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What a Boy Wants

(What a Boy Wants #1)

Nyrae Dawn (Goodreads Author)

3.53 · Rating details · 10,704 ratings · 889 reviews

Courtesy of watching his mom’s relationships, Sebastian Hawkins knows what girls need to do to get a guy. He has what he considers a PHD in hooking up. When he needs extra cash for a car, Sebastian starts up an online venture as The Hook-up Doctor, to anonymously help girls land the guy of their dreams. Of course, his services don’t offer a happily-ever-after guarantee. He ...more

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Nook, 248 pages

Published April 6th 2012

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May 01, 2012 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* by: Karla

Shelves: young-adult

(This is an Adult-who-enjoys-reliving-the-stirrings-of-first-love-and-self-discovery-during-the-teen-years-through-YA books review)

5 Stars - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! (As Bastian would say ^_^) WHAT A BOY WANTS was just what I wanted right now!

Thanks again to Karla for recommending this to me! Karla, sweetie, you can recommend YA reads to me ANY TIME, from now on! ^_^

WHAT A BOY WANTS is such a fun, cute, sweet, heart-warming, charming and high ...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Fred rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Fans of Molly Ringle, Lauren Barnholdt, Jennifer Echols

Shelves: srsly-tbr-asap

This is a cute, fun and sweet read about a self-described love 'em & leave 'em type, who passes out online advice as the "Hook-up Doctor," and his female (totally platonic) best friend. You'll never guess what happens! Ok, so maybe you might, Ms. "Smarty-pants I've read lots of YA know-it-all." But that doesn't prevent this from being a charming and endearing story of crazy first love, a fatuous boy and his self defeating antics. Narrator Bastian is full of bluff, bravado and bro-ness, and posse ...more

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May 07, 2012 Kim rated it did not like it

Shelves: made-me-puke, ass-thy-name-is-man

I am aware of the throng of fans that exist for this book, and I am awfully sorry that this book was not for me at all. Something in the book didn't connect with me. My opinions are strictly impersonal. Feel free to point out that we have different brain structures and therefore have different preferences.
Firstly, shouldn't alarm bells be ringing about the fact that a woman is writing about what men want? It has struck me, though, that men technically NEVER write chick-lit, so if there is an aut I am aware of the throng of fans that exist for this book, and I am awfully sorry that this book was not for me at all. Something in the book didn't connect with me. My opinions are strictly impersonal. Feel free to point out that we have different brain structures and therefore have different preferences.
Firstly, shouldn't alarm bells be ringing about the fact that a woman is writing about what men want? It has struck me, though, that men technically NEVER write chick-lit, so if there is an author who wishes to strike gold by venturing into the untrodden realm of uncovering the mysteries within the minds of bearers of the Y chromosome, I suppose it has to take a woman to do the job.
This suspicion and doubt on the credibility of the book's "advice" about what men really want could have lead me to start off the book with slight prejudice, I'm afraid. Though I must say, with strict reference to the movies and movie-series, I must say that the advice given could perhaps be actually rather spot-on. I'm not sure, but one thing's for certain: our lives are not like those screened on TV.
I had a problem with the characters. I completely abhor Sebastian and Jaden. Sebastian, the narrator, is arrogant, conceited, and completely disrespectful towards women! Oh, and for a guy, he thinks a lot. WAY too much. The same thoughts are repeated again and again much too often. I wonder if guys actually think so much. It would be an interesting revelation, and I will never let my male friends it down, since everyone thinks that it has always been women who think in volumes in the first place. But then, allow me to contradict myself by saying that Sebastian sometimes doesn't bloody think at all. He wallows on the past to much when his limited brain capacity could have been used to consider the future, ie the consequences of some/most of his stupid actions. DO I make sense?
Sebastian's mind is so full of lust that when he starts developing feelings for Aspen, all he can think of is touching her. And making out. And when they get together, well, all his shallow, disrespectful dreams are achieved. What was going on through his mind during those X-rated sessions were pretty much disgusting. Now I wonder, out of curiosity, if men DO think like that (with all due respect to half the global population out there). I really hope not. Because if Sebastian's the stereotypical cool, suave, charming girl-getter, honestly, I'll be content with a loser.
And for Jaden? He's Sebastian's best friend and they do everything together. Enough said.
It's hard to like a book when you despise the narrator so much already. For me, I also didn't really like the writing style. The author/the characters' too frequent use of "you know", "and all", "and stuff", "and shit" in their conversations is really pissing off. It makes me feel like they aren't sure of themselves when communicating with each other. Here's an example:

Sebastian to Aspen: Need me to mess someone up for you? You know, with my ninja skills and all.

What's with all that self-doubt? I don't think people actually say them, or at the very least, THAT often. It makes me want to scream "What do you mean, 'you know'? Why wouldn't I know? Are you actually doubting MY INTELLIGENCE?!" I think that without these weird phrases, the sentence could have delivered the point across pretty much as effectively. Plus, it could have saved me a LOT of time on this book.
That's just a very minor point that I wanted to put forth. Mainly, I didn't really like the delivery of the plot itself. I have to give it to the author that the plot was pretty fresh, but the story-telling was too fast. Something was always happening, but I was never convinced of the sincerity or the reasons of the doer for committing them. I could never really connect with any of the characters, and throughout this book, it was as if I was hearing a retelling of some third-hand gossip from someone else rather than being a first-hand observer in empathising with the characters and experiencing what they went through. The details of the plot were meagre and insufficient, but the descriptions on the making-out sessions were chokingly too much in comparison. I was hoping that the protagonist felt more emotions other than lust and jealousy, but if he does, he really isn't very articulate in his head.
The witty banter wasn't the least intriguing, the plot was too, too predictable (or maybe I made at least 10 very good guesses), the characters barely cast a shadow in the story and in my impression,
and some parts were to cheesy for my liking. I am the minority, but I don't think I'd pick up the second instalment to this series.

Afterthoughts:
Are teenagers (at least those in Nyrae Dawn-Land) that lustful? They're just kids! All they aim for in life is to lose their single status, or to get laid. There is no mention of classes, school nothing (at least in Sebastian's head). It was almost as if he lived in a brothel.
...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Karla rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: friends-to-lovers, clean-romance, teenage-drama, young-adult, single-mom, wonderful-secondary-characters, terrific-dialogue, sweet-romance, sweet-boy, bargain-book

Bravo Nyrae Dawn…well done!! What delightful, charming, captivating story!!! Simple premise, wonderful execution. I haven’t been 17 for a very long time, but you made feel so young.

I ADORED Sebastian and his cocky arrogance, yet at the same time he was protective, caring, and devoted to his friends and mother. This sweet teenage romance had the typical elements for this kind of story, but it was also about mending broken friendships, and the love between a mother and her son. I cracked up when I ...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Furiah Leslie rated it it was amazing

OK this book cracks me up so much. i am now half way through it love it. i am a young adult myself and can totally relate to the heroine in this book. emotions running high and secretly being in love with your best friend. its all so familiar. Sebastian has a great sense of humor that that has made it hard to put down this book. while reading i would find myself going 'yeah' and 'i know how you feel' and smiling to myself and the people around me must be wondering what in grinning about. I cant ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Amy | Foxy Blogs rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013-books-i-ve-read, february-2013

Sebastian is a 17 year old boy who wants to buy a car. To earn money he becomes a modern day Dear Abby by running a blog/e-mail service helping girls land the guys of their dreams. His alias is The Hook-up Doctor.

What will happen when The Hook-up Doctor falls in love?? Is he capable of loving someone?
description

This monkey is for Renee

SERIES:

What a Boy Wants (What a Boy Wants, #1) by Nyrae Dawn

What a Boy Needs (What a Boy Wants, #2) by Nyrae Dawn

No cliffhanger. Spinoff ...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Kellie Maddox-Ward rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-na

I am 27 yrs old and I am reduced to the above right now... Yep OMG, omg, OH MY GOD! I have fallen hard for this 17 year old!

Sebastian, Pris, Aspen and Jaden are just awesome... they remind me of being 17 and being desperately in love and trying to get over that friend to lover thing. When school was important but not really it was more about cars, girls (well boys for me!), the weekend and hook ups were top of the list!

This book was just great. It made me smile, laugh, cringe, smirk, want ...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Charlotte rated it really liked it

Shelves: april-2012-release, indie-published, 2012-challenge, 2012-releases, april-2012, male-pov

3.5 - 4 Stars

What A Boy Wants was a refreshing change from all the female pov's I've read lately in this genre. I adored Sebastian, the main character, and enjoyed reading what felt like a pretty authentic male perspective. This was a fun, mostly fluffy, light and easy read. I recommend it if you're looking for something sweet.

Kudos to Nyrae Dawn on a wonderful debut novel. I look forward to more from her in the future. (Especially if the next book is about Jaden.) ;)

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Apr 18, 2012 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-contemporary-challenge-2012, favorites, male-pov

**I HAD THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW SEBASTIAN!!** CHECK IT OUT ON MY BLOG http://jenuinecupcakes.blogspot.com/2...

THIS.COVER. *fights urge to ruffle guys hair*

OK, So I have to be honest...the cover is what made me check this book out. *giggles* (I seriously wanted to run my fingers through his hair which is both funny and ironic. Read the book and you'll understand.)

This is a quick read that provides a funny, refreshing take on love and relationships from a guy's POV. Sebastian is the "Hook-Up Docto ...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Autumn Review rated it it was amazing

If you follow my blog you know I usually do my own summary of the book for my reviews, but I couldn't quite capture Bastian's personality, so I left it as the expert wrote it. This book is an amazing little read that I was TOLD to read immediately. I'm so glad I did. This book totally exceeding my expectations.

On the first page of this book, I was cracking up! The book is told from Bastian's perspective and I love reading books from a male POV (point of view). Sebastian is simply adorable! The ...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Kalejay rated it it was amazing

Five stars!!

First of all, I'll be honest. I decided to read this based on two things:

1) It was popping up on Kelley York's update feed a bunch of times and I freaking loved her book, Hushed (read it for the love of sweet baby Jesus, read it!)

and 2) The cover. Yeah yeah, sue me, whatever, but hello, cute boy! LOL (who is the perfect Sebastian)

That being said, I'm glad I did because this is such a sweet story! I love Sebastian. He is the sweetest, most kind-hearted guy. I love how he loves his mom ...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Booknut rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, books-i-love-dearly, good-hearted-bad-boys, can-t-get-enough-of, heartwarming, high-school-dramas

Rating: 4.1

“We're guys. Half the time, we don't know who we are. It helps things become a lot easier if we know who you are.”

Sebastian by day, the Hook-up Doctor by night - and never, ever Seb. Sebastian's got the answers, if you've got the money. Need a guy? Need him to notice you? Need to find the one true love of your life, or even someone to just date for the hell of it? He's got the moves, the lines and the best ways to get that guy you want. And he's never, ever, had a failure. It's 100% ...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Alexis *Reality Bites* rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: All YA Lovers!

Shelves: jealousy, contemporary_romance, quick_read, ya-romance, may-june-jul-aug2012, steam_was-pg-13, clean-teen_romance, falls_for_bestfriend

Spoiler Free Review
4 STARS
Genre: Young Adult Romance/Chick Lit
Series: Book#1 in What A Boy Wants Series

"Did you kiss her?" she wispered
"Hell no. These lips belong to you." -Sabastian inWhat A Boy Wants

In order to earn extra cash to buy a car Sabastian Hawkins has an online Blog where he anonymously goes by the name Hook-up Doctor. His credentials?! Watching his mother go through heartbreak after heartbreak with a string of failed relationships. He firmly believes that he knows what a girl needs ...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it

I picked this book hoping for a light, quick read based on Jen's (What's on the Bookshelf) Must Read Monday meme reccomendation. Plus it was a boy POV – my favorite!

I started it around 9:30 pm to get a few chapters in before i drifted off to sleep and ended up reading until 2 am! What a Boy Wants was definitely the fun book I was looking for.

Sebastian Hawkins, the Hook-up Doctor, is giving internet advice to girls on how to reel in the boy of their dreams so he can earn cash to buy a new car. Fo I picked this book hoping for a light, quick read based on Jen's (What's on the Bookshelf) Must Read Monday meme reccomendation. Plus it was a boy POV – my favorite!

I started it around 9:30 pm to get a few chapters in before i drifted off to sleep and ended up reading until 2 am! What a Boy Wants was definitely the fun book I was looking for.

Sebastian Hawkins, the Hook-up Doctor, is giving internet advice to girls on how to reel in the boy of their dreams so he can earn cash to buy a new car. For his part Sebastian is pretty jaded when it comes to relationships after watching his mom choose the wrong guy over & over again.

In fact he doesn't guarantee you can keep the guy - just that he can help you get him. Bastian doesn't believe in love. He just hooks up with all the pretty girls and moves on. Again - no promises made so he really doesn't think he's hurting anyone.

What is most important to him are his best friends. Jaden, Pris and Aspen. The group of two guys and two girls have been together forever. Friends always come first to Sebastian. No girl drama ever gets between them ….until it does.

Sebastian's world is rocked when he starts seeing Aspen in a new light. As he starts to fall in love with her his whole hook-up only rules are shattered. The relationship expert is suddenly reduced to spying and petty jealousies.

Sebastian could come off as a total arrogant ass and off putting but he doesn't. He believes he's God's gift to women with all the answers but we also get to see his underlying sweetness, loyalty & vulnerabilities.

Aspen is the perfect counter point to him. She's an honest friend who sees the good and potential in Sebastian but she in no way let's him get away with his BS.

Despite Sebastian’s cocky swagger he's definitely the guy you want in your corner if you're in trouble. When he falls - he falls hard. It's pretty funny to watch this guy who thought he had all the answers scramble so he doesn't lose the one girl who means everything to him. It got a tad wacky near the end when Sebastian was trying to win Aspen over but the story is so funny & cute it's a very minor complaint. Jaden and Pris rounded out the foursome perfectly and I bet we haven’t seen the last of them.

~ If you're looking for a fun, fast, romantic read but one that still has character growth and a whole lot of heart then give What a Boy Wants a try. Bonus - Sebastian looks exactly like that cover model as written in the book! Swoon!
...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-books

Typically, I'm not really into indie authors. I've tried a few, and I didn't find any of their books that satisfying (even ones that other bloggers have loved, like Tammara Webber and Jamie McGuire). So even though I'd heard really good things about this book, I wasn't sure. But OMG I'm so glad I read it! Because this is the first indie that I've actually liked.

Mostly, I liked this book because of Sebastian. He's hilarious. Nyrae Dawn really nailed the voice with this one, I think, and that was Typically, I'm not really into indie authors. I've tried a few, and I didn't find any of their books that satisfying (even ones that other bloggers have loved, like Tammara Webber and Jamie McGuire). So even though I'd heard really good things about this book, I wasn't sure. But OMG I'm so glad I read it! Because this is the first indie that I've actually liked.

Mostly, I liked this book because of Sebastian. He's hilarious. Nyrae Dawn really nailed the voice with this one, I think, and that was what made the book stand out. I'd just come off of reading Holly Black's Black Heart, which features my favorite boy narrator ever, Cassel, so I couldn't help but compare the two protags. And honestly, I think Sebastian was written just as well! (Although I don't think any character will ever replace Cassel for me, but really, no one can compete with Holly Black, right?) He's snarky and prideful and everything that could be really annoying if not written right. But he WAS written right, so he's great.

The romance itself is pretty standard issue and predictable, but we don't read contemporary romances for mystery, now do we? I enjoyed watching Sebastian get humbled and realize that maybe love is worth it after all.

I'd also like to say that I loved his mom and the relationship he has with her. How cute are they?! I loved his little moping session with her and the ice cream - it cracked me up. And then the scene near the end where he gets all emotional. OMG. Precious. I think that scene endeared him to me more than the rest of the book combined.

I also really liked the supporting characters, especially Jay and Pris. I can't wait to read What A Boy Needs and "see" their story. I feel like Jay will be a really emotional narrator, and there's nothing I love more than a jacked up boy MC, so I'm expecting to love it just as much as this book.

And on a more technical note, there aren't that many typos. Which I appreciated, since this is indie and indies seem to have so many more typos than traditionally-published books. (I guess because fewer people proof them before publication?) This book was really well-written, and I think it's just as good of quality as a lot of the books published traditionally.

I would LOVE to see this book get picked up like Easy and Beautiful Disaster. Mostly because I think it's way better. I mean, come on.

Sebastian > Travis

I'm just saying. ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it it was amazing

One word. AMAZING! Holy crapola!! I bought this book off of Amazon because it was recommended to me by Amazon. I clicked, read and liked the synopsis, for .99 cents, I figured why not? This has got to be one the best book choices I have made. Not only did it set a record for me, but it is soo good. The record. I was 5 pages in. F I V E pages, before I put my iphone down to get back on Amazon to purchase the second book. 5 PAGES! That's all it took.

The reason I loved this book so much is that thi ...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Jolene Perry rated it it was amazing

Shelves: recommend-to-anyone, fun-reads, will-re-read, own

This book is MADE of fun.

There's some hilarity, some great sexy scenes, and a knock-you over fun love story with great setting.

I LOVE that Sebastian Hawkins . . .

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Apr 24, 2012 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-lending

Really cute read! I read it all before bed last night and I had some good laugh. Bastian was hilarious.

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Apr 17, 2012 Amber Hughes rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-ya-contemporary

Sometimes I wish I was a writer/reviewer so I could really convey how I felt about a book. This is one of those times. All I can say is that I loved everything about this book, but my favorite thing about it was the main character Sebastian (AKA "Bastian" AKA "The Hook-up Doctor"). You can't help but fall in love with this character. This story is told from his POV (I love reading from the male POV). He made me LOL a lot in this book and you can also tell how much he cares for the people in his ...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Jenny Morris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

So much FUN. Seriously. I love boys POV when they are done right and this is one of those times. Nyrae takes you on a ride with this silly, but Cocky teenage boy and shows you what it's like to be "that" guy. Sebastian starts out thinking he knows it all but ends up realizing he might not know anything about girls. His journey of realizing he loves his best friend and figuring out what that really means is great. He was funny, and entertaining and deep down a sweet guy. Well not too sweet, but j ...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Steph Campbell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-by-people-i-adore

Eep! SO excited for this one!!

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Apr 16, 2012 Annie Brewer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fell-in-love-with-the-cover, absolutely-amazingly-awesome, irresistable-hot-guys, favorite, nook-books

Totally in love with this book. Review to come!

I absolutely adored this book. From the time we meet Sebastian Hawkins to the time we say goodbye. He was amazing. I loved his POV in this. I've always said how much I love the male's perspective and I never get tired of it. It was fresh and a thrill ride all the way through.

Sebastian is known as the Hook-Up Doctor. He hooks girls up with the guy of their dreams, giving them plenty of advice to go for it and giving tips on what guys want. He knows t Totally in love with this book. Review to come!

I absolutely adored this book. From the time we meet Sebastian Hawkins to the time we say goodbye. He was amazing. I loved his POV in this. I've always said how much I love the male's perspective and I never get tired of it. It was fresh and a thrill ride all the way through.

Sebastian is known as the Hook-Up Doctor. He hooks girls up with the guy of their dreams, giving them plenty of advice to go for it and giving tips on what guys want. He knows the ropes of hooking up and always gets what he wants because he doesn't believe in love and never has but he's very charming. He makes his money and they get their guys and everyone's happy right? Well, at least that's what he thinks.

He's got a really good relationship with his mother, who's had bad luck with men since his dad left them. He's protective of her and a great son. He's also an amazing friend. His best friends Jaden, Pris and Aspen could always count on him. They are the four Musketeers and do everything together, even go to parties but they always watch each other's backs. There's something weird going on though....Aspen has been Bastian's best friend since they were little. He never looked at her any other way other than his Woodstock as he calls her. But lately, something's changed. The air has shifted and their 17 year friendship is at stake. He's freaked out because he doesn't believe in love and never has, afterall he's the Hook-Up Doctor...not the Love Doctor. But he can't help how he's feeling and it's scaring him, yet also exciting him. Once his mother is dating this guy for awhile, and things go sour there he's afraid he'll be the kind of guy to break Aspen's heart and hurt her the way his mother has been hurt time and time again. Is love worth the risk of pain? Can love conquor all, even if it's with your best friend?

When I first saw this cover I knew it would be amazing! Look at him, he's pretty hot! That alone got me to buy this book. Then reading review after review of raves about this book I wanted to get to it. I started it and was instantly hooked, though I wasn't able to read it as quickly as I could have. Too many darn books to read....I need more eyes! Anyway, this book totally lived up to my expectations. It was fast paced, cute, quirky, witty, romantic, funny etc. There was so many great moments with the friends. I love Jaden, he's so hilarious. Also Pris is a real sassy tough chick and I adored her. They were amazing friends and always looked out for each other. There was never a dull moment. My favorite moments though revolved around Aspen and Bastian. Their chemistry and connection was hot and sweet! They were the perfect couple and really complimented each other. I fell so hard for Bastian and the way he took care of his girls(Apsen, his mom and Pris). But especially the way he took care of Aspen. It was just beautiful and you loved them together. There were some tender but also heartbreaking moments as well. It just shows how sometimes things have to fall apart in order for things to really work out.

The author did a great job in giving Bastian a voice. His POV was perfect and you could feel every emotion he went through. I loved that this book was soley in his POV and not anyone else's. I'm really looking forward to Jaden's book which is the sequel to this. I wanted to get better acquainted with him, so now we will have his story as well. This book taught me things, kind of like an educational lesson. It was pretty awesome! I hope you all give this book a chance. I don't see it disappointing you! If anything, it will leave you wanting more! ...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Reena Jacobs rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, indie, 2012-reads, 2012-favorite-reads

EDIT:
Okay... the review. Also posted July 2, 2012 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2012/07/n... Follow the link for a chance to win a copy of What A Boy Wants! Giveaway Ends July 4, 2012

By far the best read I've had all year. I'm totally buying "What a Boy Needs" RIGHT NOW! I'll add more to me review later. Right now I've got to get that book!

First of all, I love Nyrae Dawn’s voice. Her style was a bit different that I’m used to… she actually wrote as if she was tal EDIT:
Okay... the review. Also posted July 2, 2012 on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2012/07/n... Follow the link for a chance to win a copy of What A Boy Wants! Giveaway Ends July 4, 2012

By far the best read I've had all year. I'm totally buying "What a Boy Needs" RIGHT NOW! I'll add more to me review later. Right now I've got to get that book!

First of all, I love Nyrae Dawn’s voice. Her style was a bit different that I’m used to… she actually wrote as if she was talking to the reader. Often I’m put off by the random “you” in a story. Who is you? Are you talking to me? haha In this case, it worked. I say it’s because of the consistency throughout the story. It was always Sebastian talking to me… telling me what was going through his head, as if I was along for the ride.

Speaking of Sebastian… let’s talk about him. My boy was jaded. In his world, love didn’t exist, only heartbreak. He did his best to keep the “no-strings attached” attitude. He was so out of touch with romance and love that when it did hit, he was so flustered he didn’t know what to do with himself. Oh, my man thought he did… but he was wrong… so very wrong. In fact, I have one note that says “why you so stupid, man?”

The parent in me loved this book. First, I loved how responsible the kids were in this book. Like the PPP — pre-party plan. What a wonderful idea! I totally had a talk with my teenage daughter after reading about that. And since I have a girl, let’s talk about hanging with boys. Awesome idea, if you have friends like Sebastian and Jay. When I hit the partying age, I never felt safer than when I had my guy buddies around. I know a lot of parents are like “no way is my baby girl hanging with boys,” but I’m more on the lines “who’s the boy who’ll stand up for you when you’re in a tight bind?”

So I had in my head this was going to be a fabulous review, because the book was that great. Unfortunately, I looked through my notations and most say things like “this is going to be a fave,” “I’m going to start reading more contemporary books because of this,” and “I want to buy Nyrae Dawn’s other books so bad, but I’m afraid I might not like the ending… better wait.”

Needless to say, this book was good. So good, there came a point I just wanted it to end. What?!?! I know. Crazy right? I just couldn’t wait to get to the end so I could rave about how much I loved What a Boy Wants. This was definitely a favorite read. Best book I’d read all year.

I devoured this book in a few hours then immediate purchased the next in the series. Stop by on Wednesday for the review of What a Boy Needs. I haven’t written it yet, but I hope my notes are better than the ones I took for What a Boy Wants. I guess I just got too involved to take time to make notes. Anyways… get it. It really was that good. ...more

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Apr 09, 2012 The Sweet Bookshelf rated it it was amazing

Whoa! Huzzah! I haven't liked a YA Contemporary this much since Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. You know how much we all loved that!! It was such a pleasant surprise. I actually read it in one sitting. I was making dinner and I was glued to my Kindle the whole time. I couldn't stop reading. I didn't want to either. Amen for the Kindle!

Sebastian is such a cool guy. He wears Van's. I had such a clear picture of him in my head, plus the cover of the book helps a lot. Looks like he wa Whoa! Huzzah! I haven't liked a YA Contemporary this much since Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. You know how much we all loved that!! It was such a pleasant surprise. I actually read it in one sitting. I was making dinner and I was glued to my Kindle the whole time. I couldn't stop reading. I didn't want to either. Amen for the Kindle!

Sebastian is such a cool guy. He wears Van's. I had such a clear picture of him in my head, plus the cover of the book helps a lot. Looks like he was made for this book cover! I love his carefree attitude, but when he falls in love he gets all mushy gushy and it's hilarious! I loved being inside his head, knowing his thoughts and seeing things from his point of view. I wish this book was written when I was in high school, I could have used it. Sebastian is a great character and he's loveable in all the right ways. I missed him when the book was over.

You think you know, from the very beginning, what's going on in this story. But you don't. Not really. There are several surprises. I was sure I had it figured out, but then I had it wrong! WHAT?! I know...just trust me. It all works out. There are plenty of surprises. Which was a breath of fresh air. Everything really flowed you guys. All the transitions were perfect. The relationships felt natural. Friends, girlfriend, mother and son. Everything worked like it should. You felt those connections and nothing was out of place.

You know me by now and understand that I need a book with some romance. All kinds. I need swoon worthy moments and kisses that will take my breath away. I got my fill here with What a Boy Wants. My heart melted quite a few times. It was perfect. Some scenes really stuck with me. Sebastian & Aspen on the beach. Bastian outside Aspen's window. I can still picture them in my minds eye.

I'm not spoiler-y in any way, so I don't want to really go into the story details. But, I will say it was so totally awesome and original. It's been awhile since I've read something that I enjoyed so much. This should really be published by one of the Big 6. I'm so impressed. I actually want to re-read it immediately. I want to hang on to the magic for just a little bit longer.

You're also in luck! Because it is self published it is SO seriously cheap! So grab it! You won't be disappointed! Trust me!
...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Jess Schira rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-challenge, 2014

This is probably one of the best indie books I’ve ever read. It was a special treat I didn’t expect.

The first thing that makes stand out for me is the narrator. I’ve read YA romance novels where parts of the book where narrated by male character, but never the entire story, particularly not a romance that’s so clearly meant to be fluffy and fun, not a gritty brutal side of life novel.

Bastian is a pretty typical 17 year old guy, he likes hooking up with hot girls, he wants a car, and he wants t This is probably one of the best indie books I’ve ever read. It was a special treat I didn’t expect.

The first thing that makes stand out for me is the narrator. I’ve read YA romance novels where parts of the book where narrated by male character, but never the entire story, particularly not a romance that’s so clearly meant to be fluffy and fun, not a gritty brutal side of life novel.

Bastian is a pretty typical 17 year old guy, he likes hooking up with hot girls, he wants a car, and he wants to have fun. He also has a pretty good understanding about what a girl needs to do to catch the guy she has her eye on. He’s willing to share this knowledge with the women of the world, for a price of course.

What Bastian never expects is to meet the one girl, a girl completely unlike anyone he’s ever been interested in, to turn his world upside down. It turns out that there’s more to the love thing than he ever intended.

Sure it’s predictable, but it’s a YA romance, most tend to be predictable.

Throughout the entire story, Dawn showed that in addition to having a pretty good understanding for the minds and hormones of teenage boys, she also knows how to write. She has the ability to string words together so that it was easy to forget that I was reading and lose myself in Bastian’s world. Not all authors can accomplish such a feat. Though the style felt a little different, the way I head Bastian’s voice telling the story to me reminded me of Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen and Jennifer Echols Going too Far.

While the book wasn’t hard to walk away from, I did stay awake to finish reading it, despite the fact that I’ve only had a few hours of sleep this week. Not many other books have been able to do that.

What really impressed me about What a Boy wants was the story structure. I love indie authors, but every once in a while they go on a tangent or something about some of the scenes just doesn’t feel quite right. This wasn’t the case with Dawn’s writing. The scenes she crafted fit together smoothly and the story moved forward at a very nice pace. I can’t wait to read more of her work.
...more

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May 06, 2012 Kelly rated it really liked it

Recommended to Kelly by: Carly

This is the first work I've read from the author, Nyrae Dawn, and based on this book I would definitely give more of her work a read when it's published.

The story follows 17 year-old Sebastian helping girls get guys in his role as the anonymous online Hook-Up Doctor. He charges them for his help so he can buy a car. Along the way realises he's in love for the first time and the girl is his best friend. The only problem is he's seen his mum have her heart broken countless times over the years and ...more

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Apr 05, 2012 ★Ruth★ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, angst, male-pov, series-read-ya-romance

I LOVED this book.

I have read a few books written from the guy's POV.
Some are great, some not so much. This was great.

I loved how on top the story was just your normal happy go lucky romantic YA. Witty comments, high school carrying on, guys been jerks etc. But underneath there was a darker undercurrent, you sensed that everything wasn't as good as it appeared.

Sebastian is a great character, though he can be a jerk at times & though I am not a teenage boy I imagine his voice & inner musings were ...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Lenore Kosinski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, fav-authors-recommend

Thoroughly enjoyable! Sebastian was adorable...it was kind of fun to read from the guy's POV and have it actually be believably a guy's...kwim? So much fun to watch him change and grow. He and Aspen are perfect for each other... And not just those two, but the 4 best friends were great to watch....

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Apr 29, 2012 Splage rated it really liked it

Shelves: 3rd-party-mistress-boyfriend-girlfr, contemporary, love-triangle, friends-to-lovers, sex-clean-very-mild, young-adult, young-love, 2012-read, 1st-in-series, hero-heroine-virgin-innocent

Great, clean, sweet, young adult book. This book went by so fast, once I got going I couldn't stop. I loved all the characters, especially Sebastian and Aspen. They had such a genuine love going from best friends since the age of 5 to boyfriend/girlfriend at age 17. There were lots of typical young relationship angst and uncertainty, pretty predictable, but very enjoyable.

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Apr 26, 2012 Kimi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: totally-love-these

What a cute story. Would also make a cute movie.

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Crazy for Young A...: What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn → Start Date: September 10th , 2013	32	26	Sep 12, 2013 09:11AM
My YA Obsession: What a Boy Wants	5	43	Jun 01, 2012 01:45AM

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About Nyrae Dawn

Nyrae Dawn

3,959 followers

I am a compulsive reader and writer who loves YA fiction.

I love nothing more than writing about young adults. There is something so fresh and fun about it. You can pretty much always find me with a book in my hand or open document in front of me.

I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.

Other books in the series

What a Boy Wants (2 books)

Books by Nyrae Dawn

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Quotes from What a Boy Wants

“I'll be like your bodyguard or something. Me Tarzan. You Jane.” — 86 likes

“Still I pulled her into a hug, because I knew she let me off the hook on purpose and yeah, I'm a guy and I love my mom. So shoot me. I'm man enough to hug her without feeling like a mama's boy.” — 62 likes

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