Tag Archives: College

Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1)

By Elle Casey

Synopsis

Teagan Cross, college senior, rebel, and wiseass extraordinaire, goes from princess to pauper in a single phone call. Overnight, her life of privilege becomes one of survival, and no matter where she turns, it seems like the world is out to get her. She’s not going to fall apart, though. She’s a rebel and she’s strong … determined to live life on her own terms … and nothing’s going to stop her from getting things done and making things right. But when a twist of fate brings her to the doorstep of a different kind of Rebel, she’s forced to figure out when something’s worth fighting for and when something’s worth letting go.

Review

Rebel is a Romantic Comedy with a suspense story simmering in the background which kept me intrigued until the end where it takes center stage.

Quin and Teagan have great chemistry as friends and many times caused me to laugh out loud. Their one-liners are just so funny and light-hearted.

Teagan has some emotional moments where I felt true heartache for her, but I loved her determination.

Teagan and Rebel, well some moments are great and others I struggled with.  However, once I knew his story I forgave and understood his silent treatment.  The relationship with the brothers I enjoyed immensely and how they became attached and protective of Teagan.

Now I have to admit I am unhappy with her dad’s story not being resolved.  I did find myself smiling at the conclusion about how Rebel stood up and took charge.

This is not a college romance, it takes place over college break.  There are some great passionate moments.  The verbal Diahorrea between Quin and Teagan will make you laugh, cringe and fall in love with their friendship.

Overall, I enjoyed this story.

Quote:  I was asking for Trouble. Instead, I got something special

Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1)

My Rating:  

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The Professor (Fox University – FU # 1)

By Luke Prescott

Synopsis

I’m Professor Drake Grayson. I’ve been teaching Psychology for the last few years at Fox University. It’s a great university, filled with a wide variety of students. Some eager to learn, some eager to get in my pants.

I’ve never crossed that line. I’ve never taken advantage of the power I have. I’ve never wanted to bend a student over my desk like I have with Emma Bower. She makes me want to forget I’m her professor and teach her things that she’ll remember forever. But is the risk worth it?

I’m Emma Bower. I’m in my last year of Fox University as a Psychology major. I can’t wait to get out into the real world and pick people apart. It’s been an amazing four years filled with memories that I’ll never forget.

Especially the penetrating stare of Professor Grayson. That man has been in every fantasy I’ve had since the day I walked in his class. I know he’s untouchable, forbidden, he’s my professor, my mentor. But what if his touches lasted longer and his eyes darkened with a wicked grin? What if the professor everyone wants, wanted me? Would the risk be worth it?

There’s only one way to find out.

Review

THE PROFESSOR is the first book that I’ve from Luke Prescott and it won’t be the last.

I really liked Drake. A professor sleeping with his student is scandalous, but you know that he has never done this before and that he fights his attraction to Emma pretty hard. He doesn’t treat her like he has power over her and he was not afraid of his growing feelings for her. I really liked Emma too, who was smart and very mature and not at all annoying like some college-aged characters can be. Though I did roll my eyes when she described being torn in half every time she and Drake had sex.

Speaking of sex, it was good. Some of the hottest I’ve read in a loooong time. Emma and Drake were damn hot together. DAMN HOT!

I really enjoyed this story, but there’s one big reason why I only gave this 4❤ instead of 5❤, and that reason is the ending. The epilogue is sweet but at the same time disappointing because the story felt unfinished. There’s no HEA or even a HFN, at least in my opinion, and the next book in the series will be about another couple. I’m really hoping that we’ll get updates on Drake and Emma’s relationship from the other books coming out in this series.

THE PROFESSOR is told in dual POVs and is the first book in the Fox University – FU series.

The Professor (Fox University – FU # 1)

My Rating:  

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Fox University – FU Series

The Chase (Briar U # 1)

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

Review

THE CHASE is the first book in the Briar U series (a spin-off of the Off-Campus series, which is one of my all-time favorite series) and I won’t lie, I have been waiting for this book for a very long time. Almost two years to be exact and I’m very glad the wait is finally over. As with any book from Elle Kennedy, THE CHASE was a very enjoyable binge read that left me wanting more.

It’s hard to believe that two weeks ago I was excited about seeing Fitz.
Now I’m dreading it. My unicorn is no longer a unicorn. He’s a judgmental donkey.

I liked Summer and Fitz, but Summer was definitely my favorite character. She was a breath of fresh air and was so open and honest. A special mention also has to go out to Brenna, Summer’s new best friend and the daughter of the school’s hockey coach, who was just as ballsy and unapologetic as Summer was. Fitz was a good guy, but he did try my patience with how negative he could be towards Summer simply because her personality was different to his.

I’ve made more of an effort to be social, but deep down I’m still the guy who wants to remain invisible.
Summer is the most visible person I’ve ever met.

THE CHASE is most definitely an angsty, slow burn romance, with Summer and Fitz pushing and pulling each other for more than two thirds of the book, which for me was a very long time to wait for them to get together. I was left with a lot of questions relating to both Summer and Fitz, and if those questions don’t get answered in the following books, it will annoy me greatly. I was a little disappointed with the ending because it felt abrupt, came without an epilogue and came almost immediately after a very big scene had been played out.

THE CHASE is told in dual POVs and comes with a nice enough ending for Summer and Fitz. I’m very much looking forward to Brenna’s book, THE RISK, which is scheduled to be released in February 2019, and I’m desperate to know who her love interest will be. Will it be Hollis, Summer and Fitz’s roommate? Or will it be Jake Connelly, a rival hockey player from Harvard? Time will tell, and I for one hope time flies.

* Please note: This book includes talk about—and includes a couple of scenes of—sexual assault, so take caution if this topic is a trigger for you.

The Chase (Briar U # 1)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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Briar U Series

Catching Callie

By Claire Woods

Synopsis

The Press labeled me campuses “DIRTY PLAYER.”

The scandal I’m caught in just made the national news, ESPN, & Sports Illustrated.

Forced to hide out in a small beach town until I can clear my name, the last thing I expected was to run into her.

Literally.

First she stole my breath, then my heart. But she wants nothing to do with me.

Even my killer smile, panty-melting grin, and cut abs aren’t reeling her in.

She ran.

Twice.

I have six weeks to find my mystery girl, get my reputation back, and prove to her I’m not a dirty player: I’m her prince. The football field is the domain I where I rule, but her heart is the next thing I’m going to capture.

Something tells me Catching Callie is going to be the biggest win of all.

GAME ON.

This is a standalone new adult romance. No cliffhanger, No cheating, HEA.

Review

Catching Callie is a sweet New Adult romance but with some extra heat thrown in to keep you wanting these two lovers to find their HEA.

Both Gabe and Callie have heartache and family dramas to deal with along with trying to give their new romance a true chance.  Many obstacles come their way and the author is true to their situation with the way this story winds up and the Epilogue, which I loved.

There are some great supporting characters, my favourite is Callie’s uncle who was simply such a great guy.

Surprising me was the emotion of both Gabe and Callie but considering what they are dealing with, the author gave them integrity and it felt so real.  The last quarter of this book will have you tearing up and struggling with emotions, especially for Callie.

This story is told randomly from their POV and it even has a couple thrown in from an evil character trying to manipulate their relationship.

Finally, I loved how the author allowed these two characters to follow their individual dreams to eventually find their happy ever after.

Quote:  “I don’t want to be that girl anymore – the one who gets left behind”

Catching Callie

My Rating:  

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Kian

By Tijan

Synopsis

Dark. Mysterious. Gorgeous.
Loved by all the girls.
Respected by all the guys.
…that was Kian Maston.

As the heir to a billion dollar empire, his future was promising until the day he saved my life. Everything changed for both of us, and there was one more word that could be used to describe him—dangerous.

The nation fell in love with him while falling in hate with me. He was sent to prison, and as far as they were concerned, it was my fault. I was forced to go into hiding until today.

Kian’s being released from prison, and he should go back to being the golden boy he always was supposed to be. I should remain in hiding, living my life as normal as could be.

That’s what we should do…

Review

Kian, I really loved reading, it was full of suspense, drama and emotional entanglements that kept me guessing until the end.  I really wanted a happy ever after for Jordan who was a very easy character to fall in love with and want the best for.

We get POV of the two main characters which did help me as the reader to understand their inner feelings.  I believe this story is more about Jordan and not so much Kian who provides more of the mystery.

Jake and Wanker kept me wondering who was going to create drama and they definitely surprised me by the end.  Erica was a favourite character for me being Jordan’s new best friend in college.

Sad and alone, Jordan’s personal story is not easy and at times I felt exhausted like she was constantly being on the edge. You want her to have the happiness she deserves and security.  I loved the build-up to knowing and understanding her background story, it was well done.  A stunning moment was when Jordan takes back control of her public perception.

A story like Kian has left me personally wanting more, the characters were very intriguing and I felt they still had more to share.

Quote:  “I wanted to be imprinted on her, so no one would touch her again”

Kian

My Rating:  

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Team Player: A Sports Romance Anthology

Synopsis

Hot jocks. We love them all.

Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score!

The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick…book.

The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist.

*This anthology does not contain calories, just eleven original, never-before-seen stories by the following authors: Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, LJ Shen, Meghan Quinn, Rochelle Paige, Ella Fox, Kate Stewart, Emma Scott, and Sara Ney. We aren’t responsible for melted devices.

Team Player:
Adriana Locke (Cross)
Charleigh Rose (Yard Sale)
Ella Fox (Out of Formation)
Emma Scott (One Good Man)
Kate Stewart (Sweeping the Series)
Kennedy Ryan (Full Court Press)
L.J. Shen (The End Zone)
Mandi Beck (Sin Bin)
Meghan Quinn (Back in the Game)
Rochelle Paige (Slapped Into Love)
Sara Ney (Switch Hitter)

Review

Team Player is full of hot short romance stories.  My favourite of this book was The End Zone by L J Shen.

My thoughts on The End Zone in particular.

Story flows well with quick introduction to two main characters Sage and Jolie meeting as neighbours. We are then taken to college and their friendship. Being a Novella it is a fast and solid build-up to the magic moment.

Jolie was very easy to connect with and her feelings for Sage were extremely heartfelt. As a reader, I definitely became invested in them connecting in a physical and emotional manner. Sage had humour and also great alpha characteristics.

We are given drama from other characters that keep you entertained and I loved the ending, tied up perfectly. I actually could read a whole book on these characters.

Quote:  “One pulls, the other pushes. One wants, the other gives. One loves, the other hurts.”

Team Player: A Sports Romance Anthology

My Rating:  

Buy Links Amazon

Rebel (The Renegades # 3)

By Rebecca Yarros

Synopsis

She’s Penna Carstairs.
The Renegade they call Rebel.
FMX-treme Magazine’s sexiest female athlete of the year.
There’s no rule in extreme sports she hasn’t broken,
No gender barrier she hasn’t demolished.

She’s the woman I met in a bar in Vegas.
The woman I illegally BASE jumped for.
The woman I spent one insane, incredible night with.
But now I’m screwed.
Or rather…not screwed.

Because the woman I can’t get out of my head is the one woman I can never touch again.
I’m Dr. Cruz Delgado—the youngest professor on this campus,
And Penelope Carstairs just walked into my class.

Review

As with the previous two books in The Renegades series, REBEL was an enjoyable read full of action and romance.

I’d never felt that kind of chemistry with someone before, and with Penelope I’d been a moth drawn to the flame she was—wild, beautiful, and hypnotically irresistible.

I really liked Cruz and Penna, and I liked that Penna found someone who was almost as adventurous as she is.  I loved the connection they had from the first moment they met, and how they both tried—and failed—to fight that connection when they discovered that Cruz was the new professor in Penna’s class.

While I did enjoy REBEL, I felt that most of the story moved a little slow for me, at least until Cruz left the ship.  Prior to that, a lot of the story was focused on Penna.  Penna trying to recover mentally from her sister’s near-deadly actions from the first book.  Penna trying to get her confidence back.  Penna getting ready for her world-record trick.  After Cruz left the ship, the story moved a lot faster, which was good but was also a bit of a shame because that’s where most of the action happened.

REBEL is told in dual POVs and while it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  This is the final book in The Renegades series, and as such, we were gifted with a beautiful epilogue that takes place five years into the future and gives fans a glimpse of what’s been happening in the lives of the Renegades.  It was a perfect ending.

Rebel (The Renegades # 3)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

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The Renegades Series

In Pieces

By Danielle Pearl

Synopsis

Three years ago she was left in pieces . . . Most college freshmen love the newfound freedom of living on campus, but none of them craves it like Beth Caplan. One ill-fated night when she was fifteen left her locked in a posh prison of private tutors. It’s for the best, everyone said, and maybe it was. But after years of hard work and healing, the one person who never thought of her as broken could be the one to break her all over again. And Beth can’t seem to stay away now any more than she could all those years ago. As soon as David March learned his best friend’s little sister was enrolling at his school, he promised to look after her, and promised himself he’d keep a safe distance. But the sweet little girl he’d grown up with has transformed into a gorgeous young woman, and she’s attracting attention from people she shouldn’t-like the ex who nearly destroyed her and a strange new student with a disturbing habit of showing up wherever Beth goes. But for David, the most troubling discovery is realizing that he doesn’t just want Beth to be safe. He wants her to be his.

Review

In Pieces is a friend to lovers college romance that has some incredibly emotional and intense moments. Both Bethy and David tell this love story which helps you to connect.

As a reader, you can easily follow their inner thoughts and feelings.

Firstly, I loved David, the poor guy has loved Bea since childhood.  The constant battle he wages with himself will have you pulling your hair out about his unconditional love.  At times I really wanted this story to move quickly as I became frustrated as I wanted Bea to realize David’s love.

The beginning has Bea and her sadness with her young story.  Even as we near the end of In Pieces we are still finding out her secrets.  I am openly advising I hated her brother and his meddling ways in her life.  I became frustrated with her family and to see her stand up for herself was brilliant.  Bea is a strong character and it was wonderful watching her grow.

Supporting characters provide humour and friendship along with some interesting secrets.  An interesting character was Brody, however, I admit I had sneaking suspicions and was pleasantly surprised and happy.

The romantic and sexual moments for David and Bea are beautiful in more ways than one.

Bea & David are friends first and become lovers and we do get a beautiful ending and I am left fully satisfied.

Quote:  “I know, beautiful girl, because I’ve always known”

In Pieces

My Rating:  

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On A Tuesday (One Week # 1)

By Whitney G.

Synopsis

We met on a Tuesday.
Became best friends, then lovers, on a Tuesday.
And it all fell apart on a Tuesday…

Charlotte Taylor has three automatic strikes in my book: 1) She hates me. She also claims that I’m a “domineering jerk with a huge, overbearing ego.” (I do have something huge. It’s not my ego, though.) 2) She takes our mandatory tutoring sessions way too seriously. 3) She’s sexy as hell…And a virgin.

At least, those were her strikes before our study sessions started lasting longer than they were supposed to. Until one innocent kiss became a hundred dirty ones, and until she became the first woman I ever fell hard for.

Our future together after graduation was supposed to be set:
Professional football for me. Law school for her.

But she left me at the end of the semester with no explanation, and then she completely disappeared from my life.

Until tonight.

We met on a Tuesday.
Became everything, then nothing, on a Tuesday.
And now it’s seven years later, on a Tuesday…

Review

ON A TUESDAY was the read I’ve been looking for, for what feels like weeks.  While I’ve recently found several books to be quite enjoyable, nothing has really grabbed me like this one did.

ON A TUESDAY is a second-chance romance between Grayson and Charlotte, who originally dated in college and were torn apart by a person with cruel intentions.  In the flashbacks to their college days, you could feel their chemistry and I loved watching their relationship grow.  Seven years later and in the present day, you could feel their anger towards the other over their breakup, even though neither of them knew what really happened all those years ago.  When the truth finally came out, I wondered how the author was going to tie it all up because of a scene from the beginning, but she did a good job of putting all the pieces together and making the situation believable.

I loved Grayson, who you could tell really loved Charlotte because of how well he treated her when they dated in college.  He treated her like a queen and a woman deserving of respect.  I loved Charlotte too and how spunky she was in college, and she did a great job of keeping Grayson’s ego in check.

“I’m Grayson Connors.”
“I’m unimpressed.”

My only complaint with this entire story is with their first sex scene, which came after months of sizzling chemistry, but was over with way too quickly.  I was expecting more passion, more tenderness because Charlotte was a virgin, just…more, so I was very disappointed that it felt more like wham bam thank you ma’am.

ON A TUESDAY is told in dual POVs and is also told in past and present tense, with most of the story taking place in the past.  It is the beginning of a new series, and I’m assuming it’s a series where the books can be read as stand-alones because we got a lovely HEA for Grayson and Charlotte at the end of this book.  I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

On A Tuesday (One Week # 1)

My Rating:  

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The Playbook

By Kelly Elliott

Synopsis

My life revolved around two things. Football and my cock. And not necessarily in that order.

Being the head football coach for a top university in Texas had its ups and its downs.

The ups? Endless women to f*ck.

The downs? The politics that came with the job.

From the moment Aubrey Cain walked into my office, she turned my world upside down. Being forced to have her follow me around for a month was going to be a pain in the ass. Especially since I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.

The best I’d hoped to come out of this was a few nights with her in my bed. I never imagined she’d be the game changer.

Brett Owens was my assignment.

Head football coach for a top college, bad boy reputation, short temper, and handsome good looks should have scared me off. But I was tougher than that.

From the first words out of his obnoxious, dirty-talking mouth, I knew it was going to be a long month. It wasn’t five minutes after meeting him, he hit on me. If only I had known his blue eyes would haunt my dreams and awaken a desire inside of me I never knew existed.

This was business. There was no way I would be tempted by him no matter how good looking he was or how many things he whispered in my ear.

He was only supposed to be my assignment. Not the man who threatened to destroy both my heart and my career. I would follow along with his playbook for now. But who would end up winning was anyone’s guess.

Review

I’ve read a couple of books from Kelly Elliott before and I really liked them, so it’s disappointing to say that I struggled to get into THE PLAYBOOK.  So much so that it ended up taking me a few days to finish it.

I’m just going to put this out there: I didn’t like any of the characters, and that includes the main ones.  In the beginning, Brett comes on so strong with women it’s actually disturbing and a huge turn off.  The worst example is when he was first trying to seduce Aubrey and he bragged that he f*cked another woman three times earlier that same day.  While Aubrey was disgusted by this, she still found him attractive, and this is just the first time she comes off as indecisive.  Other times include when she pushes Brett away but then feels disappointed that she’s successful, and that even though she’s not ready for kids yet, she gets upset when Brett wears a condom.  Desperate is another word I’d use to describe her.  After dating Brett for just a few weeks, she pressures him about marriage and kids and then breaks up with him when he says he’s not ready yet.  I found them both to be just too much, and that’s all I can remember about them.

THE PLAYBOOK is a stand-alone, is told in dual POVs, and comes with a HEA for Brett and Aubrey.  As I said at the beginning, I’ve enjoyed other books by this author, so while I didn’t like this one, I would read this author again.

The Playbook

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Kelly Elliott:  Click Here