Overprotected Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Big thanks to the guys over at We Fancy Books for organizing this event! We're the tenth stop and it's our first blog tour ever. I read OVERPROTECTED two weeks ago and today I present to you my review of the book.

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Paperback: 253 pages

Release date: April 29th 2011

Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Source: Won
Amazon ││The Book Depository ││ Barnes and Noble
Goodreads Summary: Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City. 

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.

Thoughts

Here, we meet Ashlyn. A girl people would see as a princess who has everything… except freedom. Her overprotective father got obsessed with her safety after being kidnapped by her nanny. Years after the abduction, her father still kept Ashlyn in what she considers a prison. When his former bodyguard failed in his duty, Daddy hired a bodyguard from her past: Colin Brennen. The bully from her childhood who she despises but eventually fell for.

I must say I fell in love with Jennifer’s writing when I read Heavenly a few months ago. It was her gift for my 16th birthday this year and I swear she’s the most generous author ever. To read all of her books became one of my reading goals since then. Boy am I glad to win a copy of OVERPROTECTED. I would have devoured this in one sitting if I didn’t have much school stuff to do. The wait for finally winning a copy was worth it.

There are several things I really liked about this book. It has the right dose of romance and doesn’t solely focus on it, giving each character a room for development. I’ve always liked a book that has an element of music on it. And the emotions every time Ashlyn plays the piano? Surreal. Jennifer Lawrence’s descriptive ability to convey feelings is enviable. Probably the reason why I can’t get through to start writing a book is because I lack that skill.

I felt sympathetic over Ashlyn’s situation and just can imagine myself in her shoes. Her occasional defiance over her father’s rules is somehow understandable. She’s a teenager. Of course broadening her horizon would be one of her instincts. She wouldn’t be able to do that if even the food she will eat is decided by her parents. Fortunately, she has music for an outlet. Only that can’t be touched nor influenced by her parents. I admire Ashlyn for standing up to them. She’d been raised as an obedient daughter so it takes courage to do that. I love her simplicity. Total opposite from her parents’ whims, she’s not a spoiled surly brat who values material things and take them for granted.

Colin was quite different from what I expected. I thought he’d still be a jerk! Turns out he’s one of the sweetest literary guys ever. It was funny that he had absolutely no idea where Ashlyn’s hate for him at the beginning came from. He reminded me of myself when I was a kid. I was so mean but I just found out later (First year high school, 13 years old) that I became a nemesis of my classmate in first grade! Being drop dead gorgeous aside, he’s different from Ashlyn’s previous body guards because he was always there to actually protect her. Even from her father.

On the other hand, Ashlyn’s parents--specifically her father--took their daughter’s safety to a whole new level. It was all too much and ludicrous. I know he loves his daughter so much but I still don’t forgive him considering it’s their fault in the first place.

I won’t be able to share all my thoughts without giving too much away, so I would just recommend this to those who like a good contemporary YA romance and a fast-paced read.

Leave a comment with your e-mail address to enter for a chance to win a copy of OVERPROTECTED, a tote & t-shirt, and a book of choice from Jennifer!


US only and ends August 1st.