❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃

Review: Love Songs & Other Lies, Jessica Pennington

If you are a fan of dramatic plots and reality TV, this is the book for you. There is a lot going on in terms of turmoil, as one might expect, in a book that features a reality show. I love how Pennington tells the stories of Cam and Vee’s past and weaves it into a TV show that sometimes takes place on a tour bus with very tight quarters. There is always something happening, and it makes you want to keep reading to find out what is going to go down next.

❀ Character Are Easy to Connect to

There is a cast of characters in Love Songs & Other Lies that are easy to connect with. They are flawed and likeable, as well as interesting. Vee is my favourite character because her story is so full of angst. She is trying to carve a mark for herself in the world and I love how music helps her define who she is. Her devotion to her grandma is also quite sweet and I really enjoyed reading this part of the storyline.

❀ Dual Perspectives and Timelines

The novel has dual perspectives and timelines set during college years, and it also flashes back to high school. I really appreciated the layout of the book, as it is clearly defines which era the chapter is in and whether we are reading Cam or Vee’s point of view. I love how each part of the narrative is slowly woven in and how things just all come together towards the end.

❀ Perfect for Summer TBR

Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington is an upper YA novel that will be a perfect addition to your summer TBR. There is a little bit of everything in this contemporary that has a unique concept and wonderful characters. It is a road trip that will most definitely take you on an emotional ride.

Quotes: Love Songs & Other Lies, Jessica Pennington

BOOK BEGINNING:

It’s black, almost liquid looking, and gleaming in the LA sun, like a sleek, horizontal skyscraper. I’ve only seen a tour bus on the highway and I can’t believe how gigantic it looks, looming over us.

Friday 56:

“I got a tattoo.” His voice startles me out of the silence, and before I can stop myself, I’m looking at him. He’s lying on his bed in a pair of blue pajama pants and a thin gray T-shirt that clings to him everywhere.

Playlist: Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington

Interview: Jessica Pennington, Love Songs & Other Lies

• Do you or have you ever played an instrument?

I played the clarinet for 8 years, and I (very poorly) played the guitar for a few years. But seriously, I was horrible. I did a million things in high school and I really didn’t have enough time to learn guitar. I bought it on a whim, and hoped I would magically learn how to play it. It was not the case! I would love to learn to play piano some day, since I know how to read music!

• How does your experience planning weddings help you with your writing process?

I think it helps me the most in the fact that I’m really organized. But that’s more of a personal thing…I’m a good fit for wedding planning because I’m so organized, and a little bit of that transfers over to writing. But more than anything, I think with writing romance, being in the atmosphere of celebrating love, and hearing stories from couples, is probably one of the biggest benfits of my job.

• I LOVE the #JustAskJess feature on your website! Was there someone in your life who you looked up to growing up that offered you helpful advice?

I had really great friends growing up, and my mom was also wonderful. I don’t know that I had any one particular person that I reached out to, but I would have loved to have had an unattached third party to run things by, so I was excited to set up the #JustAskJess feature on my website, where teens can submit questions.

• What is your favorite break-up song?

Say Something by A Great Big World is the song that inspired the very first scene (the breakup) that I wrote in Love Songs & Other Lies, so I’d have to pick that one. Also, We Are Never Getting Back Together, because I love Taylor Swift!

Thank you for this wonderful interview for the Love Songs & Other Lies tour, Jessica Pennington!

About Jessica Pennington

Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her novel, with her husband Josh and their son, Rory. Love Songs & Other lies is her debut novel.

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About The Candid Cover

Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.