Hard to Get

by Emma Carlson Berne

Val Rushford needs a break ... from boys!

After dumping her cheating boyfriend, Val is looking forward to some time to herself. But instead of getting peace and solace, Val is bombarded by gifts, texts, e-mails, and wall posts from boys all over. Val is overwhelmed by the attention and decides to swear off guys completely—no flirting, going out, or making out (at least until the end of the year).

Val's two best friends make a wager that her little hiatus from boys won't even last a month. Val takes the bet and tries to secure her win by burying herself in a class project. So what if she's paired with the emo hipster Adam? He's so not her type. But as Val spends more time with Adam, feelings begin surfacing. With her heart and pride at stake, Val's got to choose: Win the bet or win the boy?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Young Adult Romance, Contemporary, Teen, Rom Com

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 2, 2010

About the author

Emma Carlson Berne is the author of the YA thrillers STILL WATERS and NEVER LET YOU GO (coming Fall 2012 from Simon & Schuster). She has also written the thrillers FIGMENT and CHOKER under the pen name Elizabeth Woods. She lives and writes in Cincinnati. Learn more about Emma and contact her directly at her website, www.emmacarlsonberne.com. Or check out Emma Carlson Berne Books on http://www.facebook.com/EmmaCarlsonBe... or follow her on Twitter.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have always liked the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies. They are usually quick read, lighthearted fluff stories with quite a few laughs. But this book was just a big no with a long list of problems:

1. Val
Val is just a plain, boring high school girl. There is absolutely nothing about her that screams protagonist. Worse than that, there's this whole bunch of guys in her school who are very attracted to her (to the point of stalking) for absolutely no reason. It has never been implied that she is either beautiful, smart or even remotely special (she is a bumbling, awkward mess... and not in a funny way). As the book goes on, she only becomes more insufferable and even comes across as egotistical with her whole GNBP (grand no boyfriend plan) thing.

2. Supporting characters
I have come to the conclusion that the author is just incapable of developing proper characters. In example, Val's so-called best friends, Becca and Kelly, are just as boring as Val and completely selfish. Kelly has even gone so far as to sabotage Val just for a bet... hey, here's an idea! How about being a proper person and supporting your friend! But no, she can't possibly do that because then she'd have to wear an ugly dress (and as we all know, dresses are permanent fixtures on your body, it's not like you can just take them off. Therefore, losing that bet is basically suicide. How can anyone possibly survive having to wear an ugly dress?!).

3. Love interest
Adam is actually a perfect match for Val - in the sense that they are both incredibly dull. You would think that an artsy emo hipster (whatever that means) would be at least a little bit interesting due to his non-mainstream life choices... think again. Even IF Adam ended up being the most good looking guy in the world (I'm assuming that's the entire reason Val is attracted to him), his personality is a complete snooze fest. This is a very bad quality to have, considering he is the romantic interest in a BOOK.

4. Plot
... or lack thereof. Every primary school student can tell you the basic recipe to a good plot (intro, conflict, climax, falling action, denouement). The author failed to follow even that simple recipe. This book was a complete mess of blah. Girl dumps boyfriend, meets a guy she might like (but not really all that much), continually struggles with her need to be romantically attached to someone (even though the boy she's interested in isn't even worth losing a bet for), continues her life in a very awkward and boring fashion (leaving people to wonder why she is even the protagonist) call off the bet that the whole plot is based on and end up with the boring as hell romantic interest (shocker!)

Don't even bother reading that paragraph, I'll sum it up for you. Blah. That's all this book is... it's just blah.

5. The dialogue
The author of this book is a terrible writer. I have never read any of her other work and I pray I will never have to. The only thing worse than the personalities of the characters in this book is the way they talk to each other. They are so robotic and methodical in everything they say that it leaves me to wonder if the author even knows how human interaction works. It is this awkward way of speaking that makes the jokes so very bad... the "jokes" were already so unfunny to start with but throw in the author's special inhuman touch and we have utterly cringeworthy.

Conclusion, this is a boring book with terrible characters and even worse dialogue. I would not recommend it to anybody. I regret the money I spent on it... if anything, I should have been paid to read it.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just started an hour ago and looks like it's going good. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be so cliche at the end, if you know what I mean...

[Seanean · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Val thought she had the perfect boyfriend in Dave. After all, it was definitely the longest she'd gone out with one guy, so that must mean it's special. And it was... until she caught Dave making out with another girl in the parking lot of her high school.

Now "available", Val is suddenly bombarded with date offers from guys around the school, many of whom she doesn't even know. When her friends point out that this is because she's suddenly "on the market", which has never been true for her for more than a week, Val realizes she's been a bit too focused on being a girlfriend and hasn't focused enough on being herself.

She decides to swear off boys for the next month, and her friends make it "interesting" by making it a bet. Winner gets to wear real diamonds to prom; loser has to wear the ugliest purple prom dress and matching heels ever made.

Unfortunately, it all gets way too complicated when Val meets Adam. He's "arty" and normally not her type, but there's definite chemistry there.

So what's more important? The possibility of true love or avoiding having to wear the nastiest dress on the planet?

Final thoughts: I grabbed this paperback from the giveaway pile at work. It's obvious cotton candy and has no literary merit whatsoever. However, it's fluffy and light on the brain. There are a few problems with pacing and time seems to speed up and slow down without making much sense, but it's easy to read and a good brain cleanser, especially when I've got a few paranormal and dystopia novels on my to-read list. Think of this book as a light sorbet for the brain.

[La Femme Readers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to Get was a cute, light read. The writing was simple and easy to get into. The only negative aspect was the predictability of the storyline. However, I did really like the characters. Val was sweet, intelligent and was always surrounded by her supporting best friends. I love when the main character has a group of best girl friends. I, on the other hand have close friends but best friends? Nope. So, it's nice to see a group of girls who love each other unconditionally. Val was going through a rough break-up and she made a bet with her friends that she wouldn't deal with guys until the end of the year. Ha, that's easier said then done. Once word got out that she was single, all hell broke loose. She was bombarded with gifts and "stalkers" who practically threw themselves at her. At that point, I was like oh come on that doesn't happen in real life, but it is fiction after all.

My favorite part of the book was when Val met Adam, a guy that she normally wouldn't go for. I thought he was adorable. He reminded me of those punk guys who wear skinny jeans and are artistically gifted. You know which ones I'm talking about :) I enjoyed seeing Val fight the urge to like him because of her bet. Overall, it's a nice, quick read with a cliche storyline. But if you are looking for a book to relax your brain cells after reading an emotional novel, pick this up!

[Diana Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the premise of this book! After being humiliated by her cheating boyfriend, Val realizes she hasn't really been without a guy for years. It's time for a break! So Val swears off guys until the end of the school year. And she's so sure she's up to the challenge that she bets her best friends she can make it. But sticking to the Grand-No-Boyfriend Plan is harder than Val thought it would be -- especially once she meets Adam, the not-her-type guy who stirs up unexpected feelings. This book is full of clever dialogue, funny situations, likable characters, and ROMANCE. It's a fun, hard-to-put-down read that's as cute as its cover!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a quick-read silly teen romance and hey, I found it! Cute story. Nothing deep or meaningful. Fun to read and THANK YOU....clean.

[Asia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun light read that you can finish in a day or two and get a couple laughs out of. All in all it's not bad, and it was a fun read.

[Haaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I always like books like these. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Sara ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite cute, but I really thought it should have ended differently... Val has JUST broken up with her boyfriend (of like 6 or so months) after she caught him kissing another girl, and she is suddenly bombarded (that's a good word) by gifts, texts, facebook friend invites, and other crap from guys at her school, as if they'd been anxiously awaiting for a day when Val was free...

But Val is understandably upset by Dave's betrayal, and could use some time to get over things, you know? So she decides to swear off guys for a month. Her two best friends make a bet of it—the winner gets to wear a super-fancy diamond jewelry set to prom and the loser has to wear a REALLY ugly purple 80s prom dress. (Except then Val finds out and becomes part of the bet, so there are either going to be two winners (one wears the earrings, one the necklace) or two losers (one wears the uglodress for the first half of prom and the other the second).)

So yadda yadda, she ends up doing this project with Adam and totally falls for him... But then she's BOUND AND DETERMINED to stick to this stupid plan! And what ends up happening...

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

... is that her friends find out how upset she is over this guy and both back out of the bet/month-challenge.

But what I think SHOULD have happened is that she should have said, "Screw the embarrassment we will feel in wearing purple tafeta! I want this really amazing guy as my boyfriend!" and worn the purple nastiness for half of prom. I thought that would have been (1) funnier (this IS a Simon Romantic COMEDY, after all) and (2) been more appropriate for her personality issues that she obviously needed to get over. Plus, I don't know... I felt like Adam would have/should have been more understanding about her personal challenge. He sorta reacted like a girl. Of course, the book was written by a girl, so.... *shrugs* So yeah, 3.5 stars. Not the best of the series, but cute nonetheless.

[Macie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this book I read the back cover and thought," Hmm, I really hope this book isn't that same old love story I read time after time!" Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised! The book Hard to Get by Emma Carlson Berne is a awesome, quick read that can easily keep you entertained for hours!
This book is a journey through the life of Val and her two best friends. When Val dumps by her no good, cheating boyfriend Dave, Val decides she needs a break. 
She wasn't expecting to get emails,gifts, and love letters from all of the boys in school!With all of the attention Val is overwhelmed by boys and decides to swear them off completely. This means no flirting, kissing, or dating until the end of the month. This entire new way of life becomes hard for her when she meets Adam, who is her partner for a class project. He is not her type but after spending time with him feelings start to emerge. In the end she has to choose between the bet, or the boy.
I would recommend this book! I would gear it towards girls who like having a cute, easy book to read. I really liked the characters in this book. They were so well developed I could imagine exactly what they looked like in my mind. I didn't really like the fact that you don't get to meet any of Adams family members or learn anything about him, rather than he likes to paint. so, overall I think this would be a great book to read!

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have always loved the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies, but they actually are pretty hit and miss. On one hand, there's Jennifer Echols's Major Crush, which made me her fan for life, and on there others, there's this, and just... no. NO. It was terrible. I would have DNF'd it, but, like Sheldon Cooper, I have issues with closure, particularly when it comes to my entertainment.

I'm going to have to go home and flip through to find all the things that made this book such a waste of my time, but here are some immediate problems:

1. There is absolutely no reason given for why all these boys like Val. She's not particularly interesting or funny or anything. I'm assuming all these guys think she's hot, but that's not stated or even implied so just... I don't get it.

2. The physical movements were super weird. Like at one point, Val gets home and sits in the kitchen. Then in the next sentence she's rooting through the fridge and then a cabinet before sitting down. In another scene, Val and Adam get in his car and make one turn before arriving at their destination. I don't need long sweeping paragraphs about an errand, but also, it seemed like the distance didn't match the need for the car. In a third scene, they walk into a business, order sandwiches, and walk out without paying, and

TO BE CONTINUED BECAUSE I'M JUST GETTING STARTED

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Val thought she had the perfect boyfriend - until she found him with another girl. Now, she's suddenly single for the first time since 8th grade.

Boys are coming out of the woodwork to date her, filling her phone with text messages and her locker with gifts. At first, she finds all of the attention flattering, but soon it gets annoying. Val decides to swear off boys, a declaration her friends find amusing. They make a bet to see if she can go a month without dating - or even flirting - with a boy.

She readily agrees, as she's not remotely interested in dating any of the boys from school. Plus, she wants time to herself. Then she meets Adam, who is completely the opposite from her usual type. Yet she can't stop thinking about him.

Could he cause her to break the bet?

HARD TO GET is a cute and funny book, although unbelievable. I liked Val and I really liked Adam, and I loved reading about them getting to know each other while creating a beautiful piece of art work. This is a fun addition to the Simon Romantic Comedies series.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Val Rushford has all the looks, the boyfriend and the grade. But suddenly when her perfect boyfriend Dave, cheated off of Val, Val dumped him. When Val 's status turned from in a relationship to single, many boys tried to chase after Val. For once in Val's life, she was single. But Val is annoyed with the fact that many boys tries to court her, so she and her friends started a secret plan, a plan to swear off boys. In order, for this plan to work off, Val stuck herself into school works but in one of her class project she was paired up with artsy Adam.
This Adam, boy isnt Val's type but he gives Val little twinkle feelings. But as Adam and Val became closer to each other, they started to develop feelings. Val starts to think that Adam may be the perfect prince charming for her. During the week before prom, Adam confessed to Val one day, and asked her to the prom but because of this secret promise plan she made with her freinds Val had to reject Adam. But will this keep Val away from Adam? But will Adam still accept Val eventhough she rejected him? What if she broke her promise with her friends?

[Kaia Brahms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boys aren't everything but you do need them for something's.
Val, Becca, and Kelly are all great friends. Val had just gone through a bad break up and just wants to be alone for now. A whole bunch of boys are asking her out but she turns them down. So her and her friends make a bet with a new diamond necklace. If Val doesn't flirt or go on any dates for the next 2 months she will win. Val is having the hardest time. Val's friends are trying to make her lose so that they can wear the necklace to prom. That's harder than Val thought. Val meets a great guy that likes her and she kinda likes him.

This is a really funny great book. I honestly think Val was stupid for doing the bet. All she needed to do was meet the right guy. My favorite part of the book was when she had a mandatory dance class for prom. So she brought her cousin Larry that smelled like pizza. I think that this is a good book for girls.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good but I have to admit, some parts of it bored me XD

It was a romantic story about a girl who falls in love with a guy who is not "her type". I didn't like the part when she says stuff like that to her friends etc because that is a worldly view of relationships. Relationships shouldn't just be about if the couple share interests or not, what matters is if they should be together. I believe that God has the perfect person for everyone in this world and that we shouldn't let our worldly view on things get in the way :)

But, it was a sweet story. I loved reading about the main characters as their feelings progressed towards each other.



I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romantic novels.

[♥-ℜachel -♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was only so-so. it was kind of boring, therefore i didn't get hooked on this book at all. it took me kind of a while to read because i kept wanting to take breaks from it.

most of the plot was predictable.

i had a hard time connecting with a lot of the charectors, and the only one i sort-of had a connection with was Adam. Val's two bffs who are in the story a lot (Becca and Kelly) both seemed like total bitches.

what i did like about this book was that the idea for the charactor to put herself off of boys was creative.

i am not sure i would recomend this to anyone.

[Kristen Velasco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a quick read that I finished in two days. I have been a fan of these Simon and Shuster Romantic Comedies since high school. While they have some books that are my favorite (Puppy Love, Love Off- Limits, and Love on Cue being a few of them), this wasn't one of them. It wasn't bad, I just was not into the characters as much. Overall, it was an okay read. I did enjoy the story all together. But like I had said, if I was more into the characters, like I was with other books in the series, I would have rated it higher.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for upper middle school and high school. Characters are HS juniors and seniors. Val discovers her ideal boyfriend cheating on her and after dumping him, makes a bet with her 2 BFF's that she will remain single including no flirting until the end of the school year. Of course, an unlikely young man enters the picture and they fall for each other despite her intentions. Unlikely, but a fun light read.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay read, probably better suited for younger girls (obviously). I mean, I know I read a ton of YA books and they're fine (and awesome usually), but sometimes they really do seem too young. Does that make sense? I don't know so I'm just going to go with it. :)...read more here.

[Tejj · Rating 2 out of 5]

so this book was pretty bad. i mean it was really obvious what would happen before you finished it. i was kind of annoyed because the characters' voices weren't deep or very well illustrated. it wasnt my type of book :( thumbs down

[Katrina Knittle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Same as all the other books like this. Something cute and adorable with a side of cliche. I enjoyed it and will definitely read more books like this in the future. I loved the idea no boys for a month.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reminds me why I prefer to read YA romance. Although I get a little tired of the teen angst, I like the clean aspect of them. They can pull of romantic comedy better because the stakes aren't as high.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and somewhat predictable read. I still like it.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely ending!This seris of books always have that even though that's what I would like to read.

[Crystal Yu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was awesome. It shows a lot of interesting action, and adventures.

[Marizaan]

GREAT BOOK!

[Chelsea Northrop · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was cute and it had really funny parts to it

[Hpitcher]

pretty decent. the main character was not that great in my opinion but other than that it was fine

[gwen_is_ reading]

good. I like Adam and the friends. were great.

[Tsubasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this book since it had a satisfying ending:)
totally love this types of stories. . .