Review: Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1) by Sophie jordan

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs.

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real. Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: Borrowed by my awesome friend Julie! {{HUGS}}

Review:
I had sworn off most of the New Adult genre after too many over the top, just about the sex, plots. I had heard about Foreplay but after reading the summary, found it contained every single thing I hate about NA, I was like NO THANKS. Then my friend Julie said it was great and offered me her copy to read and Wendy from The Midnight Garden recommended it to me. We have similar likes/dislikes for the genre so I trusted her judgment and took the plunge.

Guys! I loved this book!!

I swear I did not see that coming. A virgin looking for experience with the hot, tattooed, (rumored) man-whore that works at a bar? Trying to woo her life long crush who happens to be her BFF’s brother? No. Just no. I hate all those things! I’ve read them 1000 times. But Jordan does such an incredible job writing a good old school romance. It was sexy. It was fun. And it’s nothing like what the summary suggests.

Both Pepper and Reece have had a difficult childhood that scarred them but it doesn’t devour them like in so many NA novels out there right now. It shapes them – but does not define them. They have school, jobs, friends, money problems. Normal things – normal day to day hopes and dreams.

It’s so refreshing reading about a couple falling in love, really feeling the attraction between them jump off the page and watch them work out the issues that keep them from commiting. There was frustration and angst of course but not in the overwrought, I want to throw this book across the room, way.

The sexual interactions happened a little too soon (IMO) but it’s a slow building romance and even the sex is taken in slower steps so it ended up working for me. We hear over & over how hot Reece is and that gets a tad annoying – but he IS hot lol and NICE! Jordan used a few phrases repeatedly (muscles feathering across his jaw for example) but nothing too distracting.

Final thoughts: To be sure, Foreplay isn’t breaking any new ground but it was fun and the first book in a long time that had me all swoony with butterflies in my stomach for the couple. They were mature with real life problems but didn’t resort to whining and melodrama. I didn’t want it to end – this was a surprisingly fast read.

If you’re feeling jaded about the genre, give this one a shot. It’s still got all the heat but also has characters that have a real life outside of each other and they’re not drowning in a sea of angst.