I recommend Miranda Kenneally to anyone who is a fan of Sarah Dessen or Kasie West. She writes perfect YA romance.

As with all Miranda Keneally books, the story was heart-felt, hard to put down and relatable. Miranda never misses!

I never thought there would come a day when I’d get tired of Miranda Kenneally. This book was a boring, hot mess.

I swapped my kindle back in 2018 and am unable to recover this title. I appriciate the opportunity that was given for review but sadly can't complete it for this title. Based on the other books I have read by Miranda Kenneally I am giving this 3 Stars. Many thanks.

Unfortunately this book has gone in my DNF pile. It just wasn't engaging me like it would have years ago when I first requested it. My reading tastes have changed a lot over the years as I've gotten older and unfortunately some of the books requested years ago have been affected by my reading tastes and the fact that a lot of books for younger audiences haven't been grasping my attention as of late. I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Our middle school students adore Miranda Kenneally books and Defending Taylor did not disappoint. Our students created a book club for lunch and included this title in it because they found the description interesting and fell in love with the characters.

I unfortunately was not able to read this book. I was excited when ever I had chosen to download or pick this book up on Netgalley. However, time moves by so quickly and I never got to read it.

I love Miranda Kenneally and these types of books. They are fun, easy to read, and full of cute moments, laughs, and love. I’ll always be a sucker for these reads.

When I received this book for review, I was super excited to read it. I had heard a few mixed reviews but I wanted to know for myself. Once I started to read Defending Taylor I figured out the reasons for the mixed reviews. The writing style just wasn't there for me and I didn't enjoy the characters themselves enough to even want to read more. Though I did finish the book, I had to make myself do so.

In Defending Taylor, the author brings to light the tremendous pressure of succeeding when you come from a privileged family. But, when you’re pushed past your limits, sometimes the best intentions can still bring the worst consequences. After being caught with Adderall, Taylor Luckens is kicked out of St. Andrews boarding school. But, the pills actually belonged to her boyfriend, Ben, who was MIA when Taylor was caught. Taylor doesn’t tell anyone who the pills belonged to because her boyfriend doesn’t come from a wealthy family and is only attending St. Andrews because of a scholarship. But, Taylor has a privileged life and she believes her father, a Senator, can still help her bounce back from this. But, when that doesn’t happen she wishes deep down that Ben would confess after realizing how bad her life has become. Even worse, the press has caught wind of her expulsion and now her father's reelection is at stake.

Through all this, there is Ezra, the friend of her brother and her old crush. Ezra comes from a privileged family, but has a falling out with his father and now works in construction. Now that Taylor attends a new school, she runs into Ezra more often and soon they rekindle their friendship and eventually start dating.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Although the pills were not Taylors, she was still taking them to have the energy to stay on top of her school work and soccer practices. So, although Taylor wanted to blame her boyfriend for her being caught with his backpack (which had the pills), she was still doing something that would have gotten her in trouble. Even though the pills were found in his backpack, they could have easily been found in Taylor's- albeit not as many.

The romance between Ezra and Taylor was believable and drawn out pretty well. The relationship between Taylor and her family was my favorite. I liked how Kenneally showed the importance of family even when you make a mistake - even if it's a big one. I also liked how the importance of forgiveness is reflected throughout the story.

Unfortunately, the problem for me wasn't the story, it was Taylor. She wasn't a very likable character. She was used to getting everything she wanted, came from money, but complained about having to work hard in order to please her parents and look impressive on college applications. But, there are lots of people with very little money who have to work even harder because they don't have the money or connections that Taylor has. Overall, this book deals with some serious issues and definitely has the dialogue and relationships/friendships that would appeal to the teen reader.

*Contains profanity and sexual situations.

* A DRC was given for an honest review.

Another great title from Miranda Kenneally. Super enjoyable and really cute. A bit if a change for her as well.

Miranda Keneally’s books are so important because they present girls in all of their complexities. They can be strong athletes and also fall in love. I hope young athletic girls find their way to these books.

It was so wonderful! Everything I hoped it would be. <3 Miranda doesn't disappoint!
A must-read for lovers of the genre and a great addition to a cute series

i received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I just really didn't like most of the characters or their motivations.

A sweet and heart felt read about love and growing up.

I'm usually a pretty big fan of Kenneally's stuff, but this one fell flat for me.
It didn't feel like Taylor actually changed or learned anything. All the real "events" happen before the story starts. Felt like I started a book mid-way, just as the romance plot started.

Taylor has always been perfect. She was the perfect student, daughter, sister, and soccer star. But when Taylor lies to save someone she cares about she loses her perfect status and must start a new life. This task is helped by Ezra, her brother's older brother, who she has always had a crush on. Taylor has to start her life new but she may have the help of a new love.

I always like Kennally's novels. I like how she writes female characters that have real interests in particular how her characters can be sport stars and still have femininity. However, I haven't enjoyed her last few books as much as her early work. This is still a quick read that I enjoyed and Taylor is a good character it's just not a book that I think I would really like to revisit for another read.

Defending Taylor is an ambitious book in the Hundred Oaks series that doesn't quite meets its mark. Kenneally tackles some tough topics in the book such as parental expectations, perfectionism, drug abuse, and dyslexia which is admirable and gives the book some depth. Taylor is a driven heroine who feels like her life has always been mapped out before her. Daughter of a political, she is expected to excel in her classes and extracurricular activities and go to an Ivy League school just like her siblings. Everything comes crashing down when Taylor made a mistake that not only tarnished her reputation but also put a stain on her father.

I liked Taylor for the most part because she felt like a real, flawed character. Everyone can relate to her because we all make mistakes. I admired her drive and grit to dust off herself and get back into the game though occasionally she does whip out the victim card a bit too much. Taylor's mistake is a plot device used for the character to analyze what she really wants to do with her life, which is sort of hinted in the book but I would have liked this aspect fleshed out a bit more since teens especially feel like their life is mapped out for them by their parents and they don't get to have a say. I would have liked Taylor be more self aware and driven in this aspect. Taylor's family play a big role in the book but we don't get to spend too much time with them. I wanted to learn more about her siblings and see how they interact with each other.

The relationship between Taylor and Ezra was cute though it developed too quickly than what I would have liked. Tackling a learning disability like dyslexia was refreshing to read, but it wasn't explored enough for me. I was also happy to see some of the characters in previous books like Jack and Savannah pop up in the book. Overall Defending Taylor was a decent addition to the Hundred Oaks series.

First Thought After Finishing: I’ve missed Miranda Kenneally’s books and her wonderfully relatable characters.

Sometimes you read a book that just fits your day or your current situation even when you weren’t expecting it. Defending Taylor happened to be just that. Miranda Kenneally’s books deal with issues that go beyond the high school setting or the sports field and speak to different phases of life.

Taylor is a senior in high school, captain of her soccer team, and Yale-bound. Her father, a US Senator from Tennessee, has tried to instill the best values in her and holds her to high standards. However, one major mistake lands Taylor expelled from her boarding school and attending Hundred Oaks High. She has to try and put her life back together if she wants to get into Yale, and she has to do it without her best friends and boyfriend, all while handling her family’s disappointment. As Taylor tries to get back on track, she begins to wonder if her father’s track is really the right one for her.

One of the reasons that I love YA books is that I enjoy the self-discovery stories. Taylor’s story was no exception. She’s courageous as she challenges the expectations from her family and herself. She learns that some things are beyond her control, there is such a thing as too little, too late, but sometimes we can only make the best of what we have. In the process of finding herself, she realizes that it’s okay to be passionate about what she wants and to try and make her own happiness. It’s a quality that I admire.

Another thing I love about Miranda’s books is that the characters are always more than they seem. And even when we don’t see a character very much, we still get to know them. For instance, Taylor’s love interest, Ezra, is a guy that we all hope to have. Like Taylor, he’s trying to make his own path, but there is more to his story than simple rebellion against his parents. I enjoyed watching the two of them develop a relationship that was meaningful. Taylor’s soccer friends and family also play a role in the book. It was refreshing to see such a well-rounded picture of life, very real, encouraging, and sweet.

Most Memorable Aspect: Taylor’s morning conversations with Ezra. I love that they cared enough about each other to talk about hard things.

Defending Taylor is another hit from Miranda Kenneally. An empowering story filled with romance and characters courageous enough to work through their issues, this book did not disappoint.

Not my favorite Kenneally, but still a fun high school romance.