Tag: new-adult

The Risk (Briar U, #2) by Elle Kennedy

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Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.

And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me.

I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend.

For every fake date…he wants a real one.

Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him.

That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

Book: The Risk (Briar U, #2) by Elle Kennedy
Published: February 18, 2019
Pages: 432
Genres: Romance, Athlete, College, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 14, 2023
Rating: 4.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔

I read this book after reading The Dare (the 4th book in the series) and I enjoyed it even more than The Dare!

I loved Jake and Brenna both, which isn’t always the case. Most times I care for either the hero or Heroine more than the other but not with our Jake and Brenna! I loved that both characters were so strong and true blue. They didn’t pretend to be anyone else, they knew who they were at heart and that’s how they acted with the other one.

I loved reading the build up of their relationship and how it wasn’t this insta love where they were professing their feelings 30% into the book. Their relationship progressed at a normal pace and we got to see them slowly fall in love over time.

I loved how Jake was truly such a good guy at heart and wasn’t afraid to be in a relationship once he realized he wanted one. And I absolutely loved that Brenna wasn’t afraid to be with Jake, even though he played for her teams rival. My only wish is that we would have gotten to see where their relationship takes them in a few years but the author can still release a novella taking place after the book.

I enjoyed the Off Campus series a lot and enjoying this series as well!

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The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy

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College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

Book: The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy
Published: June 16, 2020
Pages: 354
Genres: Romance, Athlete, New Adult, College, Curvy Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 13, 2023
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

When I finished this book I was leaning more towards a 3 rating but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the book and how much I truly enjoyed Conor’s character so for him alone its getting bumped up to a 3.5.

I’m not sure whether Conor already had me here…

Because whoever is torturing this poor girl is certainly watching us right now and they can eat shit. “Lead the way, babe.”

Or here…

“Taylor Marsh, will you do me the incredible honor of updating your relationship status and becoming my fake girlfriend?”

But either way – I love him, I love him, I love him! He is not perfect, he doesn’t always say or do the right thing but he really does care about Taylor and he tries, he tries so hard. I loved how he tried to be the best fake boyfriend for Taylor and then starting falling for her and found himself missing her like a true boyfriend should.

The reason this book is not getting bumped up to a 4 is because of Taylor, plain and simple. I understand we all have body image issues and you can’t tell someone how to feel about themselves but her issues were just over the top. Many males in the book hit on her and checked her out and from the description she was curvy but not fat. Again, you can’t tell someone how to feel but her insecurities drove me nuts! She was doing better with her issues at one point and then it was just like nope, back to square one!

I loved the beginning of the book, it started out great, the middle was good but I didn’t like the chapters leading up to the end. The final hurdle the couple had to go through didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me and felt unnecessary. I know these are college kids and we aren’t always rational at that age but I found myself very confused and wondering what the heck just happened in the book. And then boom, a rushed ending and suddenly everything is okay. I also feel like the epilogue didn’t give us a true glimpse of their future. I need to know that they made it as a couple because with the way things went at the end, even though they worked things out, I still feel like so much was uncertain.

I feel like if the ending gone differently and not been as rushed, and we had an epilogue that was more in the future and gave us more certainty on this couples future this could potentially gotten a 4 rating.

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The Words by Ashley Jade

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He was the talented bad boy everyone wanted.
I was the irrelevant geek everyone hated.

He was the sun…drawing all of us in.
I was a black hole…taking up space.

He was destined to be a star.
I was destined to remain an insignificant no one.

Until he made me believe I was special…

And then he destroyed me.

I never thought I’d see Phoenix Walker again after he broke my heart, but fate had other plans.

One tour. Eight weeks. Forty shows.

Countless opportunities to make him pay.

The world thought he was a God…
But I knew the truth.

Book: The Words by Ashley Jade
Published: January 18, 2022
Pages: 676
Genres: Romance, Musician, Curvy Heroine, New Adult, Tattoos-piercings
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 11-12, 2023
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book because the summary threw me off a bit and I was trying to figure out just how our heroine would end up on tour with our hero. But, I knew that either way this book was going to be worth the read.

“Mistakes don’t define who someone is, Phoenix. It’s what you do after that does.”

And oh boy did our Phoenix make a lot of mistakes! He is very flawed, he’s not perfect by any means, but he truly loves Lennon inside and out.

“Don’t let your insecurities overpower that which makes your soul come alive. Otherwise, you’ll walk this earth never feeling whole…and that’s no way to live.”

Lennon and Phoenix both had a lot of baggage throughout the book but I love how much they loved each other, despite the others imperfections, and were willing to give the other up so they didn’t hold them back. They truly loved the other more than anything.

Phoenix was hurt in the past and didn’t deal with it in a positive way at all until he decided that Lennon was worth more than anything else and that he wanted a real relationship with her. And I was so for it! He didn’t change overnight, he changed a little bit at a time and then he was all in – he didn’t care about anything except making things right with Lennon and just being with her. I can definitely get behind that!

Lennon was hurt very badly by Phoenix and it took a long time for him to earn her trust back and I absolutely loved that about her. She didn’t give in and let him walk all over her, she was strong and held her head high. she is also a very independent character, which always makes my heart happy. I cannot stand a heroine who has no back bone and relies on the hero for everything and Ashley Jade’s heroines are nothing like that!

I absolutely love Ashley Jade’s writing and will continue to buy more of her books in the future. If you are on the fence about buying an Ashley Jade book, ANY Ashley Jade book, just do it!

Ruthless Knight (Royal Hearts Academy #2) by Ashley Jade

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Welcome to their kingdom…

Cole Covington is the most popular heartbreaker at school.
Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to screw him.
Except me.
His devastatingly good looks, golden arm, and flirty smiles don’t do it for me anymore…because I know what’s lurking underneath the star quarterback’s gorgeous armor.

At least I thought I did.
Sometimes the most beautiful people…hide the ugliest truths.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to walk beside them through hell.

Sawyer Church is the bible-thumping nerd of Royal Hearts Academy.
Girls pick on her and guys don’t notice her.
Except me.
Sweet, curvy, and sarcastic, she’s impossible to ignore.
No matter how much I try.
Everyone at school has her pegged as the chubby, Jesus loving geek, but unlike them—Sawyer’s real and never pretends to be someone she’s not.

Until I ask her to be my fake girlfriend.

Sometimes the most beautiful souls…hide the greatest pain.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to fight for them.

Book: Ruthless Knight (Royal Hearts Academy #2) by Ashley Jade
Published: January 20, 2020
Pages: 608
Genres: Romance, Athlete, Curvy Heroine, High School, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 10-11, 2023
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

Where do I even begin with this book?

This is the first book I have ever read of Ashley Jade’s but I am officially a fan! I have had the first book in this series in my to-buy pile for a while but never got around to it and then saw the reviews for this one and decided to jump right into the middle of this series. I’m so glad I did!

I want to know what it’s like to feel like I’m enough.

Sawyer Church as not had it easy – she has been bullied all her life and always made to feel like she wasn’t beautiful simply because she is overweight. She is a size 14 though to me I would consider that thick or curvy but that’s just me. She has had a crush on Cole since she came to California and always wants to believe in the good in him, even when he is acting like a jerk.

“You ended with a positive. You can tell a lot about how someone feels about a person by the way they end a statement, especially when they’re feeling conflicted about them.”

Cole Covington has had a thing for Sawyer for a while but due to having a reputation to uphold wont admit it to anyone, least of all her and treats her horribly in public.

“You think love is perfect? Like one of those fairytales?” He shakes his head. “Hell no. Love is hard…difficult. It’s dealing with someone’s shit day in and day out but never giving up on them because your heart won’t let you. It’s having a million reasons to leave them…but always having one good reason to stay.”

Sawyer and Cole’s journey was definitely not an easy one and had a lot of ups and downs but what I loved the most about them was that they truly loved each other and saw who they were as a person underneath it all. Cole was not always the easiest person to love but Sawyer loved him anyway and wasn’t afraid to call him on his crap. And Sawyer got what she needed most from Cole – someone who loved her for her, despite what her body did or didn’t look like.

I loved how much the characters grew as the book progressed. The Sawyer and Cole at the end of the book were so much more sure of themselves and were actually happy! It was so amazing to watch Cole grow as a human and be so in love with Sawyer that he didn’t care about anything else except making her happy and being with her. I loved his character so much, even when he was being a complete jerk.

The author does such a great job of developing these complex characters with real fears and issues. I can’t wait to read more of her work! I highly recommend this book!

A Love Song for Liars (Rivals #1) by Piper Lawson

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I fell for Tyler Adams when he had nothing but a guitar.
He was my rebel prince, my handsome muse, my twisted friend.
We were worlds apart in every way that mattered:
He was poor, I was rich.
He was beautiful, I was plain.
He honed his talent in private, while I ached for the spotlight.
When Tyler moved in with us, Oakwood Prep fell on its knees to worship at his altar.
He traded my friendship for their crown.
I will never forgive his betrayal.
But some nights…
He makes me want to.

Book: A Love Song for Liars (Rivals #1) by Piper Lawson
Published: April 29th 2020
Pages: 195
Genres: Romance, Freebie on Amazon, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: October 16-18, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

“Forgive me.”
“Someday.”
“When?”
“When you never leave me.”

This book definitely took my heart on a roller coaster of emotions. I truly did enjoy reading it but I’m not sure if I want to read the next book or not.

Both characters were very wishy washy and Annie was extremely childish. I found myself wanting to stop reading the book multiple times because of her.

Tyler was hard to get a read on as well. He cared for Annie, he liked her and that never wavered but he chose time and time again not to fight for her. It was very frustrating.

Again, the book was well written and I enjoyed it for the most part, but I don’t think I will be reading the rest of the series.

When the Night is Over by Lily Foster

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The last time Charlotte Mason saw Simon Wade, he was shoving a paper bag from the pharmacy into her hands with a morning-after pill inside.

Even though he literally left her holding the bag, when love is true it’s limitless…and sometimes it’s blind. She wants more for Simon than the ties that bind him to their dead end town. He has one shot at a better life, and she’ll stand aside so he can take it.

Nearly four years later Charlotte is still nowhere to be found, and it’s not as if Simon hasn’t been looking. How can he forget the girl who still haunts his dreams?

Book: When the Night is Over by Lily Foster 
Published: September 20, 2020
Pages: 346
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Freebie on Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 25-27, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I almost stopped reading this book several times during the first 20%. I didn’t like the tone of the prologue and the first few chapters didn’t pull me in enough.

I continued on because the summary for the book sounded so interesting to me but the book had a completely different feel than the summary did. I’m glad I continued because the book started to get really good and I did not want to put it down again.

There were many parts of this book that I did not like but I loved how raw and realistic it was. This book read like something that could have truly happened and I know similar versions actually have. The characters flaws were real and not over the top.

I enjoyed this book and I did like Simon some of the time but I loved Charlotte. Was she perfect? No. But she made her choices and stuck with them. She went with the best decision for everyone and always tried to do the right thing. She was a very strong heroine.

I liked Simon and Charlotte as a couple but I felt like there was no emotion between them. They loved each other, yes, but I couldn’t feel it through the book like I normally can in romance books. And I don’t know why that is.

Overall, I did like this book but I feel like it was lacking in a lot of areas. To me, the premise did not live up to the book itself.

Vivian's List by Haleigh Lovell

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Her brother’s best friend. A list. A love story.

After ending a horrible, scarring relationship, Vivian embraces her freedom by making a sexual bucket list. When her brother’s best friend, Liam, finds it, sparks fly and hearts open.

Can Vivian heal one steamy encounter at a time?

Book: Vivian’s List by Haleigh Lovell
Published: September 13th, 2013
Pages: 290
Genres: Romance, Freebie on Amazon, New Adult, Erotica
Format: Kindle
Date Read: November 16-22nd, 2018
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I really enjoyed this book – it was very ewll written and wasn’t boring by any means. The reason for me giving this book a 3.5 was that is just ended. Things were finally looking up, they were finally on the same page and boom – book over. I know that this is just to get you to read the next one, I know, but I can’t stand cliffhangers.

Other than that I had no complaints about this book. Good read!

Heart-Shaped Hack (Kate and Ian #1) by Tracey Garvis-Grave

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When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

Book: Heart-Shaped Hack (Kate and Ian #1) by Tracey Garvis-Graves
Published: August 25th, 2015
Pages: 340
Genres: Romance, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: July 3-6, 2018
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

I am a huge fan of this author to begin with, I LOVED On The Island, so its no surprise that I was immediately pulled into this book from the first page. I love this authors writing style – it flows so nicely that you are always able to “see” everything happeneing in the book, just as she meant it to.
From the first time Ian and Kate met I was rooting for them – I loved their interactions and the way they just went back and forth so effortlessly. I love how Ian is flawed but makes no apologies for it – he is who he is and he’s not going to change. I love how Kate just wants to do something to help people – so sweet and courageous of her. I just love these characters so much.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something you will not want to put down. This author’s writing style just makes it so hard to stop reading because she weaves such wonderful tales that suck you in.

I’m off to go get book 2 in this series!

Happily Ever After (Cinder & Ella #2) by Kelly Oram

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This is the sequel to the #1 Bestselling novel Cinder & Ella from Kelly Oram.

The end of one story is often the beginning of another. Hollywood heartthrob Brian Oliver and his Cinderella princess Ellamara Rodriguez have finally found love outside the digital world. But leaving their anonymity behind creates a whole new set of obstacles for the nation’s new favorite sweethearts. With the stress of Brian’s fame, Ella’s disapproving family, and the pressures of a new relationship weighing down on them, the It Couple quickly begins to wonder if they can hold on to their newfound joy, or if maybe happily ever after is only a fairy tale.

Book: Happily Ever After (Cinder & Ella #2) by Kelly Oram
Published: April 11, 2017
Pages: 342
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 25th-26th, 2018
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

“You’re more than my pride and joy,” he said, softly stroking my hair with one hand. “You are my life, Ellamara. My heart. My soul. My everything.”

I love it when books have just enough drama and angst to not be boring but not so much that you are overwhelmed with it. This book fits that in spades! Once again this author has pulled me into this world that I didn’t want to leave.

Brian and Ella certainly haven’t had it easy, by any means, but I love seeing them be there for one another while growing as individuals and a couple. Its so refreshing to read about a couple that truly loves one another and is willing to do whatever it takes to support each other while not losing faith in their love. I can’t say enough about this couple – I just adore them so much.

There is also a lot to be said for a book that wraps up all of the loose ends and doesn’t leave you wondering what happened with certain things. This book was all wrapped up neatly in a bow at the end – and sometimes that is just perfect. It worked so well for this series.

I hope there will be a third book because I would definitely love to read more about these two!

Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella #1) by Kelly Oram

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Cinder458: Your blogaversary is coming up, right?
EllaTheRealHero: Do all those Hollywood friends of yours know you use words like blogaversary?
Cinder458: Of course not. I need your address. Got you a blogaversary present.

Cinder got me a gift?
My heart flipped.
Not that I was in love with my Internet best friend or anything. That would be utterly ridiculous. The boy was cocky and stubborn and argued with everything I said just to be infuriating. He also had lots of money, dated models—which meant he had to be hot—and was a closet book nerd.
Funny, rich, hot, confident, book lover. Definitely not my type. Nope. Not at all.
Yeah, okay, fine, so he wasn’t my type by default because he lived in California and I live in Massachusetts. Whatever.

Cinder458: Hello? Ella?? Address??
EllaTheRealHero: I don’t give out my address to creepy Internet stalkers.
Cinder458: I guess you don’t want this autographed first-edition hardback of The Druid Prince, then. Shame. I had it signed it to Ellamara when I met L.P. Morgan at FantasyCon last week, so I can’t try to impress any other girls with it.

Not my type.
Not. My. Type.

What would you do if your anonymous Internet best friend turned out to be Hollywood’s hottest celebrity?

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

Book: Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella #1) by Kelly Oram
Published: October 1st, 2014
Pages: 322
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 25th, 2018
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

“A great character needs trials to overcome—experiences to give them depth, to make them vulnerable, relatable, and likable. Good characters need hardships to make them strong. The idea makes sense, but it still sucks if you’re the heroine.”

From the first page this book had me so completely hooked! First of all – who doesn’t love the classic cyber friends fall in love and meet in real life? Like, seriously. We’ve all thought about it!

I loved Ella and Brian so much – their characters were so flawed, yet so perfect for each other. The way the author wrote them made them seem so real. Their situations could easily happen to anyway, and have! I have to give Brian major kudos for sticking to his guns in the end and making things right with his girl. Yes, in the beginning, he went along with what society and his management team demanded of him to get publicity and make himself look good, but there’s just something so yummy about a guy who is willing to risk losing everything because they love you.

I truly can’t say enough about this book – I loved everything about it and will defintiely be checking out the next one in the series. Kelly Oram has just landed herself on my list of favorite authors to read everything they have ever written immediately!