Short & Sweet (16)

Mini-reviews of New Adult and Romance novels that I enjoyed

The Goal (Off-Campus #4) by Elle Kennedy 

pub 9/26/16 by CreateSpace
NA - Contemporary

1 Line Summary: One unexpected night between no-nonsense, on her way to law school Sabrina James and sweet and genuine good guy Tucker changes both their lives. 

The Couple: Wow, these two are my second favorite couple in the series and I didn't see that coming at all! But they were just the right amount of sweet, sexy and complicated.
The Plot: The one night stand turning college students into parents isn't a NA plot I've read many times (or at all?) but Kennedy made it work. I loved that the characters were driven individuals. I loved that Sabrina had a dream of becoming a lawyer and she wouldn't let go of it. I also loved that she didn't just fall into the relationship even though Tucker is so wonderful that it would've been easy to. And OMG Tucker. He didn't really catch my attention in the previous books but it's impossible not to love this guy.
Reservations: None!
Do I recommend?: Yes! This was the only Off-Campus book I wasn't sure how I'd feel about but clearly, I shouldn't have worried!

Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan

pub 8/22/16 by Ever After Romance
NA - Contemporary

1 Line Summary: Summer Stolz naively follows her stepbrother Kevin to college thinking he'd finally notice her but the opposite happens and instead she finds herself attracted to his fraternity brother, Caden Banks.
The Couple: I had such high hopes for this romance! But it didn't quite live up to the oomphf they showed when they first met. But that's because of..
The Plot: Summer. I was actually okay with the plot itself. I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. I mean the girl followed her sleazy stepbrother to college when it was so clear where that was going. But when Caden came onto the page, it was well worth it. He basically demands the reader's attention and I enjoyed his character a lot. But Summer! She was just written so poorly. The author tried way too hard to make her seem sweet and innocent but instead made her come across as ditzy and immature. I could not connect to her at all.
Reservations: 100% Summer. And since she's the main character, it affected the overall book for me.
Do I recommend? No. I was disappointed because I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately the MC made that impossible.

Dirty Thoughts (Mechanics of Love, #1) by Megan Erickson

pub 6/16/15 by Avon Impulse
Romance - Contemporary

1 Line Summary: Cal Payton and Jenn MacMillan were once two high school kids crazy in love but ten years have passed and when their paths cross again, it's obvious things between them are far from over.
The Couple: If you're in the mood for steamy, angsty romance -- look no further. These two have an incredible amount of chemistry together. Cal has got the sexy, brooding tough guy thing going on. (And for good reason.) And Jenna is a confident, bright woman who's figuring out what and who she wants. I loved them together.
The Plot: I really liked the story! It wasn't what I expected at all. There's a ton of focus on family as Caden had to practically raise his brothers and he still works with his father at their mechanics shop (hence the name). Jenna has her own issues with her family but finds support in her best friend and her own determination. Even though their romance is at the center of the book, there's a lot more going on which explains why these two drifted a part in the first place. Which made watching them find their way back to each other that much more satisfying.
Do I recommend? I'm kind of a sucker for second chance romances so this was pretty much right up my alley. I definitely recommend!