Category: New Adult

New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: The Score (Off-Campus #3): by Elle Kennedy

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Publish Date: September 25th, 2016

Number of Pages: 354 Pages

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Genre(s): New Adult Romance, Romance

***Warning!!! This Review may contain spoilers from the previous books in this series, continue reading at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!!!***

To see my review of book #1 – The Deal – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – The Mistake – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

‘You know, I don’t think we’re dealing with a Bella’s-magical-blood situation here.’

‘No?’

‘No. I think you’ve imprinted on this girl’s pussy.’

… ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean you’re facing a Jacob quandary. You imprinted on her pussy, and now it’s the only pussy you can think about. You exist solely for this pussy. Like Jacob and that weird mutant baby.’

– Elle Kennedy, “The Score”

I mean, what else is there to say that I haven’t said before about this NA Romance series? It’s definitely up there in terms of high quality and utterly binge-worthy reads. They’re the perfect balance of humor and sexy and heartfelt. They’re so easy to get into and become absorbed by if they’re the type of book you want to read.

It’s been fun to read how each boy living in the house who we met all the way back in The Deal starring Garrett and Hannah are getting their own story, and this time it’s the blond, ultra rich lothario on the hockey team: Dean Di Laurentis. Something about him has made me interested when he’d get the spotlight, so I was so happy to finally get his after Garrett and Logan both got the spotlight for their bit. I was also happy to see that his love interest turned out to be Hannah’s roommate and best friend: Allie Hayes. The two of them have never really interacted up until this point, and I personally thought Sabrina was going to be his love interest based off their history, so I was curious as to how the author was going to bring them together, and I can definitely say she didn’t disappoint! Allie and Dean had some wicked chemistry that scorched the pages in all honesty.

The story itself flows pretty smoothly with it feeling like you could stop right at about the 50% mark and call it good there, and that’s just because right then and there everything seems to be going smoothly for the two main characters, so why read on and see it all fall apart, right? By that point, I was head over heels for both characters, and I was convinced this was my favorite book out of the bunch.

‘I’m adorable, first off. My sense of humor is stellar—obvs.’

‘Obvs,’ she echoes dryly.

‘I’m extraordinarily skilled in the art of conversation.’

She nods. ‘When it’s about yourself, of course.’

‘Of course.’ I pretend to think it over some more. ‘Oh, and I’m a mind reader. No lie. I always know what the other person is thinking.’

‘Yeah? What am I thinking right now?’ Allie challenges.

‘That you want me to shut up and fuck you again.’

She shakes her head in dismay. ‘Goddamn it. That’s actually what I was thinking.’

I smirk at her and tap my forehead. ‘Told ya. Mind reader.’

– Elle Kennedy, “The Score”

Sure, the formula isn’t the most original, but we readers can all attest that a book doesn’t need to be immensely unique and a totally unheard of idea in order to be successful story! For this, we have the playboy jock who meets the sassy girl next door that knocks the guy on his ass unexpectedly, and (surprise) he’s the one who ends up pursuing her. Eventually, she caves in because he’s, like, sooooo hawt and BANG! Friends with Benefits, cuz that always works out… Inbetween hot sex sessions, they both realize there’s more to the other person and deny how they’re seriously falling for them. Outside forces, or their own inner insecurities come between them and for a while they’re convinced they’re better off without each other, but then get their heads out of their asses and realize that’s whack, so que HEA moment! It’s predictable, it’s familiar, but goddam does Elle Kennedy still somehow make a great story out of it!

This time around, the issues that the characters both face felt more realistic than the past books, and I felt they were also just handled a little better with more care too. You don’t have to have someone be a sexual assault victim in order to garner sympathy for them, so it’s great to see the writing get even better in that regard. The author is able to add a lot of depth to her characters in this regard and makes it feel like they’re actual people in your life that you’re experiencing everything happening with them.

Besides the romance, I love that this books also included more scenes about friendship, especially amongst all the male main characters who all live together. They tease each other, they get into actual fights, but at the end of the day they all know they have each other’s backs and know they’ll be there for each other when life gets incredibly heavy.

What It’s About:

The Official Blurb:

He knows how to score, on and off the ice…

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean DiLaurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over…

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls… he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world-and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love. 

What I Liked:

  1. Dean’s Douchebagery! Yeah I know…It seems weird that I’d put this under the “like” section, and to be honest I’d probably hate Dean in real life if I ever met him, but I have to give it to him that he owns up to it. He’s not a complete douchebag, I’d say he just more has douchebag tendencies. He’s got confidence and cockiness galore—which isn’t always a bad thing—he’s rich AF, and pretty much an Abercrombie/Hollister model straight out of the catalog, BUT at least he doesn’t use his looks or money to put others down or be a bully in any way. He’s not the greatest when it comes to women, but he is at least honest and upfront about his expectations going in, so you can’t exactly knock him for that either. At first he appears like the typical blond, rich player type, and he still kind of is, but there’s more below the surface and he never apologizes for who he is.
  2. Dean and Allie’s Chemistry! Elle Kennedy always is able to nail the romantic chemistry for her main characters, and this pairing was one I absolutely did not see coming until I started reading the book. While I was blind to it going in, very quickly was I all about the dynamic that develops between them. They’re thrown together in an odd situation, and then it ends up being Dean pursuing her, and Allie really makes him work for it before she gives into temptation. While it was hot and steamy, their relationship really went through a lot and they really become close as they glimpse into each other’s lives and accept each other for even the less than stellar moments. It was the perfect mix of humor. steam, and heart.
  3. The Scene in the Bathtub! In typical Elle Kennedy fashion, there’s a hilarious ongoing joke that happens in this book involving Dean in the bathtub. Can’t give too much away, but I absolutely howled when I first read this glorious scene, and loved all the crap Dean’s friends gave him because of it.
  4. The Realistic Inner and Outer Conflicts! Both characters felt so fleshed out in the issues they both dealt with while exploring their newfound relationship. Dean has always been dead set on going to Harvard to get a Master’s in Law because that’s just been the family expectation but begins to question what he really wants when he’s pulled into coaching a junior level kids team in his free time. Allie wants to become an actress and is trying to secure something past graduation all while getting over her ex of three years. One thing I also love was the inner dilemma of when the two main characters are worried about their real lives causing separation between them so they wonder how things will work out, but of course figure out some solution in the end!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Character Death…It’s not that it was a poor idea or horrible addition to the book itself, it was more just how sad it was! Someone dies in this book, and it truly shakes some of the cast to their core.

Conclusion:

‘You’re lucky I love you, babe. If any other girl had done this to me –“

‘You love me? You just said it.’

‘I … Well, damn. I guess I did.’

‘Did you mean it? I want to hear it again.’

‘Aw shit, babe. Don’t make me say it again. It’s bad enough I said it first.’

– Elle Kennedy, “The Score”

Another amazing addition to an amazing NA Romance series that I’m so glad I discovered when doing research on books similar to my current WIP. I definitely need to take tips from how Elle Kennedy writes romance, because I consider her to be top notch!

Now that Dean and Allie’s story has been told, it’s now officially onto the next and final book in this book series: Tuck. He’s the quiet ginger-haired chef of the house with southern charm to spare, and I’m excited to see what’s in store for him!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Good Boy (WAGS #1): Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

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Publish Date: December 28th, 2016

Number of Pages: 282 Pages

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Genre(s): Romance, New Adult Romance

Total Star Rating: 3.75 Stars

If you’ve been following my reviews as they release on my website, you should definitely know by now that if Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen write and publish a book together, I’m going to want to read it! They just create amazing work whenever a cover shares their names. In case no one has read anything by them yet, here’s a list of what their works usually include:

  1. College Hockey Players
  2. Sassy and/or Quirky Heroines
  3. Hilariously Witty Dialogue
  4. Equal Amounts of Fluff and Steam
  5. Running Jokes That Always Have a Humourous Conclusion
  6. Adorable Romance

There’s plenty more to add to that list, but that pretty much sums it up. They write such amazing New Adult (NA) Romance books; they have great storylines and relatable characters that go through daily struggles, who don’t don’t simply fit a typical stereotype, or are held back by past traumas that are realistic; I just wish I could learn how the two authors co-write their stories. They’re usually told through dual point of views with the two main characters who are love interests. Do they stick to one character each, or do they just share a single doc and tag each other in? I’d love to find out their method of how they get it done!

Before I go deeper into my thoughts about this story, I feel like I should mention that this book is actually the start of a spinoff series that branches off from the authors other duology that I loved: Him and Us. To be fair, this book is just as enjoyable if you haven’t read those before this, but you do meet both the main characters of Good Boy in these books first, and you do get some context into the relationship between Blake and Jess, so I guess I’ll leave it up to you whether or not you feel like you need to start from the very beginning!

To see my review of Him – Click HERE

To see my review of Us – Click HERE

Personally, I was RELIEVED that Blake was much more bearable in this book compared to Us… He’s still somewhat obnoxious and makes (somewhat) terrible nicknames and phrases, PLUS he kept interrupting sexy time between Wes and Jamie when they hadn’t seen each other in forever, so that rubbed me the wrong way…. no pun intended with that. Luckily, Blake grows on you and becomes much easier to deal with in this book if you weren’t a fan of him in the last book like I was.

As far as this story goes, expect all that you would if you HAVE read their books before with the content, but I don’t think this tale will be anyone’s favorite of these author’s works. It’s not to say this isn’t a good book—it is!—but there wasn’t really anything to make this stand out amongst the other titles of there’s. I think the humor is still there, but I can understand that it may be a bit reaching, and won’t be for everyone. I don’t want to say it’s slapstick humor—I’m sorry, I had to add that in here somewhere—but the humor does still have it’s moments.

I felt like both characters really did have relatable issues, both external and internal, that seemed like real-world issues just about anyone could have to deal with. You definitely also see the two love interests grow throughout the story as their relationship grows with them, and I also really liked their chemistry. There was a subtle hint in the Him duology of the two main characters here had something go down off-screen, or page I guess in this case, so I’m glad I caught that and I was right! I’m getting better at catching small things in every book I read now a days *humblebrag*

What It’s About:

The Official Blurb:

Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody – absolutely nobody! – can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.

Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor, and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.

But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone got grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?

Caution: May cause accidental aspiration of tea or coffee. Do not read in a public place where loud laughter is inappropriate. Contains hot but hilarious hockey players, puppy cuddling and a snarky pair of underwear. 

What I Liked:

  1. Even though It’s a Spinoff, It’s Still Enjoyable for New Readers! This story actually continues past the duology I mentioned above, and while there are some instances where there is some context drawn from them too, I say this book is still able to be read if you haven’t read those books! I definitely think you should read them because they’re amazing, but it’s not absolutely necessary for this book!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Blake Riley’s Cheesy Lines…While his charm took awhile to grow on me, and him and Jess together are amazing, he still has his weird nicknames that he makes up and catchphrases that he thinks are so hilarious and witty… They aren’t actually all that terrible, but I did find myself rolling my eyes quite a bit, and not in a good way at all…

Conclusion:

Another greatly written NA Romance involving Hockey players from Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy; it has just about everything you’d love from anything written by them if you’ve gotten your hands on any of their other titles. While that is true, it’s honestly not their most memorable work, and nothing about it really stuck out to me like their other titles.

Fear not though… If this is what I consider to be their weakest book yet, that in no means makes this not something to check out, because it’s still a sweet, sexy romance that’s still probably a lot better than quite a few of the other titles out there.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: The Hook Up (Game On #1): by Kristen Callihan

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Publish Date: January 16th, 2015

Number of Pages: 352 Pages

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing

Genre(s): New Adult Romance, New Adult, Romance

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

‘Why won’t you let me kiss you, Anna?’

I can’t breathe.

‘Why, Anna?’

‘It’s too much,’ I rasp.

‘Not when I want everything.’ He says it so deep and strong, a staking of a claim. ‘And I want everything with you, Anna.’”

— Kristen Callihan, “The Hook Up”

For fans of new adult, sports, opposites attract, or just college-age romance stories, The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan is a definite choice to add to your “To-Read” stack ASAP. It was actually pretty well written, the romance was equally sweet and steamy, there was never any unnecessary drama, and both the main characters were incredibly likeable, fleshed out, and both go through so much growth within the chapters of this book.

I honestly didn’t have too high of expectations going in; I thought it was just going to be another college/sports romance, like the ones I’ve read before, but it was just going to be one that wasn’t as trashy as some of the titles available out there. The premise, to me, sounded like my assumptions would be right and this wasn’t going to be anything special. It also didn’t help that there was the whole cliché “Insta-Love” moment right off the bat when the two characters’ eyes met for the first time. Hard as it was, I tried not to roll my eyes too much and kept reading on. That’s where I slowly became full of shock and surprise in the best way possible.

For a new adult romance novel, this story had a surprising amount of depth to it once the author really lets you in on her character’s’ thoughts, especially the inner conflicts of both her main characters, Anna Jones and Drew Baylor. Both have traumatic pasts that they both want to be able to move on from, but of course it’s what’s holding them back from their goals, and it was so enticing to see how they both realized that dealing with their issues would help out their relationship. Added bonus to the fact that their issues were both so extremely relatable too compared to other NA romances: Anna used to be picked on for being the fat girl growing up back home, so when the big man on campus, star quarterback “Battle Baylor” is hitting on her and seeking her out, why wouldn’t she believe that it’s some sort of prank or that she couldn’t handle being in the spotlight with everyone’s eyes on them? Drew’s background is a sad one: his parents both died and it’s been just him for quite some time. Everyone recognizes him and loves him as the football star and leader on the field, but he wants to be known as more than just that. He wants to have actual friends and not fans, to be seen as more than just a dumb jock to some, and wants to know he can make it without people’s pity or letting things slide just because he’s won the Heisman trophy for their campus. Like I said, the characters felt so incredibly real as you learn more about them: their faults, their dreams, their fears, and it was amazing how they both overcome their inner turmoils all while their relationship develops based on where they’re both at mentally. It all tied together so well, and I was impressed by this story development

Of course, there was also plenty of sex. A new adult romance is expected to, and believe me, I’m not exactly complaining either. I was a little surprised at how quickly the first hook up happened in the story, especially with how the story was set up, and it does have the potential to make you think this story is going to be trashy and there’s not much else that’s going to happen. Don’t think that way! I’m telling you, it gets better, even in the love scenes that fill up the book. None of them seem excessive or over the top, they are all very well written, there’s plenty of balance between the sweet and pure fluff compared to the steamier and smutty moments too. What starts off as just casual sex slowly evolves into more passionate and meaningful as the romance develops and both characters really begin to fall for each other.

I also really enjoyed the fun banter between Drew and Anna too; the author really shows that their relationship works outside of the bedroom too as they bond and continue to get closer to each other. Anna is a hard shell to crack, what with her past and her insecurities, but she has those moments where she lets Drew in, and shows what great chemistry the two of them truly had. The dialogue was a little off at some points; there were times where I scoffed and said “A college student doesn’t talk like that,” but there wasn’t anything that raised too many redflags, so it’s an easy thing to overlook.

And I think how you see yourself makes you who you are. Your soul doesn’t have a title or an occupation. It’s just you. The rest of the world can go fuck themselves.”

— Kristen Callihan, “The Hook Up”

What It’s About:

The Official Blurb:

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love!

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy, right?

Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…

Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she’s shut him down. Completely.

That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It’s a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

All’s fair in love and football…Game on

What I Liked:

  1. Both Main Characters Inner Conflicts! This was the most surprising out of the whole novel, and it added so much depth to the story. Gone was the sexy, shallow, and smutty college romance, and right before my eyes, the characters felt so much more genuine, more fleshed out, more relatable, and so much more memorable.
  2. New Book Boyfriend: Drew Baylor! He definitely gets the MVP award for me, he was an amazing character who I liked even when his first line was when he sputtered out “Hey Big Red.” I liked that he was the one fighting and scratching for more than just hot, casual sex in his relationship with Anna. He fell hard for her, probably also way before her feelings were mutual, and it was sweet to see how devoted he became. Also, I’m glad he wasn’t just another man-whore that has become a cliché in this genre; he’s charismatic and has a past with that reputation, but he’s learned from it and has moved on since, but it’s still something that came between them when he wanted more and she was so hesitant.
  3. The Romantic Chemistry! Kristen Callihan gave Anna and Drew some amazing chemistry, even outside of the bedroom, library, Drew’s car, etc. With both of them dealing with their own issues, it was great to see the scenes where they bond and ultimately help each other overcome both their fears and setbacks in order to be together in the end. Their banter was hilarious and sexy, and the tension rose to scorching levels that show how well they worked together.
  4. Gray Gets Better! Gray is Drew’s teammate and oldest best friend. They’ve been through a lot together, but honestly he wasn’t doing it for me through most of the beginning. He’s blond, he’s hot, he can get with any chick and he knows it, and he’s not a fan of his best friend falling for some random chick. Luckily, as he appears more often and we see a different side of him with both Drew and Anna, he really starts to grow on you and you see yourself also hoping he gets everything he wants out of life.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Insta-Love/Lust…It’s a cliché in fiction, both regular and romance, that a lot of readers are just tired of. I admit that I too am one of those people, and part of me was already willing to pass on this story when it happens right away in the story. It’s just not realistic, and Anna’s body’s reaction to when her and Drew’s eyes land on each other for the first time seemed over the top, even if I’m a male myself. You can look at someone and instantly think they’re hot, and maybe you really want to have sex with them right off the bat, but let’s get real… our bodies don’t feel like they’re about to combust with lightning shooting out of our eyes, etc. Not that that’s word for word what happened, but you get my point.
  2. Some of the Dialogue Seemed Off…It’s minor, but there were just a few lines or instances where I couldn’t help but scoff at some of the dialogue written and think “That is not how a college student talks.” Sure, Anna and Drew are both practically AP-level students who are both incredibly intelligent, but even smart people don’t just say certain phrases or words just for the sake of them sounding smart.

Conclusion:

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was a scorching romance with two amazing main characters that were easy to root for and get behind, but what made me really love it was the way the author handled both character’s inner conflicts and how they both had their own coming of age moments that were needed in order for them to end up together and be happy. It made it feel like this story wasn’t just about the romance, it was about personal inner growth too.

I definitely compare this book to the Off-Campus or Briar U series written by Elle Kennedy; both are sports/college-age new adult romance titles, and they both have swoon-worthy leading males that are more than just the playboy womanizers that’s slightly only a part of their reputations. They also share sassy, snarky, intelligent female leads who put the athletes on notice and keep them on their toes.

This is a part of a series, and Drew’s best friend Gray gets the spotlight next time around, so with how much I enjoyed my first ever Kristen Callihan novel, I think it’s safe to say I’m going to be checking it out. I’m not exactly in a big hurry to get my hands on a copy since I have over 80 books stacked up in my bedroom that I still need to finally read, but a review of the sequel in the Game On series is inevitable.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Dark Romance, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: The Raven King (All For the Game #2): by Nora Sakavic

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Publish Date: March 31st, 2016

Number of Pages: 328 Pages

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing

Genre(s): New Adult

***Warning!! This review contains spoilers from the previous book in the trilogy! Continue reading at your own risk, you’ve officially been warned!!***

To see my review of book #1 – The Foxhole Court – Click HERE!

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast for the trilogy – click HERE!

Total Star Rating: 2.5 Stars

He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.”

— Nora Sakavic, “The Raven King”

I wish so much that I loved this sequel like so many other fans do, and maybe this is just another case of the (self diagnosed) ADD I’ve formed during the stay at home with COVID since mid-March that’s made even enjoying a book a major chore because my anxiety and depression have made motivation almost nonexistent for mostly everything but mindlessly binge-watching Netflix and/or Hulu, but I couldn’t get into this book I’m afraid to say!

It wasn’t a completely negative experience at least; I can say I did notice quite a bit in this book that many others can appreciate: The author’s writing has improved quite a bit, and leaves you feeling much more emotionally involved with the characters because let me tell you… the characters are the saviors of these books! The plot moves slow, excessively slow in my opinion, but what really drives the story and gives it so much life are the characters and witnessing them slowly but surely becoming closer to each other, Neil Josten being a catalyst to make it happen. I’m a total sucker for those “found family” stories, especially the ones with a group of outcasts that all come from tragic backgrounds, believe they’ll never have anyone else care one bit about them, but then they form a family with others just like them and show vulnerability because they finally feel safe enough to reveal that side of them!

Literally, give me any works of fiction like that and I am HERE for it!

I can also appreciate the heavier, trigger heavy material that these books have to offer because lately it just feels like a lot of the mainstream literature is what I deem too “safe,” and the fact that these books have material like assault, rape, drugs and alcohol, violence, torture, etc. makes it feel surprisingly achingly real, but also mixed with some over-the-top vibes that remind me somewhat of the ridiculousness that the CW’s Riverdale tv show has become lately. With recent events in my home state of Minnesota and even all over the United States, I do have to point out that this may be my privilege talking because I haven’t experienced any of these traumatic situations in my life, so I know I need to watch how I scoff at people who take the trigger warnings in books more seriously. If anything, it’s shown me the importance of compassion and trying to look through the eyes of someone else and make sure they’re validated too.

I just have to say that the first large chunk of the book was just so BORING for me! I actually almost DNF’d this book because it was so hard to get through and I felt such little interest. I admit I kind of had similar feelings to the first book, but it felt like everything was even more elevated, but unfortunately that also was apparent with my lack of interest in the slower moments. The main highlight was learning more about the past of a lot of the characters, and it makes you really start to understand their methods, actions, and just the way they are in general. Andrew certainly has a traumatic past, to put it mildly!

What It’s About:

The Official Blurb:

The Foxes are a fractured mess, but their latest disaster might be the miracle they’ve always needed to come together as a team. The one person standing in their way is Andrew, and the only one who can break through his personal barriers is Neil.

Except Andrew doesn’t give up anything for free and Neil is terrible at trusting anyone but himself. The two don’t have much time to come to terms with their situation before outside forces start tearing them apart. Riko is intent on destroying Neil’s fragile new life, and the Foxes have just become collateral damage.

Neil’s days are numbered, but he’s learning the hard way to go down fighting for what he believes in, and Neil believes in Andrew even if Andrew won’t believe in himself.

They never pried, but it took him weeks to realize they didn’t have to. They didn’t ask for secrets; they settled for the breadcrumb truths of day to day life. They knew he hated vegetables but loved fruit, that his favorite color was gray, and that he didn’t like movies or loud music. They were things Neil understood only in terms of survival, but his teammates hoarded these insights like gold. They were piecing Neil together and building a real person around all of his lies. They found the parts of him no disguise could change.”

— Nora Sakavic, “The Raven King”

What I Liked:

  1. The Found Family Aesthetic! Like I said it before, I’m a huge slut for these kinds of stories! About to go all psychologist right now, but part of me feels like I’m really drawn to these stories because growing up, I never felt like I fit in anywhere, and that I was a huge outcast. I wasn’t necessarily bullied or a social pariah, but I wasn’t homecoming court material either… I was just there, you know? Having that experience, I really empathize with characters that have so much inner self doubt and have convinced themselves that no one will appreciate them, no one will care, and then barely hold it together when they do eventually find that family they’ve always secretly wanted! When Neil froze in pure shock at Nicky calling him a friend…. Man, did I feel that right in my heart!
  2. The “Raw” and “Heavy” Subject Matter! Maybe it’s not all handled the right way, and I did say this in the previous review too, but I still say I appreciate the darker themes and actions these books have shown. Imagine if shows like Riverdale and Elite were rated R, and that’s pretty much the same vibes as the All for the Game trilogy!
  3. More Character Development! The Foxhole Court was all about simply meeting the characters, so it was nice to see some major character development and motive reveals in The Raven King. I think some of it could’ve been revealed in a more interesting way, but it sure makes for you to maybe understand the characters a little more. You may still not like them a whole lot, but at least understand them a little better. Andrew was a great example of this. You really learn a lot about his tragic past, and you could even say to yourself: “You know, I’d probably go psychotic too if all that happened to me!”

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. The First 60% is BORING…I just couldn’t get into it! I mean, sure it was nice that more background info was revealed about the characters, but it was mostly by having someone other than the actual characters themselves talk about it and sit down with Neil to do so. For me, it felt repetitive at a certain point, and I couldn’t help but feel like this book really dragged.
  2. Andrew & His Drugs…I still don’t entirely follow this whole aspect of the story, and am pretty sure there’s nothing logical behind it other than maybe some plot convenience. Also, I kind of got the impression that Andrew’s “condition” was being manipulated, and that he was being used by Coach Wymack and the rest of the team purely for them to win games by taking advantage of his situation… Maybe I’m wrong, but it felt a little slimy to me, like they weren’t really allowing him to fully recover properly.
  3. Still No Romance…Where is the romance that everyone says is so amazing in these books? Besides so very incredibly small little interactions with Andrew and Neil that could go honestly be interpreted either way, there’s still no romance to get my heart racing, or even hardly enough to still consider it a slow burn… It seems like any of it is all going to be crammed into the next book because I don’t have any proof to make me believe there’s any attraction on Neils end. Andrew does touch him every now and then, but it feels more predatory than romantic. I’m really curious to see how this plays out in the next book.

Conclusion:

Overall, the ending really once again saved the book for me, much like the first book, and while I was disappointed—I was feeling some major sophomore book slump with this one—I am curious enough to see what happens in the next and final book of this whole story, but I’m not exactly racing to grab it right away.

The writing was a lot better, you learn so much more about the characters, and the emotional investment will become a huge factor in whether you love or hate this title (or trilogy as a whole), but I just wish it didn’t take until the last chunk to get there like it did for me. Like I said, maybe it’s the fact that with the pandemic and staying home, but I can’t ignore that I was really bored, and considered adding it to my DNF pile.

I’m also still irked that there’s still hardly any romance by this point because that was a major factor to make me want to explore these books in the first place, but knowing it’s there and how I know I’ll get it in The King’s Men can make me want to continue.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault, drugs and alcohol, violence, torture, stabbing, death, bloodshed

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: Top Secret: by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: May 5th, 2019
Number of Pages: 280 Pages
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
Genre(s): New Adult Romance, LGBT

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

According to one of the authors herself, Elle Kennedy, she said to expect this to be like You’ve Got Mail, but instead of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, you’ve got two frat boys who get hot and heavy all thanks to an anonymous hookup app.

Hot frat boys

Secrets and Lies

Sexting in a frat house

Punctuation humor

Hilarious chat/actual conversations

Enemies to Lovers Trope

Hot sexy times

You can check all these off the list of what is all included in this standalone college romance. I really enjoyed this novel by my New Adult romance Queens, and thought it was such a trip reading how the relationship between the two main characters changed throughout the course of the story.

I can admit that maybe the Fraternity content isn’t for everyone, but I can say that it’s not as heavy of content within the story as I’m sure maybe some potential readers are concerned about. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say some people who like the “American Pie meets You’ve Got Mail meets Love, Simon” vibe will absolutely love it. I personally could care less about it, but it did add for some hilarious moments within the story. The two main characters start off as rivals who are both campaigning to become the new frat president, so of course there are a couple instances where they’re trying to one-up each other, but that’s about it.

The only thing I wish there was more of was I wish there were some more emotionally vulnerable moments with Luke later in the story. I totally get where he comes from with his toxic family and that causing him to close off and assume anyone who seeks him out just wants something from him, but even as him and Keaton made up, I wished for a little more from him.

Other than that, this was another M/M romance that absolutely slaps from the author duo of Sarina and Elle about two college-aged fraternity brothers who meet on an app. I think a lot of younger, new adult readers will also enjoy and really relate to this contemporary romance novel!

What It’s About:

Keaton is a college junior who comes from an extremely privileged background, and while he’s got a lot on his plate with winning football games, winning a campaign to be his frat’s president, and trying to figure out how to tell his father he doesn’t want to take over the business one day and is actually planning to go on a biology expedition next summer instead… his girlfriend of six years tells him that she wants a three-way for her birthday. Always a people pleaser, Keaton begins to open his eyes, broaden his horizons and downloads a fantasy app and meets “SinnerThree.”

Next there’s Luke, who comes from the completely opposite household. Also campaigning for his frat’s presidency (but only for the free rent), he struggles to keep up with school, his toxic family, and making enough money to afford rent and just about everything else. It’s made him turn to becoming a male stripper at a local joint in order to make a decent amount every weekend. Much more open with his sexuality, Luke likes both men and women, and has hooked up with couples in the past thanks to this app, and it’s there where he meets “LobsterShorts.”

The two meet each other online, not realizing who the other is, and begin to chat every day about just about everything. Keaton thinks he’s found the perfect person for his girlfriend’s wishes, but soon he’s discovering more about himself and what he likes, and this begins a love story in one of the most unlikeliest of ways!

What I Liked:

  1. The Chat Conversations! So Luke and Keaton begin chatting anonymously on a hookup app; at first its at the urging of Keaton’s girlfriend wanting a threesome and Keaton is on the search to fulfill that fantasy. They begin to talking about innocent enough conversations—if talking about slug penis jousting, and other animal sex facts is innocent enough—but then it turns much more heated as the girlfriend slowly leaves the conversation and it turns into them wanting to meet each other in person. Anyways, the conversations they share are absolutely amazing and makes you fall in love with them, and it makes it so much better that they have no idea who it is on the other side.
  2. The Enemies-to-Lovers Trope! It’s more rivals to lovers, because while they’re not sworn enemies, Luke and Keaton aren’t on the best of terms at the start of the story. They’re actually competing against each other to become Frat President and have challenges set ahead that they must fulfill. There’s tension between them, but slowly that tension shifts as they discover who they both are, in real life and through their anonymous chats on the app.
  3. Fraternity Hijinks! Like I mentioned earlier, there’s a definite American Pie vibe with the frat parties thrown by our two love interests. Luckily, even one of them stops a major hazing scheme that gets thrown into the mix as well, avoiding that sticky subject that has plagued the whole reputation of fraternities for such a long time. In fact, it paints frats in a mostly positive that they aren’t all just bro-y, toxic masculinity, and completely trashy d-bags. Even one of the brothers is openly gay.
  4. The Orca Expedition is Real! Keaton is at school seeking a degree in Biology, and throughout the story mentions an internship he really wants to partake on: going down the coast of Chile in search of a specific species of Orcas (Killer Whales). What I didn’t know until some reviewer on Goodreads pointed out, but this expedition actually happened in real life! HERE is an article I found on the trip a small group of scientists took in January 2019! Just the fact that this was a real thing added a lot to the story!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Cliché Character Backgrounds…While I absolutely adored both Luke and Keaton, I can admit they’re backgrounds/backstories were pretty cliché. Keaton comes from an extremely wealthy background with rich, socialite parents, and his dad has expectations for him to take over the family business one day, so he hovers over Keaton’s daily life at school and inserts himself when it’s not necessary. Luke is the exact opposite. He’s a towny and has a poor family; his mom is always asking for money and his delinquent brother just got released. They’re both toxic to him and only want extra money, and it’s led to Luke looking down on himself and closing himself off to others.
  2. The Possibility of Cheating…Now, this is a slippery subject, but I know it could be seen as triggering for certain readers. While I didn’t have a problem with this in the story, I know some others might. I’m talking about the chat conversations between “SinnerThree” and “LobsterShorts.” Basically, at a certain point it turns to what they want to do to each other once they meet, get pretty sexual, and some readers could view this as cheating since Keaton is still with his girlfriend when this all goes down. They never actually do anything physical with each other, but some do consider even a side conversation like this as cheating on one’s significant other. So, any sensitive readers should take this as a possible trigger warning!

Conclusion:

Another amazing M/M contemporary new adult romance from an amazing writing duo of Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen. Those who loved their other novels, especially the last book they wrote together: HIM. This time there’s less sports involved and more Fraternity dynamics, but the same aspects that made anyone enjoy their other titles will devour this one too.

I recommend this title to anyone who loves stories like Love, Simon (aka: Simon vs. The Homo Sapien’s Agenda in book form by Becky Albertalli), or the raunchy comedy of the American Pie movies, but of course you have to add an LGBT romance there too!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell