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The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between
Format: Kindle
Another excellent entry: The Off-Campus series is among the very, very best in new adult romance and there is little that isnโt done well in this entry.
Dean DiLaurentis is charged with watching out for Allie, Hannahโs roomie, one weekend while everyone is gone for various reasons - with, of course, the obligatory threats to his penis if he were to touch Allie. Sheโs just gone through a painful breakup with her boyfriend from book one, since theyโve had a fairly tempestuous relationship, she needs some time away from her apartment, where heโs been trying to get her to change her mind.
Of course, Allie and Dean are young, hot, single and thereโs tequila. When you do the math, itโs fairly obvious that yes, Slot A goes into Tab B, and yes, romance happens. I love their banter, the humor throughout really establishes these characters and their friendships and makes the ride all the more enjoyable. Speaking of riding...
Deanโs what I expected: Deanโs the manho who beats all the previous manhoes in this series. He makes no apologies and I loved that he didnโt. Heโs intrigued with Allie but he isnโt in love from the moment he lays eyes on her. When he falls, though itโs hard and itโs clearly life-altering. His moments with his friend Beau when they discuss his issues with little Dean (I canโt stop giggling at that silliness) were priceless.
He has a good journey towards adulthood, though I was saddened by the events that led to this character growth. It was the perfect (sad yet realistic) touch of bitter to make the sweet all the richer.
Allie was a surprise: Iโll admit, this is mostly because I didnโt remember her. Allie isnโt a big part of the first book and what I did remember of her was a bit flaky. I loved getting to know her and seeing what made her tick and as with Ms. Kennedyโs previous heroines, there is more than meets the eye. Sheโs concerned about being slut-shamed by the prospect of no-strings sex, considering sheโs only ever been in committed, long term relationships, so I love that she has to learn to accept that thereโs nothing wrong with two consenting adults doing what they want to do, damn public opinion. I found it an interesting twist that the only person truly slut-shamed is Dean, by other men and women.
Beats played out as I expected: If I have any issues with this is, while it is entertaining, charming, and funny, it also felt the same as the earlier books, which were also entertaining, charming and funny. When the quality is so high, thatโs not a horrible thing, but I canโt help but struggle to keep each set of heroes and heroines separate in my mind. That said...
Iโm really intrigued by where this series is going next: The setup for the next book is markedly different and it has me really eager to see how Ms. Kennedy handles it. The heroine for the next book is NOT in the mold of the earlier women and the hero is a bit of a wild card, since he has been more on the periphery so far. Iโm looking forward to seeing what they have to contribute to this universe.
The Bottom Line
This is an excellent new adult romance with likeable characters, funny banter, hot sex scenes and room for the โverse to grow. If you havenโt read Ms. Kennedyโs series, I highly recommend it.
**ARC provided by author for review**
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Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2016
