Making Waves by Christina Lee (Franklin U #7)

Title: ⟫ Making Waves 

Author: ⟫ Christina Lee 

Rating: ⟫ 3/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Alex Larsen 

 Remy Duval was my high school crush and secret first kiss, but he’s also so much more. A painter, a tattoo artist, my best friend Bailey’s older brother…and Bailey’s sworn enemy. 

It was easier to keep my distance the past two years, but now that Bailey and I are attending Franklin University with him, I’m only drawn to Remy more. I should be loyal to my best friend, focus on classes and swim team, but the more I see Remy around campus, the harder it becomes to stay away. 

Remy Duval 

My brother hates me, but that’s no surprise. I’ll take the fall for ruining our family if it means doing the right thing. But as soon as my brother and his best friend show up on campus, I know I’m in trouble. 

Alex is all grown up, and I can’t help wanting him, especially when he’s in those tiny swim briefs that emphasize everything. One kiss leads to more, and before we know it, we’re tumbling into secret, no-strings-attached hookups. 

But who knew Alex would understand me in ways few others have? And I think, just maybe, I understand him too. I keep telling myself it’s temporary. Alex doesn’t want to disappoint his best friend, and after what my parents went through, I’m not looking to settle down. 

Making waves is nothing new, but the further I fall, the more I drag Alex in the deep end with me. 

Review: ⟫ I hate to pile onto the character hate that I’ve seen on Goodreads and Amazon, but OMG Bailey!! Why was he given so much power in this book? 

I get not wanting to upset your best friend; I get not wanting to pile on to someone who is struggling with realising their hero isn’t worthy of their adoration – I get all of the possible reasons why Bailey was struggling with what his father did. But. What the heck – this man-child had absolutely everyone making excuses for his atrocious behaviour and was responsible for pretty much all of the angst in this book. So much so, that it was almost impossible to understand why Alex and Remy let him get away with it. Someone needed to tell him to take several seats and get a grip! 

The actual romance between Alex and Remy was sweet, especially the way they were both trying to deny how attached they were to each other. From attending all of his swim meets, to cooking for him, cuddling with him and sharing his art, I loved Remy as a character. I thought he was really sweet and deserving of all of the love. Alex – I didn’t get much of a feel for him, although the backstory of his sister and parents made sense of a lot of his thought processes. 

But unfortunately for me, Bailey overshadowed all of that and utterly ruined the story for me. Ugh – just, no.

Learning Curve by N.R. Walker (Franklin U #6)

Title: ⟫ Learning Curve (Franklin U Book #6) 

Author: ⟫ N.R. Walker 

Rating: ⟫ 5/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Cobey Green 

 There I was, moving into the dorms at Franklin U, and not into the shared party house I’d lived in my freshman year. Last year had been all about football and parties, not schoolwork. Which was why my grades tanked, and why I was one failed class away from being kicked off the team. Why I needed to live on campus, and find myself a tutor. 

 

Funny that my new roommate just happened to be a tutor. Funny that he was oblivious to how hot he is. 

For a smart guy, he was pretty clueless. Maybe I could tutor him in how to be more outgoing in exchange for help with calculus? I could teach him how to talk to people, how to make new friends. Hell, maybe I could even help him punch his V card. 

Actually, now that I thought about it... that was a really good idea. 

Vincent Brandt 

And there I was, happy to be back at college, happy to be where I was most comfortable. Happy to be starting another school year, happy to start tutoring again so I could earn some money. 

And yes, there I was, equal parts excited and dreading to see who my new roommate would be... Until Cobey Green’s smiling face appeared at the door. 

A huge football player, loved by everyone, gorgeous, rich, and out of the closet. Everything I was not. 

It didn’t help that he was genuinely a really nice guy. It didn’t help that I could make him laugh, and we could talk so easily, and it certainly didn’t help that we started having private tutorials which ended up way more private than I’d ever dared imagine. I’d ranked top of my class in every subject since the first grade yet there I was falling stupidly in love with him. 

This was going to be a hell of a year. 

And one very steep learning curve for both of us. 

Review: ⟫ Do you know what it’s like when you read a new (to you) author and as soon as you finish, you have to go and find their entire back-catalogue because you need to read everything they’ve ever written immediately? Yeah, that was this book for me. 

I have been seriously enjoying the Franklin U series of books, not least because it has introduced me to authors I haven’t read before. As far as I know, I haven’t read any N.R. Walker books before and for that, I can only give past-me a smack to the back of the head. 

This was absolutely brilliant – witty, fun, touching, sexy – the relationship that grew between Cobey and Vincent was just everything! 

I picked this book up just after midnight and finished it just before 2 a.m. because despite being exhausted, I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. 

This book was so normal and ordinary in so many ways – it was boy meets boy, boy embarrasses the heck out of himself in front of boy, boys decide to help each other out and in the process fall in love. 

But it was also extraordinary in how it told their story – it showed how they fell in love, it showed how much they cared about each other in the little things that they did, how protective they were of each other and their relationship. 

I adored Nate and Jayda, as well as seeing glimpses of characters from other books in the Franklin U universe, and the epilogue made me laugh out loud. 

I would suggest flipping over a page after the epilogue so that you can see the newspaper clipping which literally made me say ‘awwww’ because it was just so sweet.

Bet You by Neve Wilder (Franklin U #4)

Title: ⟫ Bet You (Franklin U Book #4) 

Author: ⟫ Neve Wilder 

Rating: ⟫ 4/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Spencer 

Whose brilliant idea was it to build university housing next to one of Franklin U’s most notorious party frats? 

I’m a real student—the kind who actually came to college to learn, not some dumb frat bro who sees Franklin U as a four-year challenge to consume the most booze and throw out the best pick-up line. Their all-hours lifestyle is driving me crazy. Not to mention, the jerks keep taking my assigned parking spot. 

But the worst offender might be Cory Ingram. Sure, he has a smile that could melt a polar ice cap, but no way will I ever be one of his minions. I’m pretty sure I made that clear when I blew my top at him. So I have no idea why he’s suddenly everywhere around me, turning on the charm like I might actually fall for it. 

 

Nope. 

Not gonna happen. 

Cory 

From the first day I set foot on Franklin U’s campus, everything has been golden. I have a ton of friends, endless parties to be the life of, and whoever I want in my bed on any given night. 

Sure, I’m a shameless party boy, but I’m not a jerk. Ask anyone. Seriously. Even the crotchety old groundskeeper waves and smiles at me when I pass. 

Then there’s Spencer Crow. 

I’ve never seen a guy’s face get so red over a parking spot. Even when I try to make it right, he proceeds to give me the tongue-lashing of a lifetime—which is about the moment I notice that, in addition to being irrationally irate, he’s also crazy hot. 

My friends think I’ve finally met the one person I can’t seduce… 

Bet you I can. 

Review: ⟫ I’ve been enjoying reading the books in the interconnected Franklin U series and this one was no exception. 

I was a little unsure when I read the premise – it seemed a tad icky to be making bets on seducing someone and reminded me far too much of Cruel Intentions – but I was interested enough to keep reading and am glad I did. 

Cory and Spencer are a very cute couple, with their in-jokes, their ability to laugh at themselves at each other, and their interactions from their bedroom windows were extremely hot. 

It was obvious from the very beginning that the whole bet thing was going to come back and bite Cory on the butt – however, it was so enjoyable up until that point that it was easy to put it out of my mind. The background characters were fun and interesting, as was the whole DIKCon that was going on, and this book was an extremely easy read. 

I appreciated the reactions to the whole bet situation coming to life – there were no attempts to shrug it off or pretend that it wasn’t offensive. I also felt that Cory definitely realised what he had done wrong and was sincere in his grovelling. It didn’t hurt that he did his big gesture using one of my favourite TV moments featuring Tom Holland, and the imagery of the re-enaction was absolutely spot on! 

I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment of Franklin U and am happy to recommend this as a fun, satisfying addition to the series. 

I received an ARC from GRR.

Mr Romance by Louisa Masters (Franklin U #3)

Title: ⟫ Mr Romance (Franklin U #3) 

Author: ⟫ Louisa Masters 

Rating: ⟫ 4/5 

Blurb: ⟫ When you’re clueless, Mr. Romance can help. 

Charlie 

I’m not sure how it happened, but it turns out I’ve unknowingly been dating three people. Friends don’t spoil other friends, apparently. My trust fund means I can afford to, though, and what’s a meal here and there? Or some clothes? Or textbooks? That doesn’t mean we’re dating, right? Others disagree. 

If I want to get through the rest of college knowing who my friends are, I need help from someone who knows all about dating and can tell me what not to do. Someone like Mr. Romance. 

Liam 

When people look at me, romance is the last thing they think of… but I’m still the first person they call. Need a first date planned? A big romantic moment? Gotta beg for forgiveness? I’m your man. When it comes to romance, I’ve got it handled. 

Not personally, though. My romantic life is… barren. 

All I really want is someone to snuggle with and spoil me. What I’ve got is planning dates for people who have no clue about romancing someone. 

But now I’m somehow Charlie Martin’s anti-romance consultant. Charlie, who’s completely clueless yet the most accepting and friendly person I’ve ever met. Who’s giving and generous. Who’s befriended me and wants me to be happy. I’m supposed to help him stop his friends from falling for him. 

The last thing I need is to fall for him myself. 

Review: ⟫ I think this may be the first book by Louisa Masters that I’ve read, but I will be on the look out for more. 

Charlie is such a complete and utter Himbo, with the sweetest character and obliviousness that you can’t help but forgive him. The beginning of the book made me feel so bad for him, not least because his friend Ian had to intercede and save him whilst it was all being filmed. 

The thing is, I have known people like Charlie (albeit without the trust fund) so it was easy to picture how he got himself into that position in the first place. I did feel bad for him trying to figure out just who else he had unwittingly tangled in his web! 

Liam was a completely different character in terms of being extremely organised, romantic in spirit and an all around good guy. And picturing him throwing himself into those gymnastic moves didn’t hurt either! 

I really enjoyed this duo – from their initial meeting and Liam helping Charlie sort a few things out, to where they began to spend more time together and get to know each other. I felt very much like Ian and Matt inasmuch as I wanted them to take off the blinkers and see what was happening! Every now and then, the dual obliviousness or unwillingness to communicate got irritating, but on the whole this entire story was an enjoyable romp – very similar to Liam’s favourite rom-coms! 

I was intrigued by Ian and Matt, and will look out for their story, but was quietly satisfied with how this all played out and am looking forward to reading more of Franklin U.

The Dating Disaster by Saxon James (Franklin U #2)

Title: ⟫ The Dating Disaster (Franklin U #2) 

Author: ⟫ Saxon James 

Rating: ⟫ 5/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Thousands of students on this campus, and I keep being set up with the roommate I can’t stand. 

Felix 

One date. 

 That’s how long it takes for Marshall Harrows to end up on my bad side. 

 Luckily I have no plans to see the giant teddy bear again. Except when he shows up as my new roommate, I can’t escape him, and he’s just as irritating as I thought he’d be. 

He leaves cupboards ajar and puts empty milk cartons back in the fridge. His bedroom door is always open, I find his underwear on the laundry floor, and he has this whole bashful sweetheart thing going on that I just … can’t … stand. 

But the most completely, horribly irritating thing about him is that he’s totally my type. And my friends won’t stop setting us up on blind dates. 

Marshall 

One date. 

That’s how long it took for Felix Andrews to steal my heart. 

The sparky little spitfire is everything I’m not. Confident, adorable, and completely outspoken. 

He also wants nothing to do with me. 

Which is a real problem when I want to give him everything. Including my virginity. But the more I try to gain his attention, the more I see the real him. The one who doesn’t feel worthy of being treated like anything other than a one-night stand. 

So I decide to take matters into my own hands. A total do-over. One night. One date. Where hopefully I can steal his heart too. 

Review: ⟫ Oh, this was a good one! If you have read any of Saxon James’ hockey books with Eden Finley, then you know the vibe that this book is going to have. And the fact that its’ a new series with different authors writing each book means you might find a new favourite. 

What I absolutely adored about this book (well part of what I adored) was that Felix and Marshall are part of previous books written by Saxon. So there are mentions of people you know and love from other books. You don’t have to have read them to make sense of this book, but it’s fun to play spot the character. 

There are also characters mentioned from throughout the series which makes sense since they are set in the same universe/time period. 

Marshall is solid – an all-around good guy, quietly confident in himself and aware that his attitude towards sex is not the norm for a lot of guys at college. 

He wants – needs it to mean something, which is part of why his first date with Felix is a complete and utter travesty. But something about Felix works its way into his brain, and suddenly they’re spending time together, getting to know each other and – well, most people would have realised they were dating without the sex but these two don’t! 

Felix is a sex-kitten, slightly battered in the self-esteem department, but confident of his attractions and determined to make the most of college. Until he realises he wants more and has to figure out a whole different way of approaching things. 

There were times when my heart bled for Felix because he was so down on himself (when he wanted Marshall to tuck him into bed and just wanted someone to snuggle with, my heart damned near broke). 

I loved Marshall carrying Felix around and enjoyed them getting to know each other. Sometimes the miscommunications made me want to slam their heads together, but that frustration was more than mitigated by my sheer love for the cast of characters, the situations they found themselves in, and just how darned cute these two were together. 

I am actually in the middle of reading Franklin U Book #1, and was pleased to spot Ty and Brax, and am quite looking forward to the new releases every week. But this one hit the spot in a way that only Saxon James can, and I was grinning by the time I reached the end. 

No surprise that I gave this a 5/5.

Playing Games by Riley Hart (Franklin U #1)

Title: ⟫ Playing Games

Author: ⟫ Riley Hart

Blurb: ⟫ Brax

Tyson Langley thinks the king in Franklin University Kings is in reference to him. Star lacrosse player and God’s gift to the female and male population, there’s nothing the spoiled jock can’t have. It’s impossible for us to be in the same room without talking crap to each other. 

But I also have a secret… As much as I despise Ty, I want him too. I revel in our banter and in never knowing what he’ll say next. I’ve spent too much time on the wrong side of the law for someone like Ty, though, and if I want to make it through college and escape my past, he’s a distraction I don’t need.

Ty

Braxton Walker needs to learn to lighten up. 

If you search brooding online, his name pops up. He’s the bad boy with a leather jacket and a scowl. We couldn’t be more different.

Finding ways to annoy him is like the longest foreplay session of my life. And when we end up working together, it gets harder to deny how hot he makes me.

What’s a little hooking up between enemies? We weren’t supposed to become friends or share secrets. We weren’t supposed to understand each other and all the complicated stuff we’re going through. I’m used to playing games, only the more time I spend with Brax, the less it feels like playing around and the more it becomes something real.

**

This series takes place across a calendar year. The books have been released in chronological order but are all stand alones and can be consumed in whichever order you choose.

Review ⟫ I quite enjoyed this enemies to lovers story, especially as the start to a whole new series that I have been looking forward to for some time. 

I liked both characters, and enjoyed seeing them come to the realisation that their expectations/assumptions about each other had got in the way of something really quite special. 

I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and will definitely look out for more Riley Hart in the future.