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Better Than Me
(Better Than #1)
by
Biz Connelly is headed back to Weldon University armed with an affirmative mantra, a new five-minute rule about freaking out and her emergency back-up bottle of Xanax. Last semester ended badly, leaving her unsure about whom “Biz” really is anymore. She is determined to get through her final year with no drama and as few panic attacks as possible.
The plan seems solid. Then ...more
The plan seems solid. Then ...more
Kindle Edition, 273 pages
Published
September 5th 2013
by Emme Burton Books, LLC
(first published September 4th 2013)
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Start your review of Better Than Me (Better Than, #1)

Okay, I liked this alright for the first half of it. It was interesting and the entire piece about the guy not exactly being single and whether they would end up just being friends or nothing at all did draw me in. I thought that what happened with the main character Biz and Neil was not all that uncommon unfortunately. Maybe not that exact experience but most people have experienced some type of betrayal in that regard in life. I even thought how she chose to "handle it" or "deal" was very comm
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I received a copy of Better Than Me in exchange for an honest review. This is Emme Burton's debut novel and also my first that I have read by her and I found it to be truly captivating. The story held my attention, page after page, from the beginning to the very last page. I definitely feel like the character development, plot, emotions, everything was spot on and very realistic to me. I was feeling all the emotions that the characters were going through. This book made me laugh, cry, yell, and
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I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is Emme Burton's debut novel and also my first that I have read by her and I found it to be truly captivating. The story held my attention, page after page, from the beginning to the very last page. I definitely feel like the character development, plot, emotions, everything was spot on and very realistic to me. I was feeling all the emotions that the characters were going through. This book made me laugh, cry, yell, and took me on a rolle ...more
This is Emme Burton's debut novel and also my first that I have read by her and I found it to be truly captivating. The story held my attention, page after page, from the beginning to the very last page. I definitely feel like the character development, plot, emotions, everything was spot on and very realistic to me. I was feeling all the emotions that the characters were going through. This book made me laugh, cry, yell, and took me on a rolle ...more

Elizabeth “Biz” is one of the most trusting, outgoing carefree people you could ever meet. She has a heart of gold and is easy to love. When her trust is broken along with her heart she goes into a downward spiral that takes her all summer to kind of put the pieces back together. Upon her return to college she vows that this semester will be different and to just take it one day at a time no drama. When she is introduced to Davis and Jake by her friend Charlie she is taken with both men. However
...more

I have to say that I thought the story as a whole was good. It is well written, , fast paced, and the characters are realistic and believable. The author also deals with some serious, but often touchy issues about mental health. Biz is a college student who had a devastating experience the previous year, but she is back now, ready to try again and move on. I thought the inner dialogue of Biz was very helpful in understanding more about her and what she was going through. Then we have Jake and Da
...more

I loved this book from the beginning. It is romance, but not your typical romance novel. Biz had been hurt in the past by a man, but now she is headed back to school to finish her final year. She meets two great guys, Jake, who is nice and sweet, and then Davis who is known to be a player, just what Biz does not need. The book was a good, easy read. The characters really add to the story. I could empathize with the characters and what they are going through. I am looking forward to reading Fixed
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Beautiful story with strong characters. Biz is a complex character struggling with the past and determined to move on and become a stronger person. On the surface, Davis is the "bad boy", but he's so much more and the author peels away the layers to show you how they two wounded souls find each other and start a friendship that may or may not lead to something more. The writing and story flow, even with the flashback chapters. Ultimately this is a beautiful story of first love, friendship and ac
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I really enjoyed this book. Good story line. Had you trying to figure what could have happened to her. Still a little lost on what Randall and Neil were doing. I liked the Hero and Heroine. They both had to struggle with their pasts, but they learned and came together. I will definitely read something else by Ms. Burton.

I found this to be a very enjoyable debut novel. It was a quick read for me and I read it in one sitting.
I thought that Biz would annoy me but she didn't. Really liked Davis and Jake.
The characters were portrayed as real and the storyline was believable. Questions cropped up that I'm hoping are answered in the next book. Looking forward to reading it. ...more
I thought that Biz would annoy me but she didn't. Really liked Davis and Jake.
The characters were portrayed as real and the storyline was believable. Questions cropped up that I'm hoping are answered in the next book. Looking forward to reading it. ...more

I'm giving this one 3.5 stars. It was a good book. The characters were intriguing. I wish there had been less 'dear diary' telling of events and more dialogue/interaction between characters.
I'll be reading more from Emme Burton. ...more
I'll be reading more from Emme Burton. ...more

A good start to what will be a pretty decent series. Biz was always the good girl, doing everything right. The wrong man was enough to throw her into a tailspin. But this is her last year in college and she will do what she has to do to make it through with her dignity intact. She doesn't expect either Jake or Davis though and both will throw her off to some extent. There are secrets and there are SECRETS and when those come out, will Biz come out unscathed? And will she get her Happily Ever Aft
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This book sucked me in from the first page; Biz is such a deep and interesting character and I really enjoyed watching her relationship with Davis grow throughout the story. The story also touched on some deep issues regarding mental health which made it more than just a romance. I can't wait to dive into the second book!
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I have to start by saying I was honestly surprised by this book. After reading the synopsis I wasn't sure this was something I was going to be interested in. To start I was already annoyed with the character description of Biz. However, I'm so glad I threw caution to the wind and read it anyway. My original feelings about Biz's character were far off base. She was not the whiney, poor me person that I originally thought, and I ended up truly admiring Biz for her trusting nature. The things that
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3-3.5 stars. Biz is trying to start over at the new school year in college. She's been emotionally wounded in the past, having been used and discarded, that she earnestly wants to avoid those pitfalls and focus on school. She meets both Davis and Jake and while she has chemistry with Davis, he's already in a relationship, whereas Jake seems more than happy to dote attention on her.
This is a bit of an angsty read as Biz is constantly second guessing herself and opting to always choose the safe ro ...more
This is a bit of an angsty read as Biz is constantly second guessing herself and opting to always choose the safe ro ...more

May 23, 2015
Catherine Wright (Cat's Guilty Pleasure)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cat-s-guilty-pleasure
This is a great story but it's no light read in my opinion. Biz is a college student dealing with anxiety due to something that happened to her the previous year and she is desperately trying to get back to being herself. Davis is the super hot guy of few words but they are instantly drawn to each other even though he is engaged. He also has some things in his past that he is trying to work through as well.
The author wrote an emotional and intense story here. There is a fabulous romance in this ...more
The author wrote an emotional and intense story here. There is a fabulous romance in this ...more

****Nic's Review*****
I was given this ARC for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Biz Connelly is returning to college broken and is doing all she can to keep it together. She meets two guys this semester and one she thinks is safe the other one she believes is not. After the horrible ending of last semester Biz is not wanting to date. Some of these horrible things that had happened to her she still can't remember. Biz learns some new things about herself during the summer before this n ...more
I was given this ARC for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Biz Connelly is returning to college broken and is doing all she can to keep it together. She meets two guys this semester and one she thinks is safe the other one she believes is not. After the horrible ending of last semester Biz is not wanting to date. Some of these horrible things that had happened to her she still can't remember. Biz learns some new things about herself during the summer before this n ...more

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Don't let the 'New Adult' category fool you with this book. The dialogue is believable, the character development is spot on and it's all wrapped around a plot that is emotional and devoid of any 'filler'.
Honestly, I liked Biz. I felt like her emotions were true to life, for what she's been through. I loved that the author wasn't afraid to touch on 'mental health' issues, such as anxiety. Then there's Davis. He is dar ...more
Don't let the 'New Adult' category fool you with this book. The dialogue is believable, the character development is spot on and it's all wrapped around a plot that is emotional and devoid of any 'filler'.
Honestly, I liked Biz. I felt like her emotions were true to life, for what she's been through. I loved that the author wasn't afraid to touch on 'mental health' issues, such as anxiety. Then there's Davis. He is dar ...more

I really enjoyed this book. Biz Connelly is returning to college broken and is doing all she can to keep it together. She meets two guys this semester and one she thinks is safe the other one she believes is not. After the horrible ending of last semester Biz is not wanting to date. Some of these horrible things that had happened to her she still can't remember. Biz learns some new things about herself during the summer before this new semester of college.
This was a nice read because at some ti ...more
This was a nice read because at some ti ...more

After a traumatic semester, Biz returns to school hoping to move on. She is severely damaged and is working through her demons. She meets two guys. One is sweet, the other a known player who is engaged. She's drawn to the forbidden one, but decides to try a relationship with the sweet one., Jake. She befriends both Jake and forbidden Davis. Having to work with Davis, they grow closer but each keep their boundaries. Never judge a book by its cover because Jake turns out to be a replay of her last
...more

This was overwrought melodrama, to the point where for the first quarter of the book, I thought perhaps it was urban fantasy because our heroine's reactions were so over-the-top: maybe the reason she felt a zap every time she saw our hero was because he was a magical being of some sort.
Other than that, it was very cliched. Does every teen romance have to have a best friend named Jules? Does every heroine have to be The Best Person Ever except that she's Just Too Trusting? And of course there are ...more
Other than that, it was very cliched. Does every teen romance have to have a best friend named Jules? Does every heroine have to be The Best Person Ever except that she's Just Too Trusting? And of course there are ...more

I will have to rate this book 3.5 star.
although the story line was good it felt as though it just kept going on and on about the same thing.Biz finds herself struggling with panic attacks and is worried about attending college again because something terrible happened to her.She had let her guard down too quick and was traumatized. Enter Jake and Davis. Davis more her friend than boyfriend material and was very sweet and genuine where as Jake was a little more defiant. Davis and Biz both felt an ...more
although the story line was good it felt as though it just kept going on and on about the same thing.Biz finds herself struggling with panic attacks and is worried about attending college again because something terrible happened to her.She had let her guard down too quick and was traumatized. Enter Jake and Davis. Davis more her friend than boyfriend material and was very sweet and genuine where as Jake was a little more defiant. Davis and Biz both felt an ...more

This is a pretty cool book. A gal in an on-line book-club listed it as a book she'd buy whatever the price. The others she listed are all books both she and I would pay any price for so being of like-minds, I thought I'd check it out. At first, I was a bit confused (could be because it was late and I was tired but there was too much activity around my house to sleep so I read). It went back and forth, from the previous year to current time. But once I got the hang of the story I really enjoyed i
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Few things that threw me and called for the 3 star.
If Jules was her best friend why was she not around more and more involved with Biz?
What was up with Neil and Randall? Why a trial?
Biz seems smart. Why was she so clueless about Neil and his not being with her in public?
I did like that Charlie was one of her friends that knew her secret and he was a guy. Love Davis! Their humor together was a big plus and why I will try the next one by this author.(
If Jules was her best friend why was she not around more and more involved with Biz?
What was up with Neil and Randall? Why a trial?
Biz seems smart. Why was she so clueless about Neil and his not being with her in public?
I did like that Charlie was one of her friends that knew her secret and he was a guy. Love Davis! Their humor together was a big plus and why I will try the next one by this author.(

I picked this book up for free and loved that it was a St. Louis based author. The story of Biz and Davis was sweet and angsty and as soon as they visited his apartment in the Central West End with a view of Forest Park, she had me. Now as a self profession serial reader I will have to read the next two books in this trilogy. I look forward to peeling back the layers of these characters and seeing where the story goes.

I love the "Better Than" series! The story as a whole is wonderful and keeps you drawn in. You can't help put feel drawn to the characters. I love the way the intimate parts were described, never vulgar but always passionate. I would recommend this book to someone who might not normally read "adult" books. The story is strong enough that even if you chose to skip over the intimate parts is would still be a great book! I am hooked!
...more

I really liked this story I have not had much time to read but everytime I put it down I couldn't stop thinking about it I was totally rooting for Davis and jake is s**thead, hopeless romantics this is one for you, a story of love through pain and good times too, very well wrote and the storyline will keep you wanting more, so moment of truth would Davis be my book boyfriend ? yes yes he would :) cannot wait to read book 2 fix it for us well done Emme 5 stars great book
...more
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Emme Burton is the author of the award winning Top 50 New Adult and Rom Com, SNACK, the Better Than Series: Better Than Me, Fix It For Us, and Still Into You and AwKWarD, Victoria. Emme is a contributor to the bestsellers, Hook & Ladder 69 and Bleed Blue 69. Emme's book, The Knock, is book six in The Juniper Court Series. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her amazing husband and sons, and her
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“am sweating. I hate sweating. I am lugging boxes and suitcases up flights of stairs, because the ancient Disco elevator in my ancient dorm, Lawrence Hall, isn’t working. It’s been called the disco elevator by all the residents of Lawrence”
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“now. If I just keep repeating it, I’ll be fine. If I just keep repeating it, I can push the panic down. If I just keep repeating it, none of last year will matter. If I just keep repeating it, it will be true. But really, it’s”
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