4.5 Stars
Nina is a college freshman whose roommate is dating a
fraternity brother of popular junior Carter Montgomery. Via circumstance and proximity, they’re
mostly just a little more than acquaintances, but not for Carter’s lack of
trying.
I liked how Nina didn’t initially give in to Carter’s
flirting and come-ons nor was she pining over him. The story avoided the clichéd
virginal, sheltered, tongue-tied freshman characterization and instead
presented a heroine who engaged in typical college activity, wasn’t looking to
settle down at nineteen, and who could hold her own with an experienced frat
boy. It led to a stronger female presentation, but also pages of banter where
their chemistry brewed. And while it helped build the sexual tension between
them, it also made Carter work for it and in the process have feelings for her
beyond simply lust.
Now that’s romance!
And it paid off as once the duo ducked under the
covers (or against the classroom wall), their encounters were hot and
authentic.
“Honestly, I don’t think lightning could’ve struck my dick any harder, and no thunderstorm would’ve left it so drenched.”
I liked both Nina and Carter’s characters. While it
would have been nice to see the hints of their family backgrounds fleshed out a
little more, for the most part they were developed enough through the course of
the story to form a clear picture their personalities.
Even though Carter was a former manwhore and there
were the occasional references (nothing too skeevy though), it was a cute
journey watching him squirm when Nina insisted on the no commitment
arrangement.
“I was worried she’d meet someone else, worried she’d hear a story about me that would be one rumor too far, worried she’d get bored, worried I was giving too much of myself away to someone who thought I was capable of nothing more than a good time.”
Carter’s past aside, he really knew how to woo the girl once he was hooked on Nina. (Chapter 24 was my fav, but he could be my
Valentine any time too.) And while I wanted to talk some sense into him right
along with everyone else when he let his worries get the better of him, I also adored
him a little more for caring about limiting Nina’s freedom so early in her
college life.
Told via their dual alternating first person POV,
this no-strings friends with benefits tale has a perfect balance of steam and
swoon.
“Even the way he slipped inside me was slow and intense. As if he were deliberately waiting for our heartbeats to sync up before fucking me.”
If you enjoy relatively low angst, safe, sweet, and
sexy college romance, you’ll want to grab a bag of M&M’s and settle in for
this one!
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