Mini’s: It’s not you – it’s me edition

Here’s a quick round up of books that didn’t really work for me but might be just the book for you…



There’s a drawer I never open. It holds a picture I never look at. It reminds me of a day I hate to remember, but I’ll never forget.

I’d give anything to be like the other girls on campus. Going to parties, flirting with boys, planning for a future. But that’s not me. And hasn’t been since the day my parents died. The only thing that got me through was Griffin. Even though I didn’t have my family, I always had him. Only, now I’m not so sure I do.

It’s not just the eleven hundred miles separating us now that I’m at college. And it’s more than his band finally taking off, and all the gigs and girls suddenly demanding his time. It’s like everything is different—the way we talk, the way we text . . . the way he looks at me and the way his looks make me feel.

Griffin has been the only good thing in my life since that horrific day. I can feel our friendship slipping away—and I’m terrified of what will be left in its place. ~ Goodreads


My thoughts: I was afraid to read this at first. I thought it was going to be super sad and angsty but it wasn’t at all. In fact there was so little drama it was kind of boring.

Despite having the lingering memory of 9/11 as a backdrop (Jillian’s parents were killed on that day) and tension filled relationship with her sister, not a whole lot happens, except for her pining over Griffin. And it’s so clear that he loves her – there’s no drama there either. I wish the story focused more on Jillian gaining independence minus Griffin (she basically needs Griffin to breath) but she never really achieves that goal.

Why you should give it a go anyway: This is a sweet friends to lovers romance – very low angst with positive friendships between girls.

***

When Honey Perribow traded in her cowboy boots for stilettos and left her small Kentucky town to attend Columbia University, she never expected to find a dirt-cheap apartment or two new best friends. No stranger to hard work, Honey is completely focused on her medical degree … until she sees newly minted professor Ben Dawson, and her concentration is hijacked. Honey is fascinated by her gorgeous young English professor and vows to find a crack in his tweed-wearing, glasses-clad exterior.

At an off-campus party, an accident lands Ben in a dark, locked closet with a sexy-sounding Southern belle … and their chemistry is explosive. But when he discovers that the girl in his arms is the same beautiful student he can't stop thinking about, he is stunned. Student-teacher relationships are strictly forbidden … yet no matter how hard he tries, Ben can't stay away from Honey.
And when his attempt to fight their attraction nearly ruins the best thing that ever happened to him, Ben will do anything to prove how much he needs her. ~ Goodreads


My thoughts: I really disliked this book and it’s hero – Ben. I get that characters screw up and grow over the course of the book but Ben’s transgressions just got worse. There be spoilers ahead! Highlight to view:

Ben was a Grade A douchebag. None of his lame explanations or past explain away his behavior - especially with *the* letter. SPOILER –> He writes a letter to the Dean about Honey coming on to him to protect his job if she ever tries to accuse him of sexual harassment. Fine. Good idea. Except by that point HE has crossed the line. Multiple times. And lied his ass off in the letter to save himself. He's willing to ruin a girls career because he can't keep it in his pants. I should point out that he didn’t send it but the fact that he thought it was ok to even write and not tear up immediately before someone else could - grrrrr

If you don't want to date a student I get that. But don't use that ridiculous dad story as your excuse. SPOILER –> His father had an affair with an underage student who lied about her age - costing dear old dad his career. Ben's take away - young women are conniving liars out to ruin your life. Not that his dad is an asshole who cheated on his mother and who keeps dumping his families for increasingly younger girls.

And as for Honey - I liked how she let Ben have it and walked away when he was an ass. But then ya know - he's sexy so..... And as much as I didn't have a huge problem with the age/student thing - it was a policy of the school and she knew that. And didn't care. It really could have cost him his job but whatevs...

Then we have soulmate love by the end when I think they have had maybe one full conversation the whole book. It's telling that *after* the big HEA ending she realizes and comments that she doesn't even know where Ben lives.

I adored the first book, Chase Me, and I'm looking forward to Russell and Abby's story but this one didn't work for me at all.

Why you should give it a go anyway: If you aren't burned out on the super hot - dirty talking, mostly sex/little plot NA genre.