Review: A beautiful college romance I enjoyed from start to finish. Brax and Olivia are wonderful!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2014
tag29I'm sure every woman at one point in her life felt like a stupid girl falling for the wrong boy. I know I have several times. The title of this novel plays into the story frequently and I enjoyed finding the hidden meanings. I appreciate the twisted journey this author took me on with this inspirational story. I wish I had the solid support Olivia discovers with each passing day.Olivia Beaumont managed to survive her final year of high school and is eager for a fresh start in a new city. Leaving her family behind wasn't an easy choice but she desperately needed to leave her painful past behind her. I immediately empathized with Olivia and related easily to her struggling character. I cannot imagine handling the daily torture her haunting memories bring but her inner strength proved her unique ability to manage such a horrific incident.Within the first few moments after arriving on campus, Olivia meets Braxton Jenkins. I was glad their introduction occurred at the very beginning of the novel so I didn't have to wait long for the tension to begin. Brax is everything Olivia has been taught to avoid yet she is drawn to him. Their chemistry rockets off the pages and I loved watching their attraction build quickly. Olivia finds herself falling for Brax no matter how hard she attempts to deny it. Safe words, blatant warnings, and friendship labels can't save her from the powerful pull towards him.Olivia isn't the only one hiding huge secrets and I was surprised how many pieces were included in Brax's complex puzzle. He shocked me several times and it was difficult to always root for him to win in the end. Of course he charmed his way out of trouble with me each time one of these thoughts occurred. I couldn't deny him anything if I tried. Brax is a bad boy I would definitely find myself in trouble with.I love the Boston accent translations strategically placed at the end of Brax's sentences. I was a total victim of saying them out loud and caught myself several times. This was a fun addition that I feel was super smaht for the author to include. This aspect allowed me to feel like I was interacting with the characters and like I was part of the story. This delightful detail was another insight to Olivia's quirky attitude that I enjoyed so much. Brax and Olivia loved hijacking one another's lingo... along with other things.The leading roles aren't the only characters that were executed wonderfully. Olivia's roommate, Tessa, brought a lot of spunk into her life and allowed her to easily relax in a new setting. Kelsy was a total creep and I had the chills whenever he was involved. It's sad to know guys like him actually exist and this author did a fantastic job portraying such a monster. I was rooting for Brax to use Kelsy as a human punching bag.This was the first novel I have read from this author and now I am looking forward to enjoying more of her work. I love her interesting writing style and entertaining details scattered across every page. I found myself completed sucked into the story and I didn't want to find a way out. This book is definitely recommended for any romance lover. Enjoy!