Review: Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Title: Double Clutch
Author: Liz Reinhardt
Source: Purchased e-book
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Caution: May contain spoilers

What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

Recommended Age Group: Older YA

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I originally started writing this review by discussing several things that were listed in the synopsis, but why should I when it's so clearly explained there. So I'm gonna focus more on the best part of the story... the boys. They are the focal point anyways. The rest of it is everyday life.

Brenna Blixen is a very cool character. She's very real and a very determined girl. She may only be 15 going on 16, but she's a smart cookie. She proves the stereotype wrong when it comes to going to the technical school. She’s persistent on riding her bike regardless of the chilly weather. This creates issues with her mom, and also both boys, who incidentally both offer to give her rides to and from school. I like the relationship she has with her mom and Thorsten, her stepfather. Her mom is very protective of Brenna, especially with boys.

When it comes to the boys though, Brenna is completely torn. Saxon comes on strong and throws her off balance. Jake is very sweet and she finds him to be a very nice boy. She tries to not be torn at first, but as time goes on she gets more and more confused about how she should feel. Especially when the two find out they have Brenna in common. They both may seem to be different guys, but when push comes to shove, they can be very much the same with their mood swings.

Throughout the whole book I found myself just as torn between the two guys. Jake seems like this nice boy, but when he gets angry, you get angry at him. Then Saxon can be a pain in the butt, but when his sexiness gets going, you're melting. But then you realize, despite Jake getting angry, he's really a nice guy, and despite Saxon making you swoon, you know how much of a jerk he can be. So it's just this constant back and forth. One minute, you're Team Jake; next minute, you're Team Saxon. Somehow you just can't choose. I have this feeling that as the series progresses, I may end up leaning a certain way in the end. Who knows though?

Liz Reinhardt has made a great debut to the reading world. When insta-love and love triangles cause us to rip out our hair, she comes in and changes the way we feel about them. I loved watching this story progress and how I got so engrossed in it I lose track of time. Double Clutch is the first Brenna Blixen novel. The second, Junk Miles, is out now for Kindle and Nook. I already have mine purchased and can't wait to get back into Brenna's world and see what happens next for her.

My Rating:

Very Good: Stay up late

~Jessica