That Boy

That Boy (That Boy #1)
By Jillian Dodd
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars



(From Goodreads) That Boy is a contemporary romance about falling in love with the boys next door.
You know, being friends with two cute boys does have its benefits.
There's Danny. Danny is a golden boy in every way. He has dreamy blue eyes and blonde hair that always looks perfect, even when it’s windblown or been stuck under a football helmet. He’s the boy every girl crushes on. The boy I get into trouble with, the boy I fight with, the hot quarterback no girl can resist, not even me. Being with Danny is like being on an adventure. He has a bright, contagious smile and abs to die for. He’s pretty much irresistible.

Equally crush worthy is Phillip. Adorable, sweet Phillip, who I have known since birth. Phillip has dark hair, a perfect smile, brown eyes, and the sexiest voice I have ever heard. He’s the boy I talk to every night before I go to sleep. The boy who rescues me, the boy who can read my mind, the boy who is always there for me, the boy who tries to keep me out of trouble, the boy who irritatingly keeps getting hotter, and whose strong arms always seem to find their way around me. And when he gives me that grin, I can never say no.

One boy will give me my very first kiss.
One boy will teach me to make out.
One boy will take me to prom.
And finally, one boy will ask me to marry him.
They will both be my best friends.
But only one of them will be the boy I fall in love with.
Only one of them is That Boy.



A solid 4 star book. This book was a surprise for me I expected to like it but I did not expect it to grab a hold of me like it did. I was made to feel so many things while I was reading this. It really picks up at about the 40-45% mark and from that point on it was hard for me to put down. I want to have someone who loves me like he loves her!

First of all, I love that JJ is such a tomboy. I have always been that girl playing football with the guys and have pretty much always had closer male friends than females so it was great to read about someone like that as well. I loved seeing her grow up and fall into a friendship with these two amazing guys. I read on someone else's review how much better it would have been to have a chapter or two from the perspective of Danny and Phillip. I agree with this I think it would give the story a bit more depth and allow the reader to better understand why JJ is so special to them.

I also like that it is written in a way that is not your typical YA love triangle. While there are two separate guys who love JJ there isn't that need for her to pick one over the other that most YA books seem to have these days. While she has feelings for both they progress in a logical and more realistic way. She dates other guys and does stupid things that we all have done or will do while we are young.

"Come to think of it, enjoying a ride on a swing is very much like stopping to smell the roses" This story was also a good reminder that we need to enjoy the little things and not take them for granted. It may have taken JJ some time to really grasp this but she tried and grew and came to see the small things as the most important pieces of our daily lives.

My biggest pet peeve was the nonstandard English use of the word drug as a past tense for drag. It bothered me every time I read it. However that is just personal preference. Otherwise the story was pretty well done, it did drag a little bit in parts which is why it gets four stars rather than five. I'd recommend this book, it is most definitely a worth while read. I own That Wedding and will be reading it shortly