ARC Review: Want You by Jen Frederick

I have been a fan of Jen’s for a long time, and Want You appealed to me right away with it’s forbidden storyline. I am a huge fan of forbidden romance stories, so this one sounded like it was made for me. After finishing though, I had to take a few days to really let it sink in and gather my thoughts. While there were things I liked here, this didn’t have the same feel as Jen’s past books that I have read and it wasn’t just the darker aspect of this story. Readers should be aware going in that this book could have some possible triggers and proceed accordingly. 

Leka and Bitsy met when he found her in an alley hiding. She was 5 and he was 12. Feeling a connection with her right away and being unable to leave her behind, Leka took her in and vowed to protect and care for her. But as they grew up together things began to change for both of them. Leka will do whatever it takes to protect her, even if that means sending her away. But Bitsy isn’t about to give up on a future with Leka, and is determined to show him that they belong together. 

I liked both Bitsy and Leka. These two did fit together and I didn’t have trouble believing in their connection. It was clear right away that after everything that they had been through that they needed each other. While I didn’t struggle with the characters themselves, I did struggle with their ages and how things went. I found a lot of what they were doing and getting away with to be unbelievable for their ages. Because of that it was hard for me to be fully invested in their story though I liked them. 

I also found that there wasn’t much conflict here and it was easily resolved. It also didn’t seem to be entirely believable for me considering the world and darkness that Leka operated in. Things were supposed to be on the forbidden side, and I see part of that, though for me it wasn’t truly forbidden and felt a bit forced. They were only 7 years apart, weren’t related in any way, and while they did find each other at a young age it was more that they belonged together and fit rather than being a case of Leka raising her or anything like that. So while I liked the characters and the ending of their story, I wasn’t fully invested and didn’t feel like their journey was a believable one. I am curious to see if there will be more in this world after reading the epilogue and I am definitely interested in reading it if there is. While this wasn’t my favorite of Jen’s books, I liked the characters and I do think it is worth the read.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

My Favorite Things Event with Jen Frederick

Jen Frederick is the USA Today bestselling author of Unspoken, part of the Woodlands series, and Sacked, part of the Gridiron series. She also co-writes the NY Times bestselling Royals series under the penname Erin Watt. She lives in the Midwest with a husband who keeps track of life’s details while she’s writing, a daughter who understands when Mom disappears into her office for hours at a time, and a rambunctious dog who does neither. Email her at jensfrederick@gmail.com.

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Downed by Jen Frederick

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Gridiron series by Jen Frederick, and I was excited for Downed. I did worry about whether or not I would like Ace after seeing him in the previous book, but honestly that wasn't a problem here at all. While I did like him and parts of this book, I will admit that I had mixed feelings overall. While I didn't dislike this story, I didn't love it.

After losing the trust of his coach, Ace is sent to a new school despite the fact that he helped them win big. But his reputation precedes him at his new school and his new teammates aren't quick to warm up to him. Unfortunately for him though, the one person who actually appears to want to help him is his new coach's daughter, and the last person that he should be drawn to. But Ace finds himself unable to fight what he is feeling for Bryant. Bryant has spent the last few years reforming bad boys and transforming them into the kind of guys girls want for their boyfriends. But Ace may be her biggest challenge yet, and soon she begins to wonder if she will be able to avoid falling for him. 

I liked Ace as I said, but I will admit that I struggled with Bryant. I found her annoying at times and her "projects" were just unrealistic and too out there for me to really buy. She also came off as full of herself and really self-centered which made it hard for me to connect to her. Ace's exploits were a bit unrealistic as well, and he was the definition of a manwhore before Bryant. It was good to see him turning over a new leaf though and I thought he made a lot of progress here. These two did have chemistry despite the issues I had, and I did like them for one another.

Overall, this was my least favorite book of the series so far, but I did enjoy parts of it. Besides the issues I had with Bryant, I did feel at times that the pacing was off here. It felt slow and boring and there were quite a few places that seemed to drag to me. I wanted to skim and didn't feel 100% invested in the story. I think all of those things are sort of connected though, and if I had been able to like Bryant more I think that might have changed my opinion of everything here. I liked a lot of the secondary characters here though, especially Ace's teammates. We were introduced to some new faces here that I would definitely be interested in getting to know better. This won't be the last I read from Jen Frederick, but it wasn't her best in my opinion.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | 

Interview with Author Erin Watt and Giveaway

Meet Erin Watt (Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy) author of Paper Princess.

My name is Jen Frederick and I live in Iowa with my husband, daughter, and very large dog. I really want a cat though. I keep telling my husband that I won’t be a real writer until I have a cat. I didn’t realize I wanted to be a fiction writer until a few years ago. At the encouragement of a few friends, I turned a NANO manuscript into a real book and I’ve been publishing ever since.

In my downtime, I love to read, craft, and cook. I used to sew for my daughter until she developed a taste for ready made garments. Now the sewing machine is stored away but someday I home to pull it out again.

The best part of writing is interacting with other readers. I love to share what I’m reading and I love to hear what has moved you. Don’t hesitate to contact me at any time!

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Jockblocked by Jen Frederick

I am absolutely loving the Gridiron series from Jen Frederick. Jockblocked is the second standalone novel in the series, and I really enjoyed it! These characters are so much fun to read about, and I find myself getting lost in their world and not wanting to leave. If you are looking for a great football NA series, you have got to read these books! Jen Frederick is a great writer, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series. 

Lucy is used to living her life by avoiding anything that poses a risk to her. She has one goal this year, and that is to win the championship with her mock trial team. But when she meets sexy football star Matt Iverson, she is shocked by the connection she feels to him right away especially considering he is known to be a player on and off the field. But even if she wanted to take a chance on something, she has an agreement with her best friend that she won't date any of his teammates. Matt has just been handed the opportunity to be team captain if he can get the QB to step down and take another position instead. So when Matt finds out that Lucy is Ace's best friend, he immediately thinks he has found his way in. When things between them start to get serious though and Lucy finds out about his plan to help her convince Ace to step down, Matt will have to work harder than ever to show her that things between them are real and not just a plan to help him get his spot as captain.

I really loved Lucy and Matt. Matt was so much more than I ever expected. He was sweet and thoughtful, and charming in a totally endearing way. He was impossible not to fall for and it was easy to see how great of a guy he was. Lucy was loyal and strong, and I loved that she wouldn't be pushed around. She had some insecurities and wasn't great at taking risks, yet she also didn't back down when she was put on the spot. These two together were fantastic! They had a great connection and the chemistry between them was smoking hot! I saw the spark between them from the very first meeting and it just continued to grow as the book progressed. I honestly couldn't get enough of them, and I really just loved their relationship. It was so easy and open, and I really loved how they just fit together. They had a lot of drama surrounding them, and yet I felt like these two were able to handle it together and in a mature way. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved Lucy and Matty together and I really liked seeing more of the guys from the team. It was also great to see Ellie and Knox again from Sacked. I will say that Ace drove me nuts at times here, and he was my least favorite part of this book. While I felt bad for him, there were so many times that his actions made it really hard for me to like him. I didn't like how he treated Lucy here, and it was hard to see how their friendship had survived for so long if that was the norm for their relationship. But this was a great book and luckily Lucy and Matt were able to keep me invested from the very first page, and the few criticisms I had with Ace were easily forgotten with how much I was enjoying this story. I highly recommend this series for NA and sports romance fans. I think it has the perfect balance of humor, steam, sports and romance to keep readers turning the pages and wanting more.

**ARC Provided by Bocci PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Last Hope by Jessica Claire and Jen Frederick

I love when these two authors get together for the Hitman Series but I must say this book was even more off beat than their usual writing. If you've read any of the books by these authors you know that they specialize in delivering...unexpected heroines and heroes. You don't find the typical flawless characters who are perfect even in their imperfections, nope. These authors dream up characters that can actually make you a little uncomfortable with their...quirks.

In this book we have the story of Ava and Mendoza- and here come the quirks. Ava is a model...a hand model...with two different color eyes. I'm telling you, it was really some weird ish. Throughout the book Ava is worried about moisturizing her hands because without hand modeling, she has no other income source. Ava's roommate is kidnapped and for some reason the kidnappers enlist Ava to deliver random ish to random people. I don't really know and frankly it didn't matter much. The point is that Ava finds herself in a foreign country where she meets Mendoza. Mendoza is an assassin who needs to steal the very information Ava needs to deliver in order to save one of his good friends. Now that's a conflict of interest.

In the end (or rather for a long portion of the middle of the book), Ava and Mendoza find themselves stranded on a island where their mutual attraction for one another grows. I gotta say, the development of their attraction and relationship was very WEIRD. Ok, I have to give you a very very mild spoiler next so if you haven't read the book, you might not want to read my next paragraph.

Mendoza's quirk is that he has a huge D!ck. Like, huge huge- the size of a small Louisville slugger (*Blank Stare*). Not only is his equipment unnaturally large, he has an erection for 50% of the book (I'm not kidding) because he can't control his attraction to Ava. I don't know if I should be telling you about the plot and what not but honestly, I was totally distracted between the hand model stuff and the giant peen and that's what sticks out in my mind....like a Mendoza erection. I don't want to give anymore away but the whole sexual thing between Mendoza and Ava was really WEIRD. I can't even say it was sexy, it was just...a lot for me to process. The sex scenes involved an unusual amount of bodily fluids and it was just....weird.

All in all, I was completely sidetracked from the writing, plot and characters by all of the quirkiness. I have no clue if this book is good but it was fascinating, I can tell you that. The plot moves quickly, there is action, suspense and some messy sex. These are two characters who for better or worse you won't forget but the story might take a back seat to some of the details.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: Sacked by Jen Frederick

Sacked is the first book in the new Gridiron series from Jen Frederick. This is a standalone new adult sports romance, and I couldn't wait to read it! This book had pretty much everything that I could ever ask for all rolled into one, and I really enjoyed the story. I loved the characters here, and I am really looking forward to reading more in this series. 

Knox Masters is at the top of his game and is looking to go pro at the end of his junior year in college. He knows that winning the championship is all that matters to make sure the scouts watching him make an offer. But when he meets Ellie Campbell, he knows that he wants more than just a successful football career. Ellie isn't interested in being in a relationship with anyone though, and is determined to keep Knox at arm's length. Not only is he a football player and one of her brother's teammates, but Ellie has a secret that she can't allow anyone to discover. Knox is determined to win her over though, and he will do whatever it takes to show her that they belong together. 

I really liked Knox. He was sweet and sexy, and I really liked that he wasn't your typical football player manwhore. He could have had any number of girls, and yet he chose to save himself for the right one. I loved that he was a virgin, yet he wasn't a total prude either. He had some experience, but he got to explore so much for the first time with Ellie and that was something so refreshing. He didn't judge others for their choices either, and that just made him a great guy all around. Ellie was great as well. She was smart and loyal, and I really loved her relationship with her brother. She was into sports and knew the game, and it was fantastic to see a heroine that knew what she was talking about and could hang with the guys. I also loved that she could tell Knox and his twin apart with no help, and that she never got them confused. That was a big deal to Knox and his brother, and I really liked that she never got them mixed up. These two had so much chemistry together, and they were beyond hot! Right from the start I could tell that things were going to be explosive between them, and I loved every bit of it. Seeing them build a connection past just the physical attraction though was something that I really enjoyed, and I really felt like these two were perfect for one another. 

Overall, this was a great story and start to Jen Frederick's new series. I am looking forward to reading more, as I loved all the secondary characters here. There are so many of them that I would love to get to know better, but I would really love to see more of Ellie's brother Jack! I am so curious to see how things go after everything happened here for him, and I find him very interesting. I will say that there were a couple of things that kept me from giving this one five stars though I did really enjoy this story. One was the fact that this story was very heavy on the insta-love. Knox was claiming she was the one on the first day they met, at about 5% in. I just thought that was a bit too much to really get behind. Not that I didn't believe that they would get there, but it was just too soon for me to fully get behind at that point. The other thing that kept this one from being better for me was how the conflict was resolved here. I don't want to go into details so as not to spoil anything, but with the way they went around the issue they were facing it all just felt a bit cheesy for me. It was so easy and sweet, and I just felt like the whole thing was bit off. I would still recommend this one though, and I am looking forward to more. Jen Frederick is a great writer, and I know I will read more from her in the future. If you are a new adult or sports romance fan, this is definitely one worth giving a shot.

**ARC Provided by Author**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

RFTC Back to School Event with Jen Frederick

My name is Jen Frederick and I live in Iowa with my husband, daughter, and very large dog. I really want a cat though. I keep telling my husband that I won’t be a real writer until I have a cat. I didn’t realize I wanted to be a fiction writer until a few years ago. At the encouragement of a few friends, I turned a NANO manuscript into a real book and I’ve been publishing ever since.

In my downtime, I love to read, craft, and cook. I used to sew for my daughter until she developed a taste for ready made garments. Now the sewing machine is stored away but someday I home to pull it out again.

The best part of writing is interacting with other readers. I love to share what I’m reading and I love to hear what has moved you. Don’t hesitate to contact me at any time!

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick

Not what I was expecting. This is one of my favorite books of this year and is going on the list of my all-time favorites!

The story of Vasily and Naomi kind of snuck up on me. This is the third story in the Hitmen series but it's the first one of the series I've read and my first book by these authors. I had no idea what to expect but I didn’t expect such outstanding writing, nuanced characters and a well layered plot.

Last Kiss is about Vasily's quest to rise from a hitman for the Bratva (like the Russian mafia) to become the head of the Bratva. He is given a mission by the elders of the Bratva that if accomplished would allow him to rise to power with minimal bloodshed. In order to accomplish the task, he needs a world class hacker, enter Naomi.

Naomi was the most unexpected part of this book. Naomi is a beautiful, genius, computer hacker who also happens to have Aspergers. When I first realized she had Aspergers I admit, I was giving the book all sorts of side eyes. I just didn’t know how to feel about a heroine with a mild form of autism. But therein lies the brilliance of the book. The authors take a condition that many of us have limited familiarity with and do a beautiful job of showing us that love, romance and freaking HAWT sex are available if we can just expand our thinking.

It turns out that Naomi is perfect for Vasily. Or more accurately, it turns out that Naomi's imperfections perfectly suit Vasily's imperfections. Vasily was abused as a child and manipulated by a powerful woman. He didn't need the intrigue of the typical heroine who talks in riddles and suffers from her own emotional issues. Naomi's inability to BS and limited capacity for empathy was exactly what Vasily needed. The relationship in this book is written in a beautiful and compelling way. You will want to see these two people together and you will be rooting for them as they face adversity.

I was particularly drawn to the scenes where we are told how Naomi feels about her Aspergers in her own POV. I thought the description of her insecurities and her desire to be viewed as a normal person was agonizingly well done. Naomi’s feelings about herself are juxtaposed against Vasily’s feelings about himself and what he deserves and the effect on us the readers is deeply emotionally impactful.

As Naomi and Vasily proceed on their quest in the book, there are lots of laughs to be had. Naomi truly says the stuff the rest of us just think. Like at one point she tells Vasily not to sweat on her after sex. I’ve always wanted to say that to my husband but I’ve just never quite had Naomi’s lack of fu-ks. The book is fast paced, filled with action and easy to read.

I give some books 5 stars because I just really really love the story but this 5 star rating is more than that. This is my “truly epic shit” 5 star rating. This isn’t just a story that I loved, these are characters that I love, writing that is compelling and a book that I won’t just forget.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: The Charlotte Chronicles by Jen Frederick

The Charlotte Chronicles is the first book in the Jackson Boys series by Jen Frederick. This book is a spin-off from her Woodlands series with the main characters being the offspring of characters from the Woodlands books. While I enjoyed the books in the Woodlands series, I have to say that I was more intrigued by this story and I couldn't wait to get to know these characters. I loved the idea of these being the children of Grace and Noah and Bo and AM. While I did have a few issues with this story, I really loved it. These characters are still on my mind long after having finished their story, and I could not put this one down.

Charlotte and Nathan were always meant for one another. Since Charlotte was born, Nate knew that she was his. Their families were a unit, with their parents being best friends and their children following in their footsteps. Charlotte and Nick were always close, but it was always Charlotte and Nathan that had forever. Then an illness and a decision tore them apart. Although they always thought that they would end up together, the years and distance between them start to weigh on both of them. Just when Charlotte finally begins to move on, a chance encounter changes everything. Can Charlotte and Nathan find their way back to one another and have the forever that they always knew was in store for them?

I liked Charlotte and Nathan a lot. Charlotte was strong and positive after everything that she had been through. She showed so much grace and strength in the face of heartbreaking events at such a young age. I loved how she didn't give up on Nate for so long and that she was always loyal to him. She did everything that she could to show him that she would always be there for him, and I loved her character for how she handled everything. Nathan was made for Charlotte just as much as she was made for him. He was her protector and lover, and he was exactly who she needed by her side. That being said, he made some real bonehead moves when it came to her that I just flat out didn't understand. His actions didn't make sense to me, and I thought that they seemed to be sort of unreasonable. Even with his explanations I just never really felt like he had a good enough reason for doing what he did. I did like that he was as faithful to Charlotte as she had been to him though, even if it was unbelievable. I have a hard time believing that things would happen the same way in real life, but as far as the story goes I really loved it. Charlotte and Nate were great and I thought that they had it all when it came to their relationship. They had the history and emotional connection, the chemistry and steam, but above all they had support and love to see them through all the tough times. 

I will say that beyond Nate's actions being ridiculous, I also felt like it was a bit out of character for both him and Charlotte both to have let things go for nine years. It just didn't ring true for me, and I felt like with both of the being loyal and feeling as they still did about one another that one or both of them would have tried harder over the nine years to fix things. I didn't really buy into their re-connection because of a chance encounter. I thought that was unrealistic, and didn't care for how that played out. I also felt as though with everything they had been through as teenagers as well as the long time apart, that the drama at the end was over the top and unnecessary. It seemed a bit overkill to me, and I honestly don't know why it was needed. They had enough obstacles to overcome, and it all felt rushed to me. It just didn't seem to fit with everything else, and I thought that it would have been a better story without that happening. I did enjoy the story despite my complaints though, and I can honestly say that even though it seems like I had a lot of criticisms that I still thought this was a great book. Charlotte and Nathan's story just really got to me, and they are characters that I will never forget. I loved seeing more of their parents and how things turned out for them, but I am really fascinated with their children. I absolutely cannot wait to read more about the Jackson boys and get to know Nick better. I loved his friendship with Charlotte and that he was like a brother to her. While I think that fans of the Woodlands series will enjoy seeing old favorites as well as new faces, I think that NA fans should read this one regardless of having any experience with the Woodlands or not. This book is easily read as a standalone and does not require knowing the characters from those books to understand what is going on. I would recommend reading those books though because I think that it gives a much better history and complete story if you see how Charlotte and Nathan as well as Nick came into existence. I am definitely looking forward to more from Jen Frederick in the future.

**ARC Provided by All Night Reads**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

Feature and Giveaway: Losing Control by Jen Frederick

I’d do anything to keep my mother alive.

Anything, including ask Ian Kerr for help. I don’t know much about him, except that he has more money than some small countries. And he’s willing to spend it on me. Just one catch: there’s a string attached, and not just the one I feel pulling me into his arms and his bed. There’s also the plan for revenge he wants my help with.

Every time he says my name, it makes my body shiver and my heart stutter. I know he’s going to wreck me, know there won’t be anything left of me but lust and sensation by the time he’s done with me, but even though I can see the heartbreak coming towards me like a train, ready to crash into me, I can’t get out of the way. I want what he makes me feel. Want what he’s offering.

This may have started out as something to save my mother, but now…now it’s about what he makes me feel. I’m in danger of losing everything that’s important. Worse? Ian's whispered words and hot caresses are making me believe that's okay.

Review: Undeclared by Jen Frederick

Undeclared is the first book in Jen Frederick's New Adult Contemporary Woodlands Series. I have to admit this one intrigued me from the start just by reading the blurb! I loved the idea of a modern day pen pal relationship that could turn into more. There were a lot of things that I liked about this story and some things I didn't. But for the most part this story was very unique and different from other New Adult stories, and I ended up enjoying Noah and Grace's book.

In what begins as a class project, Grace becomes pen pals with Noah while he is overseas in Afghanistan. They write back and forth for four years until Noah's deployment ends. Through their letters, Grace ends up falling for Noah. When Noah sends her a Dear Jane letter at the end of his deployment, and tells her he sees her as a little sister it breaks Grace's heart. But two years later Noah is back and has decided to attend the same college as Grace in order to win back her heart. Grace has never been able to move on from her feelings for Noah, but letting him in again isn't something she is willing to do easily. Noah sets out to get to know Grace again and prove to her that the relationship they had begun with their letters can work and be better than ever. But with so much uncertainty in Grace's life and future, can he convince her to give him another chance?

I really liked Noah and Grace. I thought that they were both very interesting characters. One of the best parts of this book for me were the letters they sent each other. I loved getting to see both of their POVs and thoughts and I thought that their letters really allowed the reader to get to know these characters in a way that otherwise wouldn't have been easy. Noah was sweet and strong and extremely patient with Grace. I loved that he gave her time and space when she needed it. Grace was sweet and loyal. At times she was a little indecisive and naive. I know that much of that is due to the age of her character, but at times it was pretty frustrating. I really felt like Grace and Noah were great together. Very believable, and they were cute and sweet together. Of the few problems I had with this book, they were not one.

I did however have some problems with the pacing. I felt the entire first half of the book moved extremely slowly and at times I felt like I wanted to skip ahead and get to the good parts. I know that they had a lot to overcome after the last letter and the heartbreak that Grace felt, but their relationship just seemed to progress a little too slow after they reconnected. I think I might have felt differently if they had even just kissed or something, but there was just nothing. I also felt like even though they weren't together for the first half of the book, that there was very little conflict until the end of the story. Without giving anything away, it just seemed to not have much going on and I felt as if the story was lacking because of that. Despite these issues I had though, Noah and Grace were so likable that I did enjoy this story. I just think that they had such a promising story that unfortunately for me fell a little flat when I was hoping for more. That being said, I really enjoyed reading about all the characters and i'm really excited to read their stories in the upcoming books. I think that most fans of New Adult stories will enjoy the uniqueness of this book and find it to be an enjoyable read.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

ARC Review: Unspoken by Jen Frederick

Unspoken is the second book in Jen Frederick's New Adult Contemporary Woodlands Series. This series centers around a group of guys who are roommates/friends. We first meet Bo in Undeclared, which is Noah and Grace's story. I have been excited to get Bo's story since I read Undeclared. I loved Noah and Grace, but there was just something about Bo, and I couldn't wait to get to know him better. Unspoken was a great follow up to the first book, and I enjoyed it even more than the first one.

AnneMarie is a sophomore at Central College who made the mistake of losing her virginity to the wrong person. After sleeping with a member of the lacrosse team, rumors begin to spread about her and she exiles herself to only being on campus when necessary. When her and Bo have a class together and become lab partners, he has no idea about what has been said about her. Bo and AnneMarie (AM to her friends) are attracted to each other from the start, but she has a rule about not dating Central students anymore and he has never been one for commitment. The pull between the two of them begins to be too much for both of them, and the feelings begin to grow. Bo and AM begin to pursue a relationship together, but they are both still struggling with their pasts. Will they be able to move forward and overcome everything, or will the obstacles in their way keep them from having the relationship that they both want and didn't know that they needed?

I really liked Bo. He was so perfect for AM. He was always looking out for her and protecting her. I loved that he gave her space when she needed it and he was very understanding. He was also very supportive. Bo was extremely sweet and it was impossible not to like him! AM starts off as a little battered and damaged, which was understandable considering everything she had been through. It was nice to see her really begin to stand up for not only herself but women in general. She really began to own all of her decisions and wasn't afraid to put herself out there in order to empower other girls and make sure that she did everything to prevent her own circumstances from happening to others. I think that she and Bo were exactly what the other needed and even though they grew as individuals, they were clearly better when they were together.

There are some things about this series and book that I really love, and then there are some others that I have some problems with. I love the characters in this series. All of the characters are well written and interesting. At times there are things about them that can annoy or grate, but despite those times, the author has done a great job of making sure that these are characters that the reader gets invested in and really starts to care for. I do have some issues however that things are brought up and dropped in this series. In this book, Bo and AM's mothers are mentioned on several occasions and their futures and relationships are brought into this story. But then as we get to the end of the book, nothing is ever mentioned again and we are left wondering if Bo and his mother have spoken and possibly started a reconciliation or whether or not AM's mother will leave Roger and/or stop relying on him for support. I just wish that some of these things would have been given some kind of resolution. Also, I was hoping to see a little more progression of the relationship between Noah and Grace. These two are hardly mentioned, and there are no clues as to what awaits them in the future. But it was nice to at least see that they are still together and happy. Although these books have a clear ending and there are no cliffhangers to be found, both Undeclared and Unspoken have very abrupt endings. I felt both times that these endings are very jarring, and I would have liked a little more resolution with those as well. I think both books could have used a few extra pages.

Overall, this series is one that I am enjoying reading. The characters are wonderful and I find them very interesting. Jen Frederick has done a great job of introducing each character and making you anxious for the next one's story! You can't help but want to know more about all of them. Despite the few problems that I have had with these books, I really do like these books and will continue reading the series in the future. These books are about young love and healing, and are a nice addition to the New Adult genre. If you enjoy sweet stories about college age love and romance, I think that you will find these stories to be enjoyable. These books are entertaining and the romance and characters are fun to read about and very likable. I am looking forward to more stories in this series, especially Finn's! I'm also hoping that Frederick will write a story for Gray! He was introduced toward the end of Unspoken, and I find myself really wanting to know more about him.

**ARC provided by AToMR Book Tours**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble |