Tag Archives: College

In This Breeze (Lake Shore University #1)

By Kathleen Maree

Synopsis

A nerd. A quiet art student. A nobody.

Or perhaps, just some girl.

These are the non-spoken titles I’ve been known as since I started at Lake Shore Uni almost two years ago now. When given the chance to leave my horrific childhood behind – I didn’t hesitate. In fact, I was ecstatic to have the door hit me on the ass on my way out of town; because the only two things I actually loved in my traumatic life…

Were coming with me.

And whilst the three of us shared the same beat-up truck when we moved here – that’s where the similarities unfortunately end.

Ethan ‘The Mule’ Jones, is kind of a super star on campus. Everywhere he goes he seems to draw attention. I guess that’s what happens when you’re headlining papers as the star basketballer for the LS Eagles. But to me, he’s just Eth. A boy who still spends his Friday nights snuggled up watching movies with me, and who walks me to classes just to make sure I get there okay. He is my best friend in every way, and I can’t imagine my life without him in it.

And then there’s Jase.

The truth is I knew from the moment I met Jase at the local skate park, when he was smoking a cigarette and teasing Eth for his poor skating ability, of how fiercely protective he was about those he cared for. From the time he blew his warm breath over my injured knee, to when he thankfully intervened on the most horrific day of my life. A day, that still haunts me when I am alone in the dark.

He saved me.

But Jase has his own demons too. Even if he doesn’t go looking for it, trouble always seems to find him. Which is why he has been absent from our lives for the past two years.

Sometimes I wonder what he’s doing.

Quite often I worry if he’s okay.

And I always, always, think about him.

Even though I shouldn’t

Review

In this Breeze is a college romance that involves three friends and lots of drama. This is a new author for me and I enjoyed the story although some of the drama within the friendship triangle did wear me down.

At times I found myself quite angry with Bree and her inability to make decisions however she is only young and hindsight is a great thing. Ethan immediately had my heart, he was such a good friend to Bree and he is genuinely in love with this girl. The way Ethan cares for her and is so protective and does not succumb to peer group pressure is surprising.

Jase is troubled however he and Bree do share a traumatic event so have a deep connection. Jase is definitely a bad boy however his moments with Bree are special and sensitive.

The second half of this story I enjoyed far more than the first and the ending definitely although not a cliffhanger it does leave you wanting more.

I cannot wait to read about Jase in the next novel. I am truly torn with this friendship it is driving me crazy!

In This Breeze (Lake Shore University #1)

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Hate to Love You

By Tijan

Synopsis

A new standalone from NYT bestselling author Tijan.

Rule #1: No hot guys.
It might sound ridiculous. I get it. It kind of was, but college was supposed to be my sanctuary. It was my place to start over. The rumors, the whispers, and the jealousy I endured through high school would all be gone.
No one would know me at college.

Rule #2: No drama.
I’d major in pre-law. I’d make a few loyal friends. Everything would be easy-breezy. No one was going to use me or hurt me. I wouldn’t let them.

Rule #3: New year. New place. New me.
Right?
Wrong.
And all because of Shay Coleman.

Football captain and quarterback, he was the big guy on campus. The cocky guy in my political science class with a smirk. I hated him on sight . . .

. . . and he was about to break all my rules.

Review

Tijan has again delivered a sensational stand alone that has drama, friendship, and love. This has some dark elements of college life and it provided such depth to this story, it was surprising.

College life is fast paced in this story and I could not put this book down. Characteristic of Kennedy is that she is defiant and independent and I liked that she was diligent in her studies. Kennedy had a plan but like everything, it can explode and Shay did that.

Two of my favorite supporting characters were Casey and then also Linde, he was a standout. I am saying right here that I could read a whole book on Linde. The way Linde conversed with Kennedy made me happy but also sad as I knew he had a soft spot for her.

The drama around the girls in her sorority house was honest and provided great humor but also friendship tests. The loneliness that Kennedy experienced was raw at times and her relationship with her brothers was beautiful.

Kennedy had magical moments with Shay and Hate to Love concluded perfectly with happiness and hope.

Hate to Love You

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Hello Forever (Hello Goodbye # 2)

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis

A basketball game changed both their lives.

When they were only teenagers, Axel and Caxton were caught making out in the woods at church camp. And afterward, Cax had disappeared from all the youth group activities.

Six years later, Axel is astonished to spot his first love’s face in the crowd of a college basketball game he’s watching on TV—at a school which has just offered him a job. It’s a thousand miles away, in a tiny rural town. But suddenly, he can’t wait to get there.

Cax can’t believe his eyes when Axel appears in the same Massachusetts town where he now lives. And he’s still just as drawn to Axel as ever. But he can’t let himself go there again, because loving Axel will mean giving up everything else he holds dear.

Both men have so much to lose. But as far as their love is concerned, it’s Hello Forever.  

Review

My review for HELLO FOREVER is going to be short and sweet, because I’m in the middle of moving and I just don’t have the time to write my usual lengthy review.

I loved this story and I loved it’s two main characters, Cax and Axel. They are both so kind and sweet, and they really were perfect for each other. I also loved Axel’s co-worker, Boz, who was hilarious. He wasn’t really in the story much, but when he was, he was definitely memorable.

One thing I thought was interesting is that, from memory, there are only two female characters in this story: Axel’s mother; and Cax’s best friend, Amy. Every other character was male. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it was certainly something that really stood out to me.

HELLO FOREVER is told in dual POVs and, while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. The previous couple, Josh and Caleb, make an appearance, and it was good to see them again. Will there be more books in this series? I’m not sure, but I really hope so.

Hello Forever (Hello Goodbye # 2)

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Hello Goodbye Series

Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest #7)

By Tijan

Synopsis

Mason Kade is the dream.
He is the promise.
He’s offering what so many would fantasize about, and it’s not that I don’t want it/him/us.
It’s the opposite.
There might be ghosts haunting me, but this man who’s my soulmate is asking me for forever.
How can I say no to someone who already gave me my happily ever after?

The last full-length novel for the Fallen Crest Series!

Review

The Fallen Crest series to me began with Samantha Stratton in FCH and we followed her journey through family breakup and finding her new family and fighting those battles as the “Threesome Fearsome”. As a reader I was so glad Fallen Crest Forever was in all essence about Sam, her running (that had taken a back seat in the last two books) and all the pieces of her life falling into place both physically, mentally and also repairing so much damage from the adults in her life. I loved the bond of Sam & Mason and Logan & Taylor growing towards adulthood and Logan was the one to have me tearing up on many occasions.

There were some incredibly hard scenes in this particularly towards the end but they were so needed to develop the characters into the adult world and making life decisions about their futures so to me it was perfect. All characters to me matured and their inner thoughts upon the pages just tied all the loose ends together.

My comment on the Epilogue, at first I was upset upon reading the last section, I felt left out because as a reader I wanted to know how it all happened as we have followed everything good and bad together but upon reflection Tijan gave them privacy and I am happy they got to that point in their lives, particularly Sam, I feel at peace for her and ready to let her go.

Fallen Crest is just a wonderful series as it has a great group of characters and I really enjoyed all the adults that formed their outer circle. I would love a book on Annalise and James as their relationship has intrigued me from the first book, James and Mason are such a strong force when upon the pages in the same scene, I would love to get into his head.

Farewell Fallen Crest – looking forward to seeing what other stories lay ahead in the world of Tijan.

Fallen Crest Forever (Fallen Crest #7)

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Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest #6)

By Tijan

Synopsis

It’s been years since my mother was in my life.
I healed.
I learned to accept love.
I lived.
That’s all done. She was away, and now she’s back.
I avoided her for a year and a half, but I couldn’t hide anymore.
Mason had an internship in Fallen Crest, so we headed back for the summer.
And when we got there—no one was prepared for what happened.

Review

Fallen Crest High (#1) has always been my favourite but Fallen Crest Home has surpassed that. Why you ask? Well we returned to what this is all about Sam and Mason, their relationship with each other, her mother and his father. So much action, game playing, guessing who is honest and just the fearsome foursome, Mason, Logan, Tate & Sam – they were Home and standing side by side.

I definitely felt that Mason was maturing and as this story progressed you just knew the tides were changing and he lost control at times, the scene after the wedding reception with Sam, how is that going to play out in Fallen Crest High #7?

I do admit I was a little upset that again Sam was being attacked from different sides from old and new threats, I really wanted them to be Home for some peace after all the drama at Cain. I did not feel calm until Logan appeared as I was worried Mason was alone, no matter who else is around unless those two guys are together I do not feel calm.I did a little dance when Logan finally gets into town, we were given great humorous moments as at that point in the story I was shaking in my boots in fear.

One favourite part was Mason’s reflection at the wedding ceremony, his realisation of Analise and Sam, it was a stellar scene and my heart filled. I also felt myself aching with the loss and hurt as Sam dealt with her demons in relation to her mother, at times I thought of reconciliation and other times revenge, it was riveting to follow Sam’s own personal journey of self discovery and allowing herself closure. The scene with her mother in the hotel reception was another favourite for me and I actually found myself thawing somewhat towards her mother.

Reading Fallen Crest Home to me allowed Sam back into the story, I would have liked David to be involved a bit more however her relationship with Malinda was perfect and exactly what she needed. I did find myself actually angry at Malinda helping Sam’s mother but then it made sense keep her friends close and your enemy closer as they say and in the end she was looking out for Sam.

Mason and Logan’s speech at the wedding ceremony was absolutely brilliant!

Adam and Becky returned with a vengeance and I did have a hunch on the leak and when all the secrets were revealed well it provided another layer to this story. I also enjoyed Garrett making an appearance and helping his daughter and Heather continued to prove her worth as a true friend to Sam.

I cannot wait for Fallen Crest High #7 – I am hoping for two things to evolve in their relationship – will they happen? Will there be further reconciliation?

Fallen Crest Home (Fallen Crest #6)

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Nova (The Renegades # 2)

By Rebecca Yarros

Synopsis

He’s got one shot to make it right…

He’s Landon Rhodes.
The Renegade they call Nova.
Sinfully gorgeous, broody, tatted-up, professional snowboarder.

They say a girl broke him once–
That’s why he’s so reckless, so driven, so careless with his conquests.
But I’m that girl.
They can call me his curse all they want.
He and I both know the truth–
He’s the one who destroyed me,
And I’m too smart to let that happen again

Review

NOVA is the second book in The Renegades series and is a second-chance romance between Landon (Nova) and Rachel. Here’s what we learnt about them in the first book. Rachel was dating Paxton (from book 1) but cheated on him with Landon. They fell in love and made plans for their future, but Paxton (out of anger and jealousy), gave Landon an ultimatum: the Renegades or Rachel, because he couldn’t have both. Landon chose the Renegades, breaking his heart and Rachel’s in the process. Flash forward two and a half years later and Paxton regrets his ultimatum and hates what he turned Landon in to. He has therefore created an opportunity for Rachel and Landon to be on the Study at Sea program together in the hopes they’ll reconnect.

So Landon is your typical manwhore who, after breaking up with the love of his life, went out and slept with every woman who made herself available. Of course, that bites him in the arse when he tries to win Rachel back and she keeps using his reputation against him. His reasons for leaving her were kind of stupid, but he does a really good job of proving to her that he will never choose anyone or anything over her ever again. While you can feel that he really does love her, I was disappointed that he never made any effort to win her back until after he found out she was on board the ship.

I loved that Rachel was never afraid to tell Landon exactly how badly he broke her heart when he chose the Renegades over her. I liked that she didn’t forgive him straight away, didn’t fall back into bed with him straight away, and that she made him work for her forgiveness. I thought her conflicting feelings and how she processed them were realistic.

I enjoyed NOVA, although I will admit that I skimmed through it, focusing more on the conversations and skipping over the inner monologue that I sometimes found a little repetitive. NOVA is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it could be read as a stand-alone. There is no epilogue but there is a really sweet HFN ending for Landon and Rachel. Penna (Rebel) will get the next book in the series, and I hope a little romance will brighten up her not-so-sunny personality she displayed in this book.

Nova (The Renegades # 2)

My Rating:

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The Renegades Series

Logan Kade

By Tijan

Synopsis

You think you know me?
Player. Partier. Fighter.

You know what? You’re right. I’m all those things. F*ck with mine and I’ll f*ck you ten times harder. Suspensions. Arrests. You think I care?
So yeah, I may fit the bad boy image, but there’s so much more you don’t know.
I’m loyal to a damned fault. I’ll never leave your side. The real Logan Kade isn’t a manwhore. When I love, I love hard and completely.
Taylor saw that side of me. Inside of me. She saw my darkness and pain, and the second she did, she owned me.

You may think you know me…
…but she’s the only one who sees me.

**Full-length standalone

Review

** Please read Fallen Crest High Series 1 to 5 before reading Logan’s story **

I am on team #Logan all the way, ever since I picked up Fallen Crest High, I love Mason & Sam and their love story but Logan’s humour and live life to the fullest always drew me in. If you have not read Fallen Crest Series, please do, so many characters in here are in that series and although this is a standalone so many of his mannerisms may not make sense.

Logan’s story in this book really opened up him to the reader on a new level, you saw his hurt and learnt more about him and Mason and their younger life and those key moments that changed them.

I enjoyed the dual POV, I really liked how we had more of Taylor’s perspective as I needed to know she was the girl for him and that she deserved Logan. As a reader you get so invested in the character and I simply needed to know she was good enough.

It is funny that both Sam and Taylor are “Coaches daughters” and their mannerisms are really quite similar in that they do not need a large posse around them, they are very strong and independent young woman who deserve two men such as Mason & Logan that would walk through fire for them.

It was interesting to see Nate in this story and I now would love to see him find the girl of his dreams. I would have liked perhaps a chapter on Sam, Nate and Mason when Taylor and Logan had their one month break to tie in the obvious conclusions they had come to with Logan falling in love.

The ending was brilliant and I cannot wait to see the big event, which we will obviously read about in Fallen Crest 6 or 7.

Quote: “Mama Malinda’s rules: Go big or go home”

Logan Kade

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Shut Up and Kiss Me (Lost Boys # 2)

By Jessica Lemmon

Synopsis

Cade: I tried. I really tried. I should be out of this small town by now, finishing my law degree and partnering up with my buddies, but I couldn’t resist one last street race. Now I’m sidelined in the hospital, and while my injuries will heal, I’m not so sure my voice will return. What kind of attorney can’t talk? Yeah, exactly. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to come back from this . . . until Tasha Montgomery reawakens every competitive bone in my body.

Tasha: I nearly watched Cade Wilson die on that lonely stretch of road. He’s damn lucky just to be alive, even if he doesn’t realize it. I know he’s destined for bigger and better things, but I don’t mind helping him get there as he relearns everything he took for granted. Cade’s a good student, a real perfectionist; I can tell how much his stutter bothers him. But when he lets his kisses do the talking, everything else disappears. And one day, maybe he’ll be able to tell me that he wants me—as much as I want him.

Review

SHUT UP AND KISS ME was an easy and mostly light-hearted read that I found somewhat enjoyable, but also somewhat unmemorable.

Here you have Cade who is a college dropout, and Tasha who is finishing her final year of college. Despite being college aged, there was none of that over-the-top drama that can appear in college romances, and I liked that. There were times I liked the characters and times I didn’t. Cade is a very bitter young man, filled with anger at how his life has changed since his accident, as well as anger towards his mother and his ex-girlfriend. He spends a good portion of the story treating Tasha poorly when he’s not trying to get into her pants, simply because she reminds him of his ex. Tasha is a caring young woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, but at the same time she’s a doormat. Cade, her father and her ex-boyfriend treat her horribly, and she just takes it. Although to be fair, she does stand up to her ex a little bit, which was nice to see. She’s very quick to forgive, which could be considered a good trait, but she never lets people know just how badly they hurt her because she doesn’t want to cause issues.

SHUT UP AND KISS ME is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. That being said, I felt I was on the outside looking in when it came to Cade’s accident and the issue with his mother, so I’m assuming those things were introduced in the previous book and that I’d understand them better if I had read it. For me, this book was ok, but nothing special. The characters didn’t grab me, the story didn’t draw me in, and all the conflict was easily forgiven and tied up with a nice little bow by the end.

Shut Up and Kiss Me (Lost Boys # 2)

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Lost Boys Series

More Than A Memory

By Marie James

Synopsis

“You’re gorgeous. Even better looking than the day I fell in love with you.”

The words are a constant reminder of what true love is. Olivia Dawson’s alarm goes off at the same time every day and she disappears into her room to hear Duncan’s voice, see his face, miss him even more for being untouchable. Olivia loves with her entire heart, and her love for Duncan is unmatched, but there’s something about her new roommate she just can’t seem to ignore—no matter how hard she tries.

“I miss you so much.”
“Can’t be more than I miss you.”

The words are a constant reminder of how unavailable Olivia is, and Bryson Daniels isn’t one for competition off the baseball field, but since the moment he knocked on the door to his new apartment and his roommate “Ollie” wasn’t who he expected, he can’t help but consider bending a few of his rules—even if it means heeding to Olivia’s.

“I love you, sweet cheeks. Chat with you later?”

Bryson hears the conversations through the paper thin walls, but there’s a pain inside Olivia he can’t seem to walk away from. He vows to be there for her when the voice on the other side of the computer inevitably breaks her heart, but will he ever be able to compete with someone who’s more than a memory?

Review

Before I get started, I think I need to point out that MORE THAN A MEMORY is set in college, with Bryson and Olivia aged twenty and nineteen respectively. The synopsis makes no mention of the college setting, nor does the man on the cover look like he’s twenty years old. Don’t get me wrong, he looks hot and I would totally kick him out of bed only so that I could fuck him on the floor, but he looks too old to represent a twenty year old college student who’s not legally allowed to consume alcohol. Moving on, like I said the story is set in college and if I knew that at the time, I may not have considered reading it. College romances can be hard for me to connect with, especially when there’s too much drama and/or too much pushing and pulling between characters. There was a bit of that here, but thankfully not as much as I’ve read in other college romances.

I can’t say a lot about Olivia other than she’s a recluse suffering from severe depression. She hasn’t stepped outside her apartment in months and the only physical interaction she’s had is with her mother when she comes to visit. Normally a character like Olivia would frustrate me to tears with her huge mood swings, but not once was I frustrated with her. I put that down to reminding myself that she had depression, but I think it’s also because Marie James did such a good job of writing her that you can’t help but feel sad for her every time she suffers a setback.

Now Bryson on the other hand did frustrate me several times. I did like him, and I loved that he helped bring Olivia out of hiding, but sometimes he flat out treated her terribly. He tells himself he wants to help her and that he needs to be patient with her, but when she didn’t adjust as quickly as he’d like, or when she’d have a setback, he’d get angry and mean and would pull away from her. His night with Simone was done deliberately in front of her to humiliate and punish her, all because he wanted her but couldn’t have her. Quite honestly, I thought his mood swings were bigger than Olivia’s, but then I did have to remind myself that he was only twenty and clearly not equiped to handle her very well.

MORE THAN A MEMORY is told in dual POVs and is currently a stand-alone. I say currently because the story is left open for two of Bryson’s teammates to get their own story. I did enjoy the story and it certainly brought out some strong emotions; I was crying so much at one scene that I had to stop and take a break. It does come with a HEA, but I was left wondering one thing: Did Bryson go pro?

More Than A Memory

My Rating:

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Tyed

By L J Shen

Synopsis

Rock bottom has built way more champions than privilege has.

Blaire, an underachieving college student with zero prospects and a ton of issues (hey, being the less-successful twin of a gorgeous supermodel would totally do that to you) needs something from Ty.

Mixed Martial artist Ty, a soon-to-be Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League and the hottest guy in the Bay Area, wants something from Blaire.

But Ty has a secret.

And Blaire can barely even handle his truths.

Life is about to throw a few knockout punches at both of them. Can they handle the pain?

Tyed is a standalone novel.

Review

Ty is definitely one dynamic and hot champion and owns the pages who kept me reading this even when I found Blaire for the first half of the book a bit annoying and a bit blah. She came into her own but my god her sister annoyed me no end and I felt frustrated by their relationship as she was a very self centred character. I wanted to throttle Blaire’s parents and I just would have liked the family dynamic explored just a little more as they were thrown in at parts and glossed over in others, especially when Blaire graduates. Blaire had such low self confidence and seeing how her parents and sister walked all over her, well no wonder. The whole scene at Las Vegas with the wedding just felt weird one day all drama then next at the wedding chapel.

I liked the second half of this book more, it does not slow down and works you up to a ending that is simply perfect and gives you your HEA. I loved seeing the characters find their own way back to each other and I did not pick Ty’s secret until all was revealed so that was great writing.

Cameron was a great character to introduce when Blaire needed someone and I must say that Shane also created drama and more questions and I enjoyed him.

This is my second book by this author, I have read Sparrow (two times) still one of my favourites from this year.

Tyed

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