Gutter Girl is a YA contemporary between a popular jock and the outcast. Football player Jace secretly writes a romantic fantasy popular online and its very popular but the last thing he wants is to for people to find out about him being the writer. Outcast goth girl McKenna tries to stay out of the limelight at school but when she decides to help Jace keep his secret by claiming the story for her own it changes her life in a huge way.

I loved the idea of this book. The passionate romance writer jock and the moody goth girl being thrown together. Individually I really enjoyed the characters. Jace was charming and precious with his little sister. Yet I hated his friends with a passion and couldn't stand how he never stood up to them. I loved McKenna's sarcasm and straight forwardness, but didn't like how she kind of wilted when it came to holding her ground with Jace.

My biggest problem and why it's getting a 3 star and not a 4 star is the fight and apology/groveling scenes. Just thinking of them makes me angry. The first one because it had no groveling and the second because the wrong person ended up doing the groveling. Those two situations really ruined the book for me. I can see how the authors were trying to swap the typical romance norms but it didn't work for me.

Overall, Gutter Girl was a decent start to a new YA series and I will most likely be reading the series.

This was a great young adult romance book. Although it was a bit campy and the language was a bit over the top at times the story itself I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and the growth they went through as the story progressed. I was extremely invested in what happened to Jace and McKenna and their families. I really suggest this book for young adult readers that want a clean book that you can really become invested in. The ending was also killer and probably one of the best I’ve experienced.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Crush for approving my request and sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


TRIGGER WARNING: anxiety, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, manic episodes.


McKenna Storm has one mission: to remain invisible until graduation - or try to go as unnoticed as possible, given that, thanks to her total black look and pink-dyed hair, she's called Goth Girl by everyone.
McKenna wasn't always like that: she was sunny, always smiling and with blonde hair. Between elementary and middle school, however, she made a sharp change, starting to keep everyone at a distance and to isolate herself - her best friend Ernie being an exception.
Grappling with adult responsibilities after her father ran away with all their money and her mother began showing symptoms of bipolar disorder, McKenna paused her acting dream: she goes to school, works more shifts as possible to be able to pay the bills and doesn't want anyone to know about her situation.

A collision in the hallway with Jace Rovers, her third-grade crush, changes things: an accidental exchange of notebooks reveals that Jace is writing a fantasy romance novel - and a very popular one online, complete with fandom.
But when Jace manages to get his notebook back from McKenna after having snatched from her the promise not to tell anyone, his teammates - after having partially witnessed the scene - steal the notebook from him and begin to read an excerpt aloud. Jace knows he got busted, but McKenna - surprising even herself - steps in and claims to be the author.

Much to her surprise - and even Jace's - most of the students turn out to be fans of the "Kingdom of Swords" story and McKenna, who wanted to stay out of the spotlight until graduation, finds herself at the center of attention of those who want spoilers on the next chapters. Jace begs her to continue with the pretense because he still doesn't feel like coming out as the author and McKenna, she doesn't even know why - or maybe she does, but doesn't want to admit it - decides to put this weight on her shoulders too. .

So, having to agree on details about the pretense, McKenna and Jace spend more and more time together, but Jace still doesn't know how to tell her that Masrin - his villain, the Gutter Girl at the core of his story - is based on her.


"Gutter Girl" reminded me a little of "A Cinderella Story" - her, the girl with only one best friend who stays in the shadows and him, the football player who secretly writes and feels the pressure of a father that wants him working in the business world.

I liked both of them a lot, despite some clichés and stereotypes that they themselves recognize and try to dismantle - the grumpy goth girl who instead has a whole world inside her that she wants to keep private and the football player boy who also has a brain and feelings. I appreciated the slow way their story is built and developed: she had a crush on him in elementary school, but then her life forced her to harden and think about the most urgent things that needed attention; he remembers the sunny little girl that was McKenna and he never understood her change, he always found her beautiful but they simply always had different circles that never led them to hang out with the same people.

I liked how their roles have been reversed: McKenna is the tough, cynical one, determined not to get involved because she has already had enough trauma and abandonment to last a lifetime; Jace is the most romantic one, the one who comes forward and tries to convince McKenna to open up and also knows how to admit that he is weak for not wanting to come out as the author of "Kingdom of Swords", fearing the reactions of his teammates, of the schoolmates and especially of his father, who doesn't even want to read bedtime stories to little five-year-old Lily.

Narrated from alternating points of view, we see them getting closer and closer - even if some scenes take place off-screen and are retold later: McKenna learns to open up to people and let them enter her "bubble" a little more by experiencing what it means being a normal teenager; Jace, for his part, learns to go beyond appearances and change the way he sees things - McKenna's suggestions allow him to improve his story and take his characters in a new direction and see them in a different light. Obviously there is no shortage of drama moments, fortunately they are not too long because both of them always manage to talk very frankly and for once in the YA novels it's McKenna who realizes that she must be the one to make a great gesture to remedy. to her doubts and mistrust.

Jace is a real darling and you end up loving McKenna for the strength she shows every day by facing all the difficulties in her life. There was a moment when perhaps I told myself that I am now "too adult" for this target - when McKenna says she's different from the others at school and that all her schoolmates are clones. I rolled my eyes because I generally don't like female protagonists who say they are different from all the others, but I had to back down when I remembered that in reality it's a truer statement than one might think - I was also different from everyone else in high school, my look and my being fit completely into the emo category and I didn't look at all like all the other girls with a sunny personality and bright and gaudy colored dresses. This memory made me take back whatever opinion I was about to spit on McKenna's claim.

The previous Blount book I had read - "I Hate You, Fuller James" - I liked it enough, but it didn't live up to my expectations. With this it went better, I don't know if due to the presence of Rush to act as a counter - I don't know which of the two wrote who McKenna and who Jace.

You know those teenage romantic comedies - also mentioned by McKenna - of the late 90s and early 2000s, those like "She's All That" and, in fact, "A Cinderella Story"?
Here, this book is just what you need when you are in the mood for something sweet and cute, but also with a serious and profound side.

This first in a series is a winner for me! Blount and Rush make an amazing writing team, and they have created a little universe in Twin Rivers that has me excited for more. Jace and McKenna are on the absolute opposite ends of the high school spectrum. A little clumsy interaction where Jace’s secret notebook ends up in McKenna’s hands sparks a path neither of them thought they’d ever be on. Following as their relationship developed was a perfect mixture of swoon and heartache. Both have to face fears and conquer mountains blocking their path to be together. Trusting each other will be harder than they thought.

Now that I’ve been introduced to a few other characters along the way, I am excited to move on to the next Twin Rivers story! This story is a strong recommendation for anyone who loves a good swoon and lots of tender moments. I received an advanced copy for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Wowowow. This was the epitome of what I would classify as a five-star read and will quickly jump to the top of my “favorite reads of the year” list!

This story begins with two MCs, jock/football star Jace and loner/“goth girl” McKenna, and while you might think you know exactly where this story is headed, you have absolutely NO idea.

Without giving too much away, Jace is an incredibly internet famous - and equally anonymous - fantasy romance author. No one at Twin Rivers High has a CLUE that their star football player spends his spare time writing about princes and dragons, until McKenna quite literally stumbles upon this information. Suddenly, McKenna finds herself working out a deal with Jace, who also happens to be her grade school crush, to keep his identity safe.

This fast paced read is guaranteed to keep you hooked from start to finish. It’s a story with amazing character development, and it covers some major real-life topics while still keeping things light. Even though Gutter Girl is classified as YA novel, I think this is a book that readers of all ages can enjoy.

I can’t wait to discover more about the students at Twin Rivers High and look forward to checking out the rest of the series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC!

This book is AMAZING! As soon as I started reading this book I was hooked. So, I ended up reading this WHOLE book in 3 hours. The story is SO good! But my favorite chapter would have to be chapter 30. if you read the book you'll find out why... The characters are amazingly written. Although my favorite character would have to be Ernie. He is such a good and supportive friend who is there for Mckenna. One thing that surprised me is that Mckenna and Ernie stay best friends and don't have feelings for each at least not in THAT way. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE reading good friends to lovers story but it was nice to read something different for a change. McKenna and Jace have one of the cutest relationships ever. I'm not saying it was perfect because no relationship is perfect but it was perfect for them. Anyway, I hope you find yourself reading this GREAT book! But if you do find yourself getting this book remember that there are some trigger warnings. Such as bipolar disorder, panic/anxiety, manic episodes, and some consensual sexual content. Other than that, I highly recommend this book! Can't wait to see what these authors have in store for us in book 2!!!!!

Thank You Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC.

This is tough for me to write down but I just didn't really like this book. I loved the blurb and I loved the themes it tackled, but pretty much everything was very surface-level. The writing style felt a little bit juvenile at times. To be fair, the writing is fine but it is painful when you read every single inner thought of one character. It just drags out the plot. I like seeing events unfold and watching personalities grow, not being told everything without room to think for myself. And I didn't enjoy the two protagonists either I'm afraid. While I did appreciate the friendship between McKenna and Jace, I don't understand their attraction to each other. They were actually pretty frsutrating to read at times. It's really too bad because there are some good elements in this story: the dialogues are pretty fun (though interwoven again with many inner thoughts) and the secondary characters are great. It's a well enough written book but it's just not for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Trust, opening up, finding ones-self, knowing when to seek help, true friendship, and chasing dreams all mold into a cute romance, which leaves a smile on the face.

McKenna has one goal—leave town as soon as graduation hits. Since her family rammed disaster around her sixth grade year, she's been keeping her head low, trying to stay invisible, while dealing with her mother's disease while keeping life going alone. She's almost made it until keeping her head down causes a collision in the school's hallways and her notebook gets switched with the one guy she's secretly liked...well, forever. Not that she's ever really played with the idea that'd they'd be together. She's not that stupid. But she doesn't know all sides of him, either. No one does. And that might just turn everything upside-down.

After reading the blurb on this one, I expected a slightly edgier read with depth thanks to some of the issues. This, however, is not the case. The romance starts almost right away, and it's pretty clear where everything's going. There are several cliches—the popular jocks, cheerleader girls, geeks—and the reactions are nothing surprising. But despite the lighter side of things, this romance works and was easy to read. It just wasn't what I was expecting.

McKenna has problems at home. Big ones, but what these really are and how they exactly play out dribbles in little by little as the story unfolds. This tale is more about the romance, anyway, and it is sweet, predictable, and simply a nice high school relationship. That both sides have something to hide and aren't ready to step out of the masks they've been living behind, suits the age group well. There isn't much dark brooding or heavier scenes. Rather, the problems both sides face run more on the sidelines of the romance drama. This creates an easy to read and digest romance for younger teens and tweens.

I did enjoy it quite a bit, found both characters to root for, and let the cliches simply unfold with all of their fun and sweetness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Thank you to Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush for reaching out and sending me their new story for an honest review! I loved their story; In the Penalty Box, so I knew this one would be just as good. This is out next week!

As someone who grew up loving to write and tell stories, I seriously would read my awful stories to my parents for hours (Bless them), I totally loved and could relate to Jace’s character. It was fun watching him come up with his Kingdom of Swords story and how people just devoured it!

I loved the representation in this one! There was representation for mental illness, especially Bipolar disorder, which I really appreciated. I enjoyed reading about the quiet, outcast, as she destroyed all high school stereotypes.

The only thing that really bothered me was how repetitive Jace was in talking about how he just couldn’t tell people his secret. By the end of the story though, he had a lot of growth and so did McKenna. Both their characters were great. Even the side characters, like Kyle, had growth. That makes for a good, freaking book let me tell you.

Matthew still sucks though.

I can’t wait to read the second in this series!

Invisible girl, a supportive best guy friend, and a secret crush on a popular hot footballer who happens to write fantasy romance in his spare time- hello recipe for absolute messy perfection! I am here for the high school smackdown teen drama and I don’t care who knows it!

Gutter girl covers very relevant themes such as stereotyping, stigmatisms related to mental illness, bullying, controlling parents, and an underlying theme of female empowerment.

Mckenna is forced to grow up at a young age and assume the parental role of responsibility as she is abandoned by her dad and left to deal with her bipolar mother. She is juggling school, workload, managing a home and hasn't had time to truly be a teen. I admired her inner strength and commitment to her mother but more so her ability to persevere despite the odds against her.

I am playing bias and naming Jace as my favorite character because of his emotional intelligence. There is a vulnerability in admitting to yourself that you are weak for succumbing to society's expectations, in admitting your feelings, and letting your guard down. The juxtaposition of McKenna's messy loaner life and Jace's picture-perfect on the outside but crumbling on the inside life was raw and riveting.

I applaud the authors for writing a highly entertaining and compelling coming of age story that highlights real-life issues, where the guy can be vulnerable, and where The Jock and the Goth Girl can find happiness.

I liked the reversal of roles within this novel, a hot guy writing fantasy romance and the world-weary girl toughened by her "hard-knock" life experiences, an unlikely but complementary pair who are willing to buck conventions and embrace their feelings. I relished the idea that a heroine can save both the prince and the day.

Gutter Girl calls on us all to disregard the labels we grew up with, to break the glass ceilings on stereotypes, and to search deeper the next time you see someone and are quick to judge based on appearances. I applaud the authors for organically incorporating the old "don't judge a book by its cover" saying in such a socially relevant way. It also focuses on the very real effects bullying can have on their perception and behavior, “It’s not people I hate, it’s what they say and do.”

The romance is so awkwardly sweet and pure with a subtle undertone of heat that I couldn't help but reminisce on my first crush many moons ago. Very often authors pen tween novels with inappropriate or nonconsensual sexual scenes and I was thrilled at both the pace of the romance within the book and the delicacy with which it was handled.

Also, if my review hasn't convinced you, here's another bonus tidbit, "it's a book about a book," I mean, how much better can you get????

Gutter Girl is the perfect fun, feel-good contemporary romance summer read about overcoming societal expectations and staying true to who you are. It perfectly borders the sweet and wholesome YA line with a little bit of naughty thrown in thanks to the superior writing and phenomenal characters.

Huge thank you to the authors, Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.

Trigger warning includes bipolar disorder, panic/anxiety manic episodes, and some consensual sexual content.

This review will be published on my blog and bookstagram on pub date,

Gutter Girl by Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush is a great book. Quick read with interesting characters and a great premise. I enjoyed reading about McKenna and Jace! They have a connection and chemistry. I liked the idea of Jace being the fantasy romance writer and McKenna stepping in and pretending the to be the writer to help him out. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.
3/5 stars.

I was really excited for this book based on the description, but it was super hard to get into...and honestly I had to rush read it because I just wanted it to be over. 3 stars is generous...but the concept of it is great and unique in terms of YA...but I just...I did not like it. The main character functions within two emotions and doesn't process her reactions, but blames her behavior on her mother being bipolar. The other main character, our secret writer, spends the entire book being too scared to come clean about his writing until the very end...even though the girl HATES all the attention she's getting...the very girl he "loves" - like, the concept? awesome. delivery? eh. That's my truthful review for this ARC.

Gutter Girl by Kelly Anne Blount & Lynn Rush a five-star read that will bowl you over. This is the first story in the Twin River High series, and I am so excited for more. This is such a great story, its suitable for all ages, so I will be ordering a copy of this for my god daughter as I know she will just adore this story, its sweet, its romantic but most of all its real. This story unfolds in such a lovely manner, the plot develops as you read. I am simply enamoured with this story and even found myself wanting to take swipes at friends with my imaginary sword.

The plot is unique and different. The best part is the novel within a novel. The plot of the novel mentioned in the book is an extra treat for the readers. The plot of Gutter Girl is exactly what was promised in the synopsis: cheesy, adorable, and quick.

The characters are likeable, and what I really appreciate is that they aren’t perfect. They have their fears, their own issues. I also love Lily, Jace’s little sister. However, I wished to see more of her.

McKenna is strong and bold. Also, she has a great sense of sarcasm. She doesn’t give a damn to what people think about her.

Now coming to what I didn’t like or what could be improved!

The writing is not deep enough to fully explore Jace and McKenna’s issues. There was more telling, and less showing.
There is a mention of Anna Todd in the book as a superstar writer, and I found that really unnecessary and kind of irritating also, as I don’t like her works at all.
At the start when we meet the characters, a lot of names of students and their personalities were thrown at me, which I felt a little too much to handle at the same time.

I liked the twist that the football player writes fantasy romance stories. Which is why I needed to read it.

McKenna was the ‘goth’ classmate that helped him keep his secret. Jace and McKenna had an interesting and at times unbelievable relationship. I just think the story fizzled at the middle part of the book. The ending was good and wrapped up the story nicely. Overall, if you like a sweet, YA romance book, you will enjoy this.

I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.

First off, thank you to Entangled Teen, Netgalley and these amazing authors for an ARC of this lovely book. I was so thrilled to get an advanced copy of Gutter Girl as I am a huge fan of the writing team of Blount/Rush. Having read Penalty box at the start of the year I couldn't wait to see what these ladies had in store next.

I had high hopes for the Twin River High Series going into this book and it lived up to all my expectations and excitement for it! McKenna (a quirky loaner) and Jace (a heart throb of a jock) seem to be as different as two people can be, but their romance is so incredibly sweet to read. I loved how they complimented each other in so many ways as they began their relationship and that through the bumps in their new love, they were able to find common ground and forgiveness. I was all in for it and it made my heart so happy.

McKenna alone might be one of my favorite characters out there in the YA world. She is hard working, tough, sweet, artistic, loving and a dedicated daughter (to just name a few things). Something I appreciated in Penalty Box and something I appreciated in this book too, is how Blount/Rush do not shy away from real or hard topics. McKenna's mom deals with bipolar disorder in this book and to see how McKenna navigates this as a kid is so incredibly admirable and felt so real Loved her dedication to her mom but also her dedication to herself and finding a better life as well. It was all so commendable.

Lastly, Jace. Jace is calm and cool and hot, but what makes him an amazing character is that he is a secret fantasy romance writer! What a twist to the classic "jock" character in any YA book. That was one of the main reasons I was so excited to read this book and it was absolutely amazing! I loved how Jace struggled with owning that role as a writer as an all star athlete. Again, it felt so real and very similar to how a real high school student might handle a situation of that.

I so look forward to the rest of this series and seeing where Blount/Rush take the rest of the characters at Twin Rivers High!

TW: Bipolar episodes

This was such a cute and for the most part fluffy read!

Gutter Girl is the story of McKenna and Jace. They’ve gone to school together since kinder but haven’t really run with the same crowd. Kenna had a crush on Jace in the third grade but nothing ever came of it and since the sixth grade her life has taken a 180.

Kenna’s mother has bipolar disorder and is on and off her medication. Her episodes led to Kenna’s dad taking off and abandoning them, leaving Kenna to take care of her mother and the house. She doesn’t want anyone to know about her mother’s mental state because she thinks it will be used to hurt her. So she tries to be as invisible as she can be at school (tho dressing all black with hot pink hair doesn’t seem to accomplish that goal imo)

Jace is the star running back for his school’s football team. He’s also has a secret talent for writing. He’s been posting a romantic fantasy on an online message board called Kingdom of Swords and it’s very popular but he fears outing himself as the author due to his jock status and the ridicule he’d receive from his so called friends and he also fears what his dad would think who is always on him about going to college for a business degree.

Jace and Kenna literally bump into each other in a hallway at school and from there the story takes off. Shenanigans ensue and Kenna ends up covering for Jace saying she wrote Kingdom of Swords. They grow closer together over their shared secret and even fall for each other. But both have a huge fears that could doom their relationship.

Gutter Girl was a fun and easy read. It was just what I needed after reading so many intense and lengthy fantasy books lately. I thought the MCs were believable in their high school actions (except maybe that halftime show, that was insane!). Their intimacy was real and not overly embellished. I liked them both and I really want to know what happens to them post graduation!

Definitely pick this up if you need a fluffy, sweet palate cleanser!

Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing for providing me with this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the twist in this and the fact that the jock was the one writing fan fiction (not a spoiler because it’s part of the synopsis)! I would’ve loved to see Jace talking to his father instead of him just casually mentioning that his father disapproves of Jace playing football. Overall, it’s a fun read and there’s a fantasy element in it too! I think this is perfect for pre-teens!

Have you always just wanted to stay in the shadows? That is precisely what MCKenna and Jace wanted to do. McKenna kept everyone except for her best friend at length for years for fear of people finding out about her mom. She just needed to coast through a few more months of high school before she’d leave the town of Twin Rivers behind. Jace has a secret he’s hiding too. He’s the author of popular Scribbles story Kingdom of Swords. He’s definitely afraid for anyone to find out for fear of being made fun of my his football buddies. When Jace and McKenna accidentally swap notebooks in the hall she finds out his secret and saves him from the humiliation by claiming she’s the author. Now she’s thrust into the spotlight at her school gaining the attention of so many Kingdom of Swords fans. But how long can they really keep up the facade?

I absolutely adored this book from the characters who were super fun to get to know to the plot of this book! There were also several side characters that just added so much enjoyment to this story! Kelly and Lynn have crafted an compelling story from start
To finish that will have you eagerly flipping the pages until the very end. Look no further your next contemporary romance is here.

This book was so cute and even though it was a book set in current times, the cover and story in general feels like a 90's rom com. I loved it!