I think I’ve read almost every book with Jake Ryan in the title and this one is one of my favorites. If you don’t know by now, I’m well aware of my own Jake Ryan complex – which is evident in previous posts.

The tagline of the book is what drew me in. “A teenage movie crush set her standards high. Now a real man needs to meet them. Fast.” I thought that this was going to be a predictable read, but I was wrong! I couldn’t put it down. It was very refreshing actually.

Ever since Mac Huntress watched Sixteen Candles as a teenager, she’s had high standards for her future boyfriend. She’s compared all of her potential love interests to a fictional character from her favorite movie.

When her nagging mother isn’t happy that she hasn’t found a significant other, Mac lies and tells her she’s dating someone named Michael. The only problem is Mac’s sister announces her engagement and now Mac has to bring the elusive Michael to her sister’s wedding.

Even though Mac thinks she’s found Mr. Right, she knows he’ll never measure up to her mother’s standards. “Mac’s not the only one bringing secrets to the wedding. With expectations high, and shocking truths to be revealed, Mac’s left to find her own happy ending, which isn’t as simple as in the movies…though it’s definitely worth waiting for” (“The Jake Ryan Complex”).

I thought that the book flowed nicely. It wasn’t too long and it wasn’t too short. There was definitely a twist that I didn’t see coming and that was very welcome because many books like this can be considered fluff or predictable. The subtle nods to the movie were fun, except I felt that the derogatory term, chinaman, said by Mac’s older relative wasn’t necessary. The book could’ve done without that. Besides that, I enjoyed the characters and the overall theme.

This was the perfect book to read on vacation.