4.5 of 5

ARC provided for an honest review through Netgalley.

Josh is an undergraduate college “bad boy” who enjoys women and parties. His grades have been slipping and he finds himself on academic probation. He is forced to meet with a counselor. He never expects a young woman, Bri, to walk in with her conservative pantsuit looking “hot”. Graduate student, Bri, has her goals set and is working hard towards finishing college to become a full time academic advisor. To finish, she has a job as an academic counselor, helping the students on academic probation. When cocky and extremely handsome Josh walks into her work, she is immediately attracted to him. Can she help Josh with his slipping grades and can Josh help her “relax” and have fun?

I really enjoyed this love story! (Heads up: this story has hot chemistry but its “PG-13ish”. The love scenes do not go into great details). It was captivating, refreshing and realistic. The bad boy meets good girl theme was thrilling and made the interactions between the two main characters, Josh and Bri, fun! I really enjoyed the “awkward” situations Bri was put into and loved how she handled herself.

The characters! The author, Jessica, did a great job at making me dislike Josh in the very beginning. His player ways was a huge turn off but as the story progressed and I learned more about Josh, I began to like him a lot. His character development is fantastic. He is such a well-rounded character with a great back story. The hardships that he has been through and faces in this story really add many dimensions to his character. I really enjoyed the interactions between him and his father, stepmother and stepsister. His family was essential to his story and I am glad Jessica expanded on them. Bri, just like Josh, also has a complex back story. Her past, family and boyfriend, Brett, really set the stage of the person she is and who she becomes. In general, I felt all the characters (family and friends) in this story were essential and played a huge role in moving the two main characters forward. I loved it!

The only thing I can complain about is that this book is too short for all the details. Yes, I know books cannot last forever but I wanted more. I wanted more details. I wanted more of Josh’s back story when it comes to his mother, I wanted more back story when it comes to Bri’s childhood.

If you are looking for a fun and refreshing read – check this book out. I am so excited to check out Jessica Ruddick’s other books! I am now fan!