Series Review - Chasing the Dream by Elizabeth Briggs

Title: More Than Exes (Chasing the Dream #0.5)

Author: Elizabeth Briggs

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: October 26, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

He wants to win. She wants to win him back.

Keyboardist Kyle Cross may look like a bad boy with his tattoos and piercings, but he’s really the good guy who’s always fixing his band’s problems and never gets the girl. His band is competing in a Battle of the Bands, but when their bassist doesn’t show, Kyle must track her down with the help of the person he least expects: his ex-girlfriend Alexis Monroe.

Kyle hasn’t seen Alexis since she dumped him in high school, and she’s dropped her preppy image for fiery red hair and a bold new attitude to match. With only hours before his band goes on stage, Kyle has to be al little bad if he wants to win both the Battle and the girl he’s never gotten over. But when their old problems resurface, the good guy might just get his heart broken all over again.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Kyle and his band are competing in a Battle of the Bands that could lead to their band getting their big break. It would all be great. Except their bassist doesn't show and Kyle only has a few hours to track her down before the band goes onstage. And the person who helps him? Alexis, the girl who broke his heart before leaving town. But maybe while looking for the band's bassist, Kyle and Alexis will find their second chance at being together.

WHAT I THOUGHT 

So I actually read More Than Exes after I read More Than Music, so I kinda already knew that Kyle and Alexis had gotten together. But that didn't stop me from enjoying More Than Exes. I still really liked seeing how it all happened. How these two people found their way back to one another over the course of one crazy night. And it was great finding out more about two people that had been around in More Than Music but weren't the focus of the story. While reading More Than Music, I was curious about Kyle. It just felt like there was a lot more to him than what I got from Maddie's perspective. So getting to see his story was great. And, honestly, I would have even read a full length book about Kyle and Alexis. Or maybe just another novella to check in on how they're doing. Yeah, I would totally read another novella about them. 

Title: More Than Music (Chasing the Dream #1)

Author: Elizabeth Briggs

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: June 17, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

They can’t resist each other, but their secret romance might tear their band apart…

Classical musician Maddie Taylor secretly dreams of a louder life, but geeky girls like her don’t get to be rock stars. That is, until tattooed singer Jared Cross catches her playing guitar and invites her to join his band on The Sound, a reality TV show competition. 

Once on the show, Maddie discovers there’s more to jared than his flirty smile and bad boy reputation. With each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, but when the show pressures them to stay single they’re forced to keep their relationship secret.

As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart.

 WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Maddie Taylor is ready to spend her summer interning for the LA Philharmonic and preparing her applications for grad school. But when Jared Cross walks in on her playing his guitar he doesn't yell at her. Instead, he shows up the next day and offers her a spot on the band as they audition for a slot on The Sound, a reality TV competition. Before Maddie knows what's happening, she's a full-fledged member of Villain Complex and things are heating up between her and Jared. Jared is willing to do whatever it takes to help the band win the competition, but is Maddie willing to sacrifice her heart to help him get there? 

WHAT I THOUGHT

I'll be honest and say straight off the bat that More Than Music had sat unread on my Kindle for a lot longer than I care to admit. And honestly? I don't really know why I didn't read it sooner. Because once I started reading More Than Music, I didn't stop. And then I spent the rest of that week reading the other books in the series. I was hooked. I absolutely loved reading Maddie's story. I got sucked into and I wanted to spend all my time with these characters. Based on that, it should go without saying that I loved Maddie. I loved her passion for music, the way she put her all into it. Though sometimes I questioned why she kept going back to Jared, but that had more to do with Jared than with Maddie herself. Because while I loved Jared, there were plenty of times when I wanted to slap some sense into him. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one and that his bandmates felt the same way at times. But I can't really speak for them. At the end of the day, I loved how it all came together and if nothing else, More Than Music made me want to pick up the rest of Elizabeth Briggs's books.

Title: More Than Comics (Chasing the Dream #2)

Author: Elizabeth Briggs

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: February 23, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

They’re friends online—but can they be more in real life?

Writer Tara McFadden has been friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV—yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on.

Hector’s secret been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance—or if this will ruin their friendship forever.

Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Hector and Tara have known each other for years, but in all that time working together, they've never met in person. But when their publisher sends them both to Comic-Con, neither one knows what's going to happen when they take their relationship offline. Though he's never told anyone, Hector has been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember. Before seeing him in person, Tara had never thought of Hector in a romantic way. But over the course of fours crazy days, Hector and Tara are going to have to decide whether or not they can get their happily ever after.

WHAT I THOUGHT 

I have recently come to the conclusion that I am a sucker for books where relationships start online before being taken offline. There's just something about them that does it for me. I don't really know how else to say it or explain it. So Tara and Hector's story in More Than Comics? I totally loved it. I loved that even though the two of them had never met in person, they had all this history, they knew so much about each other without necessarily realizing it. Well, Hector totally knew how he felt about Tara. Tara, on the other, took a little longer to figure things out. And I loved seeing her work her way through her feelings, both about Hector and about her own life after college. Though he may have been pretty sure about his feelings, there were still plenty of times when I wanted to tell Hector to get over himself. Because, at times, he seriously needed to do that. Outside of Hector and Tara, I loved getting to see the other members of Villain Complex again, and I loved learning more about Maddie's two best friends. Because it all just made me even more excited about the books to come in this series. 

Title: More Than Fashion (Chasing the Dream #3)

Author: Elizabeth Briggs

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

They’re enemies who will do anything to win…including each other.

When Julie Hong wins a spot on a fashion design reality TV show, she celebrates by picking up a hot English guy in a hotel bar. But too many drinks leads to a night of embarrassment and a major hangover, and wow is she glad she’ll never see him again. Until the show starts, and he’s on it too.

Julie quickly realizes she’s out of her league among the other designers, and Gavin Bennett, with his cocky grin and sexy accent, is her biggest competition. Julie can’t decide if she wants to kiss him or kill him. Or both.

After she’s almost kicked off, Julie convinces Gavin to pretend they’re sleeping together for the camera. They ploy works, but as they get closer to the show’s finale their fake relationship starts to become too real. But only one of them can win the show—and they might both end up heartbroken.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Julie has always loved fashion, but she never thought she could make it her career. When she gets invited to be on a fashion design reality TV show, she puts her life on hold to try her hand at her dream. Julie is determined to win and she's not going to let anything stand in her way. She's not there to make friends, or fall in love. But a near-elimination forces her to reconsider her strategy and ask help from Gavin: her biggest competition and the guy she made a fool of herself with before the competition started. But how much of what is happening between them is for the cameras and how much is real?

WHAT I THOUGHT 

Like the first book in the series, More Than Fashion was set in the world of reality television. Where the first one focused on music, this one, as the title suggests, was all about fashion. As someone who doesn't watch much reality TV, much less reality TV that revolves around fashion, it was definitely interesting to read a story set in that world. Add in a good dose of romance, and I was completely hooked. In fact, out of all the books in the Chasing the Dream series, I think More Than Fashion may be my favourite. I loved reading Julie's story and I loved seeing her relationship with Gavin develop. Even when Julie didn't want anything to do with Gavin, I was rooting for them. I couldn't help myself. I just wanted them to be together and to be happy. And can I just take a moment to talk about Gavin? Because I need to do that. Actually, I could probably talk about Gavin all day long, but I won't put you through that. All that to say that I loved Gavin. I loved how much he cared, how he was a genuinely good guy despite what Julie was determined to believe. I just loved him. Plain and simple. And Julie, too, obviously. Now go read More Than Fashion so you can fall in love with them, too.

Title: More Than Once (Chasing the Dream #4)

Author: Elizabeth Briggs

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: November 30, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

She’s trying to be good. He loves it when she’s bad.

Andrew West is done being the nice guy. After a marriage proposal gone wrong, he’s started over in a new city and he’s never risking his heart again.

Becca Collins is done being the bad girl. After quitting the band she played bass for, she’s going to prove to her family that she’s really changed.

When Becca’s dumped by her boyfriend and fired from her job on Christmas Eve, all seems lost, until she runs into a former one night stand—Andrew. To impress her parents, Becca convinces him to pretend to be her perfect boyfriend for their holiday dinner.

After Andrew shows Becca he’s all bad boy in the bedroom, neither wants to pretend anymore. But when Becca’s invited to rejoin her band for a show and Andrew’s forced to face his ex, they both wonder if they’re ready to take a leap again—or if they’re doomed to fail in life and love a second time.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Andrew and Becca spent one night together months ago before going their separate ways. Both said they would call the other but neither one did. That is until a chance meeting on Christmas Eve where Becca asks Andrew to join her family for dinner and pretend to be her boyfriend. Though hesitant, Andrew agrees. But as the night goes on, and he realizes he wants more than just another night with Becca, Andrew wonders how they can do that with all the lies they'e been telling. But even once the lies are cleared up, both Andrew and Becca have things in their past they have to deal with before they can take a chance on love with each other.

WHAT I THOUGHT 

One of my favourite tropes in romance is second chances. And to me, More Than Once felt like a second chance romance, just not in the way you might think. Before the events of this book, Andrew and Becca have only spent one night together, so it's not like they're each other's great lost love or anything. But they're both looking for second chances, in life and in romance. So it was interesting to read their story, to see them both try to figure out their lives while trying to maybe build a relationship with each other at the same time. And let me just say that it didn't take long at all for me to start rooting for Becca and Andrew. Even though I didn't quite approve of the lies Becca was forcing on Andrew at first. But once they got over that, I was all about Becca and Andrew and I wanted them to be together because they deserved it. And I loved seeing the process they went through to get there. With Becca in particular, it was really interesting to see her growth from More Than Exes to this point. Even though, at heart, she was still the same person, by the end of More Than Once she was most definitely a better version of that person. And Andrew was just all kinds of adorable and made me smile a lot. So like Becca, I had a lot of trouble resisting him. I mean, you can always use one more book boyfriend, right?

VERDICT ON THE SERIES?

I am completely hooked on Elizabeth Briggs's Chasing the Dream series. I mean, I read all the books in the span of a week, so that should clearly tell you something. I loved these books and these characters and I loved the way all these stories are connected to one another. And I can't wait for the next instalment because, well, I really need Carla's story in my life. If you love romance and haven't picked up any of these books yet, you should really consider doing so.

Series Review - Reluctant Hearts by Brighton Walsh

Title: Caged in Winter (Reluctant Hearts #1)

Author: Brighton Walsh

Publisher: Berkley Books

Release Date: November 4, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In this emotional and sexy New Adult debut from Brighton Walsh, the only thing more frightening then commitment is hope…

Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to—it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…

Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.

But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up—especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want…

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Cade wasn't looking for anything or anyone when he first came across Winter at the bar where she's a waitress. But after helping her with a handsy customer he can't stop thinking about her. And he's determined to find out more about her, to get to know her. Except that Winter is not looking for a hero. She's only has a couple months of school left before she can finally make something of her life. But Cade isn't ready to let her go that easily. And the more he pushes, the more Winter starts to open up, even if she doesn't want to.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I somehow missed the memo about Brighton Walsh’s Caged in Winter when it first came out. Like I don’t even know what I was doing that I missed it. And even then, I only found out it existed after randomly coming across Tessa Ever After, wanting to read it,  and then realizing that it was the second in the series. All that to say that I have since (obviously) rectified the situation and read Caged in Winter. Which opened the door to some binge-reading of the other books in this series once I got my hands on them. But about Caged in Winter itself. I loved Cade and Winter. Sure, there were plenty of times when I wanted to slap them both in the back of the head and tell them to pull it together and stop being idiots, but I really did like them. A lot. I sped through their story, rooting for them every step of the way despite my sometimes momentary frustrations with them. But they made it through and I loved them all the more for it. And as much as I loved them together, it should be said that Cade and Winter were also pretty awesome individually. Even if it sometimes drove me a little crazy, I loved and respected Winter’s desire to do everything on her own. And Cade? My heart melted a little bit anytime he interacted with his niece. There is just nothing more adorable than a big tattooed guy having a tea party with his four-year-old niece. And obviously reading Caged in Winter made it clear that I needed to read the rest of the books in this series. 

Title: Tessa Ever After (Reluctant Hearts #2)

Author: Brighton Walsh

Publisher: Berkley Books

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Source: Gifted

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In this grippingly emotional New Adult novel from the author of Caged in Winter, what you want isn’t always what you need…

Jason’s been living (and loving) the rich playboy lifestyle for five years, but now his parents are pressuring him to get involved in the family business. The last thing he wants is another obligation, but when his best friend moves out of state and asks Jason to look after his sister, he can’t just say no.

Tessa had to grow up way too soon. After dealing with the aftermath of her parents’ deaths, then becoming a teenage mom, she knows the meaning of responsibility. Which is why, at twenty-two, she’s looking for so much more than a party boy. She’s looking for someone who can stand by her and her daughter…forever.

A relationship between them is doomed from the start, but who says they can’t have a little fun? But as Jason gets closer to Tessa—and her daughter—fun starts to turn into something else…Something Jason’s no sure he’s ready for.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Even though she's just twenty-two, Tessa knows a lot about life. It's what happens when you get pregnant and have  daughter at seventeen. Now, she's ready to settle down and find someone who'll be there for her and Haley. But the person who steps up is the last one she expected. When his best friend asked him to look out for his sister, Jason never thought it would be anything more than checking in on Tessa and Haley once in a while. But the more time he spends with Tessa, the more he finds himself wanting to be there for her and her daughter. He just has to prove to her that he isn't the party boy she's known him as her whole life. 

WHAT I THOUGHT

I apparently love books that involve children. So really, reading Tessa Ever After was a no-brainer for me. And Haley, the child in this particular story, is adorable. Add to that Jason and Tessa and well I couldn’t possibly not love this book. I always love romances between people who’ve known each other their whole lives. I love seeing that friendship turn into something more. And I loved seeing that happen for Jason and Tessa, even though neither one of them expected things to go that way. And Tessa and Jason were just fun to see together because of all that shared history they had. Granted that shared history sometimes made it so both of them were hesitant to get involved in anything romantic with each other. But still. I loved it. And much like Cade with Haley was adorable, seeing Jason step up and take care of that little girl completely melted my heart. And Cade's reaction to hist best friend and sister getting together? I was laughing. And I should probably mention that I loved Tessa, right? Because I did. If I had had a kid at seventeen, I can only hope I would have my life as together as Tessa does. Also, I want to be friends with her because she's pretty awesome. And I just know we would have a blast hanging out together. With Haley, too, of course. 

Title: Paige in Progress (Reluctant Hearts #3)

Author: Brighton Walsh

Publisher: Bright Publishing

Release Date: January 19, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

She wanted a one-night stand…and then he moved in next door.

Paige Bennett is more than content with her life and what she does—and does not—have in it. She’s got a supportive family, a great apartment, and the best friend a girl could ask for; so what if her relationships expire faster than a carton of milk? After a disastrous detour courtesy of poor judgement in the boyfriend department, her plan is back on track and her dream job is finally within her grasp. Nothing can make her lose focus now. Well, nothing except the one-night stand she had with her best friend’s surrogate brother. The one-night stand she can’t stop thinking about.

Adam Reid has always been reliable…the responsible son, the loyal friend, the steady boyfriend. Two years ago, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and is well on his way to making a name for himself at an accounting firm in Denver—a far cry from working as a helper in the Mom and Pop store his parents own in Michigan. But when said store starts failing, he’s the only on who can step in and help. So reliable Adam does what he always does and comes to the rescue.

Paige thought Adam was a safe bet because he lives halfway across the country. But then suddenly he’s moving back to their town, and then into her apartment building, and soon he’s worming his way right into her life. If she’s not careful, he might sneak his way into her heart, too…

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

When she hooked up with him all those months ago, Paige thought Adam would be the perfect one-night stand. After all, he lives halfway across the country. What she didn't count on was being unable to stop thinking about him. And him unexpectedly showing up in town and moving in to the apartment across the hall from her. But even though she can't stop thinking about him, Paige isn't looking for a relationship. Adam, hasn't stopped thinking about Paige either. And he's determined to spend more time with her. If only he could convince her that relationships aren't as bad as she believes they are. But then, what happens when Adam has to leave town again?

WHAT I THOUGHT

I have a lot of book boyfriends, let’s not kid ourselves here. And I often say that I wouldn’t mind if a guy from a book existed in real life. But never has that been more true than with Adam in Paige in Progress. I have come to the conclusion that Adam is pretty much my dream guy. Seriously. Every time I thought he couldn’t get more perfect, something new would happen and I would fall for Adam a little harder. Also, I want to be Paige’s new best friend. Well, actually her’s and Tessa’s new best friend. I just know we would have a lot of fun together. Because I loved Paige something fierce. I just loved her attitude and the way she didn’t take crap from anyone. And how she and Adam were together? When she wasn’t having a mini breakdown about the idea of being in a relationship, that is. That’s the kind of relationship I want with someone. There was just so much that I loved about Paige in Progress and of the three books in this series, I think it might just be my favourite. Probably (definitely) because of Adam (but Cade and Jason are great, too). All that to say that I absolutely loved reading this book.

VERDICT ON THE SERIES?

If you love New Adult romance and haven't yet picked up Brighton Walsh's Reluctant Hearts series, what are you waiting for? Believe me when I say that you need to read these books, like yesterday. And don't even think about trying to fight me for Adam because I've already called dibs.

Series Review - The Ivy Years by Sarina Bowen

Every so often, I go through a period where I read a series in a really short amount of time. That's what happened with Sarina' Bowen's Ivy Years series: I read the four full-length books that are out in the span of a week.

THE SERIES

This series revolves around the Harkness College men's hockey team, its players, and the people linked to the team. Thought there were some things in the books that weren't always my favourite, I still got completely sucked into the books and loved reading every single one of the books and I can't wait for more books in this series.

Title: The Year We Fell Down (The Ivy Years #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: March 20, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now?

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be-real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

And he’s taken.

Nevertheless an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness—one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Corey was supposed to play hockey in college but an accident during a game puts her in a wheel chair and ends her hockey career. When she gets to Harkness College, her dorm room is across the hall from Adam Hartley's. Hartley, the star of the men's hockey team, is out for the season with a fractured leg. There's an instant connection between Corey and Hartley, but there's one problem: Hartley's already taken.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the story in The Year We Fell Down because of the fact that Harley is supposed to be with someone else for a good chunk of the book. I'm not opposed to cheating in books if it's done right, in fact I've written a whole post on the subject. But I was afraid of what it would mean for Corey in this particular case. So I started reading, a little apprehensively, and I immediately fell in love with the friendship that Corey and Hartley had going. It was really fun to read the back and forth between them. But then the story took an interesting turn and I wasn't sure how to feel. I loved Hartley and Corey but I wasn't sure what to feel about what one of them does. There was some seriously questionable behaviour and I didn't know how it was going to play out in the rest of the story. By the end of the book, things had been worked out and I was happy with the way it all went down. Out of the whole series (or at least what's out so far), The Year We Fell Down wasn't my favourite, but it was still a story I really enjoyed reading and one that convinced me to check out the rest of the Ivy Years series.

Title: The Year We Hid Away (The Ivy Years #2)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: June 1, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.

Scarlet Crowley’s life was torn apart the day her father was arrested for unspeakable crimes. Now the shock has worn off, but not the horror.

It’s a safe bet that Scarlet is the only first year at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. But college will be Scarlet’s fresh start. Clutching a shiny new study ID—with a newly minted name on it—she leaves it all behind. Even if it means lying to the boy she’s falling for.

Bridger McCalley is a varsity hockey star known for being a player both on and off the ice. But a sobering family crisis takes that all away. Protecting his sister means a precarious living arrangement and constant deception. The only bright spot in his week is the few stolen hours he spends with Scarlet. 

The two form a tentative relationship based not eh understanding that somethings must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it along just won’t work anymore. And if they can’t learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they’ve struggled to keep. 

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

College is going to be Scarlet's fresh start. She's changed her name to escape her family drama and she's hoping to fly under the radar when she gets to Harkness. Bridger was a star on the men's hockey team until last year. But now his family has to come first. That means protecting his little sister and hoping no one finds out she's been staying in his dorm room. Scarlet and Bridger tentatively start a relationship, but with the state of each of their lives, everything could quickly and easily fall apart.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I was really curious about The Year We Hid Away. I'd gotten to know Bridger briefly in the first book and wanted to find out more about him. And I wanted to know more about Scarlet based on the synopsis. There ended up being a lot more to the story than I thought there was going to be: Scarlet had to deal with the fact that her famous father was arrested on child molestation charges, while Bridger had to care for his little sister because their junkie mother was putting her in danger. It was really interesting to read these two people's stories individually, but also seeing them come together and support the other with what they were going through. In light of everything they were going through, I was really rooting for Scarlet and Bridger, individually and as a couple. Also, it should be said that Bridger's little sister was adorable and there were plenty of times when she totally stole the show for me. I loved The Year We Hid Away. There were many moments when this story broke my heart but in the end, I loved the way this story all came together. 

Title: The Understatement of the Year (The Ivy Years #3)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: October 15, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, imchael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexuality from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenceless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused. 

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Richer didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, he’s former…best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Graham and Rikker were more than friends in high school. But one horrible day changed all of that. Fast forward five years and Rikker is transferring to Harkness College and will be playing on the same hokey team as Graham. Rikker knows who he is and knows what he wants. Graham has been repressing who he is for so long that he doesn't know who he is anymore. Rikker and Graham are set to either self-destruct or finally find their way to another once and for all.

WHAT I THOUGHT

The Understatement of the Year is my favourite of the Ivy Years books that have been published so far. There is nothing I didn't love about this story. I loved that Graham and Rikker had so much history before this story even started. It made for some really interesting and entertaining interactions between them. And I of course loved Rikker and Graham themselves and I wanted for them to be together once and for all so badly. Basically, The Understatement of the Year gave me SO MANY FEELS and continued my streak of good luck when it comes to absolutely fantastic m/m reads this year. I just want to yell about my love for this book from the rooftops and tell everyone I know to read it because it is an absolutely amazing and beautiful stories that will give you ALL THE FEELS.

Title: The Shameless Hour (The Ivy Years #4)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: April 12, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after they spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.

Rate is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bellea is levelled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity stunt, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Good bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be extinguished.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Bella loves hockey players and isn't shy about it. She doesn't care about what people say about her behind her back, and sometimes even to her face. She's never had trouble with boys before, so she can't quite understand what went wrong after the night she spent with Rafe. Rafe doesn't do hook ups and he can't believe what happened with him and Bella. When Bella is the victim of a fraternity prank, Rafe is determined to help her, even if Bella isn't interested in his help.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I loved The Shameless Hour, especially because of the way Sarina Bowen handled the topic of slut shaming through Bella and what happened to her. I already knew Bella from the previous books in the series and already kind of loved her before I even started reading The Shameless Hour. So what happens to her in this book broke my heart and I was so angry on her behalf. What happened to her was horrible and I loved that is wasn't handled lightly or brushed away in the story. And I loved Rafe for how he was with Bella. I was immediately charmed by Rafe and my love for him just grew with every page of this story that I read. He was the best kind of guy you could ask for. And I also want to mention Lianne because she was fantastic and I can't wait to read her story. The Shameless Hour was a fantastic story and one that handles the issue of slut shaming right. And when it comes down to it, we need more books that do that.

VERDICT ON THE SERIES?

I am so totally loving Sarina Bowen's Ivy Years series. I love the sports romance just as much as I love the various topics and issues that have been handled in each of the books. I've loved each of the books I've read so far and I can't wait to read more. The Fifteenth Minute just can't come soon enough!