quite likeable and cute. Her friendship with Winston Academy powerchick Emma was fun to watch as it developed. Also, the relationship between Toni and 'her boys' was cute. I liked how she knew that she was being desperate when trying to hold onto them. And I think it will resonate with a lot of readers, whether they are remembering trying to hold on to their own high school relationships or going through it themselves. It's a topic a lot of YA explores (thinking ahead about all the changes that will take place as college looms on the horizon). Aldin does a superb job of exploring Toni's conflicted feelings about it. Should she go where the boy she loves is going? Or strike out on her own?
Although I liked watching Toni and Emma become friends, I don't know that it sends a great message to girls who identify as tomboys. It seemed to be saying that tomboys are either 1. damaged girls with daddy issues who are only pretending to be 'one of the guys' while really longing to wear revealing clothes and jump around shrieking with joy at every exciting event in their lives, or 2. they should really consider the revealing clothes thing if they want to get the guy they've been lusting over, because obviously guys don't pay any attention to girls without cleavage and maybe some pole dancing thrown in. I kept waiting for Toni's love interest to say, "I've loved you all along, even before you started painting your nails and trying to act all sexy like the other girls," but he never did. As someone who was never very girlie-girl, I found that a bit offensive, and I don't think it will do anything good to the self-esteem of tomboyish girls in high school who may want to read it, thinking they'll identify with Toni's "one of the guys" attitude.
I did, however, really like that Emma, ultimate girlie-girl, was clever, driven, smart and an all-around force to be reckoned with. I just didn't care for Toni's transformation. I don't see what's wrong with a girl being 'one of the guys' if she's comfortable with it, nor do I think it makes her less of a woman. So while this was a fun read, I don't like the message I got from it. The plot was a bit predictable as well, but for a romance, I guess that's standard. My only other complaint was that Toni's relationship with her stepfather seemed to turn around way too fast and conveniently.
Overall, this was an engaging book with fun characters. Toni and her friends, both male and female, were fun to read about. And of course I like my romance with some realism (like the guy sitting around in sweatpants and a hoodie most of the time) and a nice guy for the love interest. Sometimes, Toni seemed a little clueless about guys, considering they were her best friends, but it didn't keep me from wanting to find out how they got together in the end.
A good book for light reading, if you don't take the message to heart.
Content: mild language, some kissing. Age 12+
Read
November 29, 2025I’ve always had a "thing" for tomboys, and I don’t know why. Growing up, if a girl ever demonstrated stereotypical male behavior (ie. playing video games, playing sports, being messy, cracking stupid jokes, wearing baggy clothes, burping, etc.), I was hooked. BIG TIME. I’m not sure where it came from. It’s been with me from a young age. Maybe it has something to do with me being more effeminate than most guys. Like, I’m a straight dude to the core, but I have more than a few stereotypical female characteristics (ie. caring about what I wear, listening to musicals, loving the arts, etc.). Maybe the tomboys balance me out somehow?
That being said, Lisa Aldin tapped into a part of me that few have ever discovered. I wanted to meet Toni Valentine and sweep her off her feet! What a woman! I hope there are more like her.
I also related to how Toni clung to her past. Like her, I lost my father when I was a teenager, and I’ve been doing everything in my power to maintain my old friendships from middle school. It’s been 10 years since my high school graduation, and it’s getting harder to hold on to the pieces of the past. Throughout the story, Toni struggles to embrace change and become more comfortable with her feminine side. Needless to say that I understand where she is coming from.
At first, I was unsure about the monster-hunting, but it eventually became one of my favorite aspects of the story. J.R.R. Tolkien always thought it was amazing how human beings are so fascinated with the idea of meeting non-human, otherworldly creatures - fauns, elves, monsters, and more - and how these creatures permeate all of our books, movies, and games. He thought it had something to do with our desire to meet God, Jesus, and the angels - that there was a piece of the Garden of Eden that we longed to see again. I think that there is something extremely romantic about the way a man and woman chase the same otherworldly horizon. Toni and her special guy friend (who shall remain nameless for spoilers' sake) symbolize our search for God by how they search for Champ, the sea monster that they saw when they were little.
Give the book a try! I couldn't put it down. I usually read fantasy/science fiction, but my heart was bursting by the end of this fluffy, YA, romantic story :)
That being said, Lisa Aldin tapped into a part of me that few have ever discovered. I wanted to meet Toni Valentine and sweep her off her feet! What a woman! I hope there are more like her.
I also related to how Toni clung to her past. Like her, I lost my father when I was a teenager, and I’ve been doing everything in my power to maintain my old friendships from middle school. It’s been 10 years since my high school graduation, and it’s getting harder to hold on to the pieces of the past. Throughout the story, Toni struggles to embrace change and become more comfortable with her feminine side. Needless to say that I understand where she is coming from.
At first, I was unsure about the monster-hunting, but it eventually became one of my favorite aspects of the story. J.R.R. Tolkien always thought it was amazing how human beings are so fascinated with the idea of meeting non-human, otherworldly creatures - fauns, elves, monsters, and more - and how these creatures permeate all of our books, movies, and games. He thought it had something to do with our desire to meet God, Jesus, and the angels - that there was a piece of the Garden of Eden that we longed to see again. I think that there is something extremely romantic about the way a man and woman chase the same otherworldly horizon. Toni and her special guy friend (who shall remain nameless for spoilers' sake) symbolize our search for God by how they search for Champ, the sea monster that they saw when they were little.
Give the book a try! I couldn't put it down. I usually read fantasy/science fiction, but my heart was bursting by the end of this fluffy, YA, romantic story :)
January 13, 2015
My Thoughts: Seriously, One Of The Guys was cuteness overload! But in a good way! I knew this one would be right up my alley, I just knew it!
We are introduced to Tonya, aka Toni. Toni is a major tomboy! She burps, and just hangs out with guys. She has a set of friends who are guys! A few of them actually! She fits right in with them! I want to go on and on on each guy but at the same time, I want you to get this one and read about each guy and get to know them on your own! They are each so unique!
Well, Toni gets into some trouble and has to switch schools. She ends up at an all girl school. I’m glad she meets a friend who's a girl. I’m glad she still gets to keep her guy friends too. But, things are changing fast. The guys are pulling away from her, and she gets a great idea to get them all back together. She starts a rent a gent service. The girls at her new school can rent her guys friends for a night. Everybody wins! How awesome! I loved this. I loved seeing the fake dates and I loved seeing Toni set everything up, along with her new girl friend of course!
I loved the monster hunting, and the mountain dew drinking, and her basketball shorts. I just loved it.
But most of all, I loved Micah. Oh Micah! He was such a great character and neighbor (hehe). I loved all the scenes with him the most, rather he was fake dating or just hanging out with Toni. He was sweet yet mysterious, yet I loved everything about him! I liked her other guy friends too but Micah made the story so much better for me.
I really loved the plot of this one and the characters! I also loved how she related to each of her guy friends and they got her.
Overall: Such a cute novel! If you like contemps you must read this one quick! Or if you're doing the debut author challenge, read it! Add it to your list! Such a cute and funny story!
Cover: Love it! She’s just chillin with her friends! Cute!
What I’d Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
__________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
We are introduced to Tonya, aka Toni. Toni is a major tomboy! She burps, and just hangs out with guys. She has a set of friends who are guys! A few of them actually! She fits right in with them! I want to go on and on on each guy but at the same time, I want you to get this one and read about each guy and get to know them on your own! They are each so unique!
Well, Toni gets into some trouble and has to switch schools. She ends up at an all girl school. I’m glad she meets a friend who's a girl. I’m glad she still gets to keep her guy friends too. But, things are changing fast. The guys are pulling away from her, and she gets a great idea to get them all back together. She starts a rent a gent service. The girls at her new school can rent her guys friends for a night. Everybody wins! How awesome! I loved this. I loved seeing the fake dates and I loved seeing Toni set everything up, along with her new girl friend of course!
I loved the monster hunting, and the mountain dew drinking, and her basketball shorts. I just loved it.
But most of all, I loved Micah. Oh Micah! He was such a great character and neighbor (hehe). I loved all the scenes with him the most, rather he was fake dating or just hanging out with Toni. He was sweet yet mysterious, yet I loved everything about him! I liked her other guy friends too but Micah made the story so much better for me.
I really loved the plot of this one and the characters! I also loved how she related to each of her guy friends and they got her.
Overall: Such a cute novel! If you like contemps you must read this one quick! Or if you're doing the debut author challenge, read it! Add it to your list! Such a cute and funny story!
Cover: Love it! She’s just chillin with her friends! Cute!
What I’d Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
__________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
January 6, 2015
Imagine everything you have ever known changing in an instant. You are brought even closer to your friends. But what happens when, a few years down the road, you separate from those friends and now you are forced to relive the aftermath of the tragedy all on your own.
McRib has had the same core group of friends since 2nd grade—for 10 years, it has been McRib, Cowboy, Ollie and Lock. And senior year is epic. Until McRib’s idea to moon the principal goes horribly wrong and lands her in an all-girls school. Suddenly surrounded by girls, forced to talk about her feelinds—she has never needed her friends more, and they are farther away than they have ever been before. No one can call her McRib at her new school, or even her preferred Toni—she has to go by Tonya. She realized that the group of guys she grew up with are falling further away from her. And it’s going to take something even bigger to bring them back together—unless it backfires, too.
I really enjoyed this coming of age, and coming into your own story by Lisa Aldin. McRib is a great, strong female character, complete with her own teenage insecurities—but without diminishing herself as a positive role model for female readers.
I loved the character of Lock. From the start, he seemed like a diamond in the rough. And Emma was an unexpected surprise—I was expecting her to make a major plot point all about herself, but really showed that, despite not having female friendships, she could be a great girl-friend.
Have you ever just pulled for someone when you read a book? That is how I felt, repeatedly, while reading Lisa Aldin’s One of the Guys. And I think fans of Miranda Kenneally would love this book.
Check out author Lisa Aldin’s Tumblr, Delicate Little Bursts.
I was given an electronic advance copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Be sure to pick up a copy of this from your favorite retailer when it is released on February 10, 2015!
McRib has had the same core group of friends since 2nd grade—for 10 years, it has been McRib, Cowboy, Ollie and Lock. And senior year is epic. Until McRib’s idea to moon the principal goes horribly wrong and lands her in an all-girls school. Suddenly surrounded by girls, forced to talk about her feelinds—she has never needed her friends more, and they are farther away than they have ever been before. No one can call her McRib at her new school, or even her preferred Toni—she has to go by Tonya. She realized that the group of guys she grew up with are falling further away from her. And it’s going to take something even bigger to bring them back together—unless it backfires, too.
I really enjoyed this coming of age, and coming into your own story by Lisa Aldin. McRib is a great, strong female character, complete with her own teenage insecurities—but without diminishing herself as a positive role model for female readers.
I loved the character of Lock. From the start, he seemed like a diamond in the rough. And Emma was an unexpected surprise—I was expecting her to make a major plot point all about herself, but really showed that, despite not having female friendships, she could be a great girl-friend.
Have you ever just pulled for someone when you read a book? That is how I felt, repeatedly, while reading Lisa Aldin’s One of the Guys. And I think fans of Miranda Kenneally would love this book.
Check out author Lisa Aldin’s Tumblr, Delicate Little Bursts.
I was given an electronic advance copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Be sure to pick up a copy of this from your favorite retailer when it is released on February 10, 2015!
February 9, 2015
3 Sweet Stars
This was such a sweet enjoyable read. It wasn't an on the edge of your seat, unable to stop reading kind of story, but it was enjoyable none the less.
One of the Guys is the story of Toni Valentine aka McRib. Toni has always been one of the guys. She has had an almost idealistic childhood. One that she is having trouble letting go of. Toni and the guys are getting ready to start their senior year. Toni can feel the changes starting and she is afraid. Aren't we all afraid of change? So she desperately tries to cling to her friends and keep them together. However, the harder she tries to keep them close, the more everyone seems to distance themselves. Change is inevitable.
To add further complication to her life, she gets thrust into a new school.... an all girl school, she realizes that she is starting to get weird feelings about her best friend, and she has started a very lucrative.... and somewhat dangerous business.
This is such a great story of personal growth, of tackling fears, broadening horizons, and embracing life. Toni is a very likable main character. This story is full of moments that will bring you back in time and make you remember what it was like to be young and on the cusp of adulthood and all the changes that brought. The cast of secondary characters are great and likeable as well.
What kept me from giving it more stars? For me the pacing was slow at times. While I really enjoyed the story and recommend it, it just wasn't the type of story that made me forget the real world existed. Also the ending.... it just ended. I really hope that maybe there is a sequel in the works? I want to hear more about these lovable characters and what lies ahead for them.
Overall this was a good read and I recommend it for anyone looking for that light, cute, sweet story.
This book was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a sweet enjoyable read. It wasn't an on the edge of your seat, unable to stop reading kind of story, but it was enjoyable none the less.
One of the Guys is the story of Toni Valentine aka McRib. Toni has always been one of the guys. She has had an almost idealistic childhood. One that she is having trouble letting go of. Toni and the guys are getting ready to start their senior year. Toni can feel the changes starting and she is afraid. Aren't we all afraid of change? So she desperately tries to cling to her friends and keep them together. However, the harder she tries to keep them close, the more everyone seems to distance themselves. Change is inevitable.
To add further complication to her life, she gets thrust into a new school.... an all girl school, she realizes that she is starting to get weird feelings about her best friend, and she has started a very lucrative.... and somewhat dangerous business.
This is such a great story of personal growth, of tackling fears, broadening horizons, and embracing life. Toni is a very likable main character. This story is full of moments that will bring you back in time and make you remember what it was like to be young and on the cusp of adulthood and all the changes that brought. The cast of secondary characters are great and likeable as well.
What kept me from giving it more stars? For me the pacing was slow at times. While I really enjoyed the story and recommend it, it just wasn't the type of story that made me forget the real world existed. Also the ending.... it just ended. I really hope that maybe there is a sequel in the works? I want to hear more about these lovable characters and what lies ahead for them.
Overall this was a good read and I recommend it for anyone looking for that light, cute, sweet story.
This book was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2015
Originally posted in Gone Pecan
Toni, a renowned tomboy, gets in trouble and as “punishment” is sent away from her best friends, three guys, to attend an all-girls school. She basically has no experience with girls but is thrown in there and is floundering, especially when it seems like her best friends, Loch, Cowboy, and Ollie, are phasing her out. In an effort to help a fellow classmate and maybe friend, Emma, Toni offers up Loch to make Emma’s boyfriend jealous. This spurs other classmates to ask for rental services of the guys that Toni knows and a business takes off. It also spurs a jealousy from Toni regarding her friends, Loch in particular.
When I saw this book on netgalley, I was very excited. I am such a sucker for friends to lovers story. So I knew going in that she was going to fall for someone and it’s pretty clear early on that it’s her best friend and neighbor, Micah, aka Loch. I really enjoyed watching her slowly realize the depth of her feelings for him. She was very hesitant to change and it was sometimes painful to see her put in situations where her feelings were put to the test because she really could not handle them. I loved Toni and Emma’s relationship, and Emma’s personality. I really loved Micah, he was such a cutie and so patient with Toni.
Overall, it was a very sweet book, focusing on relationships with friends and overcoming resistence to change. I read it very quickly and would recommend it to younger teens. Toni’s friendship with the guys is based on their growing up in the same neighborhood and their belief in monsters, like Sasquatch, so that was different and interesting. I wanted them to find that mysterious creature they’re searching for, who they call Champ. But mostly, I enjoyed watching Toni grow up.
3.75/5
Toni, a renowned tomboy, gets in trouble and as “punishment” is sent away from her best friends, three guys, to attend an all-girls school. She basically has no experience with girls but is thrown in there and is floundering, especially when it seems like her best friends, Loch, Cowboy, and Ollie, are phasing her out. In an effort to help a fellow classmate and maybe friend, Emma, Toni offers up Loch to make Emma’s boyfriend jealous. This spurs other classmates to ask for rental services of the guys that Toni knows and a business takes off. It also spurs a jealousy from Toni regarding her friends, Loch in particular.
When I saw this book on netgalley, I was very excited. I am such a sucker for friends to lovers story. So I knew going in that she was going to fall for someone and it’s pretty clear early on that it’s her best friend and neighbor, Micah, aka Loch. I really enjoyed watching her slowly realize the depth of her feelings for him. She was very hesitant to change and it was sometimes painful to see her put in situations where her feelings were put to the test because she really could not handle them. I loved Toni and Emma’s relationship, and Emma’s personality. I really loved Micah, he was such a cutie and so patient with Toni.
Overall, it was a very sweet book, focusing on relationships with friends and overcoming resistence to change. I read it very quickly and would recommend it to younger teens. Toni’s friendship with the guys is based on their growing up in the same neighborhood and their belief in monsters, like Sasquatch, so that was different and interesting. I wanted them to find that mysterious creature they’re searching for, who they call Champ. But mostly, I enjoyed watching Toni grow up.
3.75/5
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