Defending Taylor

by Miranda Kenneally

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Taylor made a bad decision. She made a mistake, which derailed her entire future. Expelled from the prep school, which was a stepping stone to Yale, she must try and get her life back on track. All these changes were challenging for Taylor, but they were also challenging her idea of what she wanted, and had her second guessing her plans.

I can now say, that I have read all the Hundred Oaks books. One thing I love about this series is the way Miranda Kenneally uses lessons her teen self had learned for plots in these books.

This time around, we have Taylor, the good girl, who is so focused on her future, that she is failing to live in the present. Her struggles to maintain that edge, and be able to do it all, sometimes drove her to seek prescription drugs to help her stay awake and focused. While glancing at the topic of prescription drug abuse, Kenneally dives deeper into the different stressors teens encounter in high school. The need to be top of the class, to stay competitive, to build that resume, to win that spot at a top notch school -- these are all wonderful goals, but they often come at a price.

Though Taylor's fall from grace left her bruised and a bit broken, it was sort of a blessing in disguise. She found herself examining her wants and needs, and finding that they didn't quite match up. I liked quite a few things Kenneally did with this plot line. There were discussions among the characters about post high school plans, and guess what? They didn't all involve going right to college, or college at all, and that's ok. They talked about not necessarily knowing what they wanted to do, and that's ok too. They also addressed familial expectations, and how difficult it could be to go against what is expected, and I think that was one of the more difficult hurdles for Taylor. She was lucky though, because her family loved her. Yes, they were not happy with the choices she made, and these choices did affect the family, but they never stopped loving her. They knew she was more than her one mistake.

I have to mention, that I felt a strong emotional attachment to Taylor. She told a lie, which ended up costing her a LOT, but the biggest loss for her, was the trust and respect of her family. My heart ached, and let me tell you, there were tears. I was quite moved by her journey, but also really proud of her, when she found the strength to push forward. She began to accept her new normal, and to try and make her own future. She confronted the uncomfortable truths, and opened herself up to new people and experiences. It wasn't easy, and I respected how she persevered.

Now, my favorite part - the romance! I love the history between these two. They had so many shared memories and experiences, I really wanted this to work out. Their lives were both in limbo at the moment too. Taylor was trying to plan her next steps, after her life imploded, while Ezra was also still figuring out his future plans after taking a leave from college. It was sort of wonderful the way they could help each other through this tricky period of their lives, but also not let the other person's plans dictate their own.

My only problem was with the ending. It was fun ending, and things seemed to be going well, but it was so open. I am so not a fan of open endings. I almost wish Kenneally did a finale like Abbi Glines did for her Sea Breeze series. I loved getting that string of epilogues for all the couples.

Overall, though, I loved this book. I hold this series close to my heart, and I recommend reading all the author's notes in these books, because they are really special.

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