Lovin' los libros

 

I'm going to have the biggest Reece hangover. Err, I mean book hangover. Nope, I definitely meant the first. I'm officially in love with a sexy, tatted, bad boy bartender. Now if only I can snag one of them in real life.... Seriously, you guys. I just devoured this book in the span of a few hours and I currently have butterflies in my stomach. I'm in total swoon-mode. Now, I've read the first two books in Jordan's YA Firelight series, so I already knew she could write some pretty awesome kissing scenes. I have not read any of her adult novels, but after this- I need to rectify that! Not only can she write some seriously steamy scenes, but gosh she can WRITE. This story flowed so seamlessly in my opinion and I really enjoyed the build up between the main characters- the tension between them was palpable and off the charts hot! She has also created an awesome secondary set of characters and I'm quite curious to see who the next book will focus on!

 

Our main character Pepper is desperate to get her best friend's brother Hunter to notice her. She's stuck in that 'oh, she's my sister's best friend' zone and she wants him to see her in a different light. She enlists the help of her two roommates, Georgia and Emerson, to find a way to do this now that Hunter is back on the market. Their solution? Hook her up with a hottie who will rock her world and teach her the sexual ropes. Pepper is our tried and true virgin and is NOT sexually experienced. Now, I know I've said I'm completely over the whole virgin girl/bad boy cliché. And I am. I'm telling you- Sophie is able to pull this off and I didn't find myself rolling my eyes. I rolled with it and it didn't bother me. (Personally, I think it's because Sophie's just that GOOD of a storyteller! You don't get caught up with little nuances like that. You're 100% engaged in what's going on and how Pepper is going to land her man.) I liked Pepper's character for the most part. There were a few times where she really angered me because her naivety was causing her to handle situations poorly. She has grown up with her grandmother, as her parents are no longer in the picture. Yet, Pepper has memories of being with them both and those memories play a larger role in her present than she would like to admit. She's been in love with Hunter for a long time- she knows he's the one she wants and she is determined to get it. Nothing can break the illusion that Hunter is the perfect fit for her. Yet, she never in a million years counted on meeting Reece.

 

Oh, Reece. It's pretty clear from my opening paragraph just how much I love him. He was hard to get a read on at first because he was brisk and a bit gruff, but he does have a vulnerable side, it's just not one he shows very often. Life has made him hard and as much as he makes you think he's the ultimate bad boy- he has one of the best hearts Pepper will find. What starts as a lesson in sexual foreplay turns into so much more....

 

I loved Pepper and Reece together. They just had that white, hot passion that everyone wants to have in their relationships. I was rooting from Reece from the get-go. He saw Pepper long before Hunter did and he wanted her- all awkward and clumsy and sexually inept. I don't ever like a guy who just magically sees the girl in a different light because she's been seen with someone else. That's not cool to me. I did like that Reece called Pepper on her crap. He wasn't going to let her play him and string him along. They had a lot of tender, sweet moments together and I wanted to smack Pepper upside the head. How could she be so blind to what was standing right in front of her?! I get it though. Hunter is the safe, predictable choice. She can see what her life would be like with someone like Hunter. Reece is unpredictable- he is mysterious and closed off when it comes to talking about his home life. Still- there's something pretty incredible about a man who's willing to teach a girl how to land another guy and not ask for or expect anything in return.

 

I enjoyed Emerson and Georgia, Pepper's roommates. I definitely want to find out more about Emerson, because as Pepper stated- she's not just the party girl she leads everyone to believe. There's definitely a story there that I want to read about. Georgia was a bit more level-headed than Emerson- she has a steady boyfriend that she's been with for awhile, so I'll be curious if she gets a story. Pepper confided in these girls and they were there for her when she needed their advice and I really liked that. I am also curious to read more about Logan, Reece's younger brother. He's a total player and definitely makes his rounds with the college girls. We know that Reece and Logan's family life isn't the best- their father is a piece of work and we get to see how he has affected Reece, but I am curious as to how Logan has been affected by him.

 

Overall, this was such a good read and I didn't want it to end! I am definitely continuing this series and I can't wait to see what's next in the Ivy Chronicles!