RE-READ REVIEW: This Love by Nazarea Andrews

Original Read Date: 2013

Re-Read: March 2019

~Updated Book Review~

4.75/5 Stars

Atticus Grimes, 28, is a tatted bad boy history professor in need of a research assistant for his book on pirates.

Where were those professors when I was an undergrad?

Avery Emili, 21, is college student in need of some cash to attend her sister’s Jamaican wedding.

So how did the story hold up years later on a re-read?

I was easily reminded how I liked both of their characters. This is really critical to me for giving 5 stars so I can still see why I rated it that way. Atticus is a little surly and he gives mixed signals at first, but I was sympathetic to the fact that he was still trying to put his life back together. And he was hot in a take-what-he wants, conventions-be-damned kind of way. And yet I wouldn't call him reckless. 

I seriously enjoyed how Avery had a backbone and a brain.

“‘Time to put on your big girl panties and face the music. Hanging on a guy who so obviously doesn’t want you?’ I shake my head. ‘Have a little dignity.’”

We’re missing more girls like her in the romance market today. While I was rooting for her to just love this sexy man who was all in for her, at the same time I appreciated her concern for their academic careers/professions.

While I usually don’t care for the amount of OW/OM drama that crops up, I have to say that it worked here. The key components being that:
1). Avery and Atticus share a common ground having both been hurt and betrayed by people they loved and trusted. Their experiences weren’t unbalanced. 
2.)  Neither want their exes back…and they have no problem putting the other’s OM/OW in their place.

“‘Lose her number. Bother her again, and I swear to god I will drive to Virginia for no other reason but to kick your motherfucking ass. Are we very clear?’”

Atticus has just enough alpha in him without it ever going overboard.

I felt their sexual tension and chemistry from the start, and there’s a good blend of story and steamy times.

“‘Two months and I can still taste you—I still know exactly what you sound like when I slide my dick into you. I know what you look like when you come for me.’”

Told via their alternating dual first person POV, it incorporates the taboo student-teacher romance theme. The second book, Beautiful Broken, features Atticus’s  sister, Scout, and his buddy, Dane.

*Title purchased from Amazon. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. 

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~Interview with Nazarea Andrews~

Original Interview Date: August 2014

5 Questions with Author Nazarea Andrews

Q1. What was your inspiration for creating the University of Branton and setting a series around it?

A. My hometown, which was very small and plays more heavily on the setting of book two, Beautiful Broken, and my college. Which was small and beautiful and where I fell in love with my husband.
College and a small town influenced me and made me the person I am. Both are hugely important to me and have a special place in my heart, even now that I live in a big city and I'm years past college. Branton allowed me to go back to that, briefly. 

Q2. Did you ever have a teacher/professor like Atticus?  How did your own university experience compared to Avery’s at UB?

A. Ha!!! No. Atticus, amazing as he is, was very much my imagination. Avery had a very normal college experience, until Atticus threw her for a loop. I didn't. I left school early, worked several jobs between classes and never partied. But I loved my college experience.

Q3. Atticus and Dane are best friends but they have rather different personalities? If you were in a character in one of your books, which one would you be more attracted to/who is more your type and why?

A. Dane.  In a book, anyway. Dane is rough and rude and oh my god, I love him. He's also broken and furious and hurting. He's a MESS.
Atticus? Atti is the boy that Dane was, after he's sorted himself out. He still has his sharp edges and mess moments. But he's got his shit together for the most part. And in real life, who wouldn't want to be with that?

Q4. Avery is a great female character—she’s smart, organized, and determined. Can you give us any more background about how you created her character?  What are your favorite qualities about her?

A. Her determination. I love love how she's so intent on what she wants. I'm that way. The problem is that sometimes we're so focused on that we miss what's right in front of us. Avery needs to learn that. 

Q5. Will we ever get another book with Atticus and Avery as the main characters? I know they make appearances in later books, but any plans for them to have a second story? A second pirate book that Atticus writes and they research together? A wedding? Kids? 

A. Haha, well. Maybe. If you read Sweet Ruin and Fractured Perfection (Oct 2015) you definitely get their next chapters. We might see novellas in the future. Maybe. :)

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. Connect with her via her website, blog, Twitter, or Facebook. 

BOOK REVIEW: Professed by Nicola Rendell

4 Stars

On the heels of an unexpected boost in his career, Professor Benjamin Beck, 38, moves east for a new teaching position.  At a mysterious party, he meets Naomi Costa, 20, (her stated age, although background stories add up to 22/23) and the two indulge in a sultry hook-up.

The opening scene with this anonymous masked rave party pulled me in. Though it later seemed like a bit of a dropped plot point, it set an intriguing mood and initiated the chemistry between the two. I also liked that it established the heroine as a typical college student with a normal sexual history—in other words no sheltered virgins here.     

“Screw the world that sees only whores and virgins, bad girls and good.”

As a student-teacher romance, I was pleased that it avoided some of the unromantic themes that often beset these kinds of stories.  Specifically, while their illicit encounters are obviously forbidden, and they do wrestle with that, Ben doesn’t turn to other women his age or even think about it. There’s some push-pull, but their feelings are always all in. The two indulge in plenty of clandestine moments, carrying out their forbidden romance.

“‘You look at me just like that in class,’ I tell her.

‘This is what I’m thinking about in class.’

She cups my balls in her hands, just sliding one finger along my perineum.”

I typically side-eye a mature, educated professor willing to risk throwing away his career, but it worked here with Ben’s characterization drawn around his field of study, specifically his interest in nihilism.

Though the tone with the taboo romance felt angsty, the threat of being caught high, the actual plot avoided angst fairly well.

Dean Osgood. Oh I wasn’t always sure how he was meant to be taken for a large part of the book.  He’s a goofy little man, erratic maybe, but I got a kick out of him. I don’t know if the humor was intended, but I found some.

That’s not to say there weren’t some issues that did distract. There’s a few continuity errors, like her dress is off and then still on. And I was never entirely clear on Ben’s position as Master of College (or Master in College.) I’ve never heard of the position, but I also didn’t attend an Ivy League school. It really felt more like they were at a small private college. Either way, I felt like his title was simply to play on the Master moniker.

And then there’s the wanting a baby in the throws of passion moment that I could always do without. I just don’t find a serious decision like that something to be utilized as a way to bind people with bigger issues.  And while they both think about, I still didn’t find it romantic. Thankfully it never materialized.

Told via Ben and Naomi’s alternating first person POV, if you are looking for a safe student-teacher read, this would be one to check out.

GOODREADS     AMAZON    

*Title purchased from Amazon in February 2019. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. 

BOOK REVIEW: Kissing Tolstoy by Penny Reid

***Proceeds during November go to hurricane relief efforts!***

Series: Dear Professor 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

~Blurb~

What do you do when you discover that your super-hot blind date from months ago is now your super-hot Russian Lit professor?

You overthink everything and pray for a swift end to your misery, of course!

 GOODREADS

 ~Book Review~ 

2 Stars

Anna Harris, 21, lives a boring life for a college student. She’s afraid to take chances, and she’s losing opportunities in the process. Luca Kroft, 31, is the leather clad, motorcycle riding by Valentine’s Day/ suit and bowtie wearing professor by summer session man who shakes up her world.

Full disclosure: I was once in my life an English lit major. Russian classic literature was not my specialty though. None the less, I never met anyone in six years of university studies who fantasized about kissing these dead white guys. But the title is not to be taken quite literally.

I should also note that Anna isn’t a lit major; it’s just a fascination in her pastime. I’m rather thankful for that because I hate to think she was meant to be a stereotype of literature majors. The story plays strongly on certain literary works. I’ll admit it initially attracted me to the story. By half way through it was beginning to turn me off.

Anna is not my tastes for a modern heroine. She’s too jumpy (or as her friend aptly put it, “…you freaked out like a dork.”) and she overreacts to situations. For example, telling a guy (a ‘stranger’ as she stressed), who you are conversing with in a public place, that you have no siblings or that one of your parents passed away when you were little isn’t exactly confidential information sharing worth stressing over. Or bolting from the premises over. Nor is finding out that said guy (who you really shared no—nadda—intimate encounters with) is now your summer class professor something to cause your hands to shake and make you grip the desk. To her credit, she does acknowledge that she’s overreacting. But once again her instinct is to bolt. At only 13%, in I was starting to question if the heroine needed to see a shrink over the summer more than she needed this lit class.

Meanwhile, Luca’s sister accuses him of getting sucked in by the “broken bird” type (overly educated and delicate). To me, I couldn’t agree more that Anna fit the bill. (No pun intended). I suspect what follows is meant to convince readers that Anna has more spirit and passion, but it only makes her come off immature. And thus, Anna continued to frustrate me, choosing to take the easy way out while at the same time sulking when Luca behaved like the adult professional he was.

“Luca had omitted all personal and possessive pronouns referring to himself…”

Because he’s writing to her as her professor!!! I would hope that a man with a doctorate would be able to write a professional letter to his student…the same way an almost senior year undergraduate student should be able to figure that out!

At a certain point the story makes some valid points about the importance of critical thinking and supporting the arts. I’m behind that 100%. But the way classic literature operates in the story feels very heavy handed. In fact, I think the author got too hung up on it. Missing from this contemporary romance is better pacing (it drag and drags and then abruptly moves to an end); more character development from Luca (most of the story is told via Anna’s first person POV with only a few chapters from his); a bigger role from Luca’s family (who are hinted at having a significant role in his life); and their sex life (it doesn’t happen till the freaking epilogue!)

In the end, I still didn’t know what Luca saw in her, and I still wanted a better picture of him.

AMAZON     B&N    KOBO

BOOK REVIEW: Teacher's Bet by Ruby Steele

3.25 Stars

Olivia Morrow, 21, is a mathematic student looking to rid her V-card in Vegas. Aiden Hawthorne, 30, is the hot guy she meets at the high rollers table. What gets started in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas though when Olivia and Aiden return home and discover that he is her professor for the next semester. 

I found both Aiden and Olivia cute in the Vegas part. Their interactions at the gaming table were well written banter and flirting. I liked the way they related to each other and wanted to get to know each other more.  It was certainly a good start to their romantic development.

Something seemed to switch though in the later scenes after they run into each other again. The couple diminished from developing characters to clichés. Olivia became eye roll worthy as the virgin begging for more and orgasming left and right, while Aiden’s sex talk included all the typical “you’re so tight” lines.  

While there isn't necessarily a shortage of steamy scenes, the relationship development stalled out, favoring “tell” rather than show when it came to them actually getting to know each other more. The fast pace in the later half was not an asset. Told via their dual first person POV, this is a relatively low-angst student-teacher romance.

AMAZON       GOODREADS

BOOK REVIEW: Solo by Lauren E. Rico

~Synopsis~

When graduate student Katherine Brenner walked into my class, I couldn’t stand her -- all perfect skin and big, blue eyes -- just like the woman who broke my heart.

If it wasn’t for that blizzard, if her car hadn’t broken down outside my house, if she hadn’t looked amazing by the firelight, I never would have kissed her. No matter how hard I try, every excuse I make not to see her comes up flat.

I can’t stop thinking of her lips. Or the way her curves fit perfectly in my hands. There’s a million reasons why this won’t work. I’m her professor. It’s against university policy.

And if this gets out, I could lose everything.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4 Stars

Drew Markham is a professor teaching music theory.  Katherine Brenner, a politician’s daughter, is his graduate student. A look alike to someone he once knew, Katherine’s presence fills him with disdain.

Both characters are perhaps realistically flawed. Katherine is stubborn, yet determined, through and through. Drew, I honestly found nothing endearing about as a romantic hero in the opening. He put me in mind of a self-centered, big ego professor who most students have probably had at least a few times during their college career. He boasts inflexible policies and bullies certain students.

But this story is full of surprises—a suspense side plot in addition to a deeper tale of perceptions and loyalty. If you are looking for simply a smutty teacher-student taboo romance, that’s not what this is. And I came to respect that even though I did crave more sultry encounters.

Told via Katherine and Drew’s alternating first person POV, the plot utilizes the stranded together premise to change the dynamics of their relationship. It was a huge feat to pull off based of where these two characters are in the beginning and the details of their isolation are not without a lot of suspension of disbelief.  But it pulls it off, doing a good job of showing two people with a terse and combative relationship getting to know each other and dealing with each other in a new light.

“‘You know, at first, I couldn’t believe my bad luck—to have you, of all my students, stuck here with me. Now, I realize what incredibly good luck it was.’”

I had my doubt about connecting with them in the beginning, but as the story went on it drew me in. There’s definitely no insta love or insta lust in this one. The duo really does have to work at a relationship and that was refreshing to read. There’s no ‘oh I’m so hard for her’ or ‘I’m so wet for him’ jargon that is starting to become clichéd in the romance market. The relationship conveyed here is more mature.

There are also some cute texts between them that help make the romantic relationship flirty while keeping the story from being too heavy. It also helped provide some well roundedness to the characters, depicting them in different roles.

“‘I can think of a few other things I’d like to put in your hot little hand.’”

Some complaints I had along the way trailed off once everything came full swing with the themes coming to fruition and the complexity of most all the characters reaching a pinnacle.

 “‘Before things ever even start to go south, you need to have a good look at the people around you. Then figure out who has the most to gain from you losing everything. That will be the person who betrays you in the end—if you’re not prepared for it.’”

What is Katherine’s darkest day? And what’s Drew’s brightest?

I did enjoy the mystery angle, even if I knew the culprit from reading other reviews. And I came to both like and root for Drew and Kate. 

My biggest critique would be Drew’s reaction at the climax. It seemed out of character for both a man of his intelligence and after the progress that had been made. Also, I wish the epilogue would have been longer/developed further, showing more of Drew and Kate as well as the supporting characters, one of which seemed like a dropped plot point.  

Readers who have studied or are interested in music will find an extra bonus in this one. The author clearly displays her knowledge of that academic world.

Solo is a full length standalone contemporary romance/romantic suspense. 

AMAZON

REVIEW/RELEASE BLITZ: Illicit by Ava Harrison

Genre: Coming of Age

~Blurb~

I was never supposed to see him again.

One night of passion with a complete stranger.

My last tryst before senior year.

But I was lost the moment his tempting lips were on my skin.

His intense touch on my body.

It should have ended there.

But he’s not a stranger.

He’s my history teacher.

And wanting him is against the rules.

Off limits.

Forbidden.

Illicit.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

2.5 Stars

After catching her boyfriend cheating at a party, eighteen year old Gwendolyn “Lynn” Adams finds comfort in the company of a guy she meets on the beach where they share a look at the stars, a dip in the ocean, and a fling on the sand.

“He is an Adonis among men, like all the myths and tales he likes to weave.”

Turns out, he’s also her new prep school history teacher. And Carson Blake is kind of alluring till some unappealing OW drama gets inserted. Ugg! This is the ultimate mood killer in a romance, and honestly it served no purpose here other than to diminish what Lynn and Carson had going and to infuse unnecessary angst into a story that was soon to indulge in it to the hilt.

Told via their dual first person POV, I think the initial bones to the story have a lot of promise. I never read the previous novella version so I can’t compare the two, but I can’t help but feel as if this reads more like a working draft of a fleshed out version than a polished final product. To be sure, the plot relies way too much on angst and melodrama and not enough on romance. It falls prey to the typical ‘we can’t be together’ pitfalls that drag down some taboo romances while at the same time relies on avoidable misunderstandings that could be remedied with some basic communication. Add in a ton of family angst and some OM drama too and the whole thing just became too much. The story became too sensational and the writing suffered as a result. More time spent on developing certain scenes between Lynn and Carson as well as revising their early awkward or stilted dialogue would have been time better spent than lining up a slew of tumultuous obstacles.

I do give the story points for stressing the importance of seeking professional help. So often these type of angsty coming-of-age new adult reads never even give it a mention. But it plays an important and needed role here to the benefit of the characters.

Bottom line, neither Lynn nor Carson wowed me. Lynn’s a bit immature, though perhaps not unrealistic for her age. Carson had potential to be a more endearing romantic hero, but I couldn’t get past the OW drama to fall in love with him, even after Carson pulls his head out of his ass and sets it on his neck straight. Essentially, if you enjoy a lot of angst and melodrama, this might be the one for you. But if you are looking for a cute and sexy, swoonworthy forbidden romance, keep browsing.  There’s nothing special or smoking hot about this teacher-student love affair.

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Ava Harrison is a New Yorker, born and bred. When she’s not journaling her life, you can find her window shopping, cooking dinner for her family, or curled up on her couch reading a book.

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BOOK REVIEW: Mr. Tucker by Justine Elvira

~Synopsis~

A senior bet.

Almost every school has one–a tradition that's passed down from year to year. My small school in Tennessee is no different. While some seniors at schools all across the country have senior pranks or senior ditch days, our school has the senior bet. 

Lose your virginity by spring break–have proof–and you're in the running for prom queen.

Does it sound ridiculous?

It absolutely is, but ridiculousness won't stop me from getting my prom queen nomination. I've had plenty of opportunities to lose my V-card to one of the boys at my school, but I don't want to sleep with a high school boy. I want a man with experience. I want the man that's been starring in my wet dreams at night. I want my history teacher. I want Mr. Tucker.

*Warning: This book contains strong language and graphic sex between a teacher and his consenting student. It's hot and sexy smut at its finest. Mr. Tucker is recommended for mature readers 18 and over.

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~Book Review~
3.75 Stars

Savannah Simple is a seventeen year old going on eighteen year old high school senior.  She’s practically dirt poor, works at a gas station, and doesn’t care much about school. But her good looks and heritage have earned her a spot in a circle of upscale friends.

Mr. Tucker or Landon, once you get on a first name basis with him (*wink*), is a twenty five year old History teacher, new to the school.  Savannah’s never had much serious interest in boys her own age and one look at Mr. Tucker has her setting her sights on him.

What I liked best about the book…  It’s pretty low angst and mainly focuses on how a student and teacher get together and make it work. A plus— the author even takes readers into the future to nail home that point.

What was smoking hot… Landon and Savannah’s first hook-up. Holy cow! As far as sex scenes go it was steaming and fit the student-teacher theme perfectly.

“‘I figure if I fuck you for the first time with this tiny country as your focal point, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two.’”

What could have made the book stronger…The pacing. The story basically spans Savannah’s senior year so there’s a lot of jumps in time and not a lot of daily build up. Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t connecting with the characters because I wasn’t getting to know them as two people interacting with each other to the point of falling in love.

What readers should probably know… This is definitely contains some smut-style writing. No judgment. Just saying. Be prepared to get your porn on.

“…I woke up this morning sexually frustrated after dreaming of Mr. Tucker filling my tank with his hose and pumping me with his fluid.”

You might also need to suspend some disbelief in terms of the way the characters behave. There are certain aspects that I had a hard time envisioning in the real world or maybe I’ve just been out of high school too long. Or never lived in a town like this. Either way, a lot of the characters seemed shallow and the teens are very preoccupied with sex and status.

My impressions of the characters…. I honestly had a hard time relating with Savannah. While on the surface she seemed to think very highly of herself and her looks, I felt that deep down she was really an insecure girl. There were places where she really blatantly went after Mr. Tucker and acted pretty immature. Though we are repeatedly told she’s supposedly god’s gift to men, I didn’t always feel it and I also didn’t always see her appeal, especially to an older, educated man. Landon seemed like a good guy, but I’m not sure the connection between them (beyond physical attraction) completely came across to the point that I understood why he was willing to risk so much. The story is told by their dual point a view but perhaps more chapters by Landon would have helped...On second thought, yes, definitely craved more of his POV. ;-)

All in all, if a sexy forbidden tale is what you're after then go ahead and 1-click:

Amazon   Amazon UK    Barnes & Noble   Smashwords 

~Also by the Author~

Book Review

Book Review

BOOK REVIEW: Eighteen (18): Based on a True Story by J.A. Huss

~Synopsis~

Eighteen is hard.
And so is Mateo Alesci.
He’s hard to read, hard to predict, hard in every way that counts. He wants things from me.
Dirty things, nasty things, forbidden things.
And I have to give in.
His attention is completely inappropriate, but I can’t say no. The way he looks at me… the way he watches me through my bedroom window… the way he drags me deeper and deeper into his completely forbidden fantasy world just… turns me on. 
He knows it turns me on.
He holds all the power. He holds all the cards.
He holds my entire future in his hands.
And I have to give in.
Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.
And I need everything he’s offering.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

4.75 Stars

Shannon Drake celebrates her eighteenth birthday by getting extra courses piled on to graduate, attitude from her fellow students, and a punch from her brother-in-law—the only family she has left aside from her infant niece. Shannon has about the hardest life you can probably imagine for your average high school senior.

Enter Mateo Alesci, 28. Tattoos, biker boots, leather jacket, and the occasional suit. Yep, you read that right. Mr. Alesci, or Mateo as he insists, is a dichotomy of identities and a walking enigma. And that’s some of the magnetism of Mateo right from the start, not that Shannon’s story isn’t engaging because it hooked me from the very beginning.

But Mateo had me glued to this book, page after page, all afternoon. He takes what he wants, which is a lot of liberties with Shannon, cuts right to the chase, and oh lord the things that come out of his mouth! He’s definitely not a cookie-cutter book boyfriend, which was refreshing to say the least.

“‘What are you doing?…’

‘Fucking you….’

‘You can’t fuck me.’

‘I can if you don’t stop me.’”

He’s alpha and demanding, secretive and unethical. He makes a few missteps and isn’t always a prince but he’s original and best of all he’s NOT a manwhore.

Shannon is mouthy, headstrong, and sometimes immature although that’s fitting for her age. But she’s most definitely not a weak female character even when she’s falling under Mateo’s spell. She’s got plenty of guts and bravado, which she needs to overcome her circumstances and play with the likes of Mateo.

A lot of the story is lust, with the romance seeping in on select scenes. But holy cow is this story hot and it doesn’t take long to heat up.

“I stand there naked in front of him as a condition of being given the opportunity to learn trig, take a test, give him a blow job, get at least one question right, and get my pussy licked.”

With the exception of the epilogue, it’s told via Shannon’s first person POV which helps maintain an air of mystery to Mateo. It’s a super sexy page turner with just the right amount of intrigue, twists, reveals, and excitement.

While the author in the “End of Book Shit” describes the book as “for people who relate to drama and angst,” I honestly never saw it that way (which is a good thing because I detest angst.) Perhaps it’s the influence of real people and events (which she details further in that section) to the writing that made what I could only assume are the “embellished” parts entertaining rather than over the top drama. It is a taboo relationship, and Shannon has a tough life where she’s hit with a lot of heavy issues at a young age, but the story never made me groan in frustration or roll my eyes like angsty stories do.

Instead I found my eyes bugging out at times, my mouth dropping open, and my hand waving madly at my face to fan myself.

“‘I like you. Keep going.’”

That also sums up how I felt about the characters and the story so I closed the book wanting more of Mateo and Shannon. :)

AMAZON    B&N

RELEASE/REVIEW: Breaking Noah by Missy Johnson & Ashley Suzanne

Publisher: Loveswept

~Synopsis~

I wasn’t always this jaded. I had a clear head, things I wanted out of life, and a concise plan on how to get there. For being only twenty-one, I pretty much had it all figured out. Until the day my cousin died.

I spent months going over all the details surrounding her death, trying to figure out how I missed the signs, and the only thing I could come up with was she would still be alive if it wasn’t for one person: her professor. So I transferred to his college, enrolled in his class, and set my new plan in motion.
 

First I’ll seduce him. Then I’ll ruin him. I’ve just got to stay strong and not let his charm and my emotions get the best of me. Because someone has to pay for her death. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to break Noah.

GOODREADS

~Book Review~

2 Stars

Zara Hamilton is a 21 year old college student on a mission to avenge her cousin’s death. Professor Noah Bain, 26, is the object of her wrath. The scenario hinted at an engaging story but to be honest, it felt forced and rushed right from the beginning.

For starters, readers are never given a glimpse at what Zara is really like before she sets out on this life/career destroying mission against a person she’s never met. What we do see of her is a reckless, arrogant, conniving nutcase with no self-respect who changes her whole life around based off speculation derived from a somewhat vague suicide letter. (Don’t even get me started on why the cousin would go about it that way).  Noah comes off as clumsy and dense. He’s clearly only thinking from below the belt because any educated adult could see through Zara’s immature and absurd seduction tactics.

Sometimes I thought Zara was headed for crazy town. The way she acts and the things she says to Noah are just so over the top that it’s eye roll worthy. (The 50 Shades references and Britney Spears bit to name a few).  Despite her loss, it was difficult to believe that any sane person would sacrifice her own college career and pimp out her body to expose something that she could have done by other means.  

Readers who are turned off by cheating will not enjoy this one as it’s basically every characters MO in this story.  (And what was up with Noah not wanting to bother with a condom when he knows she’s sleeping with Dillon too? Yuk!) No one is really likeable and the reader is served the pathetic, lame excuse that it’s easier to stay with someone rather than leave them even when you’re unhappy and/or your mate is a two-timing abusive jerk.

I simply couldn’t find any real chemistry between Noah and Zara. I’m sure their relationships with other people didn’t help. Anything they felt for each other seemed more like desperation and insta-lust than any kind of basis for love. Honestly, I didn’t see that Zara had any self-respect or maturity to actually function in a real relationship.

Meanwhile, the teacher-student interactions felt forced. Their roles felt contrived. And many of the supporting characters felt one dimensional. What I assume is to be the story’s biggest plot twist I figured out by chapter 3. All you have to do is read those chapters carefully and then it’s pretty obvious.

I wish I could find some positive things to address but honestly it was a struggle to get through. The plot unfolds like a soap opera and a teen angst drama. The concept had potential to be a deep, engaging read but the plot overpowers character development at every turn.

*ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Missy Johnson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in a small town in Victoria, Australia, with her husband and her confused pets (a dog who thinks that she is a cat, a cat who thinks he is a dog . . . you get the picture). When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

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Ashley Suzanne has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a youngster, she was always creating stories and talking to her imaginary friends. Thankfully, her parents also carried this love of fiction, and helped her grow into the
bestselling author she is today. When Ashley isn’t coming up with her next story, you’ll most likely find her on the couch, telling her husband all about her new book boyfriend, or spending quality time with her two gremlins . . . er, adorable children.

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