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So Much to Learn #1
So Much to Learn
"I need to learn," I said in a very small, quiet voice. "You have to teach me…" I faltered here as the whole thing was really just too sordid to put into words. I thought I had a good grasp of the English language, but I had no clue how to put my dilemma to him.
"Teach you…?" He prompted.
"Teach me it!" I finally choked out. "What happens when you actually like the…touching and the….the…fondling and the…it, you know." I had never been so embarrassed in my life. The age old 'you could have fried on egg on my face' adage actually seemed kind of plausible I felt that hot and flustered. But - would you believe it? - Jack still hadn't cottoned on to what I was on about. He looked at me completely blankly and I could almost see his mind whirring as he tried to connect the bits…
After a rather hideous break up with her boyfriend due to her inability to 'put out’, Talia bullies her brother's best friend into teaching her the complexities of a 'full' relationship. Turns out uni courses have nothing on life lessons!
Please note this story contains some mature language and content.
"Teach you…?" He prompted.
"Teach me it!" I finally choked out. "What happens when you actually like the…touching and the….the…fondling and the…it, you know." I had never been so embarrassed in my life. The age old 'you could have fried on egg on my face' adage actually seemed kind of plausible I felt that hot and flustered. But - would you believe it? - Jack still hadn't cottoned on to what I was on about. He looked at me completely blankly and I could almost see his mind whirring as he tried to connect the bits…
After a rather hideous break up with her boyfriend due to her inability to 'put out’, Talia bullies her brother's best friend into teaching her the complexities of a 'full' relationship. Turns out uni courses have nothing on life lessons!
Please note this story contains some mature language and content.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2014
77 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
About the author
Jessie L. Star
9 books140 followersWhilst digging through her childhood scribblings, Jessie L. Star discovered a thrilling saga by her six year old self entitled 'Jessie has Lost her Sock'. This sweeping epic spanned all four corners of her childhood house in outback South Australia as the sock was hunted down (spoiler, it was in Jessie's bed all along). Many years later and the urge to write is still going strong, although lost socks have been replaced with a raft of characters destined to snark and banter at each other until, ultimately, falling in love.
Jessie studied Business at Uni where she primarily learnt that writing and talking were very much her thing and that dealing with numbers was very much not.
Jessie studied Business at Uni where she primarily learnt that writing and talking were very much her thing and that dealing with numbers was very much not.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
March 30, 2014
(A disclaimer of sorts: I'd like to apologise in advance for how long this review is. It's the first book review I've attempted and I'm afraid I got a bit carried away in my enthusiasm.
Also, I don't think I've outright posted any spoilers in my review, I've tried not to, but, airing on the side of caution I apologise if I have, read on if you so wish :))
I suppose I'll start by saying "So Much to Learn" by Jessie L. Star is actually a pretty intriguing read, if I do say so myself. Before I read a book I've developed a habit of checking goodread reviews, I guess in an attempt to grasp at least a feel of what the book will be about and this books reception has definitely been mixed. In the spirit of total honesty I'll admit that I understand why, there was many a moment I found myself suffering bouts of nervous apprehension. I'm not a fan of love triangles and will put copious amounts of effort into avoiding them, immediately bowing out at the first signs of any pointless future obstructions. It may seem hasty on my part. Hey, I could be missing out on an excellent story there. Yeah but no, honestly, I loathe love triangles. Which I believe nine out of ten times are just used to generate drama. But I loved the writing style and ignored my usual "flee-itis" patterning of ditching the book. For many a reason, I'm glad I soldiered on.
A few don't seem sold on Talia but I gotta say, I adored her.
"Then she can take the fucking bus" is a line I greatly appreciated. Talia came across as snarky and bitchy and yes, maybe a tad possessive, and yes okay fine, extremely selfish at times but these things are unfortunately for me, something I can easily relate to. Her relationship with Haley, a somewhat minor character to the story, is understandable. As a girl with very few female friends, it's not hard to grow at least a tad possessive over your male friends. It's easy to fall into a habit of seeing them as your guys. If these men are also the only guys you feel even a modicum of ease around I know I wouldn't be able to help feeling a little insecure and clingy over that friendship.
Either way my own personal psychosis aside, I feel a sense of kinship with Talia and therefore, am patient towards her more erratic tendencies.
Jack Morgan Whitby, simply put, I can't get enough of. Once again, in the honour of complete honesty, there is a part of me that questioned why he'd agree to the shambles of a proposition Talia gave him, considering the gravity of turmoil it could cause but then again, there wouldn't be a story if he'd done that, would there? Other than that I was pretty much sold on Jack from the start.
I loved the adorable balance in not only Talia and her brother Matt's relationship but mostly Matt's and Jack's. I love how sensible Jack was, even while making a potentially catastrophic decision. Honestly there is so much more to Jack than meets the eye, he was no where near as simple a character as I thought he'd be.
I love that while creating a bond between Jack and Talia we were shown the bond between the boys, the fact that they were so in sync with each other, two sides of the same coin. Matt's reckless abandonment to Jack's calm level headed demeanour, along with their matching love and protective nature towards Talia. Though obviously they loved her in very different ways, something I'm sure wouldn't be easy for any brother to come to terms with, their best friend and their little sister.
You know what, I can't help being endeared to a good sibling kinship, I love it when siblings in fiction truly care about each other's well being, maybe the most.
Actually that's a lie, I love romance, lots of it, and the romance between Talia and Jack makes me giddy and excited. A feeling somewhat reminiscent of butterflies and really that's what I look for in a good book. A story that pulls me in, makes me care not only for the characters but the outcome of the story. Simply put, Star does just that. Yes, there will be moments you'll feel frustrated and possibly, if you're anything like me, wish you could clip a few characters around the head but that in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just means you're invested, and that's exactly what this story has done, made me feel invested.
I can't claim that the book was Earth shattering, but what I will say, is that it's more than worth reading. The writing style might to some seem jumpy, where as in contrast, it comes across to me as lively. Talia's personality jumps off the page. So she might not be everyone's cup of tea, but who is? There's always going to be a controversial character, and maybe at moments, she could fall into that category with her lack of thought process. Talia is frustrating at times, yes but a loveable firecracker none the least.
Aside from those loathed love triangles, I love a bit of romantic drama. This book gives you ample amounts of it and is pretty well laid out. As much as it piles up at times, it doesn't get so complicated that it becomes hard to understand. Star keeps it exciting with equal amounts of intrigue. I spent the majority of the book stupidly giddy waiting to see where it went, and seriously, it didn't disappoint.
Honestly, books are like art, each individual makes their own interpretation of the content. Mine was positive but still all I can really say, is give the book a chance. Who knows, maybe it'll delight and surprise you. Fingers-crossed you'll enjoy life through Talia's eyes as much as I did.
Maybe even more.
"I mean if you can't create some scary serial killer with a whole back story and the deep rooted psychological reasons for his disturbed behaviour, what is there really to be scared of?"
Also, I don't think I've outright posted any spoilers in my review, I've tried not to, but, airing on the side of caution I apologise if I have, read on if you so wish :))
I suppose I'll start by saying "So Much to Learn" by Jessie L. Star is actually a pretty intriguing read, if I do say so myself. Before I read a book I've developed a habit of checking goodread reviews, I guess in an attempt to grasp at least a feel of what the book will be about and this books reception has definitely been mixed. In the spirit of total honesty I'll admit that I understand why, there was many a moment I found myself suffering bouts of nervous apprehension. I'm not a fan of love triangles and will put copious amounts of effort into avoiding them, immediately bowing out at the first signs of any pointless future obstructions. It may seem hasty on my part. Hey, I could be missing out on an excellent story there. Yeah but no, honestly, I loathe love triangles. Which I believe nine out of ten times are just used to generate drama. But I loved the writing style and ignored my usual "flee-itis" patterning of ditching the book. For many a reason, I'm glad I soldiered on.
A few don't seem sold on Talia but I gotta say, I adored her.
"Then she can take the fucking bus" is a line I greatly appreciated. Talia came across as snarky and bitchy and yes, maybe a tad possessive, and yes okay fine, extremely selfish at times but these things are unfortunately for me, something I can easily relate to. Her relationship with Haley, a somewhat minor character to the story, is understandable. As a girl with very few female friends, it's not hard to grow at least a tad possessive over your male friends. It's easy to fall into a habit of seeing them as your guys. If these men are also the only guys you feel even a modicum of ease around I know I wouldn't be able to help feeling a little insecure and clingy over that friendship.
Either way my own personal psychosis aside, I feel a sense of kinship with Talia and therefore, am patient towards her more erratic tendencies.
Jack Morgan Whitby, simply put, I can't get enough of. Once again, in the honour of complete honesty, there is a part of me that questioned why he'd agree to the shambles of a proposition Talia gave him, considering the gravity of turmoil it could cause but then again, there wouldn't be a story if he'd done that, would there? Other than that I was pretty much sold on Jack from the start.
I loved the adorable balance in not only Talia and her brother Matt's relationship but mostly Matt's and Jack's. I love how sensible Jack was, even while making a potentially catastrophic decision. Honestly there is so much more to Jack than meets the eye, he was no where near as simple a character as I thought he'd be.
I love that while creating a bond between Jack and Talia we were shown the bond between the boys, the fact that they were so in sync with each other, two sides of the same coin. Matt's reckless abandonment to Jack's calm level headed demeanour, along with their matching love and protective nature towards Talia. Though obviously they loved her in very different ways, something I'm sure wouldn't be easy for any brother to come to terms with, their best friend and their little sister.
You know what, I can't help being endeared to a good sibling kinship, I love it when siblings in fiction truly care about each other's well being, maybe the most.
Actually that's a lie, I love romance, lots of it, and the romance between Talia and Jack makes me giddy and excited. A feeling somewhat reminiscent of butterflies and really that's what I look for in a good book. A story that pulls me in, makes me care not only for the characters but the outcome of the story. Simply put, Star does just that. Yes, there will be moments you'll feel frustrated and possibly, if you're anything like me, wish you could clip a few characters around the head but that in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just means you're invested, and that's exactly what this story has done, made me feel invested.
I can't claim that the book was Earth shattering, but what I will say, is that it's more than worth reading. The writing style might to some seem jumpy, where as in contrast, it comes across to me as lively. Talia's personality jumps off the page. So she might not be everyone's cup of tea, but who is? There's always going to be a controversial character, and maybe at moments, she could fall into that category with her lack of thought process. Talia is frustrating at times, yes but a loveable firecracker none the least.
Aside from those loathed love triangles, I love a bit of romantic drama. This book gives you ample amounts of it and is pretty well laid out. As much as it piles up at times, it doesn't get so complicated that it becomes hard to understand. Star keeps it exciting with equal amounts of intrigue. I spent the majority of the book stupidly giddy waiting to see where it went, and seriously, it didn't disappoint.
Honestly, books are like art, each individual makes their own interpretation of the content. Mine was positive but still all I can really say, is give the book a chance. Who knows, maybe it'll delight and surprise you. Fingers-crossed you'll enjoy life through Talia's eyes as much as I did.
Maybe even more.
"I mean if you can't create some scary serial killer with a whole back story and the deep rooted psychological reasons for his disturbed behaviour, what is there really to be scared of?"
March 11, 2014
So, this was an ok read. I really like the story behind the book, but the actual book was dull enough in itself. It was such slow read for me. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen but nothing really ever happened. It's an average story about a girl, Talia, who falls in love with brother's (Matt) best friend (Jack) but the Jack is reluctant to start a relationship with Talia because he is afraid of hurting Matt. Can I say that this story is definitely very TYPICAL. I mean most of the "obstacles" that the couple went through were kind of tedious. . Talia has "touching" issues, although to me, it didn't seem like the issue came up very often and it kind of surprised me when it was first brought up. I felt like it really was unnecessary and then it was hardly brought up in the ending half of the book. Everyone seemed to also gang up on Talia, even though I didn't feel she was as awful as everyone made her out to seem. She didn't do anything that deemed her a selfish bitch like everyone said she was. It kind of confused me when everyone started saying she had all theses issues when the book barely shows her being THAT problematic. Also, I felt like the unnecessary side stories didn't do anything for me, except kind of bore me. The side characters issues just seemed to be added to make the book longer because they didn't add anything to the main plot point. Don't get me wrong, I love long stories! The longer the better for me and usually my main complaint of books are their length but this book was just so slow paced that I found myself falling asleep during it. A BIG issue I had was that Talia and Jack's "bond" seemed very awkward to me at best. To me, Talia had more of a connection with her brother than Jack, which made for a very weird story. This was also not a very steamy book...sure there was some foreplay, but don't expect hot sex from this book. I hate to say this but there isn't really anything (or at least none that comes to mind right now) that I really liked about this book. I think the main reason I thought this book was ok was because of the premise but other than that I'm kind of at a lost, which is unusual for me because when I like something I know why I like it. I'm sorry but this book just didn't do it for me. Sorry! :-/
May 9, 2016
3.5 stars
May 10, 2015
Very, very cliched. DNF at 20%. Besides the trope ("show me how this sex thing works, so that I can be with other guys - but uuuups, while doing that we will fall in love for sure"), I really didn't like how callous the heroine uses her brothers best friend, not for one second thinking about what this could do to him (he has a sad back story about his family and is more a brother than a friend, which also makes it ewwwww if you look at it closely...). She basically blackmails him into doing sexual stuff with her with the old "either you do it, or the first guy I meet and be it a known rapist and bully..." - I don't like her at all.
What irks me about the writing: I suppose this is supposed to take place in the US, as the hero is applying for a scholarship to go to England. But the vocabulary used is a strange mix of British and American (e.g. "bloke", "bloody" etc., but "TV" instead of "telly") so there is some confusing sense of this being an English book, while never sure about the location.
So DNF for me. Which is a pity as Jack did have potential, as did Matt, the brother.
What irks me about the writing: I suppose this is supposed to take place in the US, as the hero is applying for a scholarship to go to England. But the vocabulary used is a strange mix of British and American (e.g. "bloke", "bloody" etc., but "TV" instead of "telly") so there is some confusing sense of this being an English book, while never sure about the location.
So DNF for me. Which is a pity as Jack did have potential, as did Matt, the brother.
March 24, 2014
Oh Tally, I loved you! Sometimes the girl just had to spell things out for Jack, "I can't put out!" I finally screeched. "You have to teach me how to put out. Sex, Jack, sex and all that comes before and after, do you get me?" I mean the girl has some jealousy issues she didn't know she had, "so," I cut across him, my tone vicious enough to make him rock a step back from me in surprise, "apparently it's totally obvious that you're into Haley." Jack knows how to make Tally stop talking altogether, "oh, you are so-" I was aiming to say 'funny' but the word got swallowed up as Jack lowered his head and kissed me fiercely." I mean the boy doesn't even care if she marks him, "tipping his head down to look at it Jack simply smiled and said, "That'll be one hell of a hickey come tomorrow morning." Then kissing me lightly on the mouth he got off the bed and held out a hand to me. "Come on then," he said, "we both need a shower." Sometimes Jack has to reposition them, "I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensations his hands were summoning up and felt Jack suddenly grab me by the hips and pull me up so the next moment he was half sitting, half lying, leaning back against the couch armrest and I was straddling him. "Relocation?" I asked, opening my eyes and smiling down at him, aware of hammer pressing against me." I loved reading this book it was cute and the characters were people you fell in love with.
March 24, 2014
What a mess
I really hate writing negative reviews, especially if the book was listed as a freebie like this read. I just did not enjoy it at all. It was all over the place. In one sentence she was talking about one issue, the next she has moved on to something else, only to return to original subject in sentence 3. It just seemed to go on and on and was all over the place. It was rather exhausting. I never got a feel for the characters, and just couldn’t relate to them or get myself involved in this story. It's very rare that I do not finish a book. I made it to about 60% in this read, and I'm quite impressed I was able to do this. Before making I to that mark there were multiple times I contemplated discontinuing this book and I probably should have done that. The plot, while I appreciate it had the possibility for an original concept, fell flat and was beyond easily predictable from the very beginning. Defiantly not a book I would recommend. :( Sorry
Perhaps it would be more appealing to young adult fans since it had more of a juvenile feel to it? I tend to personally prefer the New Adult genre in hopes of avoiding more immature storylines.
I really hate writing negative reviews, especially if the book was listed as a freebie like this read. I just did not enjoy it at all. It was all over the place. In one sentence she was talking about one issue, the next she has moved on to something else, only to return to original subject in sentence 3. It just seemed to go on and on and was all over the place. It was rather exhausting. I never got a feel for the characters, and just couldn’t relate to them or get myself involved in this story. It's very rare that I do not finish a book. I made it to about 60% in this read, and I'm quite impressed I was able to do this. Before making I to that mark there were multiple times I contemplated discontinuing this book and I probably should have done that. The plot, while I appreciate it had the possibility for an original concept, fell flat and was beyond easily predictable from the very beginning. Defiantly not a book I would recommend. :( Sorry
Perhaps it would be more appealing to young adult fans since it had more of a juvenile feel to it? I tend to personally prefer the New Adult genre in hopes of avoiding more immature storylines.
February 27, 2014
This book was not what I was expecting....
I tried...& I mean.... I really tried to like this book!!
But, I just couldn't!
Omg...if it wasn't one thing it was another!
The whole Micky thing was like WTH!! That didn't make any sense.
Matt the brother...
I could understand why he's pissed...
But...
Jack is his best friend... He knows he's not a bad guy...so at the end of the day... Get over it!
& Talia...
Ughhh... Could she be any more annoying!!
This book just wasn't for me...
I tried...& I mean.... I really tried to like this book!!
But, I just couldn't!
Omg...if it wasn't one thing it was another!
The whole Micky thing was like WTH!! That didn't make any sense.
Matt the brother...
I could understand why he's pissed...
But...
Jack is his best friend... He knows he's not a bad guy...so at the end of the day... Get over it!
& Talia...
Ughhh... Could she be any more annoying!!
This book just wasn't for me...
August 13, 2016
I got this as a free amazon download, and it was really good, a couple of tiny errors, but thats it. I will definitely read more books by this author, and look forward to them.
December 26, 2018
A cute new adult. I loved seeing the relationship slowly turn into something real.
January 10, 2015
This book is not perfect from a literary point of view. It has its flaws and there were times that I thought that only a beginner author would do this or that. For example that strong need to state in the very beginning that the main heroine did not think about Jack as a datable man and yet she did at the same time but not realizing it (I'm not sure if I can express myself in English properly). And there were couple of other things, too. But let me put that aside, because I didn't - and I strongly highlight this - I did NOT enjoy any book as much as this one for a long time. Probably from my Hunger Games let's-read-it-all-at-once experience, which doesn't happen to me all that much nowadays when I've got just so much work to do and can't properly become absorbed in reading. But So Much to Learn did it for me. I loved the story and I could not break myself away from it. Now let me get back to the beginning of this review - when I said that this book had its flaws, I also have to state that the writer managed to win plenty of points, too. More than I was expecting, really. Like describing the details in a way that they made you (read: me) absorbed in the book even more. Also she must have planned the plot quite carefully since it all just fit together perfectly, letting you fall for the characters, building up the tension, leting you go through the swirl of events that escalated close to the end and leting you ease up at the very end. She also managed not to get too mushy and I especially appreciate how she tried to break all of the genre's typical faults and be as real as it was possible. No one here was absolutely perfect, things did not happen accidentally and at least most of the circumstances felt real to me. And, since I'm being this honest and wordy anyway, I will also tell you that I didn't really like the main character most of the book, which seemed to be intentional by the author and yet I really appreciated that the heroine was not perfect, but a normal human being and I rooted for her (as she rooted Jack, ehm, sorry, I had to). At the end I even started to like her! Ending this way too long review finally, I can only say this much that not everyone will like it, of course, but for me it was pretty intense reading experience, despite my expectations, which made it probably even better (although my studying suffered as hell). Hope other of the writer's books are as good as this one!
May 16, 2016
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. I'm marking this a DNF because, while I technically finished the book, I skimmed large sections of it.
I read a lot of FictionPress stories as a teenager, and I actually read this one on there and enjoyed it. But I don't think the author revised it at all before self-publishing it, because while I liked it as a teenager, it just didn't cut it for me now.
Don't get me wrong, there are things to like, which is why this is not a 1-star review. Despite the excessive over-exposition at times, Talia has a great voice and can be pretty funny--if also occasionally stupid. And Jack is a great guy, and I love Talia's family dynamic. The romance itself, if somewhat obvious and occasionally explicit, is still sweet--though I hate the final obstacle before the ending, because it mostly made me mad at Talia and seems like every chick flick ever.
The reason for all the docked stars, though, is that there just needed to be a lot more editing. Talia's voice could have shone so much more if Star had pared down the writing--sometimes I felt like Star enjoyed Talia's voice so much she just went on for pages about nothing--and while there was a lot going on and it was interesting, I skimmed many of the minor characters' arcs, which leads me to think Star would be better off getting rid of some and focusing the story more. Not that there shouldn't be subplots, because subplots are great, but perhaps fewer than she left in here.
All in all, not bad, but could have been a lot better.
I read a lot of FictionPress stories as a teenager, and I actually read this one on there and enjoyed it. But I don't think the author revised it at all before self-publishing it, because while I liked it as a teenager, it just didn't cut it for me now.
Don't get me wrong, there are things to like, which is why this is not a 1-star review. Despite the excessive over-exposition at times, Talia has a great voice and can be pretty funny--if also occasionally stupid. And Jack is a great guy, and I love Talia's family dynamic. The romance itself, if somewhat obvious and occasionally explicit, is still sweet--though I hate the final obstacle before the ending, because it mostly made me mad at Talia and seems like every chick flick ever.
The reason for all the docked stars, though, is that there just needed to be a lot more editing. Talia's voice could have shone so much more if Star had pared down the writing--sometimes I felt like Star enjoyed Talia's voice so much she just went on for pages about nothing--and while there was a lot going on and it was interesting, I skimmed many of the minor characters' arcs, which leads me to think Star would be better off getting rid of some and focusing the story more. Not that there shouldn't be subplots, because subplots are great, but perhaps fewer than she left in here.
All in all, not bad, but could have been a lot better.
March 16, 2014
well this was some ride. It went from:
stupid ex..
to aww.
to haha...
to yay...
to DRAMA.
I admit there was a lot going on in the middle to the end. I was confused. I knew some shit was going to happen because they got together pretty early, and there was more than a whole book left.
The heroine is.. how do you say this.. strict. In the beginning she seemed like a typical teen with hesitation with other people touching her. Reading more about her she gets really judgy. She's quick to judge a person, she judges a book by it's cover.
Her personality doesn't go unnoticed though. Most of her friends tell her that she's judgmental. So glad that she wasn't oblivious to the whole personality thing.
Overall it was pretty good, I'm glad that it was long so it certainly did keep me busy.
stupid ex..
to aww.
to haha...
to yay...
to DRAMA.
I admit there was a lot going on in the middle to the end. I was confused. I knew some shit was going to happen because they got together pretty early, and there was more than a whole book left.
The heroine is.. how do you say this.. strict. In the beginning she seemed like a typical teen with hesitation with other people touching her. Reading more about her she gets really judgy. She's quick to judge a person, she judges a book by it's cover.
Her personality doesn't go unnoticed though. Most of her friends tell her that she's judgmental. So glad that she wasn't oblivious to the whole personality thing.
Overall it was pretty good, I'm glad that it was long so it certainly did keep me busy.
January 9, 2016
This was such a complicated emotional rollercoaster! A bunch of college kids making decisions based on partial knowledge because everyone is keeping secrets from everyone else. But even at that age, decisions can have long reaching affects. So Talia needs to make up her mind what she really wants and whether or not she's willing to live without it. If she really wants it, she better go after if before it's too late!
February 8, 2015
This was the first book I read by Jessie Star, and it was the one that got me hooked on her writing. It's such a fun premise, and the story was sweet and exciting and well written and addictive. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good romance story!
March 10, 2015
My 2nd foray into NA and I think I'm done with the genre already. It ain't getting better. It's just soap opera cum soft porn cum (ha - see what I'm doing here) tele novella in print format. Give me some decent pulp or some actual porn any time.
June 23, 2015
Not bad for a freebie. I would read another by the author, though I was disenchanted with the heroine. I do love some angst in my romances, so it hit the spot for me in what I was searching for on a Sunday afternoon.
August 29, 2016
It started off promising, but as I continued on with the book, I just can't stand Talia! The book was long with too many side stories. I still enjoy the book despite my growing dislike of the main character.
March 27, 2014
Wow!!!!
This book is awesome and so are the characters, I think the author did awesome with this book. I think you all should read this book you will like it.
This book is awesome and so are the characters, I think the author did awesome with this book. I think you all should read this book you will like it.
March 24, 2019
It's probably been like 10 years (or more!) since I last read this story on FictionPress, and as I was reading it I started to remember everything!
I think I might have read it with love and longing, because if I'm being totally honest I think that it's somewhat problematic the way people deal with stuff here. Talia's attitude is the worst and very immature, but then I remember she's 18, and practically a child, and super naive, and I forget all about it.
Either way, I think I can now say that, being more mature than I was 10 years ago... but I still read it and felt ok with everything I was reading (hence my thinking that I read it with love and you know that love is blind and all that).
So, anyway. Loved the story, loved the characters, loved remembering stuff from awhile back.
I think I might have read it with love and longing, because if I'm being totally honest I think that it's somewhat problematic the way people deal with stuff here. Talia's attitude is the worst and very immature, but then I remember she's 18, and practically a child, and super naive, and I forget all about it.
Either way, I think I can now say that, being more mature than I was 10 years ago... but I still read it and felt ok with everything I was reading (hence my thinking that I read it with love and you know that love is blind and all that).
So, anyway. Loved the story, loved the characters, loved remembering stuff from awhile back.
April 6, 2020
A good story with a unique plot
I love the relationship between jack and talia. What starts out as a ridiculous plot line with jack teaching talia how to get used to physical contact blossoms into a relationship. Only in romance fiction could this plot line ever work.
This being said the characters are believable and the scenes between jack and talia are so good that I really enjoy this book.
It has made my favourite list and I will re-read it no doubt. A very good story which is unique in plot.
I love the relationship between jack and talia. What starts out as a ridiculous plot line with jack teaching talia how to get used to physical contact blossoms into a relationship. Only in romance fiction could this plot line ever work.
This being said the characters are believable and the scenes between jack and talia are so good that I really enjoy this book.
It has made my favourite list and I will re-read it no doubt. A very good story which is unique in plot.
September 14, 2023
I thought the trope was so fun but the main character Talia just was very unlikeable. Very selfish and had really no depth to her. The side characters Simone and Jack had so much more depth that I really wanted more of them versus Talia.
December 6, 2017
I just could not get into the story.
January 24, 2019
Talia made me want to tear my hair out because she was so obnoxious! Despite that, I still enjoyed the story.
May 8, 2014
Let me start by saying this is a heart-wrangler story. By that I mean it will have your emotions all over the place. Your heart will do that stop/start thing multiple times and by the end you'll be so exhausted from the twists and unexpected turns you'll have to think about it for a while before you can function.
Things you should bear in mind before reading. This is a long book. The narrative is very full with descriptions and back story. The characters are all fully flushed out to so for me I didn't mind it too much. Secondly, if you want a hot steamy read with lots of flesh and all the rest then you'll be disappointed. This is not a 'sexy' book in the strictest term, though we do get lots of emotions flying back and forth. The story is also told in Australian English. I'm British English so fully familiar with the terms and phrasing but many might find the writing odd with unfamiliar grammatical words and sentences.
So, Natalia who is also called Talia or Tally has grown up with a close family network. That being her really cool mum, dad, older brother Matt and his best friend Jack. Jack has a sad history in his own family so basically lived with Talia's family since she was young. Now her, Matt and Jack all share an apartment in the city. Talia is 18 and studying Law at the same University the other two go to. Her best friend Simone comes from their small town back home and they've been friends since children also. Other characters are a member of their group such as Micky and Sam (brothers) and Tommo (again, who lived near them back home). The group is tight but they still have gripes with one another. Tally and Mickey don't get on from the get-go. In fact, Micky is downright rude to her most of the time.
Tally had an altercation with a guy at a party some time ago which didn't end well. Now she has touching 'issues'. She's just caught her boyfriend of six months in bed with another girl and he says it's because she's frigid and won't 'put out'. She's horrified that maybe something's wrong with her. She needs someone to help her get over these issues. Someone she trusts wholeheartedly. Someone like Jack.
As I wrote earlier this book has lots of twists and unexpected turns. The story is thorough and extensive. This isn't a simple tale of Talia overcoming her issues. But actually its about Talia becoming aware of who she really is and learning about love. She makes a lot of mistakes over the course of the story. She upsets people with her non-filtered mouth but she isn't unkind underneath all her normal confidence.
On the whole I liked her. The only time I didn't was her jealous outburst at Haley because she thinks she's after Jack and being insincere all the time. The other characters also have their own problems and Talia learns how to balance her own judgmental attitude mixed with ongoing drama with being a good or sometimes not so good friend. The odds don't always go in her favour.
Jack is a great character. I really liked him from the start mainly because he wasn't fickle when Talia was around although his hardest test was sleeping with his best friend's sister and living with the guilt of not telling Matt. Matt himself is a typical older brother. Very protective and always looking out for her. Eventually it becomes his downfall when he learns about Talia and Jack.
All in all a great book despite it being long and slow sometimes. I'd like to read more from Jessie Star now :)
Things you should bear in mind before reading. This is a long book. The narrative is very full with descriptions and back story. The characters are all fully flushed out to so for me I didn't mind it too much. Secondly, if you want a hot steamy read with lots of flesh and all the rest then you'll be disappointed. This is not a 'sexy' book in the strictest term, though we do get lots of emotions flying back and forth. The story is also told in Australian English. I'm British English so fully familiar with the terms and phrasing but many might find the writing odd with unfamiliar grammatical words and sentences.
So, Natalia who is also called Talia or Tally has grown up with a close family network. That being her really cool mum, dad, older brother Matt and his best friend Jack. Jack has a sad history in his own family so basically lived with Talia's family since she was young. Now her, Matt and Jack all share an apartment in the city. Talia is 18 and studying Law at the same University the other two go to. Her best friend Simone comes from their small town back home and they've been friends since children also. Other characters are a member of their group such as Micky and Sam (brothers) and Tommo (again, who lived near them back home). The group is tight but they still have gripes with one another. Tally and Mickey don't get on from the get-go. In fact, Micky is downright rude to her most of the time.
Tally had an altercation with a guy at a party some time ago which didn't end well. Now she has touching 'issues'. She's just caught her boyfriend of six months in bed with another girl and he says it's because she's frigid and won't 'put out'. She's horrified that maybe something's wrong with her. She needs someone to help her get over these issues. Someone she trusts wholeheartedly. Someone like Jack.
As I wrote earlier this book has lots of twists and unexpected turns. The story is thorough and extensive. This isn't a simple tale of Talia overcoming her issues. But actually its about Talia becoming aware of who she really is and learning about love. She makes a lot of mistakes over the course of the story. She upsets people with her non-filtered mouth but she isn't unkind underneath all her normal confidence.
On the whole I liked her. The only time I didn't was her jealous outburst at Haley because she thinks she's after Jack and being insincere all the time. The other characters also have their own problems and Talia learns how to balance her own judgmental attitude mixed with ongoing drama with being a good or sometimes not so good friend. The odds don't always go in her favour.
Jack is a great character. I really liked him from the start mainly because he wasn't fickle when Talia was around although his hardest test was sleeping with his best friend's sister and living with the guilt of not telling Matt. Matt himself is a typical older brother. Very protective and always looking out for her. Eventually it becomes his downfall when he learns about Talia and Jack.
All in all a great book despite it being long and slow sometimes. I'd like to read more from Jessie Star now :)
May 13, 2017
I just couldn't get into this story. I was very excited by the premise, but it just wasn't what I thought it would be.
First off I felt it was way too long and hard to get through it. In fact I skimmed a good portion of it because I just wanted to get through it and see how it turned out. I just wanted to be done with it.
Secondly, I absolutely didn't like Tally too much. I hated her voice. She freaking annoyed the heck out of me. She was very immature and selfish, and she was a brat. She just didn't endear me. And the way she hurt Jack was not okay. Jack was the highlight of this entire story and He deserved so much more than she dished out. Her treatment of him was awful. In my opinion she just didn't deserve him. I couldn't root for her.
Thirdly, the language was kind of a barrier for me. At times I didn't know what the heck they were talking about because it was a bunch of Australian slang that I have never heard of before. Now I've read international authors before, multiple ones in fact, and I have never had an issue of what they were talking about. This one I did, and it took me awhile to figure out. It was very annoying.
Fourthly, I think they should have worked up more to the physical stuff. Not at first it was off to a promising start with how they were easing into their arrangement, but then quickly went off into a left turn and went right to full blown sex. Wasn't the whole premise behind this was that she was afraid of intimate touching and wanted to learn everything about foreplay before jumping into it, literally? I get that she was becoming more comfortable with him the more time they spent together, but still I was expecting more build up. Then I would have understood why the story had to be so long, but once they had sex then it just really lost its flavor for me. That's not how I thought it would go.
Just there was so much I didn't like and found myself quickly bored with it. Did I like him? Absolutely. But everything else, not so much. I was annoyed with her. I was annoyed with the language. The length annoyed me. Just a lot of it bothered me. I could barely make it through. And honestly I skimmed a lot of it and even skipped a lot of the middle because I just couldn't bare anymore so I just went to the last few chapters and I could get the gist of what happened. I was glad that I skipped it because I couldn't bared to see Jack hurt anymore by her. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Usually I am all about the pain and angst in the story, but not in this one. Just it didn't do it for me.
First off I felt it was way too long and hard to get through it. In fact I skimmed a good portion of it because I just wanted to get through it and see how it turned out. I just wanted to be done with it.
Secondly, I absolutely didn't like Tally too much. I hated her voice. She freaking annoyed the heck out of me. She was very immature and selfish, and she was a brat. She just didn't endear me. And the way she hurt Jack was not okay. Jack was the highlight of this entire story and He deserved so much more than she dished out. Her treatment of him was awful. In my opinion she just didn't deserve him. I couldn't root for her.
Thirdly, the language was kind of a barrier for me. At times I didn't know what the heck they were talking about because it was a bunch of Australian slang that I have never heard of before. Now I've read international authors before, multiple ones in fact, and I have never had an issue of what they were talking about. This one I did, and it took me awhile to figure out. It was very annoying.
Fourthly, I think they should have worked up more to the physical stuff. Not at first it was off to a promising start with how they were easing into their arrangement, but then quickly went off into a left turn and went right to full blown sex. Wasn't the whole premise behind this was that she was afraid of intimate touching and wanted to learn everything about foreplay before jumping into it, literally? I get that she was becoming more comfortable with him the more time they spent together, but still I was expecting more build up. Then I would have understood why the story had to be so long, but once they had sex then it just really lost its flavor for me. That's not how I thought it would go.
Just there was so much I didn't like and found myself quickly bored with it. Did I like him? Absolutely. But everything else, not so much. I was annoyed with her. I was annoyed with the language. The length annoyed me. Just a lot of it bothered me. I could barely make it through. And honestly I skimmed a lot of it and even skipped a lot of the middle because I just couldn't bare anymore so I just went to the last few chapters and I could get the gist of what happened. I was glad that I skipped it because I couldn't bared to see Jack hurt anymore by her. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Usually I am all about the pain and angst in the story, but not in this one. Just it didn't do it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2014
So, to be perfectly honest, I pretty much despise this book. The characters are underdeveloped, overrated, and very, very stupid. I didn’t connect, identify with, or empathize with any of them. I also didn’t understand their motivations, which made this book overall a real struggle to read. Now, if I could somehow ignore the faults of the characters—pretty much impossible, but if I did—the plot still wasn’t as good as it should have been. The book was far longer than it needed to be, and it dragged on and on and on and on.
So Much to Learn follows that incredibly cliché story arc of the girl realizing that the guy she has known forever, her brother’s best friend, is the love of her life. Now, I did like the concept behind the story.It just wasn’t executed properly. Talia has a phobia of touching, and she has essentially blackmailed Jack, her brother’s best friend since the dawn of time, to teach her the art of “putting out.” I thought this was a clever, new idea as far as plot goes. Unfortunately, Talia gets over her fear in about two seconds flat, which let’s face it: that’s just not plausible.
Talia, Talia, Talia. Why did you have to be so stupid, sweetheart? Your decisions and being inside of your head during this book almost drove me crazy. You’re selfish, insecure, and absolutely ridiculous. Why exactly did you hate other girls so much? They never did one single thing to you. Talia, you let your friendship with Simone fall apart because of your obsession with Jack(the only good part of the novel). To be honest, I never really understood your friendship in the first place, but you were distraught after all of the shenanigans that went down. Really, though, Talia, you are a bitch, and you never grew up.
So, basically: stay as far away from this book as possible, okay? Have a nice day!
So Much to Learn follows that incredibly cliché story arc of the girl realizing that the guy she has known forever, her brother’s best friend, is the love of her life. Now, I did like the concept behind the story.
Talia, Talia, Talia. Why did you have to be so stupid, sweetheart? Your decisions and being inside of your head during this book almost drove me crazy. You’re selfish, insecure, and absolutely ridiculous. Why exactly did you hate other girls so much? They never did one single thing to you. Talia, you let your friendship with Simone fall apart because of your obsession with Jack
So, basically: stay as far away from this book as possible, okay? Have a nice day!
June 29, 2014
Free download. Where to start, well I have to say I initially found it difficult to keep reading, this wasn't due to anything apart from the in depth dialogue from the main character, I actually really enjoyed this book and had troubling putting it down after the first few chapters. It's about Talia, and Australian 18 year old going to Uni and living with her brother Matt and his best friend Jack. They have a very close relationship which Talia tests one night, after catching her boyfriend in bed with someone else some of the things he says to her to justify his betrayal hit home, rather than cry and feel sorry for herself she goes to Jack, somebody she trusts with her life for help. It starts off innocently but things change somewhere down the line, relationships are tested, boundaries breached, lies told, misunderstandings made, and ultimately the truth being revealed. This book is amazingly written, great story, great plot, amazing characters, which happen to be quite a few, this makes for an amazing group dynamic but all their stories swirl around the other creating great angst. I love the idea of small town teens going to Uni together in the city. it's a different idea. I have to say the ending surprised me a little but I love how your given the overall picture with a HEA without delay. No cliffhangers, a nice standalone. Talia did get on my nerves at times but only because I wanted to shake her to open her eyes to her own feelings. Jack was a beautiful character and he and Talia made a great story which I would recommend.
June 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this book not only because the book was free to download, but also because the story is so well written and the characters so relatable that I just couldn't put my phone down, which ended up with my phone dying on me several times in the process (which made me despise E-books even more than I already do -.-). I had so much fun reading this and had to laugh several times because those situations just popped up out of nowhere and made it impossible not to laugh. Okay getting to the critique point: I was sometimes really annoyed by the main character Talia. God how furious she made me sometimes! But it wasn't completely her fault because sometimes the other characters just made it impossible for Talia to act so selfishly like she did, which I must admit annoyed me even more. Okay this sounds really horrible but I promise that is only a small part of the book! What I really didn't like however was the Epilogue which was, I'm sorry to say it, poorly written and absolutely unnecessary in my point of view. I mean it was cute to know what happens afterwards but to me it could have been left out for the readers imagination to kick in and finish the story in their way. So that's all the critique I have because this book was just too amazing! Oh wait no one critique I have left and crucially important to me is that I can't buy a printed copy of this!!! I'd just love to have this book sitting on my shelf. I'll definitely reread this at some point because I loved it so much so go to iTunes and download it now!!! I promise you will really enjoy this!
September 8, 2014
"I need to learn," I said in a very small, quiet voice. "You have to teach me…" I faltered here as the whole thing was really just too sordid to put into words. I thought I had a good grasp of the English language, but I had no clue how to put my dilemma to him.
"Teach you…?" He prompted.
"Teach me it!" I finally choked out. "What happens when you actually like the…touching and the….the…fondling and the…it, you know." I had never been so embarrassed in my life. The age old 'you could have fried on egg on my face' adage actually seemed kind of plausible I felt that hot and flustered. But - would you believe it? - Jack still hadn't cottoned on to what I was on about. He looked at me completely blankly and I could almost see his mind whirring as he tried to connect the bits…
After a rather hideous break up with her boyfriend due to her inability to 'put out’, Talia bullies her brother's best friend into teaching her the complexities of a 'full' relationship. Turns out uni courses have nothing on life lessons!
Please note this story contains some mature language and content.
You can read through the book and see that Tally is maturing. Slowly, but it’s a
happening thing. I love Jack, because he is a rock, and thoughtful and just everything you need in a hero. I highly recommend this book, especially to my Aussie friends. 5 stars.
"Teach you…?" He prompted.
"Teach me it!" I finally choked out. "What happens when you actually like the…touching and the….the…fondling and the…it, you know." I had never been so embarrassed in my life. The age old 'you could have fried on egg on my face' adage actually seemed kind of plausible I felt that hot and flustered. But - would you believe it? - Jack still hadn't cottoned on to what I was on about. He looked at me completely blankly and I could almost see his mind whirring as he tried to connect the bits…
After a rather hideous break up with her boyfriend due to her inability to 'put out’, Talia bullies her brother's best friend into teaching her the complexities of a 'full' relationship. Turns out uni courses have nothing on life lessons!
Please note this story contains some mature language and content.
You can read through the book and see that Tally is maturing. Slowly, but it’s a
happening thing. I love Jack, because he is a rock, and thoughtful and just everything you need in a hero. I highly recommend this book, especially to my Aussie friends. 5 stars.
June 14, 2014
I really did quite enjoy this book - it kept me wanting to read more. I would have liked more interaction with the two main characters - see how they fell in love and why in more detail. I think that could have been explored a lot more in the 400+ pages. I would have happily added another star if we had seen more of that...and perhaps a more fleshed out epilogue.
What really bothered me and a big part of the reason why I only liked and not loved this story was the Micky character (and subsequently another character but I shall not spoil things!)! Good gosh - I did not understand him at all. I'm all for adding a bit of tension, but he was just outrightly mean and horrible for no good reason whatsoever. And then you're just supposed to accept him? Without even trying to redeem him and his actions? I'm sorry, I just couldn't buy it. And don't get me started on the fact that Jack - the hero of the story didn't even try to stand up for or protect the girl he is falling in love with when she is getting verbally abused at every turn by the horrible man. Made me mad...
Overall though, I liked the writing style and the story as a whole so I will check out other stories by this author...
What really bothered me and a big part of the reason why I only liked and not loved this story was the Micky character (and subsequently another character but I shall not spoil things!)! Good gosh - I did not understand him at all. I'm all for adding a bit of tension, but he was just outrightly mean and horrible for no good reason whatsoever. And then you're just supposed to accept him? Without even trying to redeem him and his actions? I'm sorry, I just couldn't buy it. And don't get me started on the fact that Jack - the hero of the story didn't even try to stand up for or protect the girl he is falling in love with when she is getting verbally abused at every turn by the horrible man. Made me mad...
Overall though, I liked the writing style and the story as a whole so I will check out other stories by this author...
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