BLOG TOUR - REVIEW & EXCERPT: Girls Love Travis Walker by Anne Pfeffer

To nineteen-year-old high school dropout Travis Walker, women are like snowflakes--each one different, but beautiful in her own way.

He can charm any girl he meets, and yet down deep he fears he'll always be a loser like his jailbird father. As the landlady threatens to evict him and his sick mother, Travis takes a job he hates and spends his evenings picking up girls at a nearby night spot.

When he enlists in a teen program at the local fire station, he finds out he’s amazing at it. Then he meets the smoking hot Kat Summers, enlists Kat’s friend Zoey to help him woo her, and falls in love for the first time ever. 

But he keeps the details of his life secret. His girl will never love him back if she knows the truth about him….

Book Links: Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

Anne Pfeffer is the author of Any Other Night and The Wedding Cake Girl.  She lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Author Links: Website / Twitter 

My Thoughts: 

What did it say about my prospects, that I was raised by not one, but two parents who couldn't cut it in the race of life? I'd probably been doomed from birth.

I absolutely loved this book!!! I have had books by Anne Pfeffer on my TBR list for a while now but hadn't gotten around to reading any yet. I am now so glad that I finally have.

My first impression of this book was the cover. Gorgeous guy who has that look of being self assured and confident. Then there was the title... Girls Love Travis Walker... Ok, I thought, this is going to be one of those books about a guy who has girls throwing themselves at him from all directions. And then after reading the book blurb I thought I was going to read a story about a guy who had a few hurdles to overcome.

I was a quitter, a dropout. A nobody on the road to nowhere.

Little did I know that what I was about to read would have such a huge impact on me. I read a good chunk of this book with eyes glazed with tears. This book hit me right in the heart. From about a third of the way through I just couldn't put it down. I was up until 3.30am reading it and then when I went to bed I just could not get to sleep because it kept playing in my head.

Travis Walker was just so completely likeable. He is gorgeous, with a beautiful body and a confidence to go with it. He knows what he's good at and has no qualms about admitting it. He knows how to make a girl feel good. And he's made many girls feel good. And he does it on a regular basis. But that is just the surface of Travis Walker. 

I really don't want to go into the finer details of things and have the story spoilt for you but let's just say that Travis has been dealt a crappy hand. And he just can't cut a break. At every turn he is slammed back down again. Each time when he thinks that maybe things are getting a little better and he's making some headway, it's like someone said "Things are looking up there Travis. We can't have that!!! Back down the ladder you go!!!" And each time it happened, my heart broke a little bit more. It was impossible not to be affected by his struggles as his world slowly unravelled around him as he tried with everything that he had to hold it together. 

I adored the care and concern that he showed for his Mum while silently begging and wishing and hoping that she would help him out. Even as everything happened he didn't give up on her and put her needs before his own. 

When Zoey's eyes met mine, it felt like I was reliving every warm, safe thing that had ever happened to me, every hug from mom, every cup of hot chocolate.

There is also a beautiful romance in this book. Romance told from the males point of view is for me about as good as it gets and seeing things through Travis's eyes was wonderful. The girl who captures his attention is Zoey. She was perfect with Travis. And while their romance isn't without it's hurdles, I loved seeing it develop through the different stages.

This book was full of reality and I think that is why it twisted my heart so much. The characters were real and the story development was real. The writing was outstanding and if Anne Pfeffer's other books are even half as great as this one then she will have me as a fan for a very long time to come!!

Girls Love Travis Walker.... I know this one sure does!!!

5/5 Heart wrenching Stars!!