Review: Defending Taylor (Hundred Oaks #7) by Miranda Kenneally

Defending Taylor

(Hundred Oaks #7)
by Miranda Kenneally
July 5, 2016

304 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

 

Review

Miranda Kenneally is an excellent contemporary writer. I have been a fan of her Hundred Oaks books for some time and Defending Taylor is her best book yet in this series. Her characters are easily relatable and not inundated by major drama. I wanted more pages.

We know from the very beginning that Taylor made a big mistake. A costly one as she comes to learn with having to switch to a new school and trying not to let her lie taint her chance at her dream school. I believe it was a very honest mistake. It didn't turn out the way she assumed it would but the lie stemmed from a good place. It's hard not to feel bad for Taylor as she deeply regretted the negative impact her action had on her father's political career. The dilemma that followed made her life even more miserable but she managed to learn a few things. I think it was all worth it. I admire her passion for soccer and her desire to do right by those she loves.

Ezra is the perfect book boyfriend. Taylor has known him since she was ten years old. The two were well on their way to something more when an incident drove them apart. A chance meeting reunites them. Yay! They reconnect and strike up the most swoon-worthy romance ever. The healthy and respectable relationship they built was the most important and precious gain from Taylor's mistake.

My second favourite thing about this book is the sibling relationships. We don't actually get to see Taylor's brother and sister in person a lot but they're there throughout the story. Whether through text messages or phone calls, they made sure to be in Taylor's life giving her encouragements and/or dishing out admonishments.

As always, it's so much fun to see the other characters in the series make appearances. There's so much satisfaction in seeing them hanging around and even helping out. It makes me want to revisit their stories again ;)

The obviously flawed characters with their sincere thoughts and genuine reactions make Defending Taylor my favourite Hundred Oaks book so far. I hope this series goes on infinitely. I could read these stories for forever.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the Advance Review Copy I received.