by Patricia B. Tighe
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Release Date: 12/02/14
Rate: Enjoyed it (3.5 stars)
After surviving her parents' relationship drama when her older sister elopes, Claire Gardner vows not to date during high school. Now, three years later, Claire is thrust into new relationship drama--her two best friends have boyfriends. Which means Claire is spending more and more time alone. And she's more than a little peeved.
Enter Gray Langley. His year-long crush on Claire's friend Lindsey has made him desperate enough to ask Claire for help. Hesitant at first, Claire agrees--anything to get rid of Lindsey's current evil boyfriend. But as Claire and Gray plot together, an attraction develops, and now she must decide if being with Gray is worth the pain that will come from confronting her parents with the reasons for her vow.
Life in the no-dating zone is one of those YA stories you need to read from time to time to swoon over the young adult genre and its sweet romantic stories.
To sum up the synopsis a little bit, Gray Langley has decided that this year he wants to change and that means finding the courage to talk to his crush: Lindsey. That would be easier if Lindsey wouldn't be the prettiest girl that all boys swoon over, would do whatever she asked for and wouldn't have a boyfriend. However, Gray's willing to take the risk of being that boy in the friend-zone until the jackass boyfriend does something stupid.
That's when Claire Gardner gets involved. She's Lindsey's best friend and is sick of the mentioned jackass boyfriend of hers, so she's willing to help Gray get Lindsey.
However, things don't get as planned since love is unpredictable and can be found in the unexpected places.
I loved Patricia's plot for this story. There's a progressive relationship between the two main characters and it grows stronger and develops throughout the book. You get the chance to see those changes by reading through Gray and Claire's point of view and that's wonderful.
When you start reading these type of stories you know there's to be some drama to make the story entertaining and interesting, and we find it due to Claire's insecurity of being in the no-dating zone and Gray trying to make a girl who already has a boyfriend fall for him.
Claire's character antagonistic at times due to her intention of making her best friend break up with her boyfriend just because she doesn't get along with him. That's kind of unfair and cruel. And also, at the beginning of the story, she keeps winning about her best friends' boyfriends and how much time her friends spend time with them instead of with her. But, despite this, she's a great main character and she brings a funny touch to her interactions with Gray during the story.
I thought this story would be one more YA story, but the author uses the romantic part of it to make the main character come to terms with her fears and problems and to recognize your mistakes. So there's no doubt that Life In The No-Dating Zone is not just about romance, but also about friendship, forgiveness and growing up. I truly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to all those readers out there searching for a sweet YA story.
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I'm not the writer who's been writing for as long as she can remember. In fact, I didn't start writing fiction until I was almost thirty. But, I've always been a reader. Which, of course, is one of the basic requirements for being a writer. I've read everything from horse novels and spy thrillers to historical romance and fantasy sagas—and lots in between. There's something wondrous about picking up a book and entering a new world with new adventures. And I don't plan on stopping any time soon.
When I'm not reading, I hang out with my husband and two old dogs, plus my grown sons whenever I get the chance. In the fall I spend way too much time yelling at my TV while watching football. I'm also addicted to British TV shows. Top Gear, anyone?
Oh, yeah. And I write. Kissing books. Or at least books that include kissing. Hope you enjoy them!
