Annah Conwell: All That Glitters

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243534739-all-that-glitters

Book Blurb:

They were best friends, until he betrayed her.

Marigold Belmore wants nothing more than to forget about Jameson Sinclair. So what if they’ve been friends since elementary school? Who cares that he was the one person she trusted most in the world?

Jameson showed her how little she mattered to him when he stole the internship they swore not to apply to. That kind of betrayal isn’t something a person brushes under the rug.

Marigold tries to escape Jameson’s brooding stares, but between their shared classes and working on the paper together, the task seems impossible. She refuses to let his presence get to her, but when she’s forced to document his road to hockey stardom, it becomes more and more difficult to ignore the tension.

As banter is exchanged and secrets are revealed, Marigold becomes certain they can never go back to being just friends.

All That Glitters is a college hockey romance with all the sizzle, none of the spice. If you love sports, found family, and academia, you’ll love the second book in the RomCom University series.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC  *College Romance *Sports Romance (Hockey)  *Betrayal *drama

*child hood best friends --> rivals --> more *broken Trust *miscommunication/no communication

*Green flag MMC *just kisses  *State Challenge Georgia *Young adult

Thoughts:

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ALC 

Marigold (FMC) and Jameson (MMC) are both members on the school paper at first we just know Jameson to be Marigold's rival since he is the editor's favorite and seems to get all the praise in their team meetings... then it's shown that Marigold and Jameson used to be best friends until a betrayal happened. 

Marigold and Jameson decided that neither of them would apply for the internship until a series of events led to Jameson applying and actually getting the internship... Marigold couldn't believe that he would do this to her knowing how much this meant.  Jameson had his reasons but since she has been shutting down any conversations he tries to have about it he can't even apologize.

Marigold is burning the candle at both ends over loaded with classes, the paper, and now this special segment for the paper involving following the hockey team... which she has to work on with Jameson and he is on the team... she was hoping to get a break from him and sulk in peace over their lost friendship but how can she when he's everywhere she looks.

Jameson continues throughout the book to be a faithful friend to her even when she won't even speak with him, he is kind, protective and so sweet... seriously they have been friends since 3rd grade and she can't even give him time to explain himself?  

While this was a cute cozy listen, the main drama appeared in the form of Marigold being over the top upset over this internship that Jameson got and she didn't all because he didn't tell her when she hadn't been talking to him at the time... how was he supposed to tell her when she had been avoiding him?  

I think this book would have been better if the story had taken place in middle school or high school I just feel if they had been best friends since 3rd grade... an adult reaction would have been to have some form of conversation about it to allow him to explain what happened, but I found myself getting irritated with Marigold because every time he tried to talk to her about it she would run off or shut him down saying she didn't want to talk about it and he had betrayed her, I just didn't see it being that big of an issue and if they were really that good of friends she should have been proud of him for getting the internship out of all the candidates instead of treating him like hot garbage while he continued to try to win her and her friendship back.  

If you are not a fan of miscommunication/no communication you probably won't like this one it is a big portion of the book.  I might check out the rest of the series at some point. 

Have you read this one?  what did you think? 

Riley Paige: Kiss Me First

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242868907-kiss-me-first

Book Blurb:

Joining the insomnia thread at PCU was supposed to be harmless, a place to burn through the quiet hours with strangers who'd never know my name. A way to take my mind off the NHL scouts breathing down my neck.

Just honesty at 2 a.m. with a girl I only know as LittleTooMuch.

I didn't plan to fall for her. But somewhere between the late-night confessions and the things I'd never say out loud, I did.

Then Harlow walks into my life—guarded, beautiful, and my team captain’s little sister.

The more time I spend with her, the harder it gets to ignore the feeling that I already know her.

And if I'm right, I'm in a lot of trouble.

Tropes: 

*Hambright PR ARC/ALC  *Hockey Romance *College Romance  *Mental Health rep

*Check your Trigger warnings *Brothers Best friend *Brothers Team Mate *Anonymous Penpals

*He falls first *Slow Burn *spice   *Long term Grief  *You've got mail vibes *Golden retriever MMC

*Toxic Ex  *Found family *friends to lovers  *State Challenge California (Repeat)

Thoughts:

To Start with I would like to thank the author and Hambright PR for this ARC/ALC Copy, I'm a big Hockey romance fan and when I saw this pop up in my email I was right on top of submitting my request!

Grayson (MMC) is a hockey star on the college team and even though many might think he has it easy he is battling performance anxiety, high expectations that have been placed on him and long term grief over the loss of his brother which has led to long nights as he struggles with Insomnia, thankfully he has found a kindred spirit online a girl (so they say) on the schools forum for their Insomnia thread that calls themselves "LittleTooMuch" even though he's never met her in person he spends late nights chatting with her and looks forward to the next time they talk.

I appreciated the online friendship portion of this book it was sweet and reminded me of You've got mail where they are falling for eachother's personalities first and even though they've never met they already have a strong bond, they talk about anything and everything late into the night and are building that trust that sometimes takes years to form.

Harlow (FMC) has struggled with mental health over the years after the decline of a high school relationship sent her spiraling since then everyone checks in on her (possibly too much) but she's finally doing ok even though she spent some time taking online classes she feels this is her time to join people her age and get out and start living her life again, while she loves her older brother he is towards the over protective and over bearing side, but she has been getting to know a few of his team mates better including Grayson, and she has an online friend that she really can't live without they talk every night and maybe part of the reason things are so great is because they haven't met in person.

The more time Grayson spends with Harlow the more he sees the similarities between his best friends younger sister... and the online girl he's never met but dreams about... this is possibly too big to be a coincidence but at this point things are going well she's opening up to him as herself in person and what if it's not her?  But if it is her will she feel betrayed like he's keeping secrets? 

Harlow is relatable to anyone who has gone through school bullying she's a beautiful girl but struggles with self doubt due to things toxic people have said in the past, it was moving to see her pull herself from the darkness and come out on top.  

Grayson is the ideal green flag book boyfriend he's patient, kind, caring he knows that Harlow has had these struggles in the past and he is there for her without being an overbearing presence, he's very mature for his age (such a sweetheart, I love him!) 

Their relationship didn't feel rushed and the longer they spent time together it felt more inevitable it was meant to be.

If you are a hockey romance fan and enjoy the above tropes add it to your list!  This was a sweet story of two college aged kids who were struggling but found safety in each other.  

some negatives for me:

There were a few side plots that were picked up occasionally but just got dropped so I don't know if those will pick back up in the next book or not, It might be interesting to check out the next in the series.  

I did listen to the ALC for part of this book and the narrators did a great job but I just struggled with the way the book was written at times it was repetitive, I felt like some character in the book asked Harlow if she was "Ok" every other paragraph I found myself getting irritated for the girl everyone is walking on eggshells treating her like she's super fragile it's hard for her to have progress when she's being so sheltered.  

Could just be a me thing but her being in a constant state of stress/anxiety was causing me to have stress and anxiety... I'm reading to relax.   

The other thing that took me out of the story was sometimes there were so many analogies I was wondering if we would ever move towards more actual plot, it was a lot of filler and led to nothing much happening for many pages/chapters but the same stuff.

There was a big build up to the game against her ex then it happened and ended so quickly we don't even fully know what happened after discipline wise, like what!? 

S. Rena: On Thin Ice

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239680503-on-thin-ice

Book Blurb:

God of Malice meets Pucking Around in this spicy hockey romance where one freshman becomes the twisted obsession of three university hockey players.

I only have one shot to make a life for myself, and more than just my future is on the line. My baby brother is still back in the dump I escaped from, still living in a house of cigarette butts stuffed in beer cans and slurred arguments. So now that I've gotten to Sovereign Kings University, I have to make it worth it. I'll keep my eyes down, ignore the rich kids’ taunts, and graduate.

At least that was my plan before I busted the knee of a hockey player. Having possibly ruined the team’s chance of a championship, I'm now the target of the players. The golden boy captain, Alexander, is the ringleader of my popular bullies. Every day Kane—the tall, dark and perpetually pissed-off defense—finds a way to humiliate me. Yet, being painfully ignored by the huge, reserved goalie they call Mountain may just hurt the most.

When the guys aren’t making my life a living hell, they’re twisting me up inside with desire and giving me glimpses of the real them. But can I risk losing my heart to one hockey player—let alone all three? I’m certainly in for a long, hard season.

*College Romance  *Hockey/sports  *Darker vibes  *Enemies --> More  *why choose 

*spice  *taboo relationship *rich kids/poor kids  *Bully *Trigger warnings (check yours) 

*death of parent (in the past)  *family drama  *multi-cultural characters *Netgalley ALC 

*Multiple POV  *family secrets 

Thoughts: 

Sam (FMC) has had a tough life made even tougher since her mother passed away and she's stayed in custody of her step father to protect her younger brother.  Only now she's leaving her brother to focus on her studies at a new college across town if she does well there this will be huge for both of them she can fight for custody and give them both a better life.

Shortly after arriving she sees a familiar face in Kane (MMC #1)... only he doesn't welcome her like she thought he might he is moody and pushes her away.  Kane doesn't want Sam at his school she knows his history that he has worked so hard to hide from everyone (including his closest friends) and he needs to keep things together finish out the school year and make sure that his mother (who is mentally ill) continues to receive the care she needs in the super expensive facility he can't do any of that if Sam gets in his way.

Alex (MMC 2), Kane, and Mountain/Bryden (MMC #3) live together in the house that Alex's father has bought for them off campus even though he's not supposed to Alex throws a big party.  One of the popular girls invites Sam and she finds herself in a predicament where she is cornered by one of the Hockey players outside it's fight or flight and she fights... originally set on keeping her head down and pushing herself to succeed flying under the radar this just put her on the map for all the wrong reasons and now everyone is mad that she just possibly ruined the teams chances at finals which is coming up soon. 

Instead of listening to what happened at the party the leadership at the school takes the hockey player's side... but she is at that point thrilled not to be expelled, although her sentence might be worse she now has to work as the hockey players assistant (sharpening blades, filling up waters, clean up, washing jerseys) all while surviving the bullying and taunting that is now happening.

My heart went out to Sam she was put in a terrible situation and was trying to make the best of things in a world where the rich and powerful rule.  Throughout the book the lead characters lives all intertwine but for a good majority they are not "together" it is more of a love triangle (square?) until the last 5 or so chapters when things come together... *I will put a spoiler down below

All of these characters are dealing with their own hard times but over the course of the story you see Sam falling for each of the guys for different reasons.  There is a lot of family drama going on throughout this Alex's dad is the head of the school and he is shady and secretive.  Wanting to find out why she is even at the school Sam uncovers news to her that her mother went to this same college she never told her she went there and since she has passed she can't ask her any questions wanting to find out more she begins to investigate which leads down a rabbit hole of bad things that happened and were covered up but someone doesn't want Sam digging and when she begins to receive threats who is there for her... all 3 of these guys and if she's being honest with herself... and the guys when it comes down to it she can't let go of any of them.

I didn't really dislike any of the main characters but certain parts felt rushed especially the ending.  I only truly felt Sam developed a relationship naturally with Bryden as they built a friendship after being paired together in one of their classes for Alex and Kane it was more of a insta lust situation even though she did know Kane previously he went out of his way to not be friendly to her when she re-entered his life.  I appreciated the mystery in the story I just wish that that this section was built up better instead of being rushed towards the end of the book and I think that it could have been extended instead of having a spicy situation right after the big reveal of all of the information. 

I listened to this as an ALC and felt all of the narrators did a great job with their parts.  This one was just ok for me I feel that there was too much going on at the end which is another reason in how it felt really rushed to wrap everything up.

**Possible spoiler***

Kane knows and has known that he and Alex share the same father, the father has been paying for Kane's mother to be in an expensive mental health institution if he keeps quiet and doesn't announce that he is his illigitamet son.... two brothers being with the same girl at the same time and then in a relationship with her after I'm not a fan of this plot point... family shouldn't be getting that close, that parts a no for me.  

Skye Daniels: Where you should've been

 Promise me - The College years (Book 2)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246749054-where-you-should-ve-been

From what everyone else can see Theo has it all he's a handsome football star who is the life of every party he's always charming and he can get any girl he wants... except for the one he's always wanted in fact he may never have what he truly wants because he's been at least half, if not all the way in love with his best friend's girl since they were teenagers.  Even though Theo has a loving family he always has concerns of feeling like he doesn't fully belong since being adopted and lost his adoptive parents at a young age (his aunt and uncle took him in and they are true family goals).

Amy's whole world falls apart when she's still in high school her parents split after her dad's infidelity and while she has her mom it unfortunately isn't for long enough when she becomes ill and passes away she has lost her dad since he rarely to never even visits and now losing her mom she holds on to what she has in the moment her friend group and her on again off again boyfriend Liam.

Amy and Theo a few years into college live in a large house with their friend group... Amy continues her toxic relationship with Liam while wondering what is going on with Theo... seriously what is up with him he's hot and cold with her and their relationship is strained at best, she can't do this much longer she feels like it will tear their friend group apart but maybe this time when Liam decides it's time for a "Break" she needs this to be permanent she can't keep going around in a circle with him and they are not end game.

Newly single Liam uses his time like he always does with other women... this time Amy decides that she can play that game too and what better way to let loose and have a little fun than with campus ladies man Theo.  

After an innocent enough comment leads to campus gossip Amy is in need of Theo to be her "boyfriend" so she doesn't look like she is hopping from player to player on the football team and Theo is happy to play the part.

Theo and Amy knows they are playing with fire... this could mess up both of their relationships with Liam and their friend group... but both proceed anyways Theo knows he needs this chance to prove that he's the right guy for her even if his heart gets crushed in the process, while for Amy it just starts out as some fun but older feelings she's kept hidden resurface.

When Amy begins to deal with old family secrets and family drama she begins to realize that the one who has always been there for her and still is has been Theo... but can they truly have a happily ever after together when being together could potentially destroy their friend group as they know it?

*college romance *Sports romance (Football) *Indie Author  *childhood friends *Frienemies --> more

*spice *fake dating *found family *ex-boyfriends best friend *slow burn *long term pining 

*Grief and healing  *Family drama *State Challenge --> Texas 

 *second in series but could potentially be read as a stand alone

Thoughts:

From book 1 I loved Theo you could tell that even while he was playing up his party boy persona there was more beneath the surface he was playing up his life of the party image to hide his insecurities about feelings of long term grief and knowing that the girl he fell in love with years ago is in a loop of going back to her ex, he can't keep doing this either every time they break up she runs to him for support only to ditch him when they get back together.

Amy on the other hand is struggling with the pressure of always doing what everyone else wants she wants to feel truly loved and isn't sure she will ever get that from Liam... in fact she is tired of all the campus gossip... it's truly painful to hear all of Liam's conquests with the girls on campus when they are "off" and it's time that she makes some changes while she doesn't want to be alone she has been feeling plenty alone lately and doesn't want to keep hurting everyone around her while she's floundering to keep together a relationship that clearly is no longer working.

I read the first book earlier this month and was waiting for the next one in the series to find out what happened for Theo and Amy and it did not disappoint.  While I wasn't a huge Amy fan in the first book the second book clears the air and you see things from her side and why she was feeling so alone it didn't take long before I was rooting for our girl to go after what would make her happy and stand up to the men in her life who were making her feel less than. 

I loved Theo finally stepping up and going for what he wanted he had waited so long for her to recognize that what they had could be amazing if she would just let down her walls and see how they could be together.  This book is about loss and healing, learning self care even if that means cutting people out of your life that are not good for your mental health, moving forward to the unknown after big secrets are revealed and finding true love... it's there right in front of you if you are just willing to take those steps.  

I adored this book and can't wait for the next in the series!    

Lena Knight: Nothing's fair in Love & Basketball

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242241104-nothing-s-fair-in-love-basketball

Ty is the new transfer to the basketball team shortly after arrival he ends up seeing MJ in the forced dance class that his team has to go to… he never believed in love at first sight until now.

MJ is beautiful and athletic she is the captain of the Volleyball team… which she enjoys but it wasn’t her original dream she had big plans to play basketball until the dark day everything changed for her the game she once adored she can’t even watch in person anymore… or pick up a basketball, the person she thought would be her biggest support turned against her and even now years later she can’t bring herself to go towards temptation that is Tyler… he’s handsome, charming and sweet but he’s a basketball player she can’t go there again…

Ty is patient and he can wait he can see how special MJ is and from his own painful past can see she’s been through something that will take time to navigate, but while he waits he can be her friend… and just maybe he will be there in the right place and the right time and when she realizes that he is worth the risk and it will be EVERYTHING!

Once MJ starts to let her walls down she comes face to face with her past will Ty be able to help her through it or will this be the end? 

*Sports Romance (Basketball MMC, Volleyball FMC) *college romance *love at first sight (MMC)

 *”who hurt you?”  *he falls first *spice *slow burn

 *Mental health representation  *found family  *Troubled past  

 State Challenge: New York

 *Indie Author 

 Trigger warnings à discussions of past history of abuse

Likes:  

This was a sweet story between MJ and Ty who both have had a troubled past history but are both patient with each other and when our FMC lets down her walls and allows Tyler to love her it is beautiful.

Likeable lead characters and side characters.  Tyler was raised with 4 other boys with their foster mother and they are true family goals.  Their friend group is great as well leading to additional found family.

If you are looking for a college sports romance that has h{e}art check this one out! 

Neutral:

Lots of pop culture references to songs I haven’t heard and books I haven’t read yet, I don’t usually listen to play lists in books but if you like books with a playlists you will probably enjoy this part of the book.

I felt the situation with one of the other students at the school and MJ was wrapped up pretty quickly and thought it would have had a bit longer section.

There were a few other sections that I felt would have had a different outcome in real life (mainly related to our MMC and a bit of a temper when it came to protecting our girl…) àI know that some of these things were made to be more dramatic for the plot though so not a big issue.

Skye Daniels: Where you've always been

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243300617-where-you-ve-always-been

Noah and his family move across the state (Texas) after his father loses his job thinking his life as he knows it is changing (and not necessarily in a good way) when they move into his grandmother's home he is surprised to find that there are other kids in his new neighborhood and instead of ditching him they bring him into their friend group with open arms, he is especially enamored with this fiery red head who has already decided for him that they are going to be best friends forever.

Ella struggles with PTSD after an event from childhood led to her not liking to be anywhere that she can't easily get out of because of that she sits at the end of the booth, doesn't like crowds and has probably relied too much (her thoughts not his) on her best friend Noah when she's struggling with her anxiety.  

Noah struggles with emotions from long term grief over the loss of his father at a young age and feelings of having to become the "man" of the house early on he has been taking care of others for ages and that includes all of his friends he doesn't mind doing it he is happy to help.  Noah, Ella and their friends all live together in a large house making for some light hearted funny moments along with arguments throughout the book.  

Noah and Ella have always said they would never lie to each other but they have both been holding back a big secret... the reason they have never been able to make a relationship work with anyone else is because they both have been in love with each other since the day they met.

But are they brave enough to face the truth and tell each other how they feel taking that big leap from friendship into the unknown of something so much more?  Will their new relationship status be able to survive the ups and downs when other secrets kept are revealed?  

*2026 read  *State challenge- Texas  *Friends to more *childhood best friends  *slow burn

*spice  *college romance  *Indie author *mental health representation  *grief  

*dual POV  *mutual long term pining  *she's more experienced  *soul mates

Thoughts:

This is a really sweet story about finding the love of your life at a young age and being afraid to take that next step towards something more than friendship due to not wanting to change what they have... but both knowing that their love is true and inevitable. 

The lead characters faced real life serious issues related to mental health and dealing with anxiety, PTSD and loss the author deals with all of these issues in a thoughtful way.  

The lead characters are easy to love and I also loved their friend group who were loud, sometimes meddling and borderline obnoxious but always true friendship goals.  

There were some truly laugh out loud moments that I could see happening when you are living with that many people at that age group in a big house.   

The story was heartfelt and I truly enjoyed it!  I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series which comes out later this month.  

Lola Lockhart: Seeds of Betrayal

 Book 2 University of Mountain Springs

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221655958-seeds-of-betrayal

I grabbed this 2nd book from book sirens after I finished reading the 3rd book in this series (I haven't read the first book yet... but plan to) even though it's in a series they can be read as a stand alone book.  I would recommend reading them in order however if you want 0 spoilers for how things are going with other couples as they make appearances throughout the books.

To start off with Tara and Alfie have a wild night that ends in trespassing in one of the university buildings they are caught on camera kissing then going off camera where something unknown happens and shortly after the sprinkler system goes off potentially ruining a lot of projects in the process... they didn't have anything to do with it but since they can't 100% prove it and the college can't prove that they did anything to set it off they are sentenced to community service around the campus with each other over the duration of the summer break.

Alfie may have had something to do with their lighter sentence since his wealthy family donates a lot of money to the school and his mother is part of several boards... she is quite intimidating and pushy especially when it comes to her sons and what she thinks they ought to be doing even going to great lengths to set up arranged marriages, well Alfie saw his older brother Drake get roped into a marriage like that and it's not for him he's not going to do it so naturally he does what any rational person would do when told he is needed to go on a joint family vacation with the potential "wife's" family... he lies and says he already has a girlfriend only he doesn't and his family is coming to town to meet her in just a few short weeks... he's got this he just needs to find a "girlfriend" to go a long with this wild plan.

In comes Tara (Alfie's best friend's younger sister) they had a night together that they really haven't talked much about and clearly there is chemistry but they can be in a fake relationship, fool his uptight rich family into thinking they are together for real and then go their separate ways no big deal!  right?  

Alfie has always been a quiet guy who keeps to himself and also bottles up his emotions he wouldn't want to embarrass the family name after all.  His family are pretty into proper lineage and overly high expectations of life direction (except for his grandparents his grandfather passed away but gave him his love of science and his grandmother is a delight). 

The more time they spend together the closer they get, lines get crossed and completely obliterated at times and as much as they try to keep walls up it's hard to when you are with someone who sees you for who you are and still wants to be there for you.  

Alfie and Tara both have trust issues for different reasons to work through and this becomes an ongoing issue throughout the story line leading to a bit of no communication at times and walls going back up just when they were starting to come down.   

This was a cute college romance with a side of humor and some really sweet moments between our couple.  I did find the no communication situation a bit much at times and was hoping that they would just get themselves together sooner it was clear to everyone at that point that there were real feelings just kiss and make up already!  

I enjoyed the banter between our couple and loved the side characters as well looking forward to more books in this series!  

*College Romance  *Older Brother's best friend  *protective MMC  *Fake Relationship  *Grumpy/sunshine  *some spice  *slow burn  *RomCom  *Dual POV  *Found family

*grand gesture from MMC  *ARC  *Book Sirens

Katie Karambelas: Before we Break

 ARC read 2025

This story is told from 3 viewpoints our lead FMC Tess has had a tough life being a foster kid and has gone through stuff that no child should ever have to worry about, the death of both parents at a young age and being transferred from home to home led to no real ties to family when her last foster mom got too close she ran... all the way across the country on a scholarship to start college.  

Tess is a freshman and gets talked into going to a college party where she runs into Jake, he is hot he knows it and so does everyone else... when he spills beer onto her and offers to wash her shirt she lets him it also starts a friendship but he is hiding some news, he has a long distance girlfriend who comes to visit occasionally.  Tess finds this out early on in the story but is still hurt that she felt he was leading her on a bit and not mentioning the girlfriend was a big no for her but even after this Jake goes on to become her best friend.

There is chemistry and tension between Jake and Tess for the remainder of the book... but even with that Jake continues to date his girlfriend and Tess starts a relationship with his best friend and room mate Brayden.

Brayden is quiet/shy where Jake is loud and impossible to miss as the handsome life of every party, Brayden becomes the safer option for Tess and she for the first time in a long time feels like she has found a "home" staying with the guys frequently and getting closer to both men you see her relationship grow closer and you wonder what will happen with this love triangle since we as the reader are seeing both guys fall for Tess... and along the way she loves them both for different reasons.  

Brayden has been hiding something from his best friends and his family he has been struggling with the news himself and how he will let his loved ones know that he's sick and how will they look at him after knowing about his illness?      

This story has some truly emotional and heartbreaking moments so before you decide to read this one check your trigger warnings.  

*College romance  *Love Triangle  *three POV's  *sick boyfriend *insta love  *forbidden romance 

 *found family  *Best friends girl  

Have you read this book?  what did you think?  

--->  below may contain spoilers read at your own discretion --> 

Trigger Warnings:  *Cheating  *Substance use (drugs, underage drinking)  *illness (cancer) 

*suicide  *Death  *loss of parents  

my thoughts on the book:

I obtained this ARC and I know from my own experience that not every story will be for everyone but I did appreciate the opportunity to read this. 

This book was not for me but I'm sure that many others will enjoy it.  I felt throughout the book that Tess had a stronger bond with Jake and Brayden was a bit of a side character.  Tess and Brayden really didn't have enough on page engagement to progress their relationship to the point where I would see how they could be "in love" so when that was thrown out there I was like what? we barely know them together as a couple at all and they have only been "together" for a few months there was more on page chemistry between Tess and Jake the whole book.  There are some time jumps and I'm guessing a lot of off page encounters between Tess and Brayden that would lead to the L word.  

Jake continues to show his interest in Tess even though he has a girlfriend and she is with his best friend leading to some extra drama.  I struggled to get through this book there were a lot of heavy topics and the relationship escalated so quickly it left me feeling like there was something missing from the story, throughout the whole book I felt that Tess and Jake should have been together from the start and felt bad for Brayden and Maggie (Jake's girlfriend).  

There was also another side story with Tess where she ended up losing her virginity to her manager at the bar she worked at and not remembering any of it because she was too drunk... after this that part of her life isn't really brought up again kind of felt like it wasn't really needed for the story.  

Isabella Brimstone: The Sapphire Sonnet

 Hedon Hall Book 1 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235677178-the-sapphire-sonnet

Bree has graduated from high school and is off on a trip of a life time with her best friend they are going to college together and will be rooming together in a run down dorm known as Hedon Hall but it's within their budget and not having much financial support from their families they will take lower cost options where they can.

Bree is a shy girl who doesn't make friends easily but with her best friend Fiona by her side she meets several new friends after starting classes and they become a fast friend group I really loved their interactions and how they became close throughout the book, it's always good to have a group of friends you can count on to have your back and Bree isn't afraid to stand up for her friends when she needs to.

Bree is used to being an unnoticed wallflower but when she catches the attention of a super hot library worker in her first week at school she ends up doing things she never thought she would do... especially in public.  Very steamy Voyeuristic/Exhibitionist and public place scenes throughout the book, the library and classroom scenes woah! 

This story follows Bree over her first few semesters of college where she is on a journey of learning but also one of self discovery and she is finding she would like to be more sexual and lean into it like her fierce friends do she ends up with what seems like the perfect guy for her but when all sorts of red flags start popping up with this guy she is again drawn to the hot librarian who she has continued to text off and on since meeting him early that first semester.

Can Bree get over her negative thoughts and self doubt and get rid of the guy who doesn't put her first and go for the guy she wants even with her concerns that he might just be playing with her heart?  He is so sweet and always telling her how much he wants her he is a poet after all and so handsome he must be a player... right?  

Let me talk a bit more about the spice... if you don't like spice this might not be the book for you, the spice is spicing once it gets there!  there are scenes with FF and MF along  FFM scenes.  The spice in public places scenes had me stressing out about them getting caught!!  Also not going to say much more than this the last spicy scene omg!  

Some typos/repeat lines especially with the text sections but it was easy to over look and will probably end up fixed in the final copy (I received an arc read copy) I don't feel these issues took away from the story and I enjoyed getting to know Bree and her friends I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!  

Would love to ARC read the next in the series if given the opportunity!  

*arc read  *Indie author  *First book  *College romance *young adult  *forbidden relationship/romance 

*spicy  *Single POV from FMC  *friends --> lovers  *Teacher/student  *Voyeur/Exhibitionist  

*happy ending  *Girl power   

*Partner sharing and Polyamory  *Bi & WLW characters also has FFM scenes

**read your trigger warnings list before reading the book**