Behind Closed Doors (Campus Crush #2)
Release Date: 08/06/13
Summary from Goodreads:
Julia Monroe is through wishing she had an older guy like her best friend Noelle does. It’s time for her to act on her desires. So when she sees sexy, twenty-three-year-old Darren McEntire eating dinner alone at the pub, she decides to make her move. The attraction between them is undeniable, and even through Julia isn’t looking for a one-night stand, she winds up back at Darren’s place the same night she meets him. Only being with him makes her realize what she’s been missing dating other guys. All she wants is Darren.
But Julia allows Darren to think she’s his age and a grad student at the nearby college. She knows she has to confess the truth, but she’s afraid to shatter what they have. Not knowing what to do, she starts the semester only to discover that her new teaching assistant is none other than Darren. With the lies out in the open and campus policy against them, Julia and Darren know the relationship should be over before it even begins. But the chemistry between them is too strong to deny.
Can they find a way to be together or are they doomed to only see each other behind closed doors?
But Julia allows Darren to think she’s his age and a grad student at the nearby college. She knows she has to confess the truth, but she’s afraid to shatter what they have. Not knowing what to do, she starts the semester only to discover that her new teaching assistant is none other than Darren. With the lies out in the open and campus policy against them, Julia and Darren know the relationship should be over before it even begins. But the chemistry between them is too strong to deny.
Can they find a way to be together or are they doomed to only see each other behind closed doors?
My Review:
Sassy, Sexy, and One Sweet Secret
I just love this series. It's short, sweet, and so much fun.
Seeing Noelle and Andy again, happy and lovey-dovey, was a nice bonus. In
Behind Closed Doors, we get to follow Julia this time, who was such a riot in
the first book of the series. Where Noelle was the "good girl," Julia
was more of the wild one.
After spending the summer as the third wheel to Noelle and
Andy, Julia is ready for a cutesy relationship of her own. Or at a minimum a
hot distraction from Noelle and Andy. She gets bold and wastes no time
aggressively flirting with a hot guy eating alone at the pub she’s at with her friends.
After some fun innuendos and a few drinks, Julia knows she better leave before
she gets herself in trouble. Only she ends up running into THAT frat guy. The
one you never want to be alone with. Thankfully Darren decides to check on her
and takes care of frat boy. One thing leads to another, after all he’s a good
guy, and they end up at his place.
While Julia wants more with Darren, she knows it may not
happen after their first night. But she enjoys fantasizing about their night
together. Imagine her surprise, when on her first day of fall classes, she
finds Darren standing at the front of the classroom. He’s her T.A. Awkward!
We quickly learn Darren is one of the good guys. My first
thought was, yeah right. He’s a guy, he should have forgotten about her the
moment he shut the front door. But I have to say most of the guys I knew in
college were good guys. So Darren actually wanting to pursue something with
Julia isn’t far fetched. Too bad school policy dictates that a T.A. can’t date
his/her students. Julia comes up with options to work things out, but Darren is
hesitant. He’s hiding something from her.
I enjoyed the sparks between Julia and Darren and the
unusual ways they find time for each other. Behind Closed Doors is a cute,
quick read that entertains until the last paragraph. Watching Julia go from spunky
and daring to slightly insecure and love sick is adorable. I cringed at some of
her choices, but we’ve all been there and would probably make the same ones.
That makes the story real.
I adore the Campus Crush series. I love that the main
characters are freshman, stuck between being a teenager and an adult. They
struggle with wanting to make adult decisions while reacting emotionally like
the teenagers they still are. The first year of college is a huge first step
into adulthood and Ashelyn Drake has created characters that truly portray the
experience.
About the Author
New Adult and Young Adult romance author represented by
Lauren Hammond of ADA Management Group. Look for her upcoming N.A. title,
Romancing the R.A. (S.B. Addison Books, 2013).
Where to find Ashelyn Drake:
Where to find Ashelyn Drake:
Meredith, thank you so much for such a great review. You have no idea how happy it makes me. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnytime. I LOVE this series (if you couldn't tell)! I'm so invested in these characters :)
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