Bloom Books has re-released Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series with GORGEOUS new covers–which seemed like an excellent opportunity to finally get these books off of my TBR 😉
Stay tuned for reviews of #3-5! In the meantime, check out Elle’s page on the Bloom Books site here.
She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…
Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.
…and it’s going to be oh so good.
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.
Review:
I honestly have no idea what took me so long to start this series–I feel like it’s been on my radar forever–but with the gorgeous new print covers staring up at me from my TBR pile? I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. And OMG am I so glad I didn’t!
I loved Hannah and Garrett’s book–I honestly didn’t want to put this one down once I started. Ms Kennedy drew me in right away, and I felt like all of the characters here were my new BFFs. (Finding out that the other 3 books star Garrett’s housemates and one of them also features Hannah’s BFF Allie? Even better ;)) I was completely invested in these two crazy kids finding their HEA together, and felt every bump in their path in the depths of my own soul.
Quick CW: Hannah’s problem with being “turned on” stems from a rape in high school (off page, but mentioned a few times)–it’s a bit more intense than the blurb makes it seem–but I thought it was handled really well here. And of course Garrett was the perfect guy to get her through her mental issues. Not only is he 100% understanding and supportive, but he also doesn’t know the meaning of “quit” (OMG, when he sets out to get Hannah to agree to tutor him? Just. Too. Much.)
And goodness, I laughed out loud so much this book–so many genuine outbursts of laughter that took me (and my feline reading buddy) by complete surprise. Ms Kennedy and I are clearly on the same level humor-wise, and I am here for it.
The blurb for book 2 ( The Mistake ) at the end 100% did its job–I couldn’t wait to find out what was in store for Logan and Grace!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
He’s a player in more ways than one…
College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.
Now he’s going to need to up his game…
After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.
Review:
I had about a millisecond where I worried that I wouldn’t like the second book in Ms Kennedy’s Off-Campus series as much as the first ( The Deal ), but I think that concern went by the wayside, oh, maybe a half a chapter in? If even that…
Logan and Grace’s story was just as wonderful as I hoped it would be…even if 99% of their couple issues were thanks to Logan’s being an idiot. Thankfully he didn’t take too long to realize he was being an idiot and started trying to make it right ASAP. Grace, for her part, did an excellent job of making him work *just* the right amount to get her back–I especially loved that she really was able to come into her own between her freshman and sophomore years at Briar U and truly knew her worth by the time she decided to give Logan another chance.
I was a bit concerned about Logan’s crush on Hannah–remnants from the first book, crushes on your best friend’s significant other can be messy and awful–but I really liked the way that it was handled here. Hannah didn’t let him get away with anything, and was super supportive of his potential relationship with Grace–and what it turned out Logan was really jealous of ended up making a lot of sense. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me there!
Once again the secondary characters here were gold–I can’t wait to get to Dean and Tucker’s books!–and also once again I can’t even tell you how many times this book made me LOL. The teaser at the end had me all but salivating for book 3 ( The Score )–I am more than ready to see Allie and Dean find their HEA too!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.