168th out of 410 books
—
779 voters
Against The Wall (Against The Wall #1)
by
Julie Prestsater (Goodreads Author)
Shelly Gelson had it all...a job teaching English at Carver High, her best friend, Mel, working by her side and engaged to her high school sweetheart, Chase Marino. That is until Chase breaks her heart and leaves her for another teacher at the school. Now Shel is left broken hearted and trying to figure out what she wants while watching Chase and the home wrecker make moon...more
Kindle Edition, 305 pages
Published
April 21st 2012
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Against the Wall was a sweet, funny story in which two friends become something more after one got dumped by her fiance of several years. Complicating their situation, Shelly Gelson (the dumpee), the hoochie her ex left her for, her ex, and her next all work together as teachers in Carver High School.
What made this a 3-star book and not a solid five was how "neat" this story was. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but I expected drama and got none of the messy emotions/situations here. For e...more
What made this a 3-star book and not a solid five was how "neat" this story was. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but I expected drama and got none of the messy emotions/situations here. For e...more
I will admit, going into this my expectations were low. This book truly blew them out of the park. The characters were likable, believable, and well written. Well, mostly believable. There was a bit at the end that was a little hard to believe. I have known women scorned, and most would never-you know what, let's just leave it to your imagination. I am definitely getting the next one!
First and foremost, the whole reason I decided to read this book was because of the cover (which has the same people on it as on the cover of Charade by Nyrae Dawn), or should I say the guy on it! <3 They say you should never judge a book by it's cover... but with a cover like that ~ more specifically with a guy on the front like that... why wouldn't I? ;-p
I came across this book completely by accident as an Amazon recommendation and I really liked it ~ it just didn't blow me away. At times t...more
I came across this book completely by accident as an Amazon recommendation and I really liked it ~ it just didn't blow me away. At times t...more
Funny, sexy, funny, witty, funny, adorable, did I mention FUNNY!
This was a book dream for me, easy peasy, no kindle clenching angst or weird over the top cliff hangers in sight. Instead a witty love story, throw in great friendships, plenty of beer and enough sweetness to appease any romanceoholic and you get this polished little number.
One very pleased girl and ... 3 respectable stars.
This was a book dream for me, easy peasy, no kindle clenching angst or weird over the top cliff hangers in sight. Instead a witty love story, throw in great friendships, plenty of beer and enough sweetness to appease any romanceoholic and you get this polished little number.
One very pleased girl and ... 3 respectable stars.
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Every now and then I need a book to purge my brain of all the smut and drama I read about.
This book gave me a good smut purge! Lol! Love Shell! Love, Love Matt!! Although I wouldn't have tolerated any of that "not until you love me" nonsense! lol!! I'm kidding, it was very noble of him...
The relationship built between Matt and Shel awesome! Being friends first is always a good way to start a relationship!! This book is proof positive that sometimes...more
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Every now and then I need a book to purge my brain of all the smut and drama I read about.
This book gave me a good smut purge! Lol! Love Shell! Love, Love Matt!! Although I wouldn't have tolerated any of that "not until you love me" nonsense! lol!! I'm kidding, it was very noble of him...
The relationship built between Matt and Shel awesome! Being friends first is always a good way to start a relationship!! This book is proof positive that sometimes...more
This book is hilarious, if you love a book that makes you smile and giggle like a fool then this is for you. There wasn't the usual angst I tend to go for in a romance, and the hero - was a little sappy (not in a bad way), but this was truly cute and easy to read.
I have a happy glow lol.
It makes you believe that you can find love after heartbreak. And Mel and Shel are so funny, I loved these girls.
I've added another star, after re-reading this book because it makes me laugh so much :-)
I have a happy glow lol.
It makes you believe that you can find love after heartbreak. And Mel and Shel are so funny, I loved these girls.
I've added another star, after re-reading this book because it makes me laugh so much :-)
I loved Julie Prestsater! Annnnnnddd I LOVED this book! =) It was so refreshing and so flippin funny! I loved how realistic this story was and man it was truly funny and GREAT story. I enjoyed Julie's wrting style and I just LOVED the plot of this story.
Now...I LOVED ME SOME MATTHEW FULLER!! Man was he is SOOO VERY YUMMY, SEXY & AWESOME! I want me some! lol I loved his character and I loved Shelly. She was so adorable. I actually liked all the characters in this book. I have to say this was...more
Now...I LOVED ME SOME MATTHEW FULLER!! Man was he is SOOO VERY YUMMY, SEXY & AWESOME! I want me some! lol I loved his character and I loved Shelly. She was so adorable. I actually liked all the characters in this book. I have to say this was...more
May 10, 2013
Lynn
added it
This one was almost a DNF for me after the first chapter. Ultimately I am glad that I continued but the book did have some problems.
FIrst of all if you read this you must be okay with a lot of rough language and brashness. The main character and her best friend reminded me a little of the characters from Tara Sivec's Chocolate Lovers series. That one was pretty brash with lots of cursing as well. That one was over the top because it was a romantic comedy and it helped the brashness work to some...more
FIrst of all if you read this you must be okay with a lot of rough language and brashness. The main character and her best friend reminded me a little of the characters from Tara Sivec's Chocolate Lovers series. That one was pretty brash with lots of cursing as well. That one was over the top because it was a romantic comedy and it helped the brashness work to some...more
Give me five seconds alone with this bitch. She'll be declawed in three, and with the other two, I'll punch her in each tit just for fun.
I love Melly belly! Me and her would get along really well. Her character was so strong and well-developed, she sometimes took the spotlight away from Shelly. (I'm really glad she got her own book, as well!) That's not to say Shelly wasn't awesome though. She was easily relatable and extremely likable. I certainly related to her with her taste in beer and hate...more
Mar 28, 2013
Cocktails and Books
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2013-reading-challenge,
contemporary-romance
I love great dialogue. If characters have snappy wit and sassy dialogue to back it up, I'm all over it. So imagine my surprise when I started reading AGAINST THE WALL and found Shelly. She embodied snappy wit and had some of the best lines of dialogue (even if they were her inner monologues).
The story starts with the beginning of the school year and Shelly still nursing a broken heart after her long time boyfriend/fiance and fellow teacher dumps her for the new, shiny science teacher. With the...more
The story starts with the beginning of the school year and Shelly still nursing a broken heart after her long time boyfriend/fiance and fellow teacher dumps her for the new, shiny science teacher. With the...more
Originally I was going to give this book three stars as it was a little tamer than what I usually read. Thinking about it, I decided to give it four as it is a very well-written book and I liked the story line and the ending.
Shel is dumped and on a man hunt when really the perfect man is right in front of her. Matty makes you wonder if there really are chivalrous men still out there like him. Matty and Shel have been friends and colleges for 5 years, she was in a relationship with Chase for 10 l...more
Shel is dumped and on a man hunt when really the perfect man is right in front of her. Matty makes you wonder if there really are chivalrous men still out there like him. Matty and Shel have been friends and colleges for 5 years, she was in a relationship with Chase for 10 l...more
I just finished reading this book and I absolutely loved it. There are many possibilities why I loved this book:
Maybe because the main characters were teachers (which is my occupation) and I loved some of the inner monologue of Shelly. Shelly just had the right mixture of snarkiness, fun, loyalty, and I just wanted to be her friend.
Maybe because Mr. Fowler was a total hottie. I don't know what world these male teachers came from (fantasy world), but where I teach there are no hot male teachers...more
Maybe because the main characters were teachers (which is my occupation) and I loved some of the inner monologue of Shelly. Shelly just had the right mixture of snarkiness, fun, loyalty, and I just wanted to be her friend.
Maybe because Mr. Fowler was a total hottie. I don't know what world these male teachers came from (fantasy world), but where I teach there are no hot male teachers...more
To be honest this book has been on my radar for a while, but for some reason the cover didn't do it for me. Never judge a book by its cover is the saying that pops into my head over and over again. I actually only downloaded this because it was free and though why not. If I don't like it then I dont have to worry about it. HOW WRONG was I?
I loved this book, it is sweet, funny and anyone that can quote and love NKOTB as much as me (sad 90s chick) must be a one hell of a good writer!!!
This book i...more
I loved this book, it is sweet, funny and anyone that can quote and love NKOTB as much as me (sad 90s chick) must be a one hell of a good writer!!!
This book i...more
Against the Wall by Julie Prestsater is the first book in the Against the Wall series.
This was offered as a Kindle freebie and I had high hopes for it. Most of the reviews I have read were fairly good ratings for this book. The first half of this book had me laughing so hard my sides hurt. I think I shared and highlighted so many passages in this book before the fifty percent mark that my Kindle is probably overloaded from hitting the share button. Unfortunately, I am the small number of people...more
This was offered as a Kindle freebie and I had high hopes for it. Most of the reviews I have read were fairly good ratings for this book. The first half of this book had me laughing so hard my sides hurt. I think I shared and highlighted so many passages in this book before the fifty percent mark that my Kindle is probably overloaded from hitting the share button. Unfortunately, I am the small number of people...more
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Slick's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
5 Stars
I really love when I run across a new to me author and I especially love it when I realize the author is self published and I get to introduce her on the website. Against The Wall by Julie Prestsater is one of the most enjoyable, funny, sexy, and laugh out loud funny books I’ve read in a long time. At 99 cents, this book is worth so much more. I can’t wait to read more from this talented woman who has several YA books out. Alas another...more
5 Stars
I really love when I run across a new to me author and I especially love it when I realize the author is self published and I get to introduce her on the website. Against The Wall by Julie Prestsater is one of the most enjoyable, funny, sexy, and laugh out loud funny books I’ve read in a long time. At 99 cents, this book is worth so much more. I can’t wait to read more from this talented woman who has several YA books out. Alas another...more
OMG loved this book. And I love Matty Fuller. It was such a sweet, romantic read. I laughed, and just smiled while reading this book.
Everything was going great for Shelly. She had a career that she loved as a teacher at a high school where her best childhood friend, fiancé and best boy friend worked. What more could you ask for,
Then her fiancé dumped her after being together for 10 yrs and started dating another teacher at the same school. Starting a new year watching your ex fiancé and his ne...more
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loved it! laugh out loud funny!!
Sure a lot of reviews say this book was immature and not worth it, but I have to disagree!! I was only 2% into it and was laughing out loud and loving it!! Ok maybe it was drug out a lil bit, but we all get goofy and silly w/ our friends at times! Sure its not all hearts and flowers or down and dirty, but it was real and funny as I’ll get out!
After being dumped by her boyfriend/fiancé of 10yrs, Shel begins to look at her “friend” in a different light. Since being...more
Sure a lot of reviews say this book was immature and not worth it, but I have to disagree!! I was only 2% into it and was laughing out loud and loving it!! Ok maybe it was drug out a lil bit, but we all get goofy and silly w/ our friends at times! Sure its not all hearts and flowers or down and dirty, but it was real and funny as I’ll get out!
After being dumped by her boyfriend/fiancé of 10yrs, Shel begins to look at her “friend” in a different light. Since being...more
This was a really sweet story about two best friends who've both been dumped by their long-time loves. Closer than sisters, they help each other through the rough times with alcohol and laughter but, underneath, they really just yearn to be truly loved.
The main character, Shelly, is a little bit of a doormat when it comes to love. She has a hard time giving up on her ex since they've been together, on and off, since middle school. Unfortunately, they work together and she has to see him, whethe...more
The main character, Shelly, is a little bit of a doormat when it comes to love. She has a hard time giving up on her ex since they've been together, on and off, since middle school. Unfortunately, they work together and she has to see him, whethe...more
Julie Prestsater has done it again! I've read the first two books in her Double Threat series (which you should check out if you haven't) and having the chance to read about the teachers in this book was fantastic.
I loved the friendship that Shelly and Melanie had. There is nothing greater than the bond of two girls that go back to grade school and then carry on through adulthood. You know one another so well that it's scary sometimes, but there is also great comfort in that and you could feel t...more
I loved the friendship that Shelly and Melanie had. There is nothing greater than the bond of two girls that go back to grade school and then carry on through adulthood. You know one another so well that it's scary sometimes, but there is also great comfort in that and you could feel t...more
Shelly is a high school teacher who's fiance leaves her for another woman. To top it off both Chase(the ex) and the other woman... are fellow teachers. To get over Chase Shell's best friend Mel (who is also a teacher at the same high school) wants Shell to find someone to move on with. The man for the job? Shell's super hot friend Matt who she has an insane attraction towards. The only problem Shell has? She doesn't want to mix business with pleasure and Matt is also a teacher at the same high s...more
I want a man who loves me enough to nail me against the wall.
This two people are meant to be together from the start.
I guess, some people find it hard to move on after a long relationship comes to an end. Perhaps it has something to do with the routine that you and the person have shared for the longest time, and suddenly, changes are made and you found yourself alone doing what the two of you should be doing at that particular moment. The hardest thing is that, the former love of your life...more
This two people are meant to be together from the start.
I guess, some people find it hard to move on after a long relationship comes to an end. Perhaps it has something to do with the routine that you and the person have shared for the longest time, and suddenly, changes are made and you found yourself alone doing what the two of you should be doing at that particular moment. The hardest thing is that, the former love of your life...more
I stayed up until 4 am to finish this book, it is that good! Shelly is a high school English teacher dealing with the aftermath of having her ex-fiance (also a teacher on that campus) leave her for another teacher (who is also on that campus.) With the help of her best friend Mel, the central character of Book 2, and another good friend/new love interest Matt, she realizes that love is blind, but can also be enlightening.
The dialogue is really what sucked me in. I swear, Ms. Prestsater is either...more
The dialogue is really what sucked me in. I swear, Ms. Prestsater is either...more
This book was cute. Completely predictable, but cute nonetheless. There were some things I liked, some things that drove me nuts and some things that I couldn't stand.
Matt was adorable. He seemed a little one-dimensional and a little too good to be true. What 30-something man is willing to sleep in the same bed with the woman he loves night after night and not have sex with her. And don't get me started on the whole sending Shelly on dates with other men.
Shelly kind of drove me bonkers and not...more
Matt was adorable. He seemed a little one-dimensional and a little too good to be true. What 30-something man is willing to sleep in the same bed with the woman he loves night after night and not have sex with her. And don't get me started on the whole sending Shelly on dates with other men.
Shelly kind of drove me bonkers and not...more
Shelly and Chase have been in a relationship for the past 10 years. After eight years together, Chase popped the big question, but after two years never setting a date, he breaks off the engagement and moves out of Shelly's condo. A month later, he's shacked up with another teacher at the school that both he & Shelly work at.
Mel, Shelly's best friend since childhood, convinces Shelly she needs to move on. And who better to move on with than their good friend, Matty, who's always had a crush...more
Mel, Shelly's best friend since childhood, convinces Shelly she needs to move on. And who better to move on with than their good friend, Matty, who's always had a crush...more
3.5 Stars.
A great feel good type of book. A cute romatic comedy on getting your heart broken and finding love again.
I enjoyed reading this book, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. :) There's alot of humor and everyone is pretty witty - which I loved! The conversations between Shelly and her BFF Mel are hilarious.
It goes to show you that teachers are like everyone else, and they CUSS! Matty is cute and adorable... a little too adorable. Some of the stuff he said or did was a little...more
A great feel good type of book. A cute romatic comedy on getting your heart broken and finding love again.
I enjoyed reading this book, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. :) There's alot of humor and everyone is pretty witty - which I loved! The conversations between Shelly and her BFF Mel are hilarious.
It goes to show you that teachers are like everyone else, and they CUSS! Matty is cute and adorable... a little too adorable. Some of the stuff he said or did was a little...more
Shelly Gelson had it all...a job teaching English at Carver High, her best friend, Mel, working by her side and engaged to her high school sweetheart, Chase Marino. That is until Chase breaks her heart and leaves her for another teacher at the school. Now Shel is left broken hearted and trying to figure out what she wants while watching Chase and the home wrecker make moon eyes at each other. Enter Matt Fuller, Shel's friend for the past 5 years and the perfect rebound. He's gorgeous, smart, fun...more
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I'm a mom, a wife, a teacher, a reader, and a writer. I'm also an lunatic when it comes to the NFL and playing Fantasy football, especially if I don't get my first pick quarterback: Tony Romo. When I'm not at home or work, you can probably catch me on the 15 freeway singing my heart out and dancing away in my car.
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“Could he be prosecuted for murder? Cause of death: broken heart. Murder weapon: words laced with bullshit.”
—
9 people liked it
“Damn, Ty, I’m getting slizzard,” Mel says, sending everyone into bouts of laughter. “Dumb ass, you don’t have a G6. You can’t get slizzard in a frickin’ Prius,” I joke with her. We all laugh again”
—
3 people liked it
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