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Love on Campus #2
Wanting More
I can’t stop wanting her…
Bri Welch likes to play it safe. I don’t. She’s wound tight, and I’m all about a good party. But there’s something about her that makes me want to pull those uptight layers away one-by-delicious-one. But the worst thing is she makes me want more…
Bri Welch likes to play it safe. I don’t. She’s wound tight, and I’m all about a good party. But there’s something about her that makes me want to pull those uptight layers away one-by-delicious-one. But the worst thing is she makes me want more…
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First published March 28, 2016
About the author
Jessica Ruddick
26 books253 followersJessica Ruddick is a 2014 Golden Heart finalist for her new adult novel, Letting Go, which was inspired by her own college experiences. She lives in Virginia and is married to her college sweetheart—their first date was a fraternity toga party (and nothing inspires love like a toga, right?). When she doesn’t have her nose in a book or her hands on a keyboard, she can be found wrangling her two rambunctious sons, taming two rowdy but lovable rescue dogs, and battling the herd of dust bunnies that has taken up residence in her home. To learn more about Jessica, please visit her website at jessicaruddick.com. To sign up for her newsletter, visit jessicaruddick.com/NL.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 24, 2016
***4 "Judgemental" stars***
This was a really good story, even though it was a little bit predicted..
But i really enjoyed the ride...
At the beginning it filled me with excitement and it made me laugh out loud...
But then the things turned out more serious and the angst surrounded me...
And then came the anger.... (God, i was so furious with Bri!!! I wanted to slap her very bad!!!) and the heartbreaking especially for Josh's behalf...
But let me take the things from the beginning...
Brianne was so uptight. She had plan out all of her life and she was following her goals.
But she had no idea of having fun or impulsive feelings...
She never did anything out of program and that was such a pity for her.
She was during her master and at the same time, she was working as an academic counsellor.
And there was where she met Josh... and the order in her life started to tearing down...
"I could tell he was far from stupid.
Lazy? Yes. But stupid? Not so much.
Which made his bahevior unacceptable in my book.
People who squandered their God-given talents pissed me off. Some of us had to work ourselves to the bone to get ahead."
Josh was such an easygoing person. He was so open, so full of life... He was living for the moment...
He was partying, he was spending time with several girls, he adored to play guitar for himself and he loved his friends...
But somewhere in between all of those things, he forgot to care about his academic progress...
After three years in college, he didn't stabilized yet on a major. He was just switching directions all the time as he hadn't figured out what he wanted to do with his life.
He just knew that he didn't want to return to his home...
His meeting with Bri changed his point of view and he started to care for something else than the usuals...
"Work smarter, not harder. That was my motto, anyway. Of course, I hadn't been doing much work -either smart or hard- recently, which was how I'd ended up on academic probation."
Well, from the first moment, the air around Josh and Bri was thick with tension...
They managed to get under each other's skin but not in a good way...
Bri thought of him the worst and she was showing her dislike and Josh couldn't stand those judgemental eyes upon him and he wanted to provoke her all the time...
But this little game got them involved emotionally, even though that this thing between them was wrong.
Bri was Josh's academic guide and he was just a client. It was unethical...
And beyond that, they were like polar opposites... They would never fit in together...
"Yeah... she was definetely my polar opposite.
There wasn't much we had in common. Actually, I don't think we had anything in common other than attending the same school.
But that made her so much more interesting."
So what will happen with those two???
Will they ignore everything that are standing in their way and give a shot to this attraction???
Or all those things between them will keep them apart???
Can they overcome their problems and be together???
Can Josh abandon his ways in life and to committ only to Bri???
And will Bri manage to stop judging him for his luck of goals???
"In the beginning, all I wanted to do was get under her skin because she irritated the shit out of me with all her talk about study skills and graduation requiremens.
Now I wanted to get under her skin in a different way.
This wasn't right." {Josh}
"There was a lot more to Josh than he'd have people believe. His party frat boy facade was crumbling before my eyes.
Anf before I could stop it, I fell a little further and a little faster for him.
Shit." {Bri}
Well, i adore Josh.
As i told you above, he was such an easygoing guy...
Yep, he was undecided, but he was just 21 years old for God's sake!!!
And he had lots of shits in his plate to deal with...
Josh was a contrantiction. He was so confident and cocky at times, but underneath that facade he was a sensitive and caring man.
Even though that he was refusing to show his feelings, the lack of trust by the people he loved was hurting him...
He was really talented with guitar, but he was too shy to announce it...
Yep, he was a little bit of lazy, but he was throwing joy and life around him and Bri wasn't an exception...
She manage to crawl into his heart and he didn't want to let her go, even though that he thought he wasn't good enough for her...
And for this lack of confidence, i was mad of him!!!
"I was friendly with lots of people, but I could count on one hand the number of people I truly cared about. I didn't hand that power over easily. Whether she knew it or not, Bri had that power now -the power to destroy me."
As i told you above, Bri was really focused on her goals and she was a little bit uptight...
And here comes the laughter... She was tooking the things so literally that i couldn't stop laughing in the beginning, but Bri's character made me furious in many scenes and toward the end even more...
She fell for Josh, but she was holding back, even though that Josh made her more reckless and to take more risks and in the beginning, she was doing a great job with that...
But she was judgemental by nature and i think, that was because she had a hard life as a kid that made her untrustful toward people.
Even though when she was in good terms with Josh, she didn't stop judging him for everything...
It bothered her his lack of major, his previous sexual life... he misjudging his actions all the god damn time and that was pissing me off.
Because of her low confidence, she was so unfair to him and that wasn't cool at all...
My poor Josh, she ripped his heart out!!!
"She had her life all put together, and I was nothing but a slacker with no direction. What did I have to offer?
My love? So what if I loved her? It wasn't enough.
I was never gonna be good enough for her."
Now, Josh and Bri together were really great...
Yep, they were so opposite characters but when they let themselves loose were such sweethearts...
Their first encounters were so great and so funny...
But because of this big difference between them, they were having trusting issues to themselves because of the other. They both thought that they didn't deserve to be with the other and that was such a waste of time!!!
"Just remember that love isn't an equation. It's not always going to balance perfectly. It's not always rational." {Casey to Bri}
Now the second characters...
Josh's friends were really great guys, but sometimes i wanted to shut their mouths up...
Bri's best friend, Casey was so awesome!!!
I loved her near to the end... She was the only rational person around Bri.
Bret was an asshole from the first moment...
And Josh's father was acting also like a douche toward his son...
In generally, i was so mad with almost all the characters in here because they weren't having faith toward Josh's abilities and they didn't have a fuckin' clue that this lack of trust was hurting Josh!!!!
That's all for me... It was a lovely ride and i had a great time while i was reading this book!!!
***ARC kindly provided via Netgalley for the exchange of an honest review***
This was a really good story, even though it was a little bit predicted..
But i really enjoyed the ride...
At the beginning it filled me with excitement and it made me laugh out loud...
But then the things turned out more serious and the angst surrounded me...
And then came the anger.... (God, i was so furious with Bri!!! I wanted to slap her very bad!!!) and the heartbreaking especially for Josh's behalf...
But let me take the things from the beginning...
Brianne was so uptight. She had plan out all of her life and she was following her goals.
But she had no idea of having fun or impulsive feelings...
She never did anything out of program and that was such a pity for her.
She was during her master and at the same time, she was working as an academic counsellor.
And there was where she met Josh... and the order in her life started to tearing down...
"I could tell he was far from stupid.
Lazy? Yes. But stupid? Not so much.
Which made his bahevior unacceptable in my book.
People who squandered their God-given talents pissed me off. Some of us had to work ourselves to the bone to get ahead."
Josh was such an easygoing person. He was so open, so full of life... He was living for the moment...
He was partying, he was spending time with several girls, he adored to play guitar for himself and he loved his friends...
But somewhere in between all of those things, he forgot to care about his academic progress...
After three years in college, he didn't stabilized yet on a major. He was just switching directions all the time as he hadn't figured out what he wanted to do with his life.
He just knew that he didn't want to return to his home...
His meeting with Bri changed his point of view and he started to care for something else than the usuals...
"Work smarter, not harder. That was my motto, anyway. Of course, I hadn't been doing much work -either smart or hard- recently, which was how I'd ended up on academic probation."
Well, from the first moment, the air around Josh and Bri was thick with tension...
They managed to get under each other's skin but not in a good way...
Bri thought of him the worst and she was showing her dislike and Josh couldn't stand those judgemental eyes upon him and he wanted to provoke her all the time...
But this little game got them involved emotionally, even though that this thing between them was wrong.
Bri was Josh's academic guide and he was just a client. It was unethical...
And beyond that, they were like polar opposites... They would never fit in together...
"Yeah... she was definetely my polar opposite.
There wasn't much we had in common. Actually, I don't think we had anything in common other than attending the same school.
But that made her so much more interesting."
So what will happen with those two???
Will they ignore everything that are standing in their way and give a shot to this attraction???
Or all those things between them will keep them apart???
Can they overcome their problems and be together???
Can Josh abandon his ways in life and to committ only to Bri???
And will Bri manage to stop judging him for his luck of goals???
"In the beginning, all I wanted to do was get under her skin because she irritated the shit out of me with all her talk about study skills and graduation requiremens.
Now I wanted to get under her skin in a different way.
This wasn't right." {Josh}
"There was a lot more to Josh than he'd have people believe. His party frat boy facade was crumbling before my eyes.
Anf before I could stop it, I fell a little further and a little faster for him.
Shit." {Bri}
Well, i adore Josh.
As i told you above, he was such an easygoing guy...
Yep, he was undecided, but he was just 21 years old for God's sake!!!
And he had lots of shits in his plate to deal with...
Josh was a contrantiction. He was so confident and cocky at times, but underneath that facade he was a sensitive and caring man.
Even though that he was refusing to show his feelings, the lack of trust by the people he loved was hurting him...
He was really talented with guitar, but he was too shy to announce it...
Yep, he was a little bit of lazy, but he was throwing joy and life around him and Bri wasn't an exception...
She manage to crawl into his heart and he didn't want to let her go, even though that he thought he wasn't good enough for her...
And for this lack of confidence, i was mad of him!!!
"I was friendly with lots of people, but I could count on one hand the number of people I truly cared about. I didn't hand that power over easily. Whether she knew it or not, Bri had that power now -the power to destroy me."
As i told you above, Bri was really focused on her goals and she was a little bit uptight...
And here comes the laughter... She was tooking the things so literally that i couldn't stop laughing in the beginning, but Bri's character made me furious in many scenes and toward the end even more...
She fell for Josh, but she was holding back, even though that Josh made her more reckless and to take more risks and in the beginning, she was doing a great job with that...
But she was judgemental by nature and i think, that was because she had a hard life as a kid that made her untrustful toward people.
Even though when she was in good terms with Josh, she didn't stop judging him for everything...
It bothered her his lack of major, his previous sexual life... he misjudging his actions all the god damn time and that was pissing me off.
Because of her low confidence, she was so unfair to him and that wasn't cool at all...
My poor Josh, she ripped his heart out!!!
"She had her life all put together, and I was nothing but a slacker with no direction. What did I have to offer?
My love? So what if I loved her? It wasn't enough.
I was never gonna be good enough for her."
Now, Josh and Bri together were really great...
Yep, they were so opposite characters but when they let themselves loose were such sweethearts...
Their first encounters were so great and so funny...
But because of this big difference between them, they were having trusting issues to themselves because of the other. They both thought that they didn't deserve to be with the other and that was such a waste of time!!!
"Just remember that love isn't an equation. It's not always going to balance perfectly. It's not always rational." {Casey to Bri}
Now the second characters...
Josh's friends were really great guys, but sometimes i wanted to shut their mouths up...
Bri's best friend, Casey was so awesome!!!
I loved her near to the end... She was the only rational person around Bri.
Bret was an asshole from the first moment...
And Josh's father was acting also like a douche toward his son...
In generally, i was so mad with almost all the characters in here because they weren't having faith toward Josh's abilities and they didn't have a fuckin' clue that this lack of trust was hurting Josh!!!!
That's all for me... It was a lovely ride and i had a great time while i was reading this book!!!
***ARC kindly provided via Netgalley for the exchange of an honest review***
March 30, 2016
4 stars
I really enjoyed Wanting More.
The storyline was entertaining, the characters were fun, relatable and very likable.
Josh was funny, cute, sexy and a real sweetheart. I loved how he would push/dare/encourage Bri to live a little and not be so rigid with everything in her life.
Bri found it difficult at first and I have to admit she did annoy me a little with her judgemental comments she threw Josh's way but eventually she realised life without Josh wasn't the life she wanted. She loved him and the life they shared together. Bri knew Josh would always be by her side loving her & encouraging her to go after dreams.... I have so much love & respect for Josh, imo he was the perfect boyfriend.
This was a well written heartwarming, sweet read, I enjoyed watching these two opposites connect and bring out the best in each other with unconditional love & support.
I highly recommend Wanting More and the Love on Campus series.
Thank you to Entangled Embrace via NetGalley for the advance copy.
I really enjoyed Wanting More.
The storyline was entertaining, the characters were fun, relatable and very likable.
Josh was funny, cute, sexy and a real sweetheart. I loved how he would push/dare/encourage Bri to live a little and not be so rigid with everything in her life.
Bri found it difficult at first and I have to admit she did annoy me a little with her judgemental comments she threw Josh's way but eventually she realised life without Josh wasn't the life she wanted. She loved him and the life they shared together. Bri knew Josh would always be by her side loving her & encouraging her to go after dreams.... I have so much love & respect for Josh, imo he was the perfect boyfriend.
This was a well written heartwarming, sweet read, I enjoyed watching these two opposites connect and bring out the best in each other with unconditional love & support.
I highly recommend Wanting More and the Love on Campus series.
Thank you to Entangled Embrace via NetGalley for the advance copy.
March 25, 2016
Joshua Davidson (Josh) is a happy go lucky undergraduate in danger of being dismissed from the university if he doesn’t up his grades and efforts. After six different majors in two years he’s been sent to be given extra support whilst on academic probation. When he meets his academic counsellor he’s in for a surprise - mind you, so is she! Brianna Welch (Bri) is a focussed workaholic, determined to achieve, his antithesis perhaps? Despite that they are both attracted to the other, even if reluctant to admit it. With such opposite attitudes, will they stand any chance at romance? What about her soon to be ex, how will he react to their splitting up? Life’s about to change for all concerned, you’ve just got to hope it will be changes for the better!
This is a great campus romance, with plenty of twists, turns, surprises and angst to keep the reader enthralled and engaged with the well developed characters. It does involve characters from the first book in the series, Letting Go, but I don’t think you need to have read that to appreciate and enjoy this story. I have to say that it is, however, good to catch up on what has happened to them since the end of the first one. It is another emotional story, exploring relationships with family, the effects of fostering and other impacts on how students relate to each other, but these are explored as an integral part of the story and not as some snide add on. Once more the author has continued to develop the characters from the first novel, added others and created a great campus romance.
Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great campus romance, with plenty of twists, turns, surprises and angst to keep the reader enthralled and engaged with the well developed characters. It does involve characters from the first book in the series, Letting Go, but I don’t think you need to have read that to appreciate and enjoy this story. I have to say that it is, however, good to catch up on what has happened to them since the end of the first one. It is another emotional story, exploring relationships with family, the effects of fostering and other impacts on how students relate to each other, but these are explored as an integral part of the story and not as some snide add on. Once more the author has continued to develop the characters from the first novel, added others and created a great campus romance.
Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2016
Read full review HERE
I’m a huge fan of contemporary romances with a college setting – probably because it was less time ago than the whole high-school thing :). So, when I saw this book one netgalley, my finger flew to the request button. It helps that the blurb is the most vague thing ever!
The book is told in alternating POVs, and it’s on first person – and I’m crazy about first person POV because the books are usually funnier, and this was true here. This book is funny! So, that’s a huge thing for me and it made me really enjoy the writing.
As the blurb is a little vague, let me fill in a bit about the plot. Josh is a 21 yo guy who is basically coasting through college, because he still doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. He’s funny and loose, and he likes to party and be overall crazy. He also never got tied down by anyone, but not because he’s generally opposed to the idea, but because he never really met anyone that made him think of the possibility. Then he meets Bri, 22 yo grad student who has a clear direction in life and a straight path that she wants to follow. She’s also shy, quiet and focused. They are total opposites. The plot focus on this, how or if it’s possible for such different people to make something work.
I really enjoyed the contrasts between Josh and Bri’s personalities and looks on life. And I thought they were awesome together and really complemented each other. It kind of broke my heart that they both felt that they weren’t good enough for the other, but ultimately Josh’s easy going personality made him more likable. Bri had a few moments that made me rage at her… not that I couldn’t see where she was coming from, but it made me mad the way she handled things.
I was super pleased with the overall direction of the book, and I was smiling like crazy during those last few moments.
If you like contemporary romance, I would recommend this book. Also worth noting that although this is a New Adult book, it has a very low steamy content… close to 0 actually. :)
I’m a huge fan of contemporary romances with a college setting – probably because it was less time ago than the whole high-school thing :). So, when I saw this book one netgalley, my finger flew to the request button. It helps that the blurb is the most vague thing ever!
The book is told in alternating POVs, and it’s on first person – and I’m crazy about first person POV because the books are usually funnier, and this was true here. This book is funny! So, that’s a huge thing for me and it made me really enjoy the writing.
As the blurb is a little vague, let me fill in a bit about the plot. Josh is a 21 yo guy who is basically coasting through college, because he still doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. He’s funny and loose, and he likes to party and be overall crazy. He also never got tied down by anyone, but not because he’s generally opposed to the idea, but because he never really met anyone that made him think of the possibility. Then he meets Bri, 22 yo grad student who has a clear direction in life and a straight path that she wants to follow. She’s also shy, quiet and focused. They are total opposites. The plot focus on this, how or if it’s possible for such different people to make something work.
I really enjoyed the contrasts between Josh and Bri’s personalities and looks on life. And I thought they were awesome together and really complemented each other. It kind of broke my heart that they both felt that they weren’t good enough for the other, but ultimately Josh’s easy going personality made him more likable. Bri had a few moments that made me rage at her… not that I couldn’t see where she was coming from, but it made me mad the way she handled things.
I was super pleased with the overall direction of the book, and I was smiling like crazy during those last few moments.
If you like contemporary romance, I would recommend this book. Also worth noting that although this is a New Adult book, it has a very low steamy content… close to 0 actually. :)
March 25, 2016
For more reviews click HERE
This is the first book by Jessica Ruddick that I’ve read but after this I’ll want to read more of her books. I really enjoyed this books and the characters. Bri is a 22 year-old and knows what she wants to do with her life. In the other hand, Josh is a 21 year-old that has no idea what to do and that doesn’t have the motivation to care about school. You can see that these two have everything to go wrong but when they meet they challenge each other to be better and I really like that factor in the story. These two were the cutest when they where together. Sometimes I would be sad when they thought that they weren’t good for each other but most of the book was funny and most of the times I would be smiling like crazy. It was really good and funny read. There were some things happening in this book that really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting some things to happen. I really enjoyed both main characters, especially Josh, but sometimes I would get a little bit frustrated with Bri and there was a situation in which I got mad at her. I could see why she was doing what she was doing but I couldn’t understand her and that really got me mad. Good thing is that I only felt like that once and overall I did like Bri. I also really liked Josh group of friends and Bri’s best friend. They were amazing and now I want to read the first book from this series because I want to know Cori and Luke’s story. Another I really enjoyed was the writing and the fact that it had a dual POV. I’m a sucker for dual POV’s so I was extremely happy when I started reading this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a great contemporary read so you’re into contemporary you should give this one a try. As I said before, I can’t wait to read more of Jessica Ruddick’s books after reading this one. Maybe I'll get around to get Letting Go soon :D
This is the first book by Jessica Ruddick that I’ve read but after this I’ll want to read more of her books. I really enjoyed this books and the characters. Bri is a 22 year-old and knows what she wants to do with her life. In the other hand, Josh is a 21 year-old that has no idea what to do and that doesn’t have the motivation to care about school. You can see that these two have everything to go wrong but when they meet they challenge each other to be better and I really like that factor in the story. These two were the cutest when they where together. Sometimes I would be sad when they thought that they weren’t good for each other but most of the book was funny and most of the times I would be smiling like crazy. It was really good and funny read. There were some things happening in this book that really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting some things to happen. I really enjoyed both main characters, especially Josh, but sometimes I would get a little bit frustrated with Bri and there was a situation in which I got mad at her. I could see why she was doing what she was doing but I couldn’t understand her and that really got me mad. Good thing is that I only felt like that once and overall I did like Bri. I also really liked Josh group of friends and Bri’s best friend. They were amazing and now I want to read the first book from this series because I want to know Cori and Luke’s story. Another I really enjoyed was the writing and the fact that it had a dual POV. I’m a sucker for dual POV’s so I was extremely happy when I started reading this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a great contemporary read so you’re into contemporary you should give this one a try. As I said before, I can’t wait to read more of Jessica Ruddick’s books after reading this one. Maybe I'll get around to get Letting Go soon :D
March 9, 2016
Wanting More is the second book I've read by Jessica Ruddick and definitely won't be the last.
On the surface Josh and Bri's story seems like the typical bad boy meets good girl new adult novel, but there's a lot more to the story than you originally think. Josh likes to put on a good show of not caring, but when we read the story through his POV we realize that isn't true. Josh does care. A lot. He just didn't have the motivation to follow through before now, and I liked that Bri wasn't the main reason for Josh's change. So many new adult books have the "bad boy" who turns his life around the instant he meets the girl he didn't know he wanted, but that wasn't the case here. Josh had other reasons for making changes. You'll just have to read to find out what they are.
This was a quick and sweet read that pulled me in from the get-go. If you're a fan of new adult romance, definitely give this one a try.
***I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
On the surface Josh and Bri's story seems like the typical bad boy meets good girl new adult novel, but there's a lot more to the story than you originally think. Josh likes to put on a good show of not caring, but when we read the story through his POV we realize that isn't true. Josh does care. A lot. He just didn't have the motivation to follow through before now, and I liked that Bri wasn't the main reason for Josh's change. So many new adult books have the "bad boy" who turns his life around the instant he meets the girl he didn't know he wanted, but that wasn't the case here. Josh had other reasons for making changes. You'll just have to read to find out what they are.
This was a quick and sweet read that pulled me in from the get-go. If you're a fan of new adult romance, definitely give this one a try.
***I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2016
It's super weird to read books with your last name.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
To find more of my reviews visit Carlene Inspired.
Bri Welch follows the rules, she's a grad student working to save other student's grades and she doesn't have time for anything that takes her away from studying. Josh Davidson is the fun frat-boy, partying every chance he can, skipping class daily, and taking nothing seriously, until he sees Bri Welch behind her desk as his Academic Advisor. Something about her makes him want to make the grades, to be enough in her eyes, and something about him is making her seriously consider all the rules she has. They're the opposite of one another, Josh non-committal and Bri holding onto a questionable boyfriend. Is it possible for such different people to make a relationship work?
The college aged setting sold me on this book, then I met the characters and read from their first person alternating POV's and I was hooked. Josh and Bri are polar opposites when it comes to life, from family to school and friendships, the outlook they have relating to everything is different. It was incredibly entertaining to look at their relationship and individual growth from two distinctly different eyes and dialogues. I found myself loving their differences, what they brought out in each other, and recognized parts of my self in each of them. Though they weren't all likable all the times, the characters were relatable and I enjoyed watching them fight the waters of college, family, live, and feelings together. On top of two great main characters, I enjoyed the distinct secondary characters Jessica Ruddick wrote, including Cori from Letting Go (which I need to go read now). Each character, no matter how small their part, brought insight into the two main characters and pushed the story along. I didn't expect anything that happened, which was surprising for a college aged romance, and I found myself laughing a lot.
Wanting More seems like the usual story of good girl meets bad boy, but it's more than that in the setting of college and growing up. I loved the mixture of family and friendships that Jessica Ruddick weaved into every moment, showing the differences between the characters and how well it made them work together. I appreciated that the situation didn't make the characters be better because of something the other did, but be better because they wanted to be more for the other. I was incredibly impressed with Jessica Ruddick's writing and absolutely will be reading more of her books.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
To find more of my reviews visit Carlene Inspired.
Bri Welch follows the rules, she's a grad student working to save other student's grades and she doesn't have time for anything that takes her away from studying. Josh Davidson is the fun frat-boy, partying every chance he can, skipping class daily, and taking nothing seriously, until he sees Bri Welch behind her desk as his Academic Advisor. Something about her makes him want to make the grades, to be enough in her eyes, and something about him is making her seriously consider all the rules she has. They're the opposite of one another, Josh non-committal and Bri holding onto a questionable boyfriend. Is it possible for such different people to make a relationship work?
The college aged setting sold me on this book, then I met the characters and read from their first person alternating POV's and I was hooked. Josh and Bri are polar opposites when it comes to life, from family to school and friendships, the outlook they have relating to everything is different. It was incredibly entertaining to look at their relationship and individual growth from two distinctly different eyes and dialogues. I found myself loving their differences, what they brought out in each other, and recognized parts of my self in each of them. Though they weren't all likable all the times, the characters were relatable and I enjoyed watching them fight the waters of college, family, live, and feelings together. On top of two great main characters, I enjoyed the distinct secondary characters Jessica Ruddick wrote, including Cori from Letting Go (which I need to go read now). Each character, no matter how small their part, brought insight into the two main characters and pushed the story along. I didn't expect anything that happened, which was surprising for a college aged romance, and I found myself laughing a lot.
Wanting More seems like the usual story of good girl meets bad boy, but it's more than that in the setting of college and growing up. I loved the mixture of family and friendships that Jessica Ruddick weaved into every moment, showing the differences between the characters and how well it made them work together. I appreciated that the situation didn't make the characters be better because of something the other did, but be better because they wanted to be more for the other. I was incredibly impressed with Jessica Ruddick's writing and absolutely will be reading more of her books.
March 3, 2016
4.5 of 5
ARC provided for an honest review through Netgalley.
Josh is an undergraduate college “bad boy” who enjoys women and parties. His grades have been slipping and he finds himself on academic probation. He is forced to meet with a counselor. He never expects a young woman, Bri, to walk in with her conservative pantsuit looking “hot”. Graduate student, Bri, has her goals set and is working hard towards finishing college to become a full time academic advisor. To finish, she has a job as an academic counselor, helping the students on academic probation. When cocky and extremely handsome Josh walks into her work, she is immediately attracted to him. Can she help Josh with his slipping grades and can Josh help her “relax” and have fun?
I really enjoyed this love story! (Heads up: this story has hot chemistry but its “PG-13ish”. The love scenes do not go into great details). It was captivating, refreshing and realistic. The bad boy meets good girl theme was thrilling and made the interactions between the two main characters, Josh and Bri, fun! I really enjoyed the “awkward” situations Bri was put into and loved how she handled herself.
The characters! The author, Jessica, did a great job at making me dislike Josh in the very beginning. His player ways was a huge turn off but as the story progressed and I learned more about Josh, I began to like him a lot. His character development is fantastic. He is such a well-rounded character with a great back story. The hardships that he has been through and faces in this story really add many dimensions to his character. I really enjoyed the interactions between him and his father, stepmother and stepsister. His family was essential to his story and I am glad Jessica expanded on them. Bri, just like Josh, also has a complex back story. Her past, family and boyfriend, Brett, really set the stage of the person she is and who she becomes. In general, I felt all the characters (family and friends) in this story were essential and played a huge role in moving the two main characters forward. I loved it!
The only thing I can complain about is that this book is too short for all the details. Yes, I know books cannot last forever but I wanted more. I wanted more details. I wanted more of Josh’s back story when it comes to his mother, I wanted more back story when it comes to Bri’s childhood.
If you are looking for a fun and refreshing read – check this book out. I am so excited to check out Jessica Ruddick’s other books! I am now fan!
ARC provided for an honest review through Netgalley.
Josh is an undergraduate college “bad boy” who enjoys women and parties. His grades have been slipping and he finds himself on academic probation. He is forced to meet with a counselor. He never expects a young woman, Bri, to walk in with her conservative pantsuit looking “hot”. Graduate student, Bri, has her goals set and is working hard towards finishing college to become a full time academic advisor. To finish, she has a job as an academic counselor, helping the students on academic probation. When cocky and extremely handsome Josh walks into her work, she is immediately attracted to him. Can she help Josh with his slipping grades and can Josh help her “relax” and have fun?
I really enjoyed this love story! (Heads up: this story has hot chemistry but its “PG-13ish”. The love scenes do not go into great details). It was captivating, refreshing and realistic. The bad boy meets good girl theme was thrilling and made the interactions between the two main characters, Josh and Bri, fun! I really enjoyed the “awkward” situations Bri was put into and loved how she handled herself.
The characters! The author, Jessica, did a great job at making me dislike Josh in the very beginning. His player ways was a huge turn off but as the story progressed and I learned more about Josh, I began to like him a lot. His character development is fantastic. He is such a well-rounded character with a great back story. The hardships that he has been through and faces in this story really add many dimensions to his character. I really enjoyed the interactions between him and his father, stepmother and stepsister. His family was essential to his story and I am glad Jessica expanded on them. Bri, just like Josh, also has a complex back story. Her past, family and boyfriend, Brett, really set the stage of the person she is and who she becomes. In general, I felt all the characters (family and friends) in this story were essential and played a huge role in moving the two main characters forward. I loved it!
The only thing I can complain about is that this book is too short for all the details. Yes, I know books cannot last forever but I wanted more. I wanted more details. I wanted more of Josh’s back story when it comes to his mother, I wanted more back story when it comes to Bri’s childhood.
If you are looking for a fun and refreshing read – check this book out. I am so excited to check out Jessica Ruddick’s other books! I am now fan!
March 28, 2016
What happens when the socially awkward, nerdy grad student falls for the extroverted goofball frat boy? A lot of sweetness, a fair amount of swoon laced with generous portions of angst and some plot twists that I didn’t see coming.
This book took me on a little bit of a rollercoaster ride—not necessarily because the highs and lows within the book were so pronounced, but because my feelings about the book itself varied widely from chapter to chapter. I struggled with Bri's character, mainly. She's a bit nerdy, which allowed me to warm to her quickly (because nerds = love) but my feelings towards her cooled as the book went on. She came off as insecure and made some decisions that I didn't understand and didn't respect. I feel like there was a way to stay true to her nerdy/insecure personality that might have worked better for me than the path she wound up taking. I became frustrated with her and the situation led me to skimming through some parts of the book that I found aggravating. Bri has this great big heart of gold, and this adorable nerdiness, but at times she was written in a way that was nearly unlikeable to me.
Josh, on the other hand, I loved. Though, the most rewarding part of Josh’s story was his family storyline and how that evolved and how he matured through the book. He was sweet and fun and adorable—but it’s how he behaved when the going got tough that make me love him so much.
I ran kind of hot and cold with this book; it started slow for me and then I got sucked completely in and loved Josh and Bri together. I loved Josh's friends and the way Greek life is portrayed. This was a sweet, clean romance, an overall good read—entertaining, sweet, and cute—but a little uneven and hard for me to fully invest. ~ Shelly, 3 stars
March 28, 2016
Wanting More is a sweet, cliche story that will make you smile hard when you finish reading it.
Although, it was kind of predictable this book was really funny and entertaining!
Josh is a student that has lost the motivation he had through college. He's in his third year, but yet he hasn't decided a major and basically he's living the good life with parties and girls.
But then he receives a wake-up call and he gets an academic counselor, Bri, her job is help him to fix what is not going well with his academic life so he can make a good decision for his future.
What they don't expect is the tension and attraction between them. They are completely opposites so we would think that they don't match. But life has other plans, and they have to choose between follow their heads or hearts.
***
The books is fun and is sweet. I loved Josh's persona, because he knew he was going through a row patch in his life and he wanted to change that! When I learned more about him through the history... he made me tear up a little because he was so hurt and he hid all the time his true self a sweet and caring man... just because he was afraid.
And Bri, I liked her... but sometimes she drove me nuts!!! she was so judgemental with Josh!!! She needed to loosen up A LOT. I understand her life style, and I admired her discipline and compromise with her job, but I think she could stop being a bitch and get understand more why Josh was failing.
The attraction between these two was something funny to see. Of course Bri was fighting against that, and Josh loved to push her buttons... but at the end, they had the beautiful end they deserved.
Although, it was kind of predictable this book was really funny and entertaining!
Josh is a student that has lost the motivation he had through college. He's in his third year, but yet he hasn't decided a major and basically he's living the good life with parties and girls.
But then he receives a wake-up call and he gets an academic counselor, Bri, her job is help him to fix what is not going well with his academic life so he can make a good decision for his future.
What they don't expect is the tension and attraction between them. They are completely opposites so we would think that they don't match. But life has other plans, and they have to choose between follow their heads or hearts.
***
The books is fun and is sweet. I loved Josh's persona, because he knew he was going through a row patch in his life and he wanted to change that! When I learned more about him through the history... he made me tear up a little because he was so hurt and he hid all the time his true self a sweet and caring man... just because he was afraid.
And Bri, I liked her... but sometimes she drove me nuts!!! she was so judgemental with Josh!!! She needed to loosen up A LOT. I understand her life style, and I admired her discipline and compromise with her job, but I think she could stop being a bitch and get understand more why Josh was failing.
The attraction between these two was something funny to see. Of course Bri was fighting against that, and Josh loved to push her buttons... but at the end, they had the beautiful end they deserved.
March 28, 2016
Wanting More by Jessica Ruddick is one of those novels that is middle of the road for me. There is nothing wrong with it, it is well-written with a great plot… for me personally, however, nothing stands out that I can gush about. It has an HEA, no cliffy, can be read as a standalone and is told from a first person point of view.
You have a female authority figure. A woman who knows her mind and what she wants. But she’s always so serious and takes life that way too. If you looked at Bri’s planner, it would probably be so organized it was color-coded. As for Josh, he is on academic probation. He has no clue what he wants to do with his life and if you ask him about the future, he just wants to know when the next part is. Mind you, from just saying that, you’d assume things about these characters, but don’t! They will surprise you.
I thought both of the main characters were great and if asked, yes, I would read the rest of the books in this series happily. I liked how things unfolded between them. The chemistry felt more like a slow build between them. These two come from completely different worlds and it goes to show that opposites can attract. Also that people can change.
You do get a bit of angst in this novel, and at one point, may want to slap the characters and tell them to get their junk figured out. All in all, 3 Stars and an enjoyable read.
**ARC Provided by NetGalley ia published in exchange for an honest review.**
You have a female authority figure. A woman who knows her mind and what she wants. But she’s always so serious and takes life that way too. If you looked at Bri’s planner, it would probably be so organized it was color-coded. As for Josh, he is on academic probation. He has no clue what he wants to do with his life and if you ask him about the future, he just wants to know when the next part is. Mind you, from just saying that, you’d assume things about these characters, but don’t! They will surprise you.
I thought both of the main characters were great and if asked, yes, I would read the rest of the books in this series happily. I liked how things unfolded between them. The chemistry felt more like a slow build between them. These two come from completely different worlds and it goes to show that opposites can attract. Also that people can change.
You do get a bit of angst in this novel, and at one point, may want to slap the characters and tell them to get their junk figured out. All in all, 3 Stars and an enjoyable read.
**ARC Provided by NetGalley ia published in exchange for an honest review.**
March 30, 2016
*4 Stars*
ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great book. Josh and Bri are polar opposites yet they work so well.
Josh gets put on academic probation, and Bri is the tutor/counselor assigned to him. They immediately get on each others nerves. This is actually quite funny because Josh is deliberately pushing Bri's buttons and he's a smart ass character, but in a good way.
Of course, one thing leads to another and they begin to get to know each other. We learn a bit about both of their pasts and current relationships which helps explain each of their characters. Josh is totally laid back and Bri is extremely uptight and plays everything safe.
For me, Josh was the star of this book. His character was easier to connect to, and I enjoyed his chapters more. That said though, Bri's chapters were great too, I just liked Josh more overall.
Their friends were great background characters and I enjoyed the parts of the novel where they were out in a group as well as when it was just Josh and Bri.
They both have a lot to learn about each other and life, and its great to see them trying to work things out together even though they're such opposites.
This was a fun and quick read and I definitely recommend it. I'm keen to read more of the series.
ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great book. Josh and Bri are polar opposites yet they work so well.
Josh gets put on academic probation, and Bri is the tutor/counselor assigned to him. They immediately get on each others nerves. This is actually quite funny because Josh is deliberately pushing Bri's buttons and he's a smart ass character, but in a good way.
Of course, one thing leads to another and they begin to get to know each other. We learn a bit about both of their pasts and current relationships which helps explain each of their characters. Josh is totally laid back and Bri is extremely uptight and plays everything safe.
For me, Josh was the star of this book. His character was easier to connect to, and I enjoyed his chapters more. That said though, Bri's chapters were great too, I just liked Josh more overall.
Their friends were great background characters and I enjoyed the parts of the novel where they were out in a group as well as when it was just Josh and Bri.
They both have a lot to learn about each other and life, and its great to see them trying to work things out together even though they're such opposites.
This was a fun and quick read and I definitely recommend it. I'm keen to read more of the series.
March 23, 2016
This is an awesome NA read that grabbed my attention from the very first page. The story has a great flow and the character development is excellent. Josh and Bri's story might seem like the typical bad boy/ good girl storyline but underneath there is so much more to these characters. He's the quintessential slacker in college where she's the over achiever, together they bring a balance to each other that they have both struggled to find.
This is the second in the series but in no way do you have to read the previous book first. I do however recommend both of them. This author has a nice writing style that brings the stories to life.
This is the second in the series but in no way do you have to read the previous book first. I do however recommend both of them. This author has a nice writing style that brings the stories to life.
February 23, 2016
3.5/5 stars
Review to come closer to release date~
Review to come closer to release date~
March 28, 2016
*I was provided a copy by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is the first book by Jessica Ruddick that I’ve read but after this I’ll want to read more of her books. I really enjoyed this books and the characters. Bri is a 22 year-old and knows what she wants to do with her life. In the other hand, Josh is a 21 year-old that has no idea what to do and that doesn’t have the motivation to care about school. You can see that these two have everything to go wrong but when they meet they challenge each other to be better and I really like that factor in the story. These two were the cutest when they where together. Sometimes I would be sad when they thought that they weren’t good for each other but most of the book was funny and most of the times I would be smiling like crazy. It was really good and funny read. There were some things happening in this book that really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting some things to happen. I really enjoyed both main characters, especially Josh, but sometimes I would get a little bit frustrated with Bri and there was a situation in which I got mad at her. I could see why she was doing what she was doing but I couldn’t understand her and that really got me mad. Good thing is that I only felt like that once and overall I did like Bri. I also really liked Josh group of friends and Bri’s best friend. They were amazing and now I want to read the first book from this series because I want to know Cori and Luke’s story. Another I really enjoyed was the writing and the fact that it had a dual POV. I’m a sucker for dual POV’s so I was extremely happy when I started reading this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a great contemporary read so you’re into contemporary you should give this one a try. As I said before, I can’t wait to read more of Jessica Ruddick’s books after reading this one. Maybe I’ll get around to get Letting Go soon :D
This is the first book by Jessica Ruddick that I’ve read but after this I’ll want to read more of her books. I really enjoyed this books and the characters. Bri is a 22 year-old and knows what she wants to do with her life. In the other hand, Josh is a 21 year-old that has no idea what to do and that doesn’t have the motivation to care about school. You can see that these two have everything to go wrong but when they meet they challenge each other to be better and I really like that factor in the story. These two were the cutest when they where together. Sometimes I would be sad when they thought that they weren’t good for each other but most of the book was funny and most of the times I would be smiling like crazy. It was really good and funny read. There were some things happening in this book that really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting some things to happen. I really enjoyed both main characters, especially Josh, but sometimes I would get a little bit frustrated with Bri and there was a situation in which I got mad at her. I could see why she was doing what she was doing but I couldn’t understand her and that really got me mad. Good thing is that I only felt like that once and overall I did like Bri. I also really liked Josh group of friends and Bri’s best friend. They were amazing and now I want to read the first book from this series because I want to know Cori and Luke’s story. Another I really enjoyed was the writing and the fact that it had a dual POV. I’m a sucker for dual POV’s so I was extremely happy when I started reading this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a great contemporary read so you’re into contemporary you should give this one a try. As I said before, I can’t wait to read more of Jessica Ruddick’s books after reading this one. Maybe I’ll get around to get Letting Go soon :D
March 28, 2016
3.5 stars.
This was a pretty fun story, with a Little bit of everything: love, friendship, drama, sexing, and more.
We have Bri on one side, a girl with a plan for pretty much the rest of her life, lol. I liked her focus, but this girl really needed to take a break. It’s great to plan and achieve those goals, but her present was wasting away while focus was on her future.
On the other side, we have Josh, a guy with absolutely no focus whatsoever. And even though he made a joke of things, you could tell the guy didn’t want to be this lost. I did like his view of life, he truly was living his life and enjoying it… it was just a little too much, lol.
Because of their differences, they were the perfect complement for each other. Josh taught Bri to let things go and enjoy the little things, that not everything had to be controlled; and Bri taught him that making a plan is not boring, not when it gives you purpose.
I really liked these two, there was a lot of push and pull, banter and emotional moments. They both had their pasts to deal with, but they learned to deal with things.
Now, something that I didn’t like was how Bri was super judgmental towards Josh at times. I mean, yeah, the guy was aimless, but give him a break, why don’t ya? I felt that at times she was too hard on him and her behavior bothered me.
Still, it was a fun read overall, with lots of ups and downs and an enjoyable ending.
*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion*
This was a pretty fun story, with a Little bit of everything: love, friendship, drama, sexing, and more.
We have Bri on one side, a girl with a plan for pretty much the rest of her life, lol. I liked her focus, but this girl really needed to take a break. It’s great to plan and achieve those goals, but her present was wasting away while focus was on her future.
On the other side, we have Josh, a guy with absolutely no focus whatsoever. And even though he made a joke of things, you could tell the guy didn’t want to be this lost. I did like his view of life, he truly was living his life and enjoying it… it was just a little too much, lol.
Because of their differences, they were the perfect complement for each other. Josh taught Bri to let things go and enjoy the little things, that not everything had to be controlled; and Bri taught him that making a plan is not boring, not when it gives you purpose.
I really liked these two, there was a lot of push and pull, banter and emotional moments. They both had their pasts to deal with, but they learned to deal with things.
Now, something that I didn’t like was how Bri was super judgmental towards Josh at times. I mean, yeah, the guy was aimless, but give him a break, why don’t ya? I felt that at times she was too hard on him and her behavior bothered me.
Still, it was a fun read overall, with lots of ups and downs and an enjoyable ending.
*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion*
December 27, 2016
For Bri life is all about safety. She never does anything she hasn't thought through entirely, she studies hard, she doesn't party and she has a wall around her heart, so she won't get hurt. She works as an academic counsellor and she's studying hard for her degree. Josh is one of the students on probation and Bri has to help him with his grades. He doesn't know which major he wants to take, he likes to be free and to live. He's impulsive and doesn't think things through at all. They're each other's opposites and maybe that's exactly what they need...
Josh and Bri both don't have the easiest background and they deserve some love and attention. I immediately liked them very much, both as individuals and for each other. Wanting More is such a sweet love story. Bri is the model student and Josh is the exact opposite. Bri is reserved and doesn't know how to have a good time and Josh does. They bring out the best in each other. The question is if they will see it that way as well. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to them.
Jessica Ruddick has a great writing style. It flows easily and she has no problem bringing her stories to life. I could picture everything that happened very well and it's one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. It's cute, it's fun and it's flirty while there's also some depth in Bri and Josh's lives. They connect on many different levels and have great chemistry. It was great to read about them and about their friends. I like this series a lot and highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good campus romance.
Josh and Bri both don't have the easiest background and they deserve some love and attention. I immediately liked them very much, both as individuals and for each other. Wanting More is such a sweet love story. Bri is the model student and Josh is the exact opposite. Bri is reserved and doesn't know how to have a good time and Josh does. They bring out the best in each other. The question is if they will see it that way as well. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to them.
Jessica Ruddick has a great writing style. It flows easily and she has no problem bringing her stories to life. I could picture everything that happened very well and it's one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much. It's cute, it's fun and it's flirty while there's also some depth in Bri and Josh's lives. They connect on many different levels and have great chemistry. It was great to read about them and about their friends. I like this series a lot and highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good campus romance.
March 4, 2016
An amazing romance novel! Even though I'm not fan of a stories which revolve around college students but this one was an exception. It is cute, interesting, and funny story about a guy who doesn't take life seriously and a girl who does exactly the opposite. They are too different and yet some how a perfect match.
Josh is a non-serious student. It's not that he isn't intelligent, the problem is that he isn't motivated. For him college life is all about girls and parties. So it is no wonder that now he is on probation. Still he thinks that he can manage on his own. That is the reason he isn't receptive of his counselor's suggestions. He does feel attracted to her but that might nor be such a good thing...
Bri works as student counselor which is not so bad most of the time but Josh is testing her patience. He clearly needs direction but unable to accept help. To top it all off he is extremely handsome and she can't help but feel attracted to him. He life is pre-planned. She knows what she wants and where she is going. She doesn't need someone like Josh to mess up her plans. But sometimes it is good to be spontaneous or so she is learning...
Slowly they seem to be falling in love but will they be able to stay in love is an entirely different question..
A beautiful romance, best for light reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'll definitely be recommending it to all my reader friends.
Josh is a non-serious student. It's not that he isn't intelligent, the problem is that he isn't motivated. For him college life is all about girls and parties. So it is no wonder that now he is on probation. Still he thinks that he can manage on his own. That is the reason he isn't receptive of his counselor's suggestions. He does feel attracted to her but that might nor be such a good thing...
Bri works as student counselor which is not so bad most of the time but Josh is testing her patience. He clearly needs direction but unable to accept help. To top it all off he is extremely handsome and she can't help but feel attracted to him. He life is pre-planned. She knows what she wants and where she is going. She doesn't need someone like Josh to mess up her plans. But sometimes it is good to be spontaneous or so she is learning...
Slowly they seem to be falling in love but will they be able to stay in love is an entirely different question..
A beautiful romance, best for light reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'll definitely be recommending it to all my reader friends.
February 24, 2016
A sweet & romantic read from Jessica Ruddick.
A college bad boy (Josh) falling for two goody shoes (Bri) - you might think the plot has been rehashed, but you're in for a surprise! The book was hot and steamy and Josh does have a way with words!
Though Josh has never been in a serious relationship, he got everything right with Bri from the starting, was patient, thoughtful and sweet to her. But Bri - not so much! However, considering how she's orderly and always goes with a "plan" we can understand her reaction.
Oh Boy, Josh is a swoon-worthy and adorable boyfriend anyone could wish for! When it comes in a hot package - rock star looks, skills in the bedroom and outside of it and romance, what's not to like about it?
This is a great read, though I would have loved for Bri to have been more assertive and taken action on her abusive ex and for her to have grovelled more for shutting out Josh when he did nothing to deserve her contempt.
This is a stunner considering this is Jessica's second book. I picked the book after reading the excerpt, fell for the cover and knew I could never go wrong with Entangled Publishing!
**I was kindly provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review by Net Galley & Entangled Publishing.
A college bad boy (Josh) falling for two goody shoes (Bri) - you might think the plot has been rehashed, but you're in for a surprise! The book was hot and steamy and Josh does have a way with words!
Though Josh has never been in a serious relationship, he got everything right with Bri from the starting, was patient, thoughtful and sweet to her. But Bri - not so much! However, considering how she's orderly and always goes with a "plan" we can understand her reaction.
Oh Boy, Josh is a swoon-worthy and adorable boyfriend anyone could wish for! When it comes in a hot package - rock star looks, skills in the bedroom and outside of it and romance, what's not to like about it?
This is a great read, though I would have loved for Bri to have been more assertive and taken action on her abusive ex and for her to have grovelled more for shutting out Josh when he did nothing to deserve her contempt.
This is a stunner considering this is Jessica's second book. I picked the book after reading the excerpt, fell for the cover and knew I could never go wrong with Entangled Publishing!
**I was kindly provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review by Net Galley & Entangled Publishing.
March 30, 2016
4.5 Stars
This story started a little slow for me but once it picked up, it was a great read.
Bri is a bit uptight and maybe too focused on her future and what comes next. Sometimes you have to live in the moment and just enjoy life too. Enter Josh, the problem student who is the exact opposite of Bri in that he strictly spends his time enjoying the moments, to the point it's become a detriment to his future. Which is why he meets Bri in the first place.
There's an instant attraction between them but also a conflict of interest that complicates any relationship they might want. Unfortunately there is also a lot of insecurities and preconceived notions creeping in on their connection that just keeps building up the further they fall. Will they be able to get past their issues or will misunderstandings and judgements break then before they ever really had a chance?
This story was simple and sweet and I loved it as much as the first in the series and can't wait for more from this author.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This story started a little slow for me but once it picked up, it was a great read.
Bri is a bit uptight and maybe too focused on her future and what comes next. Sometimes you have to live in the moment and just enjoy life too. Enter Josh, the problem student who is the exact opposite of Bri in that he strictly spends his time enjoying the moments, to the point it's become a detriment to his future. Which is why he meets Bri in the first place.
There's an instant attraction between them but also a conflict of interest that complicates any relationship they might want. Unfortunately there is also a lot of insecurities and preconceived notions creeping in on their connection that just keeps building up the further they fall. Will they be able to get past their issues or will misunderstandings and judgements break then before they ever really had a chance?
This story was simple and sweet and I loved it as much as the first in the series and can't wait for more from this author.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 10, 2016
*** This ARC was received from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
Josh is just floating through life without any goals for the future while Bri is busting her ass to do the best she can do to achieve her many focused goals for the future. They collide at a very inopportune time but end up making the best out of the situation. They stumble upon this deep but surprising love that neither of them think will work out. He needs to be more focused and she needs to be less uptight in order for it to happen. They have their families and a fantastic group of friends behind them all the way. I love how the girls in Josh's group along with Bri's best friend, Casey work with Josh in the end to help him show Bri how he feels and what he willing to do for her.
Josh is just floating through life without any goals for the future while Bri is busting her ass to do the best she can do to achieve her many focused goals for the future. They collide at a very inopportune time but end up making the best out of the situation. They stumble upon this deep but surprising love that neither of them think will work out. He needs to be more focused and she needs to be less uptight in order for it to happen. They have their families and a fantastic group of friends behind them all the way. I love how the girls in Josh's group along with Bri's best friend, Casey work with Josh in the end to help him show Bri how he feels and what he willing to do for her.
July 25, 2016
Me aburrió. La relación entre Bri y Josh pasó de "me eres indiferente cuando no te soporto" a "modo compromiso" de un segundo a otro. Después, pelean por algo verdaderamente estúpido, se arreglan, y el libro termina en la forma más molesta que se le podría haber ocurrido a la autora.
March 23, 2018
» Review can also be found on Orchids & Amethysts.
Title: Wanting More (Love on Campus #02)
Author: Jessica Ruddick
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release.
Wanting More is exactly my kind of book. Right from the start, I was hooked. And I was surprised by it, too, because I saw how many pages it included and became scared first. Lately, I've been enjoying quick and short reads much more, but this book was different for me. I got hooked on the story pretty fast and couldn't wait to find out more and more.
It's this typical kind of story that pulls me under a magic spell, it seems. Good girl, bad boy. Yeah, I'm one of those readers, if you know what I mean. I can't help it, but these stories never get old. They just don't. Like some people enjoy crime books about a hot detective and a nice cute bartender or whatever... I happen to like college romances including sweet girls and bad boys. And to be honest, Josh wasn't that bad. I mean, he was a player, definitely, yes. But from page one it was pretty clear he had a good heart. And if there is one thing I enjoy more than bad boys, it's bad boys with good hearts. Does that even make sense?
So, Josh isn't a good student, having switched his major a hundred times before. Finally, he is forced to pull his head together and that's when Bri joins the picture. She's a year older than Josh (which I looooved, by the way. It's always about older boys, so this was a nice change) and is set to help him with his courses, figuring out what he wants to do with his life. That's how I understood this system anyway. In the beginning, she doesn't think he has it in him to actually study hard for something. That's what encourages Josh even more. He makes a bet with Brianna - he passes his next few exams with Bs at least, and she has to join a party.
You see, Bri isn't the party girl. She doesn't go out that often and she's okay with it. I guess she and Josh both challenge each other to become a better person. And while Josh always says she's making him become a better man, I think it works both ways. I loved how well the author worked with their relationship's speed. The story never once felt rushed or dragged or something. Everything was worked out perfectly. I am jealous, yes, because I never achieve these things, so good job, Jessica!
Now, Josh doesn't think he's good enough for Brianna. For whatever reason. It has to do with the fact that she actually enjoys studying while he doesn't. Her ex-boyfriend's future is set - he is supposed to become a lawyer and Josh just can't offer Bri that much. He loves music, that much he knows, but what to do with his life? Well, that's another question. And then there is his father, who treats him like he isn't worthy of anything, like he is throwing his future away. Gah, I really hated his father at first. I'm glad about the way the author made it all work out somehow. (And I absolutely adored Josh's half-sister. She is such a cutie!)
We don't find out much about Bri's friends. Not at first, at least. We know there is this one close friend she has, but it's only when she starts developing feelings for Josh that we find out more about her "clique". Some readers might say we don't enough scenes like that, but honestly, I was happy about that. It wouldn't have done the book any good, forcing more stories about her so-called friends or something. The scenes we got were enough.
So, lastly, I wanna say that Wanting More is on my list of my favourite books 2016. I can safely say it will stay that way until the end of the year. As I said before, it was exactly my kind of book - just what I like. The story might sound ordinary, but believe me, it's really, really good.
Title: Wanting More (Love on Campus #02)
Author: Jessica Ruddick
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release.
I can’t stop wanting her…
Bri Welch likes to play it safe. I don’t. She’s wound tight, and I’m all about a good party. But there’s something about her that makes me want to pull those uptight layers away one-by-delicious-one. But the worst thing is she makes me want more...
Wanting More is exactly my kind of book. Right from the start, I was hooked. And I was surprised by it, too, because I saw how many pages it included and became scared first. Lately, I've been enjoying quick and short reads much more, but this book was different for me. I got hooked on the story pretty fast and couldn't wait to find out more and more.
It's this typical kind of story that pulls me under a magic spell, it seems. Good girl, bad boy. Yeah, I'm one of those readers, if you know what I mean. I can't help it, but these stories never get old. They just don't. Like some people enjoy crime books about a hot detective and a nice cute bartender or whatever... I happen to like college romances including sweet girls and bad boys. And to be honest, Josh wasn't that bad. I mean, he was a player, definitely, yes. But from page one it was pretty clear he had a good heart. And if there is one thing I enjoy more than bad boys, it's bad boys with good hearts. Does that even make sense?
So, Josh isn't a good student, having switched his major a hundred times before. Finally, he is forced to pull his head together and that's when Bri joins the picture. She's a year older than Josh (which I looooved, by the way. It's always about older boys, so this was a nice change) and is set to help him with his courses, figuring out what he wants to do with his life. That's how I understood this system anyway. In the beginning, she doesn't think he has it in him to actually study hard for something. That's what encourages Josh even more. He makes a bet with Brianna - he passes his next few exams with Bs at least, and she has to join a party.
You see, Bri isn't the party girl. She doesn't go out that often and she's okay with it. I guess she and Josh both challenge each other to become a better person. And while Josh always says she's making him become a better man, I think it works both ways. I loved how well the author worked with their relationship's speed. The story never once felt rushed or dragged or something. Everything was worked out perfectly. I am jealous, yes, because I never achieve these things, so good job, Jessica!
Now, Josh doesn't think he's good enough for Brianna. For whatever reason. It has to do with the fact that she actually enjoys studying while he doesn't. Her ex-boyfriend's future is set - he is supposed to become a lawyer and Josh just can't offer Bri that much. He loves music, that much he knows, but what to do with his life? Well, that's another question. And then there is his father, who treats him like he isn't worthy of anything, like he is throwing his future away. Gah, I really hated his father at first. I'm glad about the way the author made it all work out somehow. (And I absolutely adored Josh's half-sister. She is such a cutie!)
We don't find out much about Bri's friends. Not at first, at least. We know there is this one close friend she has, but it's only when she starts developing feelings for Josh that we find out more about her "clique". Some readers might say we don't enough scenes like that, but honestly, I was happy about that. It wouldn't have done the book any good, forcing more stories about her so-called friends or something. The scenes we got were enough.
So, lastly, I wanna say that Wanting More is on my list of my favourite books 2016. I can safely say it will stay that way until the end of the year. As I said before, it was exactly my kind of book - just what I like. The story might sound ordinary, but believe me, it's really, really good.
April 4, 2016
Received on netgalley in exchange for a honest review
Bri is very stuffy and plays everything safe. She is also pretty judgemental and very self doubting. she meets Josh (swoon) when she becomes his academic counselor. Before she even knows him she has him judged. After meeting Josh her thoughts aren’t much better. She thinks he is a slacker. One not really worth her time outside of the office and to be embarrassed by.
Josh is easy going and lost.He loves his music and that he takes seriously. He is very smart and sweet but just isn’t sure what he wants to be when he grows up. Josh’s dad rides him and is very critical of him and I think this has contributed to him not really knowing where he belongs. Most things don’t get to him but when placed on probation this does. He begins to reevaluate his life. Meeting Bri has also affected him. He know wants to be more focused and a better person. Girls don’t really appeal anymore. Not having goals doesn’t appeal as well. He wants to be more serious and still enjoy life. Bri to him just needs to loosen up. As he gets to know her he sees more to her. She sees her as sweet, kind and fun. She becomes his confidant and friend. But Josh doesn’t feel worthy of Bri. To me this is silly because he is a great guy. His friends don’t really see him as much either which is sad because there is more to him than meets the eye.
Favorite scene: shopping in target for the birthday gift and Josh making headbands with his sister.
Least favorite: when Bri shows how judgemental she is of Josh and how embarrassed she is by him. It killed me when she announced her semester abroad to everyone without telling Josh first. How she always compared Josh to her ex and in the end found JOsh to be like him when he wasn’t. At one point in her self deprecation she even found Josh to be lacking compared to the douchecanoe ex.
Josh’s group of friends are great. They are understanding and fun but smart and serious as well. for me the book shows that not everyone is as they seem and you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. there is always more to a story and I am glad that Josh is forgiving and realizes his feelings and what is important to him or we would seriously be growling at Bri at the end.
The book is a wonderfully written story where we see both Bri and Josh’s POV. Josh’s is more fun and insightful than Bri’s. With him we see more growth and acceptance of things. He doesn’t judge but take people as they are and accepts them. He sees that there is more to people than meets the eye. He is loyal, kind, sweet and gentle but also very protective. Persistent as well. Bri is one that is iffy. she is smart but not smart. IF you are looking academically she is smart, people wise she needs help. Yes she has had a past that makes her shaky but still she is very judgemental and there are times she treats Josh very badly. Other times she is great like when she goes home with him. We get a sweet romance where one fights the attraction and the other persists until what is meant to be happens. One is open and accepting of what happens as it occurs and of people and feelings while the other analyzes everything. We see them struggle to be what they think the other deserves. A emotionally driven book that is entertaining, sweet and where we learn the journey of Josh and Bri. How they met, fell in love and learned about themselves and each other.
Bri is very stuffy and plays everything safe. She is also pretty judgemental and very self doubting. she meets Josh (swoon) when she becomes his academic counselor. Before she even knows him she has him judged. After meeting Josh her thoughts aren’t much better. She thinks he is a slacker. One not really worth her time outside of the office and to be embarrassed by.
Josh is easy going and lost.He loves his music and that he takes seriously. He is very smart and sweet but just isn’t sure what he wants to be when he grows up. Josh’s dad rides him and is very critical of him and I think this has contributed to him not really knowing where he belongs. Most things don’t get to him but when placed on probation this does. He begins to reevaluate his life. Meeting Bri has also affected him. He know wants to be more focused and a better person. Girls don’t really appeal anymore. Not having goals doesn’t appeal as well. He wants to be more serious and still enjoy life. Bri to him just needs to loosen up. As he gets to know her he sees more to her. She sees her as sweet, kind and fun. She becomes his confidant and friend. But Josh doesn’t feel worthy of Bri. To me this is silly because he is a great guy. His friends don’t really see him as much either which is sad because there is more to him than meets the eye.
Favorite scene: shopping in target for the birthday gift and Josh making headbands with his sister.
Least favorite: when Bri shows how judgemental she is of Josh and how embarrassed she is by him. It killed me when she announced her semester abroad to everyone without telling Josh first. How she always compared Josh to her ex and in the end found JOsh to be like him when he wasn’t. At one point in her self deprecation she even found Josh to be lacking compared to the douchecanoe ex.
Josh’s group of friends are great. They are understanding and fun but smart and serious as well. for me the book shows that not everyone is as they seem and you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. there is always more to a story and I am glad that Josh is forgiving and realizes his feelings and what is important to him or we would seriously be growling at Bri at the end.
The book is a wonderfully written story where we see both Bri and Josh’s POV. Josh’s is more fun and insightful than Bri’s. With him we see more growth and acceptance of things. He doesn’t judge but take people as they are and accepts them. He sees that there is more to people than meets the eye. He is loyal, kind, sweet and gentle but also very protective. Persistent as well. Bri is one that is iffy. she is smart but not smart. IF you are looking academically she is smart, people wise she needs help. Yes she has had a past that makes her shaky but still she is very judgemental and there are times she treats Josh very badly. Other times she is great like when she goes home with him. We get a sweet romance where one fights the attraction and the other persists until what is meant to be happens. One is open and accepting of what happens as it occurs and of people and feelings while the other analyzes everything. We see them struggle to be what they think the other deserves. A emotionally driven book that is entertaining, sweet and where we learn the journey of Josh and Bri. How they met, fell in love and learned about themselves and each other.
April 3, 2016
2. 5 Stars
New Adult Romance by Jessica Ruddick, WANTING MORE, left me literally wanting…. Maybe I should’ve known based on the synopsis that this book would be really superficial, but it had your average New Adult Romance synopsis, and it sounded decent, so I figured I’d try it. I think the biggest problem for me wasn’t the overdone character memes–your screw-off, cocky college boy meets uptight, responsible girl. I can handle the generic characters. I can handle insta-love, even. After all, readers re-read books with the same basic plots and characters time and time again because we like them! Often, we like the familiar. I find this to be especially true with romance and new adult romance is no exception. So, this predictability in characters and plot wasn’t a problem for me. (Although, admittedly, the immaturity and actions of the male lead did irritate me throughout the first quarter to half of the book.) What bothered me about this book and gave it the low rating was the fact that I just could not connect with either character. I felt nothing for either the male MC or the female MC. And I think there’s a reason for this. It wasn’t the characters themselves but the writing. There were too many times in the book where the author was telling me how the characters felt instead of showing me. This leads to the reader feeling nothing because the connection to the characters isn’t organic. So, I didn’t feel the romance. I didn’t feel the chemistry of the characters either. Sure, I knew they were attracted to each other, but only because they told me so! We don’t feel characters because an author tells us to feel and how. We feel them because the author shows us, they put us in the eyes of the character and make us feel what they feel, or at the very least, experience some empathy.
This book aside, I’ve read quite a few books from the Entangled imprint. A lot of them I have really enjoyed. I have noticed a pattern though, and I’m interested in seeing if it holds true. So far I’ve really enjoyed almost all of their Young Adult books, but few of their New Adult. And the writing seems to be better IMO in the Young Adult imprint. Interesting. Not sure what the reason would be for this. Maybe the acquisitions editor? The editors in general? Ahem, Entangled, I’m available. :)
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
New Adult Romance by Jessica Ruddick, WANTING MORE, left me literally wanting…. Maybe I should’ve known based on the synopsis that this book would be really superficial, but it had your average New Adult Romance synopsis, and it sounded decent, so I figured I’d try it. I think the biggest problem for me wasn’t the overdone character memes–your screw-off, cocky college boy meets uptight, responsible girl. I can handle the generic characters. I can handle insta-love, even. After all, readers re-read books with the same basic plots and characters time and time again because we like them! Often, we like the familiar. I find this to be especially true with romance and new adult romance is no exception. So, this predictability in characters and plot wasn’t a problem for me. (Although, admittedly, the immaturity and actions of the male lead did irritate me throughout the first quarter to half of the book.) What bothered me about this book and gave it the low rating was the fact that I just could not connect with either character. I felt nothing for either the male MC or the female MC. And I think there’s a reason for this. It wasn’t the characters themselves but the writing. There were too many times in the book where the author was telling me how the characters felt instead of showing me. This leads to the reader feeling nothing because the connection to the characters isn’t organic. So, I didn’t feel the romance. I didn’t feel the chemistry of the characters either. Sure, I knew they were attracted to each other, but only because they told me so! We don’t feel characters because an author tells us to feel and how. We feel them because the author shows us, they put us in the eyes of the character and make us feel what they feel, or at the very least, experience some empathy.
This book aside, I’ve read quite a few books from the Entangled imprint. A lot of them I have really enjoyed. I have noticed a pattern though, and I’m interested in seeing if it holds true. So far I’ve really enjoyed almost all of their Young Adult books, but few of their New Adult. And the writing seems to be better IMO in the Young Adult imprint. Interesting. Not sure what the reason would be for this. Maybe the acquisitions editor? The editors in general? Ahem, Entangled, I’m available. :)
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Read
March 24, 2016This was definitely a book about how much opposites attract to one another. Jessica Ruddick did a great job of showing how these two characters could be so different from one another but somehow make their union work really well together.
We meet Brianna who is a young graduate student working as an academic advisor. She’s very put together and by the book. That is until she meets Josh. The troublemaker with no aspirations in life and no set goals yet, her complete opposite. He’s in a fraternity and loves to party and hang out with no ambition at all. The two couldn’t be more different from the other, but I think it’s this difference in them that makes them so great together. They both bring out the best in the other, they make each other better people when they are together.
There are some great friends in this book, which some of the characters are from the first book in the series which I haven’t read yet but I definitely will after reading this one. They all seemed like really great friends to have and to be by your side when you need them the most. I also love books about college life, I miss those days, and they were too much fun and less responsibility that now. Oh the good old days.
This book didn’t only revolve around the relationship of Bri and Josh, it also showed great dynamic and relationships between parents and their kids. Seeing the interactions between Josh and his dad it was touching and moving and I even had a tear in my eye. It was sweet and it doesn’t happen overnight but all it takes is for you to start it. Really endearing moments throughout the book. I really liked all aspects of this book. Even the moments when they touched upon abuse, I think though if the author was going to put it in there she probably should have flowed with it a little more or maybe not put it in there as much if that makes sense. It’s a serious subject that should always be explored if it’s put out there.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, will have to check out the other books in the series and the first one. Great read, quick and entertaining. Love the cover so innocent and makes you want more.
We meet Brianna who is a young graduate student working as an academic advisor. She’s very put together and by the book. That is until she meets Josh. The troublemaker with no aspirations in life and no set goals yet, her complete opposite. He’s in a fraternity and loves to party and hang out with no ambition at all. The two couldn’t be more different from the other, but I think it’s this difference in them that makes them so great together. They both bring out the best in the other, they make each other better people when they are together.
There are some great friends in this book, which some of the characters are from the first book in the series which I haven’t read yet but I definitely will after reading this one. They all seemed like really great friends to have and to be by your side when you need them the most. I also love books about college life, I miss those days, and they were too much fun and less responsibility that now. Oh the good old days.
This book didn’t only revolve around the relationship of Bri and Josh, it also showed great dynamic and relationships between parents and their kids. Seeing the interactions between Josh and his dad it was touching and moving and I even had a tear in my eye. It was sweet and it doesn’t happen overnight but all it takes is for you to start it. Really endearing moments throughout the book. I really liked all aspects of this book. Even the moments when they touched upon abuse, I think though if the author was going to put it in there she probably should have flowed with it a little more or maybe not put it in there as much if that makes sense. It’s a serious subject that should always be explored if it’s put out there.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, will have to check out the other books in the series and the first one. Great read, quick and entertaining. Love the cover so innocent and makes you want more.
April 12, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC Embrace and Jessica Ruddick.)
Love isn’t an equation. It’s not always going to balance perfectly. It’s not always rational.
Ok so, I liked this book and I bet it's because of Josh, I mean I loved that boy since the first book... He's my type lol He reminded me of Dean from Off-Campus series.
What I liked about this book is that he was more into their relationship than Bri.
“My ex-boyfriend hit me.”
“Tell me more,” he said simply.
And also I liked that he was supportive. tried to help her. I'm glad that author managed to bring is good side, human side out the way she did, and it worked, well for me, because I fell in love with him even more. Because we saw that he could get hurt too, and how he did, when everyone joked about his undecided majors and all, and his father. If it was me, I don't know if I could handle it. Some parent he was.
But I didn't like how Bri judged him. I mean come on girl boys fight all the time, even girls do, that doesn't me he will hit you or he is violent or I don't know what. She handled it terribly...
“Where do you think he learned that, huh, Mitch? Wake up. Pay attention. Have you heard yourself? Because let me tell you, if you ever start talking to Mackenzie like that I will divorce you so fast your head will spin.”
And talk about stepmom. Laura was AMAZING!!! I loved her. How she put his father in his place, and showed how parent should act! If only all step-parents were like her.
“And if I did say so myself, I was gorgeous in a headband. Mackenzie agreed. Just saying’.”
And how amazing he was at his role as a big-brother. THE BEST!!! I liked that he didn't keep grudge on Laura or Mackenzie for the lack of his father's support. He judged with cold head and showed how wise he is. Wiser than his father for sure...
“Sweetheart, what’s a couple of months compared to the rest of lives?”
One of the best book boyfriends!!!
Love isn’t an equation. It’s not always going to balance perfectly. It’s not always rational.
Ok so, I liked this book and I bet it's because of Josh, I mean I loved that boy since the first book... He's my type lol He reminded me of Dean from Off-Campus series.
What I liked about this book is that he was more into their relationship than Bri.
“My ex-boyfriend hit me.”
“Tell me more,” he said simply.
And also I liked that he was supportive. tried to help her. I'm glad that author managed to bring is good side, human side out the way she did, and it worked, well for me, because I fell in love with him even more. Because we saw that he could get hurt too, and how he did, when everyone joked about his undecided majors and all, and his father. If it was me, I don't know if I could handle it. Some parent he was.
But I didn't like how Bri judged him. I mean come on girl boys fight all the time, even girls do, that doesn't me he will hit you or he is violent or I don't know what. She handled it terribly...
“Where do you think he learned that, huh, Mitch? Wake up. Pay attention. Have you heard yourself? Because let me tell you, if you ever start talking to Mackenzie like that I will divorce you so fast your head will spin.”
And talk about stepmom. Laura was AMAZING!!! I loved her. How she put his father in his place, and showed how parent should act! If only all step-parents were like her.
“And if I did say so myself, I was gorgeous in a headband. Mackenzie agreed. Just saying’.”
And how amazing he was at his role as a big-brother. THE BEST!!! I liked that he didn't keep grudge on Laura or Mackenzie for the lack of his father's support. He judged with cold head and showed how wise he is. Wiser than his father for sure...
“Sweetheart, what’s a couple of months compared to the rest of lives?”
One of the best book boyfriends!!!
March 18, 2016
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Age: 18+
Recommendation: Yes, particularly to those who like Liz Reinhardt and Katy McGarry
Type: Series
Summary: It was entertaining but not a very deep read. -snobbish/aloof female lead +interesting male lead +funny dialogue -predictable
Full Review:
Wanting More is the second book in the Love on Campus series by Jessica Ruddick. Set to be released March 28, 2016, this novel follows Bri Welch, a grad student and academic adviser who meets the campus party boy, Josh, and their subsequent relationship.
This story is told from both Josh and Bri’s POV. I am always a bit hesitant when reading a novel told from a mixed male and female point of view because they are usually either really awesome or really terrible. In this case, the dialogue was believable but the story was just OK. The relationship between the two was entertaining but it didn’t insight any emotions. I wasn’t stressed or pissed or sad or even elated. There was no throwing my e-reader then running over to make sure I didn’t crack the screen. I just sat passively and read through it.
I think that I would have enjoyed this book much more if the main character didn’t annoy me to the point of eye rolling. But she did. She is uptight, judgmental, shallow and finicky. The way she responded to the situation with her ex-boyfriend made her look weak and stupid.
The male lead Josh is pretty likable. He is your typical frat daddy, party boy with a sentimental side. I liked his confidence and his attitude. For me, he made the book fun to read. The conclusion wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. Overall, this was just middle of the road for me. Nothing spectacular happened and nothing left me disgruntled.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you very much, Jessica Ruddick and Entangled Publishing, LLC.
Age: 18+
Recommendation: Yes, particularly to those who like Liz Reinhardt and Katy McGarry
Type: Series
Summary: It was entertaining but not a very deep read. -snobbish/aloof female lead +interesting male lead +funny dialogue -predictable
Full Review:
Wanting More is the second book in the Love on Campus series by Jessica Ruddick. Set to be released March 28, 2016, this novel follows Bri Welch, a grad student and academic adviser who meets the campus party boy, Josh, and their subsequent relationship.
This story is told from both Josh and Bri’s POV. I am always a bit hesitant when reading a novel told from a mixed male and female point of view because they are usually either really awesome or really terrible. In this case, the dialogue was believable but the story was just OK. The relationship between the two was entertaining but it didn’t insight any emotions. I wasn’t stressed or pissed or sad or even elated. There was no throwing my e-reader then running over to make sure I didn’t crack the screen. I just sat passively and read through it.
I think that I would have enjoyed this book much more if the main character didn’t annoy me to the point of eye rolling. But she did. She is uptight, judgmental, shallow and finicky. The way she responded to the situation with her ex-boyfriend made her look weak and stupid.
The male lead Josh is pretty likable. He is your typical frat daddy, party boy with a sentimental side. I liked his confidence and his attitude. For me, he made the book fun to read. The conclusion wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. Overall, this was just middle of the road for me. Nothing spectacular happened and nothing left me disgruntled.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you very much, Jessica Ruddick and Entangled Publishing, LLC.
April 5, 2016
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Josh and Bri's story was a really good one, with both of them doing their fair share of growing up and maturing. I loved Josh and felt that he was misunderstood, pegged as a slacker who partied too much and hopped from one girl's bed to another. He lacked direction but does that automatically make him a bad guy? Certainly not, which is why there were countless times that I found myself frustrated with Bri. Encouraging him to reach his potential is one thing, but she was blowing hot and cold, sometimes believing in him and what he can do and then shaking her head in disappointment when he doesn't meet her astronomical expectations. She had her set prejudgments from the moment they met, and she never seemed to be able to stop herself from judging him and she would come off as if he wasn't good enough.
If I based my rating on the story and on Josh alone, this would get five-plus stars hands down. But my feelings toward Bri are affecting my overall feelings. She isn't an evil character. Yes, she's got a stick up her backside for a good portion of the story, but being with someone like Josh opens her mind and heart to the possibilities that lay ahead of her if she would simply let go of her expectations and assumptions. I didn't hate her. As a matter of fact, I liked her, but I didn't love her, certainly not as much as I did Cori Elliott in Letting Go. Maybe it's because of how she treated Josh when he didn't do what she thought he should have done at the time he should have done it. She did, however, redeem herself close to the end of the book. Wanting More still gets five stars and I'm already excited to see who's up next in this series. ♥
Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Josh and Bri's story was a really good one, with both of them doing their fair share of growing up and maturing. I loved Josh and felt that he was misunderstood, pegged as a slacker who partied too much and hopped from one girl's bed to another. He lacked direction but does that automatically make him a bad guy? Certainly not, which is why there were countless times that I found myself frustrated with Bri. Encouraging him to reach his potential is one thing, but she was blowing hot and cold, sometimes believing in him and what he can do and then shaking her head in disappointment when he doesn't meet her astronomical expectations. She had her set prejudgments from the moment they met, and she never seemed to be able to stop herself from judging him and she would come off as if he wasn't good enough.
If I based my rating on the story and on Josh alone, this would get five-plus stars hands down. But my feelings toward Bri are affecting my overall feelings. She isn't an evil character. Yes, she's got a stick up her backside for a good portion of the story, but being with someone like Josh opens her mind and heart to the possibilities that lay ahead of her if she would simply let go of her expectations and assumptions. I didn't hate her. As a matter of fact, I liked her, but I didn't love her, certainly not as much as I did Cori Elliott in Letting Go. Maybe it's because of how she treated Josh when he didn't do what she thought he should have done at the time he should have done it. She did, however, redeem herself close to the end of the book. Wanting More still gets five stars and I'm already excited to see who's up next in this series. ♥
March 28, 2016
WANTING MORE left me literally wanting more out of this New Adult Romance. Maybe I should’ve known based on the synopsis that this book would be really superficial, but it had your average New Adult synopsis, and it sounded decent, so I figured I’d try it. I think the biggest problem for me wasn’t the overdone character memes–your screw-off, cocky college boy meets uptight, responsible girl. I can handle the generic characters. After all, readers re-read books with the same basic plots and characters time and time again because we like them! Often, we like the familiar. No, it wasn’t that. (Although, admittedly, the immaturity and actions of the male lead did irritate me.) What bothered me about this book and gave it the low rating was the fact that I just could not connect with either character. I felt nothing for either the male MC or the female MC. And I think there’s a reason for this. It wasn’t the characters themselves but the writing. There were too many times in the book where the author was telling me how the characters felt instead of showing me. This leads to the reader feeling nothing because the connection to the characters isn’t organic. We don’t feel characters because an author tells us how to feel. We feel them because the author shows us, they put us in the eyes of the character and make us feel.
This book aside, I’ve read quite a few books from the Entangled imprint. A lot of them I have really enjoyed. I have noticed a pattern though, and I’m interested in seeing if it holds true. So far I’ve really enjoyed almost all of their YA books, but few of their NA. And the writing seems to be better IMO in the YA imprint. Interesting. Not sure what the reason would be for this. Maybe the acquisitions editor? The editors in general? Ahem, Entangled, I’m available.
This book aside, I’ve read quite a few books from the Entangled imprint. A lot of them I have really enjoyed. I have noticed a pattern though, and I’m interested in seeing if it holds true. So far I’ve really enjoyed almost all of their YA books, but few of their NA. And the writing seems to be better IMO in the YA imprint. Interesting. Not sure what the reason would be for this. Maybe the acquisitions editor? The editors in general? Ahem, Entangled, I’m available.
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