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Bound Together (Bound Together #1)

by Marie Coulson (Goodreads Author)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 3,239 ratings · 425 reviews

Layla Jennings is a fiery, independent and level headed nineteen year old. Always playing by the rules and doing what’s right, she has been the apple of her father’s eye and her mother’s treasure. But moving to college in Long Beach is about to turn Layla’s world upside down. With the gorgeous, pierced, guitar playing, wannabe rock star Oliver living across the hall, Layla...more

Kindle Edition, 614 pages

Published November 30th 2012 (first published November 1st 2012)

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Feb 22, 2013 Melissa Novicio rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-favorites

WHAT.THE.MOTHER??!! Marie you're killing me....

10 likes · like · see review

Dec 23, 2012 Blythe rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am not sure how I feel about this book. It started off really great and was excited for this book. And then from about the 13% point to the 60% point of the book, I was just sorta skimming through and stopping at parts that I thought were great. Because there were definitely parts of this book that are great...the part where you wish the alpha man was yours. But I just felt that I dragged on and I could have done without half the scenes. And then from the 60% point to about the 80% of the book...more

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Dec 11, 2012 D rated it 4 of 5 stars

*I received an ARC for an honest and open review*

Long before reading this book, I noticed an intriguing, hot cover come through on a media feed. I immediately was on a hunt for this book and anything tied to it. Sadly, it was somewhat of an enigma for a bit. Daily, i searched for the author behind this fab cover. I just knew that I had to read this story-- HAD TO READ IT!!! So when Marie Coulson gave me the opportunity to read Bound Together.... Let's just say I was more than excited. I will say...more *I received an ARC for an honest and open review*

Long before reading this book, I noticed an intriguing, hot cover come through on a media feed. I immediately was on a hunt for this book and anything tied to it. Sadly, it was somewhat of an enigma for a bit. Daily, i searched for the author behind this fab cover. I just knew that I had to read this story-- HAD TO READ IT!!! So when Marie Coulson gave me the opportunity to read Bound Together.... Let's just say I was more than excited. I will say I had absolutely no idea what the story was about. i went in completely blind and unaware. I will not go into the story at all as I had so much fun not knowing when I started to read that I think, other than the synopsis given, you should begin this story just as naive. ;) Marie Coulson propelled me into the worlds of Jared Garrett and Ollie Green. Two completely opposite in every way kind of guys yet so amazingly the same. Let's see whose team you decide to jump on.

I have heard some say this book seemed a little longer than others. However, this did not dilute the story nor did it lag or make you want to put the book down. The fluidity of the story was smooth and the transitions and shifts in the sub stories were very well done. The secondary characters were hilarious and supported the main characters wonderfully. I felt myself being drawn into their stories just as much as the main characters. The character of Layla was refreshingly portrayed. She was real and she was identifiable in every way. By this, I mean she was immature, naive and at times I wanted to smack her upside the head. I suppose when I was 19/20 yrs old, I was somewhat like this and played games with the ones you were supposed to like and love. There will be many who will not be able to relate to her or will find a complete disconnect from her and not relate in any way, shape or form. I however, could picture myself in my college days, hanging out with my friends and enjoying life. As for Jared and Ollie's characters, i won't give too much away... there were things you wanted to absolutely love and there were things you wanted to give them a smack upside the head -- so in other words just like the guys we love in our real worlds. I will say there were times that Jared's character did not fit what I pictured to be a 22 yr old guy. I'm hoping things will be clearer with the second book.
I know whose team I'm on... Who will you choose?

Bound Together is LUSTFUL! SWEET! LOVING! FUN! and MADDENING! -- Marie Coulson just gained herself a spot in the romance/contemporary romance world. Bound Together is her debut novel. Can't wait for book two! Bound Together is bubblegum for the mind and is not out to end world hunger or bring peace to the world. It is simply for fun and escape. There were things that may have been over the top and quite possibly laughable but the book is a work of fiction and a break away from the daily grind that is life.(less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Marie Coulson rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Hi guys!

This is my facebook page. Come like for teasers, give away's and updates.

Author Page:
http://www.facebook.com/authormarieco...

P.S Two things to note.
1.The rumor that you don't find out the ending?? You do. Look for the clues. It's not a cliffhanger as such. You will know who she chose...and depending who's team you are on, you will be happy or not so happy.

2. I'm getting lots of feedback from people saying that they don't like Layla at all. Fear not readers! I trust you will understan...more

20 likes · like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh, awesome - a story about a college girl who is swept off her feet by a young zillionaire Dom with a bangin' body and a tragic backstory. She's SO sweet and SO beautiful and SO sexy, and she's also SO good at "standing up for herself" with irrational, dramatic reactions every time an issue arises. And what? The guy also forces gifts on her, acts like a total control freak, lies by omission and has deep, dark secrets?

How refreshing!

Total "Fifty Shades" knockoff, with worse grammar and punctuat...more

17 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this debut novel....3.5 stars...

I liked Marie Coulson's writing style and found it engaging and easy to read.

I both loved and hated the characters alternately in the book. I liked them all in the beginning. There were sparks, confrontation, flirting and it was fun. Especially between Jared and Layla. It was easy to like both Jared and Ollie at first and see their potential as love interests for Layla.

Layla: A girl trying to make her way newly living away from family...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wowooooooga!!! TEAM OLLIE!!! Love this triangle of love and trust and musical hotness!! Can't wait for Ollie's novella :)

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 13, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-rvd

Bound Together
by Marie Coulson
4 star review
You can find our review at
Shh Mom's Reading
www.shhmomsreading.com
and join the conversation at
www.facebook.com/ShhMomsReading
@shhmomsreading

Congratulations to Marie Coulson on a wonderful debut novel; Bound Together was a truly enjoyable book.

Bound Together held my attention as Ms.Coulson developed well rounded characters that made for an engaging read.

The female character Layla is well written, as the story developed her internal conflict was tangi...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Sans marked it as dnf Recommends it for: People I hate. Or 50 Shades fans.

Recommended to Sans by: Amazon (that bitch)

Shelves: new-adult, character-i-want-to-bitch-slap

No. No, no, no, no and no. Absolutely not. If you're considering reading this, don't do it. Save yourself. I didn't pay attention to the signs and I blithely waded into this mire of crap. Can I please have some bleach for my brain?

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Dec 12, 2012 Sugar and Spice Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me start of by saying I love a good love triangle.....it's my favorite kind of book! That being said, I have never been so torn between to male characters in my life! Team Jared or Team Ollie.....ughhh I'm still undecided though I'm leaning toward Jared! I give this one 4 stars.

Bound Together is the story of Layla Jennings, when moving to college in Long Beach Layla's world get's rocked when she meets the gorgeous, pierced, guitar playing, wannabe rock star Oliver and then the handsome, rich...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Jennifer Wolfel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jared, Jared, Jared!!!!!!!!

I truly enjoined Bound Together. It combined the perfect amount of LOL funny moments, sweet touching moments that make you swoon, moments to make u cry in frustration and moments to cry in sadness.... All the makings for a really good read!

What can I say Jared is rich and sexy, rich and isn't afraid to say how he really feels!!! This is refreshing in a way most books the strong male holds back feelings but not this one! The words that flowed from Jared made me melt! Wh...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Stacy Borel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok so I just finished this book and I feel the need to write a quick review of it while its fresh with feeling before I go to bed. MOTHER FUCKING CRAPPING PIECE OF SHIT ALL TO HELL! Whew! I feel better. haha No seriously. I don't even know what to say. I had a TON of ups and downs with this book. And I had a ton of wishy washy feelings about ALL the characters in the book through the whole darn thing. I've NEVER felt that way in a book before. N-E-V-E-R.
I swear to god I thought I was team Jared...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

A MUST READ!!!

I seriously had a major mind fuck with this one that I think I'm going to need intense therapy sessions.

As for the characters, don't even get me started with Layla, oh god! I hate her to the very core of my being. My hatred for her is too damn high. It's not just cause two hot men are bat shit crazy about her. I don't get how someone who is supposedly of little experience with men and a "good girl" could have done the things she did. She had a great introduction but it never onc...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Gitte - TotallyBookedBlog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

2.5 Stars

I really like Marie Coulson’s writing style, it’s easy to read and I thought it was a good first novel from an Author with loads of potential. The premise of the story and the quality of the writing had me hooked from the start and I loved the dilemma of two very different, almost night and day, male leads as the love interests of our heroine.

I have to applaud the Author and her writing on the intensity of my feelings for the characters in this story. I have never liked yet detested cha...more 2.5 Stars

I really like Marie Coulson’s writing style, it’s easy to read and I thought it was a good first novel from an Author with loads of potential. The premise of the story and the quality of the writing had me hooked from the start and I loved the dilemma of two very different, almost night and day, male leads as the love interests of our heroine.

I have to applaud the Author and her writing on the intensity of my feelings for the characters in this story. I have never liked yet detested characters so much and so on and off throughout a book before. At the beginning, I liked them all and I enjoyed the connections, the flirting, the banter and the yummy scenes. Then the ride went crazy and the angst was turned onto G-Force levels that left me dizzy and unable to keep up.

So in this story we have our heroine, Layla.

Layla is a few months away from her 20th birthday and is leaving the home she shares with her divorced Dad to go to College. Here she meets Amy her roomie and Oliver across the hall. Layla immediately finds a job at a local coffee shop where she meets the elusive slightly older Jared.

So what did I think about Layla? To begin with I really liked her. She was sweet, outgoing and an independent hard-working girl.

As the story continued however, I have to be completely honest here and admit that she started to drive me crazy. As she herself proclaimed, she thought she was a very mature, honest and like-able woman. Yes I got that too in the beginning, however as the story unfolded and she became the object of Jared and Oliver’s desires and love she turned into a stroppy and selfish teenager. Granted, she is 19 when the story begins, yet nearly 20 but she acted very immature for that age. I know it was a long time ago for me, however, I do remember being 19. So here’s where I am thinking it was a personality thing not an age thing. She was unforgiving and insensitive; threw over the top tantrums and was quite the hypocritical and dishonest little madam. How Jared didn't get whiplash I don’t know. Then she’d go do something nice and I’d think oh maybe she is not so bad…yeah no! She just didn't redeem herself to me at all. Even when her friends Mel and Amy had news about themselves or their life, Layla managed to turn it back to herself, her troubles or dilemmas. I feel awful here because I really liked her to begin with and I tried so hard to keep liking her, I wanted to like her, but the final nail in that one was the way she played both Ollie and Jared. It just didn't sit well with me at all. Considering the fact that she herself was the culprit of what she accused them off…yeah no!

Now, I don’t think I have ever read a book before where I switched from one team to the next, so this was a first for me. I must have switched about 3 times through this book as our main guys Jared and Oliver characters developed. I’d think I had them figured out, then they would go and do or say something which made me think hang on…that is not in line with your characterization and I’d turn to the other, I guess I was confused. I think unfortunately this made me dis-connect with them slightly and in the end I actually wouldn't even know what team I was on though I lean towards team Ollie! I’ll get back to you on this one once I read the sequel! I have to say though that overall I thought both Jared and Ollie were delicious and yeah I wouldn't say no to either of them but only once I’d given them a kick up the arse!!

Okay so we have Ollie. I have to say I loved him. He was the bad boy, tattooed and pierced rocker with a huge heart. This huge heart had me really feeling for him in certain scenes and I wanted to give him a bit of a kick up the arse in regards to his leniency of Layla! I thought the Author actually wrote him really well but he deserved so much better! He was a great character.

Now Jared, I loved him from the start. He was a romantic, gorgeous, hot and funny guy. So protective and he loves fiercely. I completely started off on 100% Team Jared, that was until he became a bit too mushy and did something which after the short amount of time and an extremely bumpy ride just didn't make any sense. At times he sounded a bit like a woman…the prose he uses to write Layla was not in keeping with his character in my opinion. However, I really felt for the guy because no matter what he did it just wasn't right.

To sum up, despite my personal feelings about the heroine which was an integral part to how I felt about this story, I have to say that it was very well written. There was just too much angst and so many misunderstandings which in the end I put down to Layla’s immaturity.. Now, the ending, I thought was really well-written, it completely caught my attention – which one would she go to….(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 B.J. rated it 4 of 5 stars

OMG I'm speechless. This book is like a car speeding down a highway with no brakes and you're torn between enjoying the speed and trying to decide how to survive. Its exhilarating, exasperating, thrilling, spine tingling and oh so HOT. Actually HOT doesn't come even close to describing this book. Steaming with hot sauce and deep heat would come close. Fantastically written and the secondary characters are just as awesome as the main characters. I had picked a team from 40% onwards and didn't wai...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmmmm... Not my favorite book by far,the first 3/4 kinda drug along. Normally, I always root for the bad boy, but honestly Jared's behavior set off all my alarms and I found myself rooting for the Rockstar (which I thought his character could have been much more intriguing if she hadn't had made him out to be such a goody goody..I mean really, what rocker just sits back and waits patiently for the girl to land in his lap without putting himself in a few risky situations?!?) It just felt all wron...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Reanell Tisdale rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ahhhh I loved this book!! I fell in love with all the characters. The love triangle was heart wrenching amazing, I couldn't wait to get to the next page because I couldn't get enough of Jared or Ollie!!! Layla is one lucky girl! I live a good book with a lot of angst and this one had plenty! I can't wait to see what else Marie Coulson has in store for us in Torn Apart.

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Jan 27, 2013 Julia Briskoski rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was hooked instantly but this love triangle had me frustrated at the characters. I can't still can't decide if I'm team Jared or Team Ollie but I love them both. I found this book sexy, romantic, exciting, frustrating but mostly totally addictive! Cannot wait for book 2, the ending left me hanging.....

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Dec 08, 2012 Leslie Metsch rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ollie or Jared what a tough choice! I enjoyed the love triangle if the two boys an Layla. Now have to wait for book two! Ugh.......my emotions were all over the place. The gushy love words of Jared were a little to much and Ollie was a trooper to stick it out for a hot college guy. Overall I enjoyed the read.

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May 27, 2013 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 Save the Drama For Your Momma Stars

SO MUCH DRAMA. Oh My Gawd. Somebody slap her. Seriously.

Layla is a college Freshman. FRESHMAN. Like 19 years old. The first day on campus she meets her hunky, music-loving, across the hall neighbor. Ok...its going to be that kind of book. Then she meets the equally hunky young businessman who is a jerk to her. Ohhhh..so it THAT story. NOOO.. It is all those stories.

The young hunky rick jerk falls instantly in love with her and starts to lavish her with expe...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Keri rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a tough book for me to review! It could have easily been 5 stars but there were some that could have easily been worked out during the beta stage which just distracted me too much. A lot of readers are pretty astute and easily pick up on parts that contradict one other, are just so unrealistic and add nothing to the overall story, etc. and for me, there were too many such instances.

***MINOR SPPOLIER ALERT***
First let me say, I liked this book. I could have really, really loved it. I lov...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Layla Jennings is a very independent and level headed nineteen year old. Always playing by the rules and doing what’s right, she has been the apple of her father’s eye and her mother’s treasure. But moving to attend college in Long Beach is about to turn Layla’s world upside down. She is about to become the typical college student.

Across the hall from her is none other than gorgeous, pierced, guitar playing, wannabe rock star Oliver. Layla finds herself thrown into a world of music, money, torn...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Musing rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bound Together by Marie Coulson was a marathon of a book. The pace initially was fabulous, the intensity brilliant, the characters fun and intriguing.

Layla was starting her College life, and emboldened by her new roommate, thought it was time to let loose a little. What she clearly hadn't expected, was the love triangle she found herself in.

Suddenly put before her were two men, equal in their sexiness and hotness to keep the reader drooling, and equal in their devotion to her. I'm still not su...more Bound Together by Marie Coulson was a marathon of a book. The pace initially was fabulous, the intensity brilliant, the characters fun and intriguing.

Layla was starting her College life, and emboldened by her new roommate, thought it was time to let loose a little. What she clearly hadn't expected, was the love triangle she found herself in.

Suddenly put before her were two men, equal in their sexiness and hotness to keep the reader drooling, and equal in their devotion to her. I'm still not sure she completely deserved this though, as despite her friends and family cheering on her selfless nature, it was difficult to love this heroine. Layla often acted like a spoilt child, frequently throwing tantrums and hiding behind half truths destined to create angst.

In this, I hand it to Marie Coulson. The angst was well and truly present, almost throughout the whole 600+ pages. However, I think there should have been less. It was often repetitive in description and prose, and there were many overlapping stories, not necessarily all helpful to keep reader focus.

The whiplash between Jared, Layla and Oliver was at times, excruciating. Adding other plot lines, including her parents, and her room-mates love lives, made the book too long. It was engrossing to read, yet I struggled to continue at many points.

Bound Together was the sort of book that will no doubt receive many mixed responses. Some of the sex scenes were incredibly hot! Moments of tenderness, written beautifully. The conclusion - overwhelmingly frustrating! The sequel, when it comes out, I will probably read. But I do hope Ms Coulson sticks closer to the main characters with fewer repetitive phrases and more story.

You might find similarities to Fifty Shades in this book, particularly in Jared's possessive and controlling personality, as well as his financial status.

If you can handle a long, twisty, angst creating book, about College students doing what they seem to do best - party, read Bound Together. It wasn't a fun book, but certainly created frequent visceral responses, especially when Jared was 'in control'!! Sigh.

(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked the way it started out and I could totally picture the relationship with both guys. It was definitely a good love triangle in every sense of the word since it made my heart pound and I wanted to tear my hair out and just pick for her. I had a feeling who she was going to choose from the beginning and then the middle really pissed me off when I thought she was going to choose wrong. I love Ollie and he was a great friend to her, and I feel like he could be the type of guy to get his own h...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Callixta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Et bien, voilà encore un roman à découvrir, torrent d’émotions, de sensualité, et de jeux de séduction. EL James a ouvert la boîte de Pandore avec son roman et depuis les voix se libèrent, les romans se multiplient et si il y a de vils imitateurs, il y a de véritables découvertes. Mary Coulson a sans aucun doute réussi son coup dans ce très long roman de 600 pages qui n’est en plus qu’une première partie.

Nous voilà de nouveau avec de jeunes héros : Layla Jennings a à peine vingt ans et entre à l...more Et bien, voilà encore un roman à découvrir, torrent d’émotions, de sensualité, et de jeux de séduction. EL James a ouvert la boîte de Pandore avec son roman et depuis les voix se libèrent, les romans se multiplient et si il y a de vils imitateurs, il y a de véritables découvertes. Mary Coulson a sans aucun doute réussi son coup dans ce très long roman de 600 pages qui n’est en plus qu’une première partie.

Nous voilà de nouveau avec de jeunes héros : Layla Jennings a à peine vingt ans et entre à l’université de Californie. En l’espace de quelques jours, elle va rencontrer deux hommes, un voisin de chambre sur le campus, Oliver et Jared, un jeune homme qui fréquente le diner où elle travaille. Avec Oliver, un rocker, l’attirance est instantanée et la communauté d’esprit immédiate. Avec Jared, tout est bien plus compliqué et agressif. Nous voilà au centre d’un triangle amoureux qui va animer les nombreux chapitres de cette histoire qui se déroule sur environ un an, cette première année universitaire où nous verrons surtout nos personnages interagir.

Le roman est totalement addictif et on ne peut s’empêcher de sursauter quand nous découvrons que Jared est un très jeune homme d’affaires de vingt-deux ans, en charge d’un empire familial dont il a hérité après la mort brutale de ses parents. Hautain, plus mature que son âge, c’est un homme puissant, complexe qui remet en cause Layla. Il est également dominateur, en besoin de contrôle absolu, richissime. Cela vous rappelle quelqu’un ? Vous n’avez pas tort surtout quand on sait que Jared aime aussi les expériences sexuelles un peu plus originales. Marie Coulson ne va cependant pas plus loin, elle a l’habileté de trouver son propre ton, de donner ses propres caractéristiques à Jared et surtout de placer ses autres personnages dans une situation très à la mode aujourd’hui : le triangle amoureux.

Très habilement l’auteure parvient à faire le portrait de deux héros totalement craquants et on ne peut que soupirer d’envie devant Layla qui a attiré et rendu fou amoureux deux hommes aussi charmants. Si Jared est l’homme d’affaire, amateur de contrôle, Oliver est le bon copain, tendre, patient, toujours là, compréhensif et sexy . Il est aussi un rocker aux piercings intéressants ! Il partage beaucoup de choses avec Layla. Chacun a ses atouts, ses attraits et Layla va manquer y perdre la tête. Le lecteur aussi ! Il faut noter que ces auteures très libres car auto-éditées osent souvent aller plus loin que d’habitude. Elles n’hésitent pas à montrer tous les aspects d’un triangle amoureux : notre héroïne va gouter aux charmes des deux jeunes hommes.

Nous suivons cette histoire passionnée avec bonheur. Marie Coulson n’a pas réussi le livre parfait. Certains passages semblent un peu forcés, les constantes déclarations d’amour des héros sont un peu redondantes et fleuries mais cela fonctionne tout de même. L’auteure réussit même un très intelligent final, subtile et quand on apprend à la fin du livre qu’elle nous prépare la suite et que l’amoureux déçu de ce roman a déjà eu droit à une nouvelle, nous sommes ravies car les personnages sont follement attachants.

Le tout se déroule, comme souvent, dans ces romans sur fond de milieu étudiant qui sort beaucoup, boit encore plus. Il serait d’ailleurs intéressant de noter à quel point ces étudiants américains sont alcoolisés, dans le pays de la prohibition ! Il y a de nombreux amis qui ont aussi leurs histoires d’amour. De ce point de vue le livre se classe définitivement dans l’érotique, faisant vite oublier que la romance jeune adulte est en général plus réservé dans ce domaine.

Plongez dans ce roman qui fonctionne à merveille et est totalement dans cette nouvelle tendance de l’édition et de la romance jeune adulte. Emotions, angoisses et surprises sont au rendez-vous !(less)

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Jan 03, 2013 J.M. Stone rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm actually almost at a loss for words. I say almost because I have a few things to say. The book started out really good. Then it got better. Then I think I hit the peak and it started back sliding for me. Jared? He's hot and possessive and aggressive and I like that. The story touched just a bit on the BDSM theme, and I got excited because Jared had the makings of a GREAT Dom. But it never really went there, and it disappointed me. Oliver? I liked him, alot. But he kind of got on my nerves ju...more

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Dec 31, 2012 MJ rated it 1 of 5 stars

Good potential (for a cousin of twilight/fifty shades), but SO over thought.

Repetitive sex scenes, fight scenes, internal monolog scenes, conversation scenes... And did I mention repetitive? Oh and there are SO many unnecessary pages that are designed to draaaawwwww out the angst and turmoil of these 'perfectly designed drama's'.

There were some good elements in the book... I remember thinking 'look, that's a bit of a redeeming quality of the book. Give it ANOTHER chance and keep reading'. I say...more Good potential (for a cousin of twilight/fifty shades), but SO over thought.

Repetitive sex scenes, fight scenes, internal monolog scenes, conversation scenes... And did I mention repetitive? Oh and there are SO many unnecessary pages that are designed to draaaawwwww out the angst and turmoil of these 'perfectly designed drama's'.

There were some good elements in the book... I remember thinking 'look, that's a bit of a redeeming quality of the book. Give it ANOTHER chance and keep reading'. I say this now, but I can't remember what any of them were. Mostly, I just think of all the hours of my life that I can't get back.

Looking back at it now, the book feels (not entirely, but mostly) like a bunch of separate moments that have been over thought and forced into their most 'abrasive, clever and perfected' versions and then pasted into a book.

There are themes/reasons and people throughout who are given 'important' moments/statements/events etc... and then they pretty much disappear until they/it are needed in another 'perfectly engineered' scene... Only to then fall off the radar again.

I realise now that the author was planning book two, which no doubt accounts for some of the above. But really? Leaving holes the size of the grand canyon just so you've got something for the next book is just lazy. And if that isn't the reason behind the issues in this book... Then wow... That's some thought process going on.

Now obviously, this is all just my opinion and there are people who have enjoyed this story and left positive reviews - which is why I ended up wasting my money on it. And yes, I do feel a little bad about my review for the author who put a lot of thought and care into what is probably their baby. Though saying that, I stand by all of the above... But the final nail in the book for me was the end. Perfectly drawn out over oh so many unnecessary pages (think of the trees people), and designed to say so much without saying much (reminding us again how much of a clever writer the author is). Then, you finally get to the salient point, to be left with not much more than a one liner. Yes, you know who she's chosen... You know that from about three pages into the 'omg... My life, my life'. Again... The trees people!

Now this is obviously done to enhance the next book. I don't have a problem with that as such. There are so many books that leave you googling for when the next one is coming out and discussing all the different options for what will come next. This one though... This one just left me personally with the image of the author sitting there like Mr Evil with his pinky in his mouth, giggling about how clever he is that now you with have to buy the next book. (less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Clista rated it 4 of 5 stars

Layla Jennings goes to college 2 hrs away to Cali State, leaving her divorced dad. Her mom lives in SF. Her best friend, Mel lives next door, and she leaves her also. First person she meets in her dorm, or rather on the floor, is Ollie, Oliver Green. Gorgeous bad boy who lives across the hall. Then in comes her roommate, Amy Brookes. She is obviously from money. She is gorgeous! she immediately gets a job at the coffee shop across the street and meets the boss, Lorraine. As she is frantically en...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Angelica Mayorga rated it 2 of 5 stars

For some reason, this love triangle really pissed me off! What pisses me off more though, is controlling men. It's sexy for a man to be a little possessive, show off his jealous side every once in a while, and be in control but not when he begins to control you. There is a very thin line and it was crossed. Jared was controlling. "It is not a request." Are you fu**ing serious? I can't stand that. Having been in a controlling relationship in the past, it irks me to hear men speak like that to wom...more For some reason, this love triangle really pissed me off! What pisses me off more though, is controlling men. It's sexy for a man to be a little possessive, show off his jealous side every once in a while, and be in control but not when he begins to control you. There is a very thin line and it was crossed. Jared was controlling. "It is not a request." Are you fu**ing serious? I can't stand that. Having been in a controlling relationship in the past, it irks me to hear men speak like that to women. He is not her father and she is not a child to be ordered around. Relationships with deep rooted issues regarding trust rarely overcome that. Their entire relationship was nothing but fights, lies, and deceit. Why would you choose that when you loved someone else who gave you more than you deserved?

This is why I was Team Ollie. He didn't pressure her, he didn't play dirty, he let her make her choice. Jared sent her all that stuff knowing it would remind her of the times they had together. Ollie kept his distance and truly let her choose. I respected him for that. So yeah, team Ollie. It wasn't just Ollie that I liked, I would've been for her staying alone, but Jared just really struck a nerve with me. It was really frustrating.

I can't wait for Last Christmas (Ollie's story)and I really could care less about Torn Apart. Layla got on my nerves. She was selfish and has a lot of growing up to do. So I really don't care much to read the rest of her story...Realistically, her relationship with Jared would turn into an abusive and controlling relationship from which she would not be able to get out of until something horrible happened. That's real life but I'm sure that won't happen. It'll all be made out to be chocolate and roses, perfect and happily ever after. After, of course, having a few jealous fits from both sides.

The book itself was really drawn out. I wish it would've been shorter. I found myself skimming a lot of it. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I did fall in love with Ollie's character though and I am planning on reading his story. (less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say I hate to love this book. People complain its to long, in my opinion long is better then short, that's not what I dislike though. Its the characters, I like Layla. She is sassy and smart but she reprimands about honesty when she shows none herself. She is short fused which cause a lot of fights. After only a couple weeks of dating Jared she loves him, but she doesn't know him! They spend the time having sex or fighting. Yet Oliver is a best friend and she's attracted but she can't...more

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“...Love is easy, falling in love is even easier, but letting that love go, is the most difficult thing you’ll ever have to do. Some of us never let it go and
sometimes it takes a while to realize what you want. But your heart will always have the right answer in the end. You just have to figure out what it’s
telling you.” — 39 people liked it

“Falling in love is like leaping from a cliff. Your brain screams that it’s not a good idea and that hurt and pain will inevitably come to you. But your
heart believes you can soar, glide and fly.” — 23 people liked it

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