4.35 Stars
Rumors run rampant at Havemeyer college, but it’s no lie that Ainsley
James has been blacklisted from college living complexes after earning an
unfair arsonist reputation.
Maverick Lexington’s reputation keeps people at bay, and he gets by feeding off that mystique. He definitely doesn’t want a roommate, but when his “favor” business encounters a challenge he can’t meet, his solo reputation gets a test.
“What I wanted was ice-cream and dick with a side of mac and cheese. So here we are.”
Ainsley is beyond quirky, but Mav definitely intrigued me from the start. He has that cool, aloof bad boy aura, but a genuineness to him as well. He’s not exactly your ordinary college student, and I related with him, sharing a similar health issue. Despite his surface surliness, you could tell he was a good guy underneath.
“Confused. Pissed. Happy. I’m like a hormonal teenage girl.”
Much like Mav’s initial response to Ainsley, she had to grow on me as well. In some of the earlier chapters, her monologues drug on and I did some skimming. I also wanted her to get over her douchey ex as much as Mav.
I think the story could have benefited from some
pacing adjustments. For example, it takes several chapters till they even meet
in the beginning, while at the end, there’s a bit of an abrupt jump to the
epilogue. Also it’s a slow burn romance. The smexy times don’t arrive till
about the last quarter of the book, and there’s only one or two sex scenes. I
would have liked more steam.
However, there is palpable sexual tension long before
that and the first kiss….oh that was one of the best I’ve ever read. Major
points for originality and if this was a movie—definite Best Kiss winner.
I like romances where the hero and heroine complement each other and provide something the other one needs or is missing. And that’s how Ainsley and Mav ultimately operated as Ainsley learned to live for herself, and Mav learned to lean on someone and not take on all his problems by himself. I adored the complete absence of OW drama from Mav’s side (he’s wonderfully celibate and most definitely not a manwhore).
Told via Mav and Ainsley’s first person POV, it’s a
cute, safe, and light-hearted feel-good story, which I always enjoy. The genie/IOU
theme also had a sweet and original touch.
“I had to grant a favor. #genielife”
Lawrence was endearing as well.
Some side characters appear to have their own books now so I might have to check them out. This story is a stand-alone with connections to a Rumors series and other series.
Safety Recap:
*Title purchased from Amazon during a .99 cents sale. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions.
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