Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Expected Release Date: Dec. 31, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Balzer + Bray through Edelweiss
Review by: Jenn
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / IndieBound

My rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she's not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, "good" girl who's always done what she's supposed to - only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn't know how.
Grayson Barret was the kind of St. Gabe's. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future - until he was expelled for being a "term paper pimp." Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn't know how.
One fateful night their path cross when Wren, working at her family's Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring who they are - and falling in love.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher but it did not influence this review in any way.*

        With the title The Promise of Amazing, I was expecting a pretty amazing book (pun intended). However, it did not deliver. The Promise of Amazing was a cute, fluffy read with some drama and angst. The drama, however, felt a little unnecessary, like they were just creating drama for the sake of it.

My biggest turn-off in this book was that it had my dreaded insta-love. When Wren saves Grayson's life, they automatically feel this instant connection with each other. As if they were meant to be in each other life. Now, I'm all for destiny and fate and the mushy stuff, but this was just too much for me. I just rolled my eyes and scoff at how many times their heavy attraction was mentioned. If insta-love is well done and feels genuine, I can hop on board with it but not like this.

The story is told in dual point of views so we get to know both of the main characters, Wren and Grayson. Wren is a good, quiet girl with good friends and family. In school and in life in general, she is considered the quiet girl but has finally had enough and no longer wants to be called quiet. However, she doesn't know what to do to change that. Wren was a really nice character, however, I didn't care what happen to her. I actually enjoyed her friends, Maddie and Jazz a lot more than Wren; they were a trip. Unfortunately, I just couldn't sympathize with Wren. Grayson, on the other hand, I wasn't very impressed with him. I couldn't find him to be attractive as Wren found him. I don't even see his appeal, to be honest. Gray was also in a point of his life that he needed to change but didn't know how. But after meeting Wren and having a short conversation with her, he decided how he wanted to change his ways. He wanted to change for her. Yea...

I also found the plot to be a little bit wonky. From what Grayson first tell us, his secret, I thought is was a unique twist. However, we quickly find out that there is another secret that he is hiding and I honestly thought that it was too much. It just added to the drama that already felt too much and it cause it for it to feel wonky and disjointed.

All in all, this book was kind of a disappointment for me. Gray and Wren felt too much like flat characters and I just couldn't click with either of them. The ending was a little to far-fetched for me but by that point I had already mentally checked out of the book and I just wanted to finish it. The book had potential but unfortunately it did not do it for me.