Review: Sweet Steam
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2014
Set at a prestigious college outside DC, Lily is at the school of her father’s choosing and with a roommate of his choosing. She has been raised in a privileged life and followed all the rules, but it’s the local boy from the other side of the tracks that catches her eye. Lucas is the big brother of one of her 6 year old swimming lesson students (Andy).  Lucas is not like the other cookie-cutter elite rich boys at school and he comes with some baggage, but Lily only has eyes for him.(***Mild but not major spoilers…)  21 year old Lucas has some big responsibilities on his shoulders and some mistakes in his past, but even almost 19 year old Lily can see the real person he is.  This is a sweet story that moves along at a great pace. I was 40% into it when I realized I hadn’t put it down since I started it. Read it in one day.  A big plus—it is free of over-the-top angst, and there is no cheating/no one scheming to keep them apart. The obstacles they encounter are appropriate and realistic to what is going on in their lives and differences in their backgrounds. And yet, while they come from different backgrounds they are both just two young adults trying to make their own (and the right) choices while basically on their own for the first time in their lives. I liked how they didn’t keep secrets from each other; for the most part they were upfront and honest right from the start.To keep the story fresh and interesting, there are some reveals to the reader along the way—what happened to Andy’s mom? What exactly does Stick’s “self-employed” job entail? Why must Lily “babysit” Jane?  And a few other questions that I imagine will be explored in Jane’s book. There is no cliffhanger though. Lucas and Lily’s is a complete story with an HEA.While this first book in the series focuses on Lily and Lucas, we meet their friends who I suspect will be the focus of the future books.  Lily’s roommate, Jane is nothing but plain, and Lucas’s buddy. Stick, is a colorful character. (I hope they are the next pairing despite their overt animosity towards each other.) They are interesting supporting characters and make this story just as much about friendship and loyalty as it is a very sweet, and at parts “steamy” romance.  All the characters, even with their flaws, are very likable and mature.  The book is about making hard choices, learning from your mistakes, but also about believing in love.