Marjetta Geerling

Even though my jaw dropped in awe before I finished the first chapter as Abby revealed the drama of her family, I found Abby to be quite relatable. When I was in high school, I had a clear picture in my head of what true love was, or rather what it was not. And, like Abby, this wasn’t something I would disregard just because some cute Rule-breaking guy came along and knew the right words to say. But here’s the thing about this book: it’s not just about Abby and her quest for her One True Love. No, it’s about friendship, and trust, and what being a family really means.
The relationships in this book – and I mean more than just the romantic ones – are what give this story its strength. Abby and Cody’s friendship runs the gamut from joking around with each other to angry words spoken in the heat of the moment then back to helping each other through hard times. And even though Abby can’t wait to escape her family and the drama that lies within, her love for her mother and sisters and niece is obvious. While Cody’s interactions with his brother Jackson (yes, Abby’s first love Jackson) are mostly off page, through the conversations they each have with Abby it’s obvious that they love and respect each other. An interesting aspect of the story is that Cody and Jackson have the picture perfect family, whereas Abby finds hers to be embarrassingly white trash, but it is Abby’s family that proves to be most accepting and loving of one another.
The story of Abby and Jackson and how he went from possible True Love to blacklisted in her life is, as with everything in Abby’s life, worthy of a storyline on a soap opera. Jackson tells his side of their story best when he’s trying to persuade Abby to take another chance with him, but she’s committed to living by her Rules. At times Abby can come across as too stubborn or prideful, but I admired her for sticking to her standards even when she was tempted to throw them out the window for a fleeting moment of pleasure. Her Rules aren’t bad, or even unrealistic, which makes it easier to understand why she’s not willing to bend them for anyone.
I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting when I opened this book, but I know I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Anyone with a low tolerance for romance probably wouldn’t like the book like I did, but I think the characters themselves surpass the “romance” label and stand out on their own.… (mais)

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Sisters getting pregnant, mom remarrying three times, car accidents, quick amnesiac episodes -- these all sound like another episode of a soap opera. Unfortunately, for Abby Savage, that's actually her life, and she knows that it resembles a soap because that is all she watches.

With her family's history of dating and getting pregnant and then getting heartbroken, Abby is ready to find the perfect someone with her list of five things called her "One true love plan."

1. Find someone new. Abby knows this firsthand since her sisters' boyfriends are passed around and recycled like a bottle of water. Of course, this isn't so easy since the people Abby goes to school with have been the same ones since kindergarten.

2. No baggage from past relationships allowed. Abby's sisters find her the perfect babysitter. They just don't understand that it's their baby.

3. Looks aren't everything. Falling in love isn't mainly centered on looks!

4. Don't need him. They are always going to make promises, like how her father always promised her wonderful gifts for her birthday, but it never happened. Disappointed with this fact, Abby finds it fit to just trust herself.

5. Get out of town. How can you find someone new when everyone has dated everyone else?

With this list, new knowledge on soaps, and a front-row seat at the Fancy White Trash that is her family, Abby will soon find that one true love.

But will it help her get through the three pregnancies currently in her family, all by the same person? And can it stop her from getting back with the old boyfriend who broke her heart? Or will she just have to figure out that when finding that one true love, lists aren't necessarily needed?

Cute, humorous, and very scandalous, FANCY WHITE TRASH is the next guilty pleasure. Just with the first chapter, readers can see that Abby's life screams "Jerry Springer episode." The obstacles that Abby must face, from the mistakes that her family has made to adapting to their lifestyle, will ultimately make readers fall in love with her. A novel that is unlike most out there in the market, FANCY WHITE TRASH should be on your "to-read list!"… (mais)