Lovestruck Summer

by Melissa C. Walker

Sunny days, late nights and a vacation full of possibilities... 

This is the story of Quinn, an indie rock girl who came out to Austin, Texas for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts--and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she's stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name 'Party Penny.' Their personalities clash, big time. But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can't Quinn keep her mind off Penny's friend -- cute, All-American Russ with the Texas twang? One thing's Quinn's in for a summer she'll never forget!

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Music, Summer Reads, Chick Lit, Summer

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 5, 2009

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[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favourite Quote: "You look beautiful," says Russ. And it's the simple sentence that you think will mean nothing, because maybe your mom has said it to you a thousand times, or your best friend says it when your're having insecure moment about your outfit. But it's not like that - it's completely different when a guy says it. I didn't know that until this moment, because it's the first time a guy has ever said it to me. Three words just gave me goose bumps, and I feel like a girly girl for a second.'

Are you looking for a good romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud, swooning over the male lead and has plenty of awwww isn't that sweet moments? Then look no further because Lovestruck Summer is that and more.

This book is a fun and quick read. It’s plot is a little bit predictable but completely enjoyable and will just make you feel good. It is also not all about love but also about not judging people before you know them and giving different things a chance. And if are suffering a reading rut well this book will be the perfect cure.

What makes this book stand out for me from other romantic comedy is the characters. Priscilla aka Quinn 'lives her life in her headphones', obsessed with the alternative music scene. She is a little bit different, smart and extremely stubborn. Russ, is the all American boy from next door who doesn't mind a bit of country music. He is a lot of fun, gorgeous and certainly keeps Priscilla on her toes.

Their romance progresses at that nice natural pace and they connect over the simplest things. There is a scene in the book where Russ takes Priscilla to a natural spring and they just talk about things they each like, it is so simple but at the same time it is beautiful and you can feel the chemistry.

Another wonderful element of this book is the music. Which is indie meets country. If this book had a theme song it would be "Can't Help Falling in Love".

Overall, Lovestruck Summer is just what I needed and more than expected.

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"easy, hilarious, Quick and a funny readin!"

"este libro es corto. Pero aun así es muy entretenido y es divertido en todas las maneras.

Habla sobre una chica Priscilla (le gusta que la llamen Quinn, ya que Priscilla le recuerda a su abuela) ama la música, sobre todo el rock y todo el ritmo pesado. Cuando llega el verano y ella va a trabajar a Texas y se va a vivir con su prima. Ella llega con la decisión en la mente de que quiere tener un amor de verano y tiene claro como el agua el estereotipo de su novio ideal. Y luego, conoce a Russ (no Russel, Russelt. No, solo Ross) . Un chico inmaduro, alegre y terriblemente adorable para mis gustos. Pero también aparece Sebastian que parece ser la definición perfecta para Quinn.

Y ahí, después de lidiar con otros problemas como tener que dormir en el sillón porque su prima tiene su propio cuarto para el perro o como tener que dejar de tararear canciones como "Falling In Love" o música country, es cuando su verdadera historia de amor comienza...

En general O D I O todos los libros que tengas que ver con triángulos amoroso. Simplemente me dan a pensar que están hechos para hacer enloquecer a los lectores, para dejar a algunos lectores disgustados con la decisión de la principal, dejar enfadados con la autora y sobre todo... Hace dudar el verdadero amor de la protagonista hacia con-quien- se - quede. Pero este triángulo amoroso no fue tan..."triángulo amoroso" tuvo algo distinto ej el que te hacia darte cuenta con quien iba a estar. Como si ella tuviera la idea fija de quien era con quien quería estar pero no podía aceptar la idea. No me agrado mucho la idea del triángulo amoroso, pero tengo que aceptar que sin el, el libro seria completamente aburrido.

Pero dejando el triángulo amoroso atrás, me gusto mucho el libro y los personajes secundarios y como te envuelven no so en la vida de Quinn si ni también en la vida de los demás personajes."

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE. IT.

This is such a Sarah book.

Actual review, which was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves:

“I know what I like,” I say. “It’s a certain type of music and I’m just not into stuff like bluegrass and banjos.”

“Music is music, Priscilla,” says Russ. “If you love music, you give it all a listen. You see what there is to learn in every song you hear. You take chances on shows. That’s part of it.”

I've been just dying for a great summer-themed read, so a couple of weeks ago I blew though five or six books I hoped would fit the bill. Among those books was Melissa Walker's 2009 novel, Lovestruck Summer, which was exactly what I was hoping to find and earned itself a spot as a summer read I'll definitely revisit.

Don't let the cutesy cover fool you. Lovestruck Summer has quite a bit of meat to it with excellent, believable character development--as well as some very smart humor--and most definitely fits into the spectrum of older-YA/"new adult" that's becoming so popular right now.

Quinn (who's real name is Priscilla, but no one had better call her that) has just graduated from high school in North Carolina when, on a whim, she calls her favorite record label at 3:00 a.m and asks for a summer internship. To her surprise, the label agrees, which means she'll be spending the summer in America's live music capital, Austin, Texas.

Quinn finds herself living with her super sorority girl cousin, Penny, a UT student who has a bedroom and wardrobe for her dog, and whose next-door neighbors include Russ, a 21 year-old cowboy/frat boy combo (think Matt Saracen if he drove Tim Riggins' truck) who loves country music and annoys the hell out of Quinn. She often "escapes under her headphones" because these people are so different, and Quinn doesn't know how to cope with the Bachelor marathons and pop-country that are the soundtrack of her cousin's apartment.

I tug on Penny’s arm. “I hate country music,” I whisper through clenched teeth.

“What?” she asks, clapping her hands to the beat and hardly turning around. “I hate country music!” I shout, way too loudly. The back half of the restaurant turns to scowl at me.

Her internship doesn't pan out quite like she'd planned, since it's only one day a week, and as a result Quinn has more time on her hands than expected, and finds herself exploring Austin with Russ the cowboy/frat boy. She also befriends another intern at the record label, Jade (who has so issues of her own), and a hipster boy, Sebastian, who loves the exact same indie rock music that is so important to Quinn.

Sebastian is exactly the sort of summer fling Quinn hoped for: he's a DJ, he's a music snob, he's "cool" on paper, he exactly fits Quinn's aspirational description of her ideal summer fling.

Except Russ, not Sebastian, is the one who pushes Quinn out of her comfort zone, the one who helps her buy a beater to get around Austin, the one who takes her swimming at Barton Springs. He encourages her to not make assumptions about people based on the labels she assigns them, exposes her to country music and helps her see beyond the surface of herself and others.

“For a smart girl, you sure say a lot of idiotic things,” says Russ.

“What did you say to me?” I ask.

“It’s true,” he says. “Who cares about Penny’s ringtone? If she likes the music, she likes the music. You don’t own it. You can’t tell people what to like—you can’t control who likes the bands you like.” He shakes his head. “Are you gonna go to college with that small-minded attitude?”

The tension between these two absolutely charmed me throughout Lovestruck Summer.

The last song the band plays is “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” UB40 did a cover of it in the nineties, but I know it’s originally an Elvis song. When Russ leans over to give me another history lesson, I turn to face him. “This one I know,” I say.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he says. “And as a reward for having such in-depth musical knowledge of a song that everyone in the world should be familiar with…may I have this dance?”

“Hmm, let me think. Insulting me and then asking me to dance…” I say, narrowing my eyes at his smug face. “No.” I turn my back to him.

He taps my shoulder. “Pretty please, Priscilla?” he asks, holding out his arms.

“No way,” I say.

“Quinn?” he asks. Against my better judgment, I turn to him. The smugness is gone, and he has a look of sincere hope. I feel my heart melt a tiny bit.

“Oh, fine,” I say. When I give in, Russ instantly envelops me with his arms, which feel even stronger than they look. He actually knows how to dance—it’s like we’re doing some ballroom steps or something, and the way he puts pressure on my back helps me know where to move and how to stay in step with him. I feel like we’re gliding.

“You’re good,” I say, looking up at him.

“When I’m dancing with the right person,” he says, smiling back. I blush. I actually blush.

Despite Russ' (obvious) charm, Quinn doesn't magically grow up and realize that she should see people for who they are not how they appear.

She pursues a her Sebastian summer fling and keeps judging her cousin and her cousin's sorority girl friends, in typical 18-year old fashion. I love that she's a smart girl who still is kind of clueless in a way that I found extremely relatable--hell, that's something most people do when they're far older than eighteen. She puts on a facade of who she wants everyone to think she is, creating a barricade between herself and her new friends.

While theme of letting the world see the real you isn't anything groundbreaking in contemporary YA, Melissa Walker executed it better than I've read in a long, long time. It's never lesson-y, never lecture-y, it's a natural, slow evolution that comes from Quinn being on her own for the first time and spending time with people who aren't just like she is.

“I mean, I like it when people are like me. And when they understand the music that I like, it feels like they understand a big part of who I am.”

“Who you are or who you want the world to think you are?” asks Penny.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.

“You’ve got your rock-short haircut, your indie internship, your DJ boyfriend,” she says. “Does it all feel right?”

“Yeah,” I say slowly. “It does.” But as I hear myself talking, I realize that music taste is a flimsy reason to date someone.

“Are you so smitten with the DJ that you haven’t noticed anyone else?” asks Penny.

Another notable element of Lovestruck Summer is that it is just plain funny.

Not five seconds later, Penny’s at my side. “What was that about?” she asks, swirling the ice in her drink around with a tiny straw.

“He was being a jerk,” I say.

“I’m glad you noticed,” she says. “I thought you might be completely blinded by his metro-sexual haircut.”

I was lamenting recently that there aren't enough rom-coms in the book world. And then Lovestruck Summer magically appeared on my Kindle (someone keeps pushing that "Buy with 1-Click" button), and was exactly what I'd wanted: witty dialog, charmingly funny situations, the whole thing. I found myself giggling out loud as a read Lovestruck Summer straight through on a too-hot summer evening. Can we have more of this, please?

Wow. I guess my cousin is like the Ernest Hemingway of retelling other people’s drama, because she knows where to start and finish, summing up my evening in three concise sentences.

And did I mention that there's a Friday Night Lights reference?

I know that Melissa Walker's an FNL fan, so if we had a star system on CEFS, I would totally award a full bonus star based on these two things alone.

“Yeah,” he says. “I just sometimes get weird around jock types. High school memories and all. The kid with the turntables wasn’t really cool in my Friday Night Lights small town.”

I could go on and on about the awesomeness of Lovestruck Summer, because it's a book that really worked for me when I was seeking something very specific--and I swear, I have half of this book higlighted in my ereader. It's simply got an endearing balance of smarts, humor and romance that works on a number of levels. Austin comes alive as nearly a character in and of itself, and the music-filled, hot and humid Texas nights add so much to an already-strong story. (Hello! Why haven't I ever visited Austin? I know so many people there and I've been to every other city in Texas. *sigh*) The characters and setting melded wonderfully, making me so nostaligic for those first summers on my own.

“You look beautiful,” says Russ. And it’s this simple sentence that you think will mean nothing, because maybe your mom has said it to you a thousand times, or your best friend says it when you’re having an insecure moment about your outfit. But it’s not like that—it’s completely different when a guy says it. I didn’t know that until this moment, because it’s the first time a guy has ever said it to me. Three words just gave me goose bumps, and I feel like a girly girl for a second.

Lovestruck Summer seems to be a bit of a sleeper, and I imagine that a lot of folks who would normally love this book, with its older teen main character and lots of talk of music and a relatable exploration of self-identity, maybe skipped it because of the cutesy cover and generic-sounding jacket blurb. However, if you look beyond that, you'll probably be as happy as I was to find that Lovestruck Summer is a memorable, charming book that fits into that rare category of perfect summer reads.

FNL Character Rating: Crucifictorious. Just because I love the idea of Quinn being forced to listen to Landry's band.

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Lovestruck Summer is, needless to say, the perfect summer read. It's ideal for those long, lazy, and humid days when you want nothing but to sit in front of a fan and crack open a good book - one that will make you laugh and twist your stomach with anticipation and give you the butterflies of swoon. Lovestruck Summer has all this and more, so, perhaps its only flaw lies in that I picked this up in the middle of winter. Or towards the end of winter, huddled in blankets and with a mug of warm coffee near me instead of a drink of cool lemonade. Still, regardless of what time of the year you read this, it's bound to be the type of book you just can't help but immerse yourself in and emerge from it, completely lovestruck yourself.

One of the most difficult aspects of this novel is, hands-down, its protagonist Priscilla - sorry, Quinn. From the very beginning, it is obvious that Quinn is a flawed character - which I loved. In fact, she's more-than-a-little judgmental, immediately categorizing her cousin, Penny, who she's spending the summer with in Austin as a sorority girl - a term she uses with much disdain. In the same breath, Quinn creates for herself the ideal summer in Austin, one where she interns, finds a fling who loves the same music as she does, and spends the whole summer rocking out to her favorite band, the Walters. Russ, the attractive cowboy frat-boy who lives next door definitely does not factor into her plans. Neither, it seems does finding that her cousin may become a friend or that country music isn't all that bad. Clearly, Quinn's summer is about to become a lot more different than she thought it would be.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a reader who wouldn't enjoy Lovestruck Summer. Although Quinn can come across as extremely judgmental in the beginning, her voice is never too overbearing or shallow, having just the right amount of sincerity and genuineness for us to enjoy her narration. Plus, this gives room for plenty of gradual growth throughout the story as Quinn is forced to emerge from her tight spheres into larger ones, all thanks to Russ. But, more about him later. In addition to Quinn's own personal growth, though, much of this novel focuses on the blooming friendship between Quinn and Jade, another teenage girl who works as an intern along with Quinn. While both girls share inherently similar tastes in music, Jade is far more accepting of differences and she, too, forced Quinn to look beyond the surface of her cousin and find a friend within. For me, there's nothing better than a solid tale of friendship and, on that front, this novel definitely delivers.

What's a good summer, though, without romance? When Quinn first arrives, she immediately identifies the perfect boyfriend for herself - Sebastian. Although it's immediately obvious to the reader that Sebastian clearly isn't the right person for Quinn, Quinn herself fails to realize this. If anything, she's too busy complaining about Russ, the neighbor who somehow manages to get on her nerves and won't stop calling her 'Priscilla' instead of 'Quinn.' Even more, he makes her listen to country music and hand-in-hand with these qualities, he has moments of pure kindness. As Quinn's feelings for Russ deepen, so do ours until - you guessed it! - drama-lamas arrive. Unlike most contemporary romances, though, I didn't find the drama in this to be overwhelming. It was kind of necessary, in my eyes, to give Quinn that extra time to grow on her own and make decisions for herself, not because of circumstance, so all-in-all, I can't say I have too many qualms.

Yet, where my issues do come in is within the slight idealistic-ness of some of the situations in this novel. As I said in the beginning, this is a novel meant to be read on a long, lazy day when your brain is too fried to pick apart at the happy-go-lucky nature of this story. First and foremost, some of the scenes in this novel are just too perfect. It's as if they're out of a fairy-tale date, which is all very nice in theory, but I found myself simply rolling my eyes once or twice. Furthermore, the characters do lack some depth. While Quinn herself is fairly fleshed out, some of the other characters, even Penny and Russ, seem to have no other life except that which Quinn witnesses. Quinn herself never speaks to her parents too much and any real adult figures are all conspicuously missing in favor of a "fun-filled" summer.

Frankly, though, these are very minor problems with a novel that is in equal parts fun as it is engaging. Just to add to its impressiveness, though, Walker finishes this novel off with an achingly realistic and hopeful ending, one which really sealed the deal on my rounded-up rating. Without a doubt, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, even to typical non-fans of contemporary romance and am already looking forward to my next read by this author.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cutesy and predictable summer love story. Just exactly what you'd expect from a book like this. Nevertheless, I liked it and it was exactly what I was looking for. Something light and fun to take my mind off things. :)

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character was clueless and super judgmental, though she did improve as the story progressed. Liked the setting (Austin Texas) and the secondary characters. The ending was really cheesy and I wasn’t wild about either guy in the love triangle.

**read for book scavenger hunt - a book that takes place in summer**

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decided to rate this one after rereading it. I bought it awhile ago because I love Melissa Walker's books and named one of the bands (Inconceivable Hat).

It's a cute romance and I love that it's set in Austin, since I lived there for four years. I love that Walker blends real places and bands in with fictional in order to ground it in the real place but let the story work. My only quibble is that Austin probably has the best public transportation in Texas (Cap Metro), so Quinn could get around without a car.

If you enjoy stories of opposites attract, then you'll probably like LOVESTRUCK SUMMER. Quinn really grows over the course of the novel and I love a book with character development. Take this one to the beach - or Barton Springs - and enjoy!

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8/5
This was unexpectedly soooo good.
Such a refreshing and heartwarming summer read (tho it's not summer now)

[Asheley T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh hello there, book hangover!

Lovestruck Summer is another example of why I love Melissa Walker's books so much, why I love summer stories, why I love books with music in them, and why I love that authors with ties to North Carolina like to include those little nods to my state.

So much to love for this book, and I haven't even gotten to the characters yet.

This is the story of Quinn who, on a ride to [my beloved] Carolina Beach makes an impulsive telephone call to a Texas-based record label to see if she can pleeease be an intern for the summer, and is told SURE! Then she goes and has a summer that changes her life, completely.

Quinn. I love her. I LOVE her. This is a girl that thinks she knows oh-so-much about herself but finds that there is so much more to learn. I feel like that Quinn is just so sure about who she is and what she wants, almost to a fault. She's got the look down: the cool indie hair, the band t-shirts, always-wearing-blue-jeans. When she gets outside of her little bubble and meets new people, and slowly she is introduced to new things. New music. New this, new that. At first, Quinn is very standoffish about embracing (or even trying) anything new or different, but being in a new place and meeting new people chip away at this until she finally relents and finds a whole new set of things to love. Most notably, Quinn thinks she hates frat boys and country music, but but but...maybe she doesn't hate them as much as she thinks. Maybe.

IT WORKS, it works so well.

And you know, this is such a real thing. My gosh, this is so real. Even in my own life, once I got out of my own little small-town bubble years ago, I found that there were other ways to be, to think, etc. Other music, other thoughts, other people to challenge me and give me new perspectives on everything. JUST LIKE QUINN, HERE. There is coming-of-age in these pages and Quinn perhaps would not have had such a great opportunity had she not taken the leap and just GONE to Texas to do this random internship at this indie music label.

Lovestruck Summer is more than just Quinn, though. There are other characters at play. There are the secondaries that are SPOT-ON, and I could hug this book for it. Quinn makes some new friends that are different than she is: sorority girls, into fashion, that sort of thing. And yet they are great friends, and well-written friendships are part of a Melissa Walker book. With these friends, Quinn learns that she cannot judge them based on their appearance, and this again is such a real thing to learn.

Let me hug this book again right quick.

The romance: The romance ties in with Quinn's coming-of-age and HOORAY for that. When Quinn arrives in Texas, she has this idea of the perfect summer fling boyfriend: one of the indie musician-types. And she finds one, except it is pretty clear from the beginning that he isn't the right one for her -- only she wants him to be so badly because she can barely see outside of the box that she has created for herself. THE ENTIRE TIME, there's the Texas-cowboy-type, country-music-loving, super-swoony real thing living next door. It's clear to readers that this is the one, but it takes Quinn forever. Swoon x 10,000!

Also, I love how this book ends because (Surprise!) it's realistic for this college-aged crowd.

Figuring herself out, figuring her heart out. Coming-of-age. Learning to feel comfortable with many labels, if she indeed wants to label herself. Making her own decisions. Being herself. It's torturous for her, at times, but this book is SO GOOD TO READ, oh my gosh.

I think you guys can tell that I really loved this book. It's such a great summer read. It would be perfectly read outside by a pool or by the beach (or at Carolina Beach, which is the place mentioned in the book) except that I read it during the middle of the night, by Kindle-light only, all in one sitting, when I simply meant to sample the first chapter. I mean, if I could have put the book down, I'd definitely have taken it outside. FOR ME, you guys, take this one outside to read if you can - it's so perfect for that.

I recommend Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker for fans of young adult contemporary with romance, for fans of books with music in them, and for fans of books set in Texas. This author is instant-read for me, no-summary-necessary, and I've already started the next backlist title of hers, Violet On the Runway . I'm so excited about this.

[Diane Morasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovestruck Summer is one of my all time favorite books. Walker is a genius! This is the way romantic comedy is supposed to be written. Breezy, charming, fun, kicky & memorable.

I feel butterflies flitting in my stomach just thinking about this darling treasure.

Priscilla Quinn Parker ~ Quinn ~ is a fiery, saucy, indie music lovin' chick.

" I live my life in headphones. That way, I can control what I let in."

I just loved this book so much, I didn't want it to end. I was inhaling it until I was closing in on the end. I slowed my reading pace just to savor Walker's delicious nugget.

Walker captured the essence of Quinn & created an impressive spitfire. She is just fun!

I laughed, cried, fell in love & had a blast!

With an industry over saturated w/ paranormal this & paranormal that, Walker's Lovestruck Summer is a refreshing sparkling romantic getaway.

Walker is one gifted writer, she's able to create appealing, invigorating, whimsical three- dimensional characters who rocket off the page.

Quinn is simply remarkable, utterly misguided & thoroughly magnetizing. Quinn's progression from a snotty show-off into a more unbiased young woman was skillfully devised.

"But really, it's the big picture that overwhelms me: Penny has gone Texas."

Penny aka "Party Penny" is more than Quinn's cousin or your typical sorority babe. She has her own depth, appeal & spunk! I am eager to read more about Penny & hope Walker considers revisiting this character again. *Hint* ; ).

Penny's dog, Miss Tiara is a riot!

" Oh, Miss. Tiara's a boy" whispers Penny, lowering the dog's ears. "He just likes to be in drag, and he prefers to be referred to as 'she'. There's a really cool cross-dresser named Leslie who walks around town, and Miss. Tiara has just taken to him as a role model."

Penny's irritating frat-boy/wannabe-cowboy friend & next door neighbor, Russ (sigh) is the guy that no matter how hard Quinn tries she just can't seem to shake. Russ is the one who stimulates her senses, makes her question her beliefs & makes her feel. Russ is always calling Quinn "Priscilla" which steams her to no end. When he starts calling her "Cilla", I am in love ; 9! Let me just say, I so wanted to be Quinn ; )!

Here are a few quotes that made me feel those butterflies in my stomach go bananas:

" You know, when you smile I just want to kiss you," he says.

"I'm sorry I said that," he says, "about the kiss."

"Okay," I say, not sure how to respond.

"I meant it," he says softly. his face hovering just inches above mine. He pauses for a moment there and I stare at his big blue eyes.

Two beats later, he pulls back, sits up, and says, "But I'm sorry I said it."

Chrissy, Penny's friend & neighbor ~ Russ's roommate ~ is more than a buxom, dippy blonde. She definitely is the definition of "never judge a book by its cover".

Walker delivered a striking punch in this feel good read. Walker filled this 272 page light read w/ more substance than a 500 page tome. Brava, Walker!

There has been a bit of buzz on the cover. Some love the bubble gum cover others roll their eyes @ the cutesy presentation; the cover depicts summer romance in the HarperTeen "Beach Reads" category. I love it! I love the "beachy" look & the colors are darling! Afterall, it captures the essence of Austin's Barton Springs perfectly.

You really should grab a copy of Lovestruck Summer. Whenever you need a pick me up, escape or to just feel good inside, Walker's Lovestruck Summer is the perfect prescription.

Psst! If you usually rebuff romance, please give this book a chance to illustrate it is Walker's characters that make Lovestruck Summer radiate.

[Estelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog:

When I was in college I had a boyfriend who LOVED country music. He even had a cowboy hat and boots he would wear sometimes. (I’m sure it was just to taunt me.) But this freaking kid would listen to country music in the car all the time and I despised it. I would never like country music. Well, I might as well have shot myself in the foot because guess what? He made a country music lover out of me. That was 7 years ago and country music is still my tune of choice. (Much to my husband’s chagrin, I’m sure.)

So I get the whole quick to judge thing. I do this all the time. Even after my change of heart when it came to certain friends, my husband, and country music, I still do this. So I understood Quinn and her sudden judgments about her sorority sister cousin and the annoying cowboy next door, Russ. Sometimes people are stubborn (hi, me) and sometimes they need to be proven wrong (that’s me again). I loved this premise. Even more so because Quinn was an older character for YA, on the verge of starting college.

Now the setting. You may know by now that Magan is from Austin and I live in New York and I met her at a friend’s wedding IN Austin. So Lovestruck Summer practically felt like OUR story. (Well, sort of.) I have such love for Austin even if I’ve only been there twice and I was giddy when reading about certain locations I went to visit. (Thanks to my pal Carly and her husband David for being such awesome tour guides!) The novel was practically a love song for Austin and I came very close to booking my next trip out there multiple times.

I first discovered this title when April from Good Books and Good Wine listed it as a book with a deceiving cover. WAS SHE EVER RIGHT! This book is more than neon swim tubes and water. In fact, I thought it was downright IRONIC that Lovestruck Summer had this cover when the book was basically about reevaluating judgments and first impressions. Lovestruck Summer dives beneath the surface and introduces some unique main characters and a summer that brings about much change for many of its characters. It’s fast paced and entertaining, and gee, my only complaint is that it wasn’t a little bit longer.

Look no further for the perfect summer read. It’s funny, it’s sweet, and just like it’s cover — more than meets the eye.

[Book Sp(l)ot · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than likely you're one of the lucky ones living somewhere full of snow and wishing it were summer now, if you are there's a perfect book to read: Lovestruck Summer.

Priscilla (see, right there, how can a book with main character named Priscilla-she goes by her middle name Quinn-not be worth reading for that reason alone?) has her perfect summer all set-up. As an intern at indie Amalgam records in Austin, Quinn's going to stay with her cousin Penny and meet the perfect indie guy in music loving Austin. He'll love the perfect music, have the perfect hair and the perfect indie guy glasses. It's okay, Quinn has a type--but Austin's just the place for her.

Or is it?

Studious Penny that she remembers spending all her time isn't quite the same and her summer (from the internship all the way down to the boys she meets) isn't at all what she expected it to be. But somehow, it's still just might be perfect.

The idea of what you think you want not really being what you want, might not exactly be original, but it's a fun summer (or wishing-it-were-summer) romance so it doesn't need to be. And the characters are well developed, the actual events of the story are unique and are what make it so much fun to read. Austin is actually a part of the story and not just somewhere that the story happens to be set instead of Georgia or New York or Tennessee... And the two leads actually make a lot of sense as a couple in a romance.

And the ending was true to both the characters and the story--and the readers, I think.

If anything, the only problem would be that the cover makes the whole story seem a lot fluffier than it is....Quinn does really like music and she does have the internship so music and concerts are a part of the story, not just hanging out at the beach. While Lovestruck Summer is still a fun, easy read, it is less fluff with the characters than the other $5.99 YA romances if that matters to anyone.

9/10 (and I hope sometime Melissa Walker will write more of these types of books)

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovestruck Summer is the perfect example for why I adore Harper Teen's summer romance paperbacks. Since, it provided a well developed story with unique characters, unlike the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies which mostly leave me with the bad kind of chills after reading them. Though, with saying that I still like some of them well enough.

Going back to Lovestruck Summer, I simply loved this book. Actually, I kind of liked it better than Melissa's Violet series.

This novel was a quick read, but it still proved depth to it. One of my favorite parts was the funny and surprising characters. Since, I loved how Quin's cousin Penny had a cross dressing dog. Then there always was funny Quinn and sweet Russ.

Also, unlike most teen summer romances it delayed the romance of Russ and Quin. Since, whenever you thought they were finally going to be together an obstacle erupted and then another. Leaving your eyes to be glued to the pages waiting for the moment they would be together at last.

Overall, Lovestruck Summer is one sweet and cute ride. I suggest to fans of Sleepless by Terri Clark and Save The Date by Tamara Summers.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh. I honestly can not say enough good things about this book. This is my first book by Melissa Walker and it will not be my last. I started this book last night and finished it today and I wish it would have been longer. This is one of those books that the characters were so awesome that I would love to know every little detail that they went through.
I really enjoyed Quinn in this book. I wish that I could go away and have a summer like she did. She discovers herself in this book and I think that is what makes the book so much better. I love seeing a character in a book transform from the beginning of the book to the end.
One thing I did not like about the book was the ending. I feel that the ending could have been different. I am hoping that it ended the way it did because Melissa plans on writing another book to go with this one. If not, then that will be a bummer.
But you should really read this book!!

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I saw it sitting on the counter at work, and I picked it up just to read the back - it really intriged me. I finished about a third of it just on a five hour shift! I've never done that before. So basically, I finished the book in a day. Even though it was pretty short, I really enjoyed it. I loved the character Russ, and was so happy when he finally ended up with Pircilla. Every character in the novel was full of surprises, and the book really grabs your attention and sucks you in! It's not a normal teenage romance story.

[Rebekah Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy, so I loved this book. In romance novels, you always know that the girl will get the guy, but the fun part is reading to find out which guy it is and her journey to get there. In this book, Quinn thought that Sebastian was her dream guy, when in truth, it was really Russ. When I read books like these, I always end up yelling at the main character because she doesn't realize what everyone else realizes.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

So predictable. Why does the guy who ends up not being THE guy always have to have some major character flaws? That's too easy, I think. You only have to wait your way through the book for the - pretty forgettable - heroine to wake up. Sleeping Beauty, 21st Century style. Meh-eeeh. Full-stop after 135 pages.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that I liked it more because I was born, raised, and currently live in Austin. I was also kinda annoyed that it was all just a fling thing, not really into flings, more of the forever kind of love story girl.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!

Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2009...

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. The ending was realistic but still a little disappointing for me. I suppose I like living a little in a dream world when it comes to these type of stories. But it was still fun!

[Katie Prouty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Priscilla (Quinn) is determined to snag an indie boyfriend while visiting her cousin Penny (Party Penny) in Texas. PP is president of her sorority and her excitement is slightly scary (as is her bright white teeth). PP introduces her to Russ... looking all j.crew catalog but that doesn’t mean he’s an empty minded frat boy. Quinn lands an intership at a small record label where she meets Jade. Jade introduces her to Sebastian. He’s pale, kinda skinny, loves music, wears glasses, and totally has hipster hair. Cute, clean, YA love triangle with lots of summer vibes: music festivals, tubing down the river, summer parties.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this is kind of annoying. Quinn is very judgmental and wants the perfect “indie” boyfriend, whatever that means. However I do like that there is character growth which I find rare in chick-lit. I don’t think the name and cover really convey the proper idea of this book though. It was okay, nothing amazing to me.

[Gwyneth Lovins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a lot when I was younger, and it's been awhile, but I remember really loving it. the main character is a bit of a pick-me, but overall it's really fun.

[C Mccloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this is the dollar store(lol) but its honestly really cute, and the author tries to not make anyone one person look like a bad guy, just people.

[Shaniqua Lizardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

All things considered, I actually have feelings for this book. Srs bzns feelings that I need to let out in review form.

Yes, I am reviewing a book with pink inner tubes on the cover. Also, take note of the excessive use of the curlicue font. This brings me to my first point: THIS THE WORST COVER IN THE WORLD. And not just in the judgmental, I-really-don't-want-to-be-seen-reading-this-in-public sense, which, of course, is a factor, but not the biggest one. No, the worst part is that this book is about hipsters.

Let's all just take a moment to try and bring Converse sneakers, thick-framed glasses, plaid, and this cover in the same mental image. Not working? Try another shade of plaid. Still not working? It probably never will.

Come on, publishers, it's like you didn't even read the thing.

Or are y'all already trying to send the message of the book from inside AND out? Hmm.

If that's the case, good try, but I don't think the intended target audience is getting the message. It's a good message though and I find it...interesting/fascinating/kinda cool/kinda brave that someone would actually write about the hipster phenomenon in this way. The author is basically calling out hipsters on their pretentiousness. I think that's pretty cool.

As someone who tends to actually be kind of, sort of, a little bit hipstery in my own right, some parts of this book actually made me think about how I lived my kindasortalittlebit hipster life. Not to mention that the main character is the most relatable one I've read in a long time.

Her name is Quinn. (My name has a 'q' in it!)
She's eighteen. (So am I!)
She has blue hair. (I tried that once. I'd rather not talk about it.)
She's actively looking for a summer fling. (Well, um, it's summer here right now.)
And she can drive stick shift. (I kinda can do that, too!)

Just crazy enough to be me in a different life, amirite?

Quinn isn't as witty as I'd like my fictional self to be, though, but just witty enough to star in her own teen movie, definitely. While reading, I kept thinking about how great this story would be in movie-form, something light and bright and has Amanda Bynes in it. She could be a great Penny. I think I'd've enjoyed it a lot more if it was a movie. As a book, it was a little too cliche-ridden. No parents, two reasonably attractive guys, summer fun worthy of a montage; it was too easy for me to guess what was going to happen next. I was literally betting that this book would end in a kiss and/or a snappy line. It did! But dammit, there was an epilogue.

That epilogue is worth reading, though, for my favorite line in the book: "Can we just say goodbye and not know what it means?" I have this thing with books where I mentally take note of when the first quote-worthy/relevant-to-my-life/totally-highlighting-this line appears. It's kind of how I gauge the quality of prose or at least tell myself that's when the book starts to get really good. Usually, it happens within the first hundred pages. This book took 263 pages to get there. I swear, it got so much better in the last five pages.

Also, this book features one of my most hated tropes: Two guys are in love with me. Which one should I pick? To which, I always say: Dammit, Katniss. Figure out your feelings, pick which one you like more, and leave some drama for the rest of us.

But! And there is a but. Quinn was actually relatable enough to make it not so annoying. And it helps that Sebastian's a douche. He's the very epitome of the pretentious hipster that gives the rest of us a bad name. Russ is okay. I wasn't falling in love with him by the end of it, but he seems cool. The characters are fun. Nothing remarkably life-changing in the way of development, but they made for a fun ride.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. Like I said, it reads like a moderately-successful teen movie, which isn't a bad thing at all. It was fun, quick, and light. Perfect summer read, if nothing else.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read all my reviews at The Flyleaf Review:)


If ever there was a case for a book in desperate need of a new cover, and possibly a new title, this would be that book. You guys, I can confidently say that had it not been for some fellow bloggers talking this book up, that I would have never given it a read because of that cover. I apologize to the creative team behind it, but in my opinion it totally distracts from the awesomeness that is this little book. I LOVED this book, so much more than I expected to, and while yes, I think it definitely qualifies as a fun beach read, it has a lot more depth to it than would appear.

First of all this book is new adult. If you are familiar with me and the blog than you know that I LOVE this offshoot of young adult lit. Secondly, music plays a central theme in Lovestruck Summer. You guys, I am SUCH a music nerd. Seeing live music is hands down one of my favorite things to do. And I love, love, love books with music themes. And the icing on the cake? Quinn's music of choice is alternative and indie, which also happens to be my music of choice. Thirdly, there is awesome character development afoot in this book. It's kind of amazing that Walker is able to pull this off in a book that literally took me about four hours to read. Fourth, this book might seem light and fluffy on the outside, but really has some meat to it. And finally, the romance is sweet and steamy sprinkled with plenty of swoon worthy moments.

I LOVE Quinn, you guys! I love her voice. I love her style. I love that she's a bit left of center and different from the norm. I love her blue hair and vintage band and bar T-shirts. I love her faults and all. I love her because she starts out with a definite idea of who she is and what she wants, out of school, life, friendships and guys, and by the end of this book she realizes the narrowness of that mindset. I love that she has great capacity for love but she can also be tough as nails when she needs to be. I love that when she wants something she goes after it and doesn't hesitate. I love that when she recognizes that she's acting like an ass, she calls herself on it and tries to make amends. And I love that even with all her snarky attitude and music snobbery, she's just a young woman on a journey to self discovery who is as human as the rest of us.

The best part of this book is the cast of wonderful characters. There is Penny, Quinn's cousin, and her sorority sister neighbor Chrissy, who are both so much like Elle Woods from Legally Blonde it's scary. There's Jade, the hip fellow intern that befriends Quinn and is the perfect wing woman and has an open mind to go along with her big heart. There is Sebastian, (what a great name for this character!), the hipster DJ who is everything Quinn thinks she wants in a summer fling, and than there is next door neighbor, Russ.

Russ, Russ, Russ. Beautiful, funny, wise, built, loud, sexy, goofy frat boy Russ. He's got the whole Texas cowboy vibe going and even though Quinn feels sure that is SO not her type, she comes to find that even she is not fully immune to his charm. I liked Russ from the start and grew to like him even more as the story progressed. I loved how he called Quinn out when she was being stubborn and close minded, yet he was always patient and forgiving. And I love how he used music, the very thing that Quinn responds to most, to bridge the gap between them.

Read the entire review

[Iniya · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read this review on my blog: Ini's Ravishing Reads

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Summer is a perfect time to sit by the pool or beach with a cool lemonade and get soaked in a good book. Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker is, needless to say a perfect summer read. I have always wanted to visit Texas to experience the heat and be a part of Austin Music Festival. Lovestruck Summer gave me what I needed for a relaxing summer. I wanted something light and summery to read and started browsing in the middle of the night and Lovestruck summer caught my eyes and immediately I was Lovestruck with the book. The next morning was official summer day and I had a relaxing time at my patio with a lemonade and enjoyed every part of Lovestruck Summer. Summer fling, friendship, love and music all blended into one cute novel is what we get from this book.

The protagonist Priscilla Quinn Parker, is spending her summer in Austin with Penny, who is Priscilla's oh sorry Quinn's cousin. The protagonist prefers her middle name Quinn. Needless to say, when someone addresses her as Priscilla she gets exasperated. Penny lives a typical sorority girl's life. Quinn's idea for summer in Austin is, she wants to intern and also find a summer fling who loves the same music as she does and enjoy her favorite music band, the Walters. Russ, who lives next door is an attractive cowboy (Quinn's version) also a frat boy keeps pulling Quinn's legs all the time. Russ is an enthusiastic boy who loves country music and tries to infuse the love of country music into Quinn. Quinn slowly starts to emerge from her sphere of music to other types of music. Quinn's summer started to take a different turn than she expected.

Quinn meets Jade at the place where she interns and she has the same taste in music as Quinn. Although the story revolves around Quinn and finding a summer fling, it also focuses on the emerging friendship between Quinn and Jade. Jade introduces Sebastian, who is a DJ to Quinn and immediately she identifies her perfect boyfriend, but it is pretty obvious that he is not the one for Quinn. Quinn keeps complaining that Russ calls her Priscilla and not Quinn to Sebastian. At some point Russ and Quinn become good friends and when their relationship is about to bloom, as in all YA chick-lit, drama takes place. Unlike most of the romance novels, I didn't find the drama to be overwhelming.

Melissa Walker's writing was simple and easy to read at the same time it was captivating. I read the book in single sitting for straight 4 hours. Yet I had one issue with the story as I'm not able to clearly identify if it's the run-of-the-mill contemporary romance or something new. That was the only qualm. Trust me the story is very engaging and compensates for the small issues. I agree the story is kind of cliched, and I found myself rolling my eyes at certain moments in the book, but don't you agree with me that sometimes light fun read would lift up your summer mood?? I would recommend this book if your looking for something summery chick-lit.

[Lisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age R: 15+
Thoughts:
Quinn a.k.a Pricilla (don't call her that or she'll get upset with you) is an 18 year old girl who loves music, especially indie rock. It's the summer before she's going off to college and she wants to go to a city with a music scene (Austin) and find a dream guy, The Supreme, to have a summer fling with. Thank goodness she gets a job (or does she?) working for the label of her favorite indie rock band The Walters. When she arrives in Austin she finds this summer might not be so great. She has to stay with her cousin who it turns out is your typical sorority girl. How is she going to stand that all summer? Oh then there's that itty bitty problem with her "job" and what about that annoying a-hole wannabe cowboy next door? But then there's that REALLY cute guy..so maybe summer won't be so bad. :D
Lovestruck Summer was such a CUTE read! This is one of those books that you want to read as a pick-me-up. It's short, light and fun. I know that a LOT of covers that are like that are usually those super predictable books (you know which ones I'm talking about) but this one is not like that. I'll admit some things were kinda predicatable, but it didn't ruin the story. It's really enjoyable-for a short read-so go read it!
One great thing about this book was the changes that Quinn goes throughout the book. I really loved that! I myself have met people just like her. People that are all "I love indie music! Ugh I can't believe that song I love is all over the radio now, I knew about it way before everyone else grr" and people that are not really open to other kinds of music because it's too mainstream or whatever. I'm glad Quinn changed for the better not just about her music tastes (I love all kinds of music thankyouverymuch) but about her guy tastes too (that sounds funky hehe). I won't say too much about this transformation of hers because I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but trust me, it's cool. :)
This is the part where I squeal about the ADORABLE romantic scene. Okay, so you can't really hear me mentally squeal, but I'm doing it! hehe I just loved that moment so much, if it were a movie I'd rewind it again and again..and about 50 times more :) It was just so cute!
Overall this is one you should pick up if you're in the mood for a quick, fun and cute read.

Cool: The fact that the story takes place in Texas, my home state. I LOVED that the protagonist is basically addicted to music, just like me hehe She listens to it for different reasons but w/e it's relateable. I love anything Indie so yay! The girl's working for an independent label so of course this makes things all the more interesting.
Not so cool:
Hmm can't think of anything I didn't like other than the fact that I wish it were longer hehe Actually there's something else. *Possible spoiler. It's not something I didn't like, it's more like something that made me sad. I think it's sad that the main relationship is basically a one time thing. :(

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovestruck Summer combines so many things I love: music, Austin, TX, internships, summer, post-high school stories, that I was actually kind of afraid to read it. Silly, but true. Thankfully I had nothing to fear as I absolutely loved this book. It’s just so much fun!

Quinn has always felt out of place in her North Carolina town, she’s an indie rocker hipster and she longs to be in a music city like Austin. When Quinn gets her dream summer internship at her favorite music label (how she gets it is amazing) she’s over the moon. She’ll live with her studious cousin Penny who will never be around, she’ll attend tons of live shows, and she’ll meet the perfect indie rock guy for a summer fling.

Fast forward to arriving in Austin and cousin Penny is now “Party Penny” and president of her sorority, the internship isn’t exactly like she pictured (although still really cool), and even though she meets the “perfect” guy, she starts to question if he’s what she really wants. See, although Quinn judged Penny and her Greek friends at first, little by little Quinn starts to warm up to them and think they might not be as vapid and annoying as she first thought. Especially Russ, Penny’s cowboy-country-music-loving-frat-boy neighbor who takes a liking to Quinn.

Russ is way more my type than Quinn’s ideal music boy, so I immediately rooted for him. Plus, he takes Quinn to do all sorts of cool Austin things like going to Barton Springs, seeing the bats under the South Congress bridge, and taking her tubing. This means there’s a little bit of a love triangle in this story, not my favorite, but I liked that Quinn has perspective. Even though she likes DJ boy she never pictures him being a long-term thing, it’s just a summer fling. And the more she gets to know Russ the more she likes him, but it’s not like she’s running off to marry either of them. I especially appreciated this attitude towards the end of the story, I feel like I say this a lot, but it’s a teenage relationship, maybe it lasts, maybe it doesn’t and I loved how Melissa Walker treated these relationships.

Finally, there’s Austin. I absolutely love Austin. I used to go at least twice a year for my old job and I always tacked on extra days on either side of the trip so I could spend more time there. I was glad to see so many places I’ve been and heard about in Austin included in the book and it makes me sad that I won’t be taking my normal January trip down there.

Bottom Line: This is another winner from Melissa Walker. Quinn is a great main character, I loved the supporting characters, and the setting of Austin, TX is fabulous. I loved watching Quinn open her mind up to new people and new music. My only complaint is that there isn’t a playlist included in the book!

This review first appeared on my blog.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovestruck Summer tells the story of Quinn Parker who has just graduated from high school. In a random bout of silliness, she calls up her favorite record company late one night and lands herself her dream summer internship in Austin, Texas miles away from her home.

Quinn can’t wait to work at Amalgam Records. She envisions herself listening to amazing music and meeting cute indie guys who have the same interests as her. Color Quinn shocked when she arrives in Austin and is greeted by her sorority girl cousin Penny and brought to her princess palace. Penny introduces Quinn to her best friends Chrissy and Russ and Quinn is even more annoyed to find out that all of Penny’s friends are just as perky and annoying as she is.

After Quinn begins her internship, she meets Sebastian, a hot DJ at a club. Quinn begins to fall hard, but Sebastian is not all that she thinks…and maybe first impressions can be deceiving. Quinn wonders if she should have judged her cousin and her friends so quickly.

This book was a quick and short read. Might have been nicer to read on the beach and not in gloomy March, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The story itself was a bit predictable, but there’s nothing wrong with a little familiarity sometimes, right? The idea of the plot was definitely good. Girl gets awesome internship and sets out to have an amazing summer with some conflicts along the way. Definitely gets me hooked.

My main problem was with the main character Quinn. I don’t think she was necessarily likable or relateable. I thought she was moody and rather annoying. She was SO quick to judge people before she even took the chance to speak with them. She judged based on appearance (which I know is quite common) but I don’t think that helped with getting me to like her.

Some of the dialogue didn’t feel natural or realistic to me, but some of the actions that took place did. For example, I thought the dialogue felt immature. The characters would say things that 18 or 19 year olds would never say and then in the next scene they would be at a party drinking from a keg. The dialogue and the action just didn’t quite seem to match up.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read. It will literally take you a day or two to read, so I’d suggest picking it up especially if you are going on a weekend trip or on vacation!