Lola and The Boy Next Door Review and Giveaway

Title: Lola and The Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: September 29th, 2011
Source: Jamie (Thanks Jamie!!)

Description:
In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn't believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket - a gifted inventor - steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 Lola is living the good life. She has a gorgeous rocker boyfriend who worships the ground she walks on. Two dads that love her unconditionally. A very loyal best friend. Oh yeah and a smoking hot neighbor, that has been in love with her since they have been kids. Things just got complicated.

Cricket Bell has just moved back in next door to Lola after moving away for his sister Calliope's ice skating career. He is now in college and wow he is even more hot than she remembers. Cricket hurt Lola more than anyone else could though and she still hasn't gotten over it, so instead of being happy that he is back... she is filled with dread. She doesn't want to have to relive her painful past with him. Plus his twin sister Calliope isn't helping. She is making it very clear that she wants Lola nowhere near her brother. That's not a problem though... Lola has a boyfriend.

Max is Lola's rocker boyfriend, he is twenty two and can really shred on a guitar. He is sexy and he wants Lola. Sounds great right? Then why can't she stop thinking about Cricket? Will Lola put the past behind her and rekindle the love that her and Cricket once shared? or will her pride and Max keep them apart.

Overall this is a good book. I spent most of the book wondering if Max and Lola every did anything other than make out and have sex. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of a relationship there. I know that they were supposed to be a couple, but even on dates they found a place to maul each other. I really wish that there had been some sort of a connection with them other than a sexual one. 

I really liked how Cricket and Lola were developing their relationship. It was slow but building and there wasn't any mauling. They knew each other on a much deeper level than Lola and Max did and in a way it bothered me a little bit. I began to hate any scene that Max was in. He is immature for his age, and the 5 year age difference seemed to be the wrong message to send out. 

Cricket's character is sweet and caring. He was written in a very complex way. You get to see the inner workings of his brain as he is thinking, and I knew exactly what he looked like from the description that Perkins' wrote. He was by far my favorite character, I enjoyed him more than Lola. 

I really can't bring myself to give this book 5 stars. It was a book that I was highly anticipating and it was just a huge disappointment to me. 

Fill out the form below to enter to win a copy of Lola and The Boy Next Door, In your choice of Ebook or Hardcopy. We will giveaway two copies.