Going Too Far

My first Jennifer Echols' book and it didn't disappoint, not at all!

I had a great time reading and getting to know about Meg, the blue-hair bad girl who cannot stay out of trouble and is dying to go to college and get the hell out of her small town and about John, the nineteen-years old cop , the really good guy who lives by the rules and never did a bad thing his whole life. For once, the tables were turned: the bad headstrong girl falls for the good guy.

There was a lot of depth to their characters, they had strong reasons behind their behaviors and it was heartbreaking and so very sweet to see them unraveling (pun intended) each other and falling in love. Needless to say the build-up and the tension between these two were intense and show more felt genuine.

How I pictured them:
Megan as Ellen Page

and John After as gorgeous Igor Stepanov (minus the tattoos), though if there was a movie Channing Tatum (in his early days) would have fit perfectly. show less

I'm feeling pretty foolish as I type this. The entire time I was reading Going Too Far one thought kept repeating in my head: how have I never read a Jennifer Echols novel before? That and 'damn, I wish I could make out with Officer After'. The cover of the book doesn't help. Look at his mouth. Totally kissable. Oh, there I go, thinking about it AGAIN.

Moving on, Meg is troubled. She drinks, she engages in casual sex, she decides to engage in said casual sex on a bridge where two kids were hit & killed by an oncoming train. John (Officer After) is the by-the-book police officer that arrests her. Match made in heaven, no?

In her mind, Meg thinks she's living, experiencing all life has to offer by being reckless. And in John's mind he's show more making the world a safer place by enforcing the rules. In a way, they are, but in a way, they're each going too far. Neither one is really living. They're merely ghosts of the people they would have been but for a tragedy they each suffered in their past. And when their lives converge they find an attraction they can't deny. So they bicker, push, and love in a way that brings out the worst and ultimately the best in each other.

This is one of those books that was a quick read for me, meaning I was unable to put it down until I finished. This may have been because I developed an undying affection for Officer After. More likely it's because I developed an undying affection for Jennifer Echols writing style.

She's like my author soulmate, writing in a way that is perfectly suited to my tastes. I tore through the pages and when I closed the back cover, I had a huge smile on my face. There's really nothing negative to say about it at all. I mean it may have been a tad predictable but that's only a problem for me when the characters lack depth and honestly that's not an issue here. Meg and John are fully formed, compelling characters. Their story is one full of tension, and heartbreak, and romance. If you're like me and you haven't read Going Too Far yet, pick it up. You'll fall in love with these characters. show less

Meg is a wild and rebellious girl - she drives a motorcycle, has blue hair, indulges in casual sex, has a pot-head boyfriend and is counting down her last few months of high school. She has been looking forward to that moment her whole life - the moment when she can finally escape her parents, her job and the small town she’s always lived in. Somewhere different where she can be someone new - go to college, etc. And even more exciting than all that is her upcoming Spring Break trip to Mexico.... But one night’s stupid decision to hang with her friends and boyfriend on a train bridge (where some kids were killed a few years back) - lands her in jail and having to cancel her trip to spend quality time with the officer who arrests show more her.

Officer John After has the bright idea that Meg and her friends (sans boyfriend - whose dad is a hotshot attorney) should learn from their mistakes and thinks that each one should ride around with the emergency personnel called out to the bridge the night of their escapade. And guess who Meg has to drive around with for five nights? Yep, Officer After - who ends up being much younger (and cuter - okay, and hotter) then Meg originally thought.

Meg doesn’t understand why John would choose to stay in a small town - to help protect and serve and even talk dumb kids out of making wrong choices. She questions everything he learned at the police academy... but when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over.

I love character driven novels like this. Most of the book is just Meg and John - sitting in his cop car reminiscing and just opening up to each other little by little about their hopes, dreams, aspirations... life. When you first read about Meg - the way she looks and how she acts, you can picture and see her one way, but as she slowly unravels you find a person that you immediately side with, whose witty remarks have you laughing out loud or at the brink of tears. John comes off as the shy, quiet type with this underlying strength. But together they are perfect - they have such awesome chemistry that I was really saddened when this book was over. I wanted more of them. As their secrets are revealed you can't help but root for their love to overcome any obstacles.

I was sucked in from the first chapter and it was hard to put down (and I will confess I didn’t really do much of that). I sat down and read it and didn’t stop until I was done with it. I was surprised by how much I really liked it - I thought it would be a cute little romance without too much depth - but it was so much more than that. It was thoughtful, sexy and plainly unputdownable. I highly recommend this one. show less

When I picked up Going Too Far (for my November Random Reads pick) I was in a bit of a reading rut. I wasn't sure if this book would help me to get out of it or not. It's a young adult contemporary romance, so it's a bit different than my usual paranormal reads. But really I had nothing to worry about because this was a phenomenal book. It hooked me very quickly and I literally sat down and didn't stand up again until I was finished. I just couldn't put it down!

Jennifer Echols has a very easy-going and witty writing style which I immediately connected with. But what was most engaging about this book were the characters. Both Meg and John are extremely dynamic and layered characters whose layers are peeled away as the pages are turned. show more Not only is the chemistry between them absolutely sizzling, but each of them individually are characters who were built so well. Like real people, their past experiences shaped them and made them who they are today. Their little quirks, feelings, fears, and irrational actions are all because of things that have happened to them in the past. It makes such a huge difference in understanding and relating to them when you understand why they do the things they do.

This book really blew me away. I loved the relationship and chemistry between Meg and John. But there were also huge surprises that I so did not expect throughout the entire book. Echols did an amazing job at giving us clues about certain things, without giving away the punch line. I'm really impressed.

Overall seriously this is such an amazing book. It managed to get me out of a post-Thanksgiving week reading rut I was having and I will definitely be checking out more by Jennifer Echols in the future. You will fall in love with these characters and their blooming relationship, and you'll have trouble putting it down until you find out how it all turns out in the end. My only problem? There's no more of them! I wish there was more to read about Meg and John. I absolutely loved them.

More of my reviews at I'm Loving ♥ Books. show less

Meg and John are probably two of the finest-written protagonists I’ve seen in this genre of writing. I have to admit that, coming into the book, I agreed with John’s contempt toward Meg. In the beginning she came across as childish and whiny and I just didn’t get her. I’ll acknowledge that it’s probably because I’ve always been a good girl, someone who is generally willing to play by the rules. But I came to love her as more and more of her character was revealed. I think what really won me over about Meg is how she describes the sting she feels when she believes her crush can never really be more than that:
“His dark eyes challenged me. They were weapons that could hurt me. Here was the worst thing about them: I could tell show more that if [John] loved you, his dark eyes would be beautiful and friendly and warm. So every time he cut me down with a look that was cold and unfriendly and ugly, it was a double insult, a reminder of what I could never have. I found myself avoiding his dark eyes when I could.”
And John, well, he was enigmatic and powerful and stunningly vulnerable – or in a word, uh, perfect. (It’s possible I have a wee bit of a crush on him.)
This story unfolds so beautifully due to the impeccable pacing. The relationship between Meg and John speeds forward then pulls back at the most frustrating yet appropriate times so that nothing is rushed or trite. There’s a very authentic progression in the connection they build, seen not only through moments of deep revelation but also through the seemingly ordinary chats they have as they spend time together through the course of a work week (my personal favorite was the conversation about his ex-girlfriend’s college major, one of many conversations that had me literally laughing out loud).
There is a je ne sais quoi to the way Echols writes that brings freshness to a tale of opposites attracting. I can’t fully explain why this story is so appealing – it just is. It has all the marks of a great romantic drama: Chemistry! Sexual tension! Misunderstandings! Kissing! (Oh, the kissing…) But it never feels clichéd. Part of this is because of the supporting characters. John’s friends are the epitome of nineteen-year-old guys, and they crack me up pretty much any time they make an appearance. Meg’s evolving friendship with smart and innocent Tiffany is also an important part of what makes Meg more likeable in the end.
I am so glad that I bought this book. Since I’ve finished it I’ve picked it up about four times trying to write my review for it and I’ve gotten sucked into re-reading entire chunks of it. And I’m fairly certain that this will be happening again and again in the future. show less

I've read this book twice now, and absolutely loved it both times! It is so easy to get swept away by the drama constantly surrounding Meg. I love the book cover, but at the same time it really cracks me up because it doesn't seem to fit the story. It seems like it should be much darker and more dramatic.

At first, the way Meg rebels doesn't seem to fit her personality. But, as the story progresses the puzzle pieces are filled in. Both the reader and John find out everything that she has been through and how that molded her personality.

Meg certainly needed John to come into her life, and it is eventually discovered how much John also needed someone like Meg. I love their chemistry and the way their personalities go from clashing to show more meshing. They make a really fantastic story.

I just read Forget You, Echol's new book, and I still definitely consider this my favorite of the two. It is so real and honest: I definitely recommend reading it as soon as you get a chance! show less

I FINALLY read a Jennifer Echols book and it’s all due to Just Contemporary month hosted by Chick Loves Lit and Basically Amazing Books. And I do not regret it.

Going Too Far was freaking AMAZING. I was in love with the protagonist, Meg. She was such a freaking badass and I loved her attitude towards life and her ability to engage in seriously witty banter. Seriously, she was freaking awesome.

I loved John, too. I was a bit worried at first, when Meg originally thinks he’s like 40 years old married with kids, because I thought Going Too Far might, pun intended, go a bit too far. Luckily she’s just sort of overdramatic, hah!

My only qualm with the characters was how quickly they ended up forgiving each other after all their fights. I show more wanted some drawn out arguing and fighting but it didn’t really go that way. Of course, I could be the crazy girl who wants the fights along with the kissing.

Surprisingly enough, I really enjoyed the storyline too! I’m not big on books that focus solely on romance and relationship stuff, but I thought Going Too Far had a lot of great character growth that really balanced everything out.

Basically, I loved Going Too Far a lot. If you haven’t read a Jennifer Echols book yet, I recommend staring with Going Too Far. Seriously awesome writing style with very vibrant and memorable characters, not to mention steamy romance! show less