GRR Reviews Winning His Wife by B B Hamel

Kayla thought she got lucky when she was chosen to attend Gradus Unversity. She didn't know she was part of a draft, chosen and sponsored by Reed. The sponsor can choose to woo the girl he sponsored, and perhaps, marry her when she graduates. But Reed is a rebel... He just participates, because he needs his father to release the trust fund he's funneling into his tech company and charity. So he picked the most independent girl of them all, Kayla, who didn't care or want the special privileges of being a "sponsored girl". In fact, she doesn't even know what being sponsored entails. She's too busy handling queen bee bullies. Kayla did find Reed attractive, and vice versa. But when she learned what being sponsored REALLY means...

Eh, didn't feel much for the setup. Bullying was idiotic. Three students set an entire backpack full of content on fire, and nobody gives a hoot, not even staff and custodians? But when a sponsor intervenes, he gets called out for "breaking the rules"? Kayla is so simple-minded she never thinks of a way to get back at the bullies, just react, or let Reed "save" her somehow. The whole premise was kinda creepy, but secret worlds are kinda like that. But the characters? Reed is okay. Kayla? Lame. And no karma on those bullies? Meh. It doesn't really make me want to read the rest. 2/5

GRR Reviews The Guy on the Right by Kate Stewart

Theodore (Not "Teddy", and not "Theo", just) Houseman, former band geek, now marching band rock star, just found his forever girl on campus. And her name is Laney. Unfortunately, so did his roommate, football royalty, and campus superstar Troy. But this time, the #underdog will win, unless of course, Theodore forfeits. And why would he do that?

The story surprises me sometimes, that that doesn't happen often. There's a lot of sass and humor in this college, and I wish I went to a college like that. OTOH, I guess I didn't quite get why Houseman would blow up like how he did that caused the darkest hour. Though the grand gesture was perfect. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Love by Pranks by Sunniva Dee

The "Blossoms" (non-sorority house) have a long rivalry with their across-the-street neighbors, the Iota Fraternity "Dudes" and they prank each other all the time. Red dye in the shower? Done that. Glue all the cabinets shut? Absolutely. Kitty is a new member of the Blossoms, and she's smitten with Lucien, a member of the Dudes across the street. Can the two rival groups unite temporarily to raise enough money to help the local cat shelter so the stray cats won't freeze in the winter?

You read this book for the pranks, not for the love story.

Category: Contemporary / College

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews The Last One (Love in a Small Town) by Tawdra Kandle

The Last One feels like a college girl crushing on a guy who's not available. It just didn't "do it" for me.

Meghan is at a turning point in her life. Her little brother just married his pregnant girlfriend. Her widowed mother had remarried. As Meghan is about to start her senior year in college, she wants to loosen up a little... Just some fun, nothing that would derail her studies... What she got was Sam. // Sam rescued Meghan and friend from the side of the road late at night, but Sam's dripping with disdain for the "party girls", even though he's a perfect southern gentleman and will not say anything in front of them. Meghan falls hard for the guy, but Sam's a by the book kinda guy and clashes hard with the free-thinking artist Meghan... Can such a romance work?

Didn't feel too much for this one. Honestly. Characters are pretty much cliche, and chemistry is suspect.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Out of Bounds by Jillian Quinn

Victoria aka Tori was betrayed by the man she loved. Subsequently, she fell into a deep depression, lost her scholarship, and hated football... and the man. But she is determined to graduate, even within sight of the man she hated... // Sebastian aka "Bash" loved Tori, but one night at a party and it all fell apart. Nothing actually happened, not that he could explain it in his drunken stupor. He knew he wanted Tori back, and it has been two years, even if he had to keep a big secret from her to save her from herself. But he's rich, he's the team captain, and he's even got the Heisman trophy to prove he's good. And this time, he's not looking just to score...

SPOILERIFIC:

I WARNED YOU! SPOILER AHEAD!

Plot barely made sense. The complications are childish. Bash was so powerful he can force the school to "fake" a scholarship for Tori to keep her in school. But it took TWO YEARS to get close to her again?! And Harper, the queen bitch, somehow found out and use this to blackmail Bash into having sex with her? WTF? This doesn't even make sense. What exactly changed in 2 years? Nothing.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2.5/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews This Piece of My Heart (Clearing the Ice) by Robyn M. Ryan

Caryn was raised to join her father's firm, but she is failing statistics badly. She joined the summer program, hoping to get the credits so she can graduate on time. Then she met single professional hockey player Andrew... Andrew could have almost any woman, as one of the most eligible bachelors in town, but he wanted Caryn. However, Caryn's parents do not approve... then his team traded him to a new city... It's going to take much fancy footwork to keep the flames alive for this couple.

The star-crossed lovers' tale has some good polish. It's good, but lacks that certain something that would take it over the top.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Athlete falls for office girl, but both have their own failings...

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Frigid (Frigid Series Book 1) by J. Lynn

Frigid feels like a by-the-numbers romance that tried to pivot onto romantic suspense, but failed to deliver it with any interesting spark.

Sydney and Kyler had been best friends since they were kids. He shoved her on the playground, and she made him eat a mud pie. Sydney wanted Kyler for a long time, but Kyler is a man-whore, never staying with a girl for more than a few nights. Now that Syd and Ky are in their final year of college, Syd has no intention of upsetting that applecart... Kyler does not desire Syd in a womanly way, or so he told himself. Kyler prefer the friendship, for Syd is the perfect girl, and Ky is just the bad boy from the wrong side of tracks. When both were stranded in a cabin by a snowstorm, their tension turned into a full-blown fire of attraction... then they found someone was stalking them...

As I said, the pivot to romantic suspense really made little sense, and came a bit too late to add tension to the plot. All in all, it's a bit of "meh".

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can two best friends get out of friend zone? Who's stalking them and why?

Tropes: college, friends to lovers, forced proximity, protector, woman in peril, stalker

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Beautiful Broken Rules (Broken Series Bo by Kimberly Lauren

Beautiful Broken Rules is a contemporary college romance where a damaged girl formed her own moral code then met a guy who blasted past them.

Emerson "Emmie" Moore never gets too attached. It hurts too much when she had to let go. So she has a set of rules while in college including NEVER sleep with the same guy more than three times. She also won't sleep with any one in a relationship. She doesn't mind the reputation being the "loose" girl in town. She just doesn't want to be hurt... Until Jaxon Riley came to town and moved in next door. His brothers are also hunky but Jaxon was the only one that broke through her defenses, that made her want to abandon her own rules... until his jealous ex showed up, and Em found out something else about her parents that threw her into a tail-spin. Can she break her own rules to achieve the happily ever after, or will that lead to heartbreak?

This is a college romance, but the psych profile of Em was much more complex than I expected. However, Jaxon was bit too much of a caveman, but such antics are not too far out of place on a college campus. Still, it makes the romance a bit unbalanced.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: College girl who cannot love and trust found one guy who broke through the walls around her heart

Tropes: college, triangle, tarnished reputation, family secrets
 
Overall Rating: 4/5

GRR Reviews What About Her (The Bluff Harbor Series by Emma Tharp

WARNING: ENDS on a cliffhanger

What About Her is a college romance that featured a mystery and some serious angst in the background between the FMC and MMC, as well as a bit of mystery. However, this book **DOES** end on a cliffhanger, basically forcing you to read volume 2 "What About Us".

Six months ago, Willow left the dorms and never came back, leaving behind her bestie Kate and her BF River to ponder her fate. Kate knew Willow is out there, but River is still troubled. Even as Kate reconnected with River six months later, he's still distant. But when an assignment forced them to spend time together, Kate found herself falling for River, even as she realized he belonged to Willow, and vice versa...

Kate and River do come across as a bit of star-crossed lovers that only found themselves caring for each other upon Willow's absence, but can they go for each other when the fate of Willow is still unknown? There is some serious angst in the air and a lot of regret and guilt. However, as I did say, this does end on a cliffhanger, so you've been warned to buy volume 2, which is now available.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Young woman found herself attracted to her missing friend's boyfriend, even as she felt guilty about her betrayal...

Tropes: college, cliffhangers, triangle, scars, fated mate

Overall Rating: 3/5

GRR Reviews Up for Grabs by Heather Young-Nichols

Up for Grabs is a "college" romance with characters that somehow just were not very sympathetic to me.

Flannery left home for college half a nation away. Raised by a single mother who's always pinching pennies, she's self-reliant to a fault. She dedicated to being a geek and was surprised when an ace student (and rich and handsome) Cain liked her and wanted to date her. Then disaster struck. Her scholarship evaporated due to an internal scandal, and it is too late to apply for anything else. She cannot contemplate living without Cain, but with no money to pay for tuition and such, she will be forced to move back home. She took drastic measure... and when Cain found out he felt thoroughly betrayed...

Despite the "happy" cover, the book is about angst, way too much angst. Flannery was so self-reliant, she refused to ask for help even if it kills her. When, through no fault of her own, she will not be getting any scholarship money, the ONLY solution she can see was (censored), despite having a rich boyfriend? And that's because she had to stay in school to be near him? WTF?! How does this logic even work?

And Cain, despite the name, was just too perfect! The ONLY time he blew up was feeling betrayed, and you can probably guess what his grand gesture was... (censored).  At least the push-pull was nice.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Young geeky woman being wooed by rich fellow student had to betray her love in order to stay with him (?!)

Tropes: virgin, college, geek/geekette, betrayal

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Unspoken (The Woodlands Book 2) by Jen Frederick

Unspoken is a contemporary "college" romance between two wounded people. The emotions are raw, and it centered on a hot button topic... bullying.

AnnMarie was a typical college coed until she wasn't. She partied, had drunken sex. She took responsibility for that, but soon rumors spread that she did the entire lacrosse team, and people started whispering behind her back because another guy asked her to put out and she refused. She withdrew from campus, living in an outside apartment, avoiding campus except for classes... until she ran into Bo as her lab partner. He was a former marine, and he fights in illegal underground fight clubs to work off his rage, but he was never violent toward women. And he saw too much pain behind AnnMarie's eyes. He was afraid he'll break her, but he wanted to heal her instead...

The push-pull between the FMC and MMC is good, and both are damaged people. There was a twist at the end. Let's just say despite the hint that Bo can use his fists, the ending was achieved WITHOUT violence.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Young woman dogged by vicious rumors on campus ran into a wounded soul for lab partner who wanted to love and heal her

Tropes: college, military, scars, tarnished reputation, fated mate

Overall Rating:  4/5