What do you think?
Rate this book
Eighteen: 18
Eighteen is hard.
And so is Mateo Alesci.
He’s hard to read, hard to predict, hard in every way that counts. He wants things from me.
Dirty things, nasty things, forbidden things.
And I have to give in.
His attention is completely inappropriate, but I can’t say no. The way he looks at me… the way he watches me through my bedroom window… the way he drags me deeper and deeper into his completely forbidden fantasy world just… turns me on.
He knows it turns me on.
He holds all the power. He holds all the cards.
He holds my entire future in his hands.
And I have to give in.
Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.
And I need everything he’s offering.
And so is Mateo Alesci.
He’s hard to read, hard to predict, hard in every way that counts. He wants things from me.
Dirty things, nasty things, forbidden things.
And I have to give in.
His attention is completely inappropriate, but I can’t say no. The way he looks at me… the way he watches me through my bedroom window… the way he drags me deeper and deeper into his completely forbidden fantasy world just… turns me on.
He knows it turns me on.
He holds all the power. He holds all the cards.
He holds my entire future in his hands.
And I have to give in.
Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.
And I need everything he’s offering.
314 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2015
690 people are currently reading
5821 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Huss
135 books9,033 followersJ.A. Huss never wanted to be a writer and she still dreams of that elusive career as an astronaut. She originally went to school to become an equine veterinarian but soon figured out they keep horrible hours and decided to go to grad school instead. That Ph.D wasn’t all it was cracked up to be (and she really sucked at the whole scientist thing), so she dropped out and got a M.S. in forensic toxicology just to get the whole thing over with as soon as possible.
After graduation she got a job with the state of Colorado as their one and only hog farm inspector and spent her days wandering the Eastern Plains shooting the shit with farmers. After a few years of that, she got bored. And since she was a homeschool mom and actually does love science, she decided to write science textbooks and make online classes for other homeschool moms. She wrote more than two hundred of those workbooks and was the number one publisher at the online homeschool store many times, but eventually she covered every science topic she could think of and ran out of shit to say.
So in 2012 she decided to write fiction instead. That year she released her first three books and started a career that would make her a New York Times bestseller and land her on the USA Today Bestseller’s List eighteen times in the next three years. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie award in 2016 and 2017 respectively, her audiobook Mr. Perfect was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017, and her book, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Johnathan McClain is her first (and only) writing partner and even though they are worlds apart in just about every way imaginable, it works.
She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.
After graduation she got a job with the state of Colorado as their one and only hog farm inspector and spent her days wandering the Eastern Plains shooting the shit with farmers. After a few years of that, she got bored. And since she was a homeschool mom and actually does love science, she decided to write science textbooks and make online classes for other homeschool moms. She wrote more than two hundred of those workbooks and was the number one publisher at the online homeschool store many times, but eventually she covered every science topic she could think of and ran out of shit to say.
So in 2012 she decided to write fiction instead. That year she released her first three books and started a career that would make her a New York Times bestseller and land her on the USA Today Bestseller’s List eighteen times in the next three years. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie award in 2016 and 2017 respectively, her audiobook Mr. Perfect was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017, and her book, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Johnathan McClain is her first (and only) writing partner and even though they are worlds apart in just about every way imaginable, it works.
She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,509 reviews
August 15, 2017
★★★★ ½! Eighteen (18) (stand-alone) Turn eighteen ☑ Care for my niece ☑ Have reckless and kinky sex with my teacher ☑ Make it through the year…..
“Should we make it even?”
“Wha— How?”
“I’ll let you watch me get off tomorrow in class. Don’t be late.”
The year she turned Eighteen (stand-alone) changed everything for high school senior Shannon Drake. In fact a series of events coming to a boil that school year would turn he life upside down, change the direction of her life, even threaten her future.
It started when her sister passed away leaving her with a newborn and her sister’s loser ex-boyfriend. Then showing up for school she is told that she hasn’t earned all the required credits and must sign up for night school.
Nothing could have prepared her for her handsome new teacher… PhD student, part-time teacher and heir to a restaurant empire Mateo Alesci. His teaching methods are effective and unconventional,
His
The fear of discovery of their wild out-of-control, forbidden relationship is just the beginning… Who said turning eighteen would be easy?
Eight words to describe Mateo Alesci: Unpredictable, commanding, possessive, observant, smart, kinky, secretive and caring.
Seven words to describe Shannon Drake: Nurturing, responsible, mature, smart, lonely, impressionable, reflective and determined.
Eighteen (18), told mostly from Shannon’s POV and loosely based on events in author’s life, is a whirlwind of mind-blowing sex, risky and wild behavior and coming of age. Center stage is her mysterious and unpredictable teacher! Book ends on a high with an epilogue about a year into the future.
Kinky! Unpredictable! Reckless! True J.A. Huss!
***
Hero rating: 4 stars
Heroine rating: 4.5 stars
Sexual tension rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 5 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4 stars
Storytelling rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: 4.5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
July 9, 2020
4.5 stars!
When I first saw the blurb for this book, I was crazy excited to read it. It’s got all kinds of things I love and I just knew it would be a winner. I mean, look at this…
Student/Teacher
18/28
Forbidden Love
Taboo
Steamy
Written by JA Huss
Yeah, it was pretty much a guarantee I was going to love this book! 18 starts out on our heroine, Shannon’s 18th birthday. She is having a pretty awful day and as it goes on, it only seems to get worse.
She learns that in order to graduate, she will have to take evening science and math classes for the rest of her senior year. When she gets to her math class, and see’s her teacher, she’s shocked. Mateo is young (well, 28), good looking and completely inappropriate in the best way.
I loved Mateo and Shannon. And I loved Shannon’s friend, Danny (aka Sunday) lots too. Huss always writes the best twists to her stories. They’re never exactly what you expect them to be. By the end of this one the drama and angst had me biting my nails to see what would happen. I love that I always expect the unexpected when it comes to her books. It’s refreshing to get an original story line every time you read a book by an author you love.
Eighteen is a sexy, well written, fast paced, taboo and all around great read. If you haven’t read anything by JA Huss, you don't know what you’re missing out on! If you have, you know her, love her, and expect greatness in every read. She always delivers. This one didn’t disappoint!
When I first saw the blurb for this book, I was crazy excited to read it. It’s got all kinds of things I love and I just knew it would be a winner. I mean, look at this…
Student/Teacher
18/28
Forbidden Love
Taboo
Steamy
Written by JA Huss
Yeah, it was pretty much a guarantee I was going to love this book! 18 starts out on our heroine, Shannon’s 18th birthday. She is having a pretty awful day and as it goes on, it only seems to get worse.
Eighteen had better improve fast. Because if this is what it’s gonna be like for the rest of my life, then what is the point?
She learns that in order to graduate, she will have to take evening science and math classes for the rest of her senior year. When she gets to her math class, and see’s her teacher, she’s shocked. Mateo is young (well, 28), good looking and completely inappropriate in the best way.
I loved Mateo and Shannon. And I loved Shannon’s friend, Danny (aka Sunday) lots too. Huss always writes the best twists to her stories. They’re never exactly what you expect them to be. By the end of this one the drama and angst had me biting my nails to see what would happen. I love that I always expect the unexpected when it comes to her books. It’s refreshing to get an original story line every time you read a book by an author you love.
Eighteen is a sexy, well written, fast paced, taboo and all around great read. If you haven’t read anything by JA Huss, you don't know what you’re missing out on! If you have, you know her, love her, and expect greatness in every read. She always delivers. This one didn’t disappoint!
August 17, 2022
4 stars
What a bizarre little student-teacher experience this was.
BUT I LOVED IT.
QUICK SUMMARY:
Shannon won't be graduating this year due to some stupid rules in her high school. So her councillor gives a solution: Night school, with Mr Mateo Alesci....and his very questionable teaching techniques that require zero clothes. But Shannon's life is a total shit-show, the full extent of which she is oblivious to and one that'll bite her in the ass.
🛑SPOILERS🛑
So the premise doesn't sound bizarre in any way, that's because the plot isn't the culprit....It's the one and only Mateo fucking Alesci.
It's gonna be a feat describing this odd ball. The story will go a certain way, then Mateo catches me completely off guard by spewing the randomest shit. He was abrupt, straightforward, and never wasted a millisecond of his time. I lowkey wish his weirdness was never acknowledged though. Imagine just him being a weirdo and everyone acting like it's normal, comedic gold.
*Mateo and Shannon's second conversation EVER, no build up to be seen, miniscule tension given*
I reread that 3 times and then silently blinked another 15 before I managed to understand wtf just happened. Not a single clue led to this turn of events🤣
*...5 seconds later...*
Pft...Shannon you dumb hoe, it's already your second time meeting this man. WHAT ELSE WOULD Y'ALL DO?? Get👏with👏the👏program.
*...another -however many minutes it takes for a good fucking- later...*
That poor girl literally never knew what was happening where Mateo was concerned. Her favourite and number one question was "what😮?" and Mateo would always be like..."did I stutter🤨?"
Of course, on their third official conversation (milestones people) he knew exactly how to celebrate the occasion...
Says he after watching her outside her window and following her around for a month🥰.
For a forbidden romance, this did not feel taboo at all. Normally I'd be all up this book's ass, complaining about it. But I won't today because Mateo was the reason:)
Homeboy gave zerooo shits. I respected that. It was kind of beautiful, actually. Emeric Marceaux who? Just kidding, don't eat me alive.
Besides being brash 100% of the time, Mateo was also a sweetheart. Fun fact: I cringe during most super romantic scenes...and the mystery behind my disgusting taste in men is finally solved. Anything that has the word "public" paired with "love declaration" has me instantly hiding under my blanket from embarrassment, but Mateo's cute lil moment ended with me grinning like a fool.
Don't tell me that wasn't smooth as hell.
Smooth like the butter he can use to lube up my assh-
just kidding haha
One downside to his character is he wasn't possessive enough for my tastes. He was so blase about everything while also being obsessed with her, shit wasn't clicking.
EDIT: I want to clear up again that he was possessive but not enough FOR ME. For eg: he'd often walk away when Shannon told him to and like...why? Excuse me sir, you are known for your bulldozing, don't leave now. I like heroes to be so possessive, it's bordering on psychotic (especially the obsessed types). I know it's a problem, and no I'm not working on it. I'm sure any other reader would find his ways perfectly adequate😌. Don't let me discourage you.
Obviously no book is perfect. And with a great hero has to come an almost intolerable heroine.
Shannon was a lot, some might say too much. She was unnecessarily rude to everyone, repeatedly going on the defensive....SMOKING IN SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR WITHOUT PERMISSION?? I know it's the least problematic thing to get stuck on, but damn. Ask me first or I'm flinging your ass out the moving vehicle. Like bitch, I know you're having a rough day but have some goddamn decency towards other people. She's the type of person to make everyone's day hell, just because hers is.
Even though the heroine is rude as fuck and needlessly snarky...I gotta credit the girl for her ambition.
She had two men vying for her affections and tried to snag all the advantages. Does she gently reject one to be with the other? Or maybe do the exceptionally moral thing like letting them both go?
Naaaaaaah.
She's fucking one of them (H), while stringing the other along (OM) hoping she can have him after. She gets over that phase pretty quickly though, and the love triangle leads to nowhere...except jealousy hehe. For a man who didn't like to repeat himself....Mateo sure did repeat one sentence a whole lot😏
At the end of the day, I remembered she is just an 18 year old girl who had to live through a lot of crap. Life had dealt her a terrible card, so the defensiveness and bad temper did make sense, kind of. I'm just glad Mateo was the way he was, because had she ended up with anyone else (Like passive Danny), she would just be living in misery for the rest of her life. Ain't no other man taking all her baggage with the same amount of finesse as Mateo.
ADDITIONALY:
I want to give my sincerest admirations to our boy's busy busy life. Let's count em fingers down:
☝️ astronomy PHD candidate
✌️ Math teacher
✌️☝️ A NARC
He had like 4 separate lives including their secret relationship.
Mr Mateo Alesci:
What a bizarre little student-teacher experience this was.
BUT I LOVED IT.
QUICK SUMMARY:
Shannon won't be graduating this year due to some stupid rules in her high school. So her councillor gives a solution: Night school, with Mr Mateo Alesci....and his very questionable teaching techniques that require zero clothes. But Shannon's life is a total shit-show, the full extent of which she is oblivious to and one that'll bite her in the ass.
🛑SPOILERS🛑
So the premise doesn't sound bizarre in any way, that's because the plot isn't the culprit....It's the one and only Mateo fucking Alesci.
It's gonna be a feat describing this odd ball. The story will go a certain way, then Mateo catches me completely off guard by spewing the randomest shit. He was abrupt, straightforward, and never wasted a millisecond of his time. I lowkey wish his weirdness was never acknowledged though. Imagine just him being a weirdo and everyone acting like it's normal, comedic gold.
*Mateo and Shannon's second conversation EVER, no build up to be seen, miniscule tension given*
He sighs, letting out a long breath of air. And then he leans over the table, grabs my face, and kisses me.
I reread that 3 times and then silently blinked another 15 before I managed to understand wtf just happened. Not a single clue led to this turn of events🤣
*...5 seconds later...*
He pushes me backwards, trying to make me lie back on the desk. It’s slow and not at all harsh. But he makes it clear that I will be bending backwards for him. I give in and let my back rest on the table.
He unbuckles his belt.
“What are you doing?” I ask, really in a panic.
“Fucking you,”
Pft...Shannon you dumb hoe, it's already your second time meeting this man. WHAT ELSE WOULD Y'ALL DO?? Get👏with👏the👏program.
*...another -however many minutes it takes for a good fucking- later...*
He takes my hand and pulls me up, then hikes my jeans back up my legs. “OK, now that we got that out of the way, we still gotta work."
That poor girl literally never knew what was happening where Mateo was concerned. Her favourite and number one question was "what😮?" and Mateo would always be like..."did I stutter🤨?"
Of course, on their third official conversation (milestones people) he knew exactly how to celebrate the occasion...
"I told you, I don't like stalkers."
"I'm not a stalker. I'm your boyfriend."
Says he after watching her outside her window and following her around for a month🥰.
For a forbidden romance, this did not feel taboo at all. Normally I'd be all up this book's ass, complaining about it. But I won't today because Mateo was the reason:)
"You make no sense to me. You don't follow the rules."
"Whose rules? Your rules?"
"School rules, for one. You're my fucking teacher!"
"Technically, no. I'm a subcontractor. But ethically, yes."
"It's the ethics that count, don't you think?"
"So walk out. report me to Bowman. Call the police. Do whatever the fuck you want."
Homeboy gave zerooo shits. I respected that. It was kind of beautiful, actually. Emeric Marceaux who? Just kidding, don't eat me alive.
Besides being brash 100% of the time, Mateo was also a sweetheart. Fun fact: I cringe during most super romantic scenes...and the mystery behind my disgusting taste in men is finally solved. Anything that has the word "public" paired with "love declaration" has me instantly hiding under my blanket from embarrassment, but Mateo's cute lil moment ended with me grinning like a fool.
"If your left hand is the upper right quadrant of the unit circle, and your fingers represent the angles of the unit, and your pinky is zero degrees, what's the angle measure of the finger where I'll put your wedding ring one day?"
"You did not just say that."
Don't tell me that wasn't smooth as hell.
Smooth like the butter he can use to lube up my assh-
"You are the biggest asshole ever."
"Thank you," he says, still laughing.
"I think I hate you right now."
"I don't care," he says, turning over on his stomach and resting his head in his hands so he can see my face. "You'll love me in the end."
One downside to his character is he wasn't possessive enough for my tastes. He was so blase about everything while also being obsessed with her, shit wasn't clicking.
EDIT: I want to clear up again that he was possessive but not enough FOR ME. For eg: he'd often walk away when Shannon told him to and like...why? Excuse me sir, you are known for your bulldozing, don't leave now. I like heroes to be so possessive, it's bordering on psychotic (especially the obsessed types). I know it's a problem, and no I'm not working on it. I'm sure any other reader would find his ways perfectly adequate😌. Don't let me discourage you.
Obviously no book is perfect. And with a great hero has to come an almost intolerable heroine.
Shannon was a lot, some might say too much. She was unnecessarily rude to everyone, repeatedly going on the defensive....SMOKING IN SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR WITHOUT PERMISSION?? I know it's the least problematic thing to get stuck on, but damn. Ask me first or I'm flinging your ass out the moving vehicle. Like bitch, I know you're having a rough day but have some goddamn decency towards other people. She's the type of person to make everyone's day hell, just because hers is.
Even though the heroine is rude as fuck and needlessly snarky...I gotta credit the girl for her ambition.
She had two men vying for her affections and tried to snag all the advantages. Does she gently reject one to be with the other? Or maybe do the exceptionally moral thing like letting them both go?
Naaaaaaah.
She's fucking one of them (H), while stringing the other along (OM) hoping she can have him after. She gets over that phase pretty quickly though, and the love triangle leads to nowhere...except jealousy hehe. For a man who didn't like to repeat himself....Mateo sure did repeat one sentence a whole lot😏
Stay the fuck away from Danny Alexander.
At the end of the day, I remembered she is just an 18 year old girl who had to live through a lot of crap. Life had dealt her a terrible card, so the defensiveness and bad temper did make sense, kind of. I'm just glad Mateo was the way he was, because had she ended up with anyone else (Like passive Danny), she would just be living in misery for the rest of her life. Ain't no other man taking all her baggage with the same amount of finesse as Mateo.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"I'm saving you, bitch."
ADDITIONALY:
I want to give my sincerest admirations to our boy's busy busy life. Let's count em fingers down:
☝️ astronomy PHD candidate
✌️ Math teacher
✌️☝️ A NARC
He had like 4 separate lives including their secret relationship.
Mr Mateo Alesci:
November 26, 2015
4 Stars!!
Even if this was my first full length novel by J.A. Huss, I didn’t know what to expect reading this one. The blurb will tell is a student-teacher romance and that’s it. But it won’t tell you how addicting or steamy it is. Oh yeah…it really is! Is safe to say this little gem was the most unconventional student-teacher I have ever read. Honestly I’ve never expected to be so steamy, but hey…I can complain, because I enjoyed every one of these scenes.
The story starts out on Shannon Drake’s, the heroine of this novel 18th birthday. Not only Shannon had a rough life, but lately everything seem to get worse for her. She had been through a lot, but she’s a tough cookie, so no one can hurt her. She lives with her deceased sister’s boyfriend and with her niece who’s just a baby. Everything changes for Shannon on her birthday when she finds out she will have to take evening science and math classes in order to graduate. She’s in her senior year and she only wants to finish high school, so she is forced by circumstances to accept this ‘offer’.
Mateo Alesci is Shannon’s new math teacher. He’s 28, handsome, sexy, bold and very inappropriate with his new student from their first encounter. Needless to say, Shannon is a little intimidated with Mateo. His dominant side freaks her out, but she can’t deny her strong attraction to him.
As much as Shannon wants to resist Mateo’s sexually inappropriate behavior and to forget about the taboo/forbidden aspect of their relationship who seems to change with every one of their encounters, she simply can’t. Why? Because Mateo uses naked lessons in and out of the classroom and she is more than ready to learn some math.
This was a very entertaining and also refreshing read and I quite enjoyed it. The story was fast paced, but nothing felt rushed. It was told in such a great way and honestly I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked from the first chapter and I finished it in one sitting. The plot was smart, well done with some twists and turns I didn’t see them coming. Also the perfect mix between angst and drama made this read pretty unputdownable.
Both Shannon and Mateo were likeable characters and both of them are well developed. Shannon indeed was a tough cookie. She’s smart, strong and even if she wasn't as confident I would have liked her to be, I really liked her. ‘Sex on a stick’ Matteo was more than yummy and his dirty talking was delish! At times he felt a little creepy, but for the most part I enjoyed his character.
Shannon and Mateo’s chemistry was off the charts hot and the sex scenes between them combustible. But they were also great together out of bed. I loved Mateo’s sweet, caring, protective side and also his tenderness. Overall he was a good guy!
The mystery was not the most important aspect in this story, but it kept me intrigued, so IMO it was done pretty well.
All in all, “18” was a great, fast paced, forbidden steamy read with just the perfect amount of angst and drama, engaging characters and great writing.
Even if this was my first full length novel by J.A. Huss, I didn’t know what to expect reading this one. The blurb will tell is a student-teacher romance and that’s it. But it won’t tell you how addicting or steamy it is. Oh yeah…it really is! Is safe to say this little gem was the most unconventional student-teacher I have ever read. Honestly I’ve never expected to be so steamy, but hey…I can complain, because I enjoyed every one of these scenes.
“Eighteen had better improve fast. Because if this is what it’s gonna be like for the rest of my life, then what is the point?”
The story starts out on Shannon Drake’s, the heroine of this novel 18th birthday. Not only Shannon had a rough life, but lately everything seem to get worse for her. She had been through a lot, but she’s a tough cookie, so no one can hurt her. She lives with her deceased sister’s boyfriend and with her niece who’s just a baby. Everything changes for Shannon on her birthday when she finds out she will have to take evening science and math classes in order to graduate. She’s in her senior year and she only wants to finish high school, so she is forced by circumstances to accept this ‘offer’.
“He makes me nervous. That’s a new feeling for me. Usually I’m the one making guys nervous.”
Mateo Alesci is Shannon’s new math teacher. He’s 28, handsome, sexy, bold and very inappropriate with his new student from their first encounter. Needless to say, Shannon is a little intimidated with Mateo. His dominant side freaks her out, but she can’t deny her strong attraction to him.
“This guy, he’s like a bulldozer who runs me over.”
As much as Shannon wants to resist Mateo’s sexually inappropriate behavior and to forget about the taboo/forbidden aspect of their relationship who seems to change with every one of their encounters, she simply can’t. Why? Because Mateo uses naked lessons in and out of the classroom and she is more than ready to learn some math.
”I feel like he’s pulling me into something that feels good in all the wrong ways.”
This was a very entertaining and also refreshing read and I quite enjoyed it. The story was fast paced, but nothing felt rushed. It was told in such a great way and honestly I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked from the first chapter and I finished it in one sitting. The plot was smart, well done with some twists and turns I didn’t see them coming. Also the perfect mix between angst and drama made this read pretty unputdownable.
Both Shannon and Mateo were likeable characters and both of them are well developed. Shannon indeed was a tough cookie. She’s smart, strong and even if she wasn't as confident I would have liked her to be, I really liked her. ‘Sex on a stick’ Matteo was more than yummy and his dirty talking was delish! At times he felt a little creepy, but for the most part I enjoyed his character.
“I’m gonna be seeing a lot of you, Shannon Drake. There’s no way in hell you’ll be invisible to me.”
Shannon and Mateo’s chemistry was off the charts hot and the sex scenes between them combustible. But they were also great together out of bed. I loved Mateo’s sweet, caring, protective side and also his tenderness. Overall he was a good guy!
“You’re a fucking explosion in a bottle waiting to happen. People talk to you because they can’t help but see you.”
The mystery was not the most important aspect in this story, but it kept me intrigued, so IMO it was done pretty well.
All in all, “18” was a great, fast paced, forbidden steamy read with just the perfect amount of angst and drama, engaging characters and great writing.
December 26, 2015
4.5 STARS
[image error]
J.A. Huss delivers a “based on a true story” read that is well written, fast paced, and so very addicting.
”He holds all the power. He holds all the cards. He holds my entire future in his hands. And I have to give in. Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.”
Eighteen year old, Shannon Drake’s life gets thrown off course with the death of her sister. She’s moved to yet another new school and this time it’s in California. The information presented to her that she has to attend night school if she has any hope of graduating on time sets her off in fit. Teaching the much needed trigonometry credit is Mr. Mateo Alesci. This teacher is crazy bold, highly sexual and has his sights set on Shannon.
Mr. Alesci was something else and to be perfectly honest, he frightened me. I think he was a bit too dominating sexually and at Shannon’s age I would have ran for the hills.
”You come to my house, you take your clothes off, you study at my kitchen table naked, you suck my dick, you take the test, and if you get one right, I’ll lick your pussy until you come. If you pass that test tomorrow Shannon, I’ll fuck your brains out and you will forget all about starting over because what I will do to your body will be so addictive, you will never want me to stop. Do you understand?”
Shannon’s home life is a mess. She lives with her deceased sister’s boyfriend and new baby. Danny at times seems like he’s trying and other times like he’s a complete train wreck. The cast of characters in this story were all very well done but my personal favorite is Danny Alexander.
”Why are you so nice to me?”
“What?” He laughs.
“Nice to me. You have no good reason to be nice, and yet here you are.”
“That’s me, Daydreams. The guy who’s always there.”
Mateo uses naked lessons in and out of the classroom to teach Shannon her mathematic skills. While it appears that he has definitely fallen very hard for this young girl ten years his junior.
”I feel like he’s pulling me into something that feels good in all the wrong ways.”
Some aspects of the story I had a hard time grasping, like that Hawaii trip and their first sexual experience??? Still, Mateo and Shannon’s connection is pretty powerful. The drama really unfolds towards the end which had me frantically reading as fast as I could.
Overall, this is a great fast paced read that had me remembering all the reasons why I fell in love with this author’s stories way back when I first met Rook and Ronin!! As for the Author’s Note, I loved finding out what characters were real, what aspects of story were real, and that a certain somebody remains a love regret. I felt like he was the road not taken which made me appreciate that the author recognized this fact too.
J.A. Huss….
[image error]
J.A. Huss delivers a “based on a true story” read that is well written, fast paced, and so very addicting.
”He holds all the power. He holds all the cards. He holds my entire future in his hands. And I have to give in. Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.”
Eighteen year old, Shannon Drake’s life gets thrown off course with the death of her sister. She’s moved to yet another new school and this time it’s in California. The information presented to her that she has to attend night school if she has any hope of graduating on time sets her off in fit. Teaching the much needed trigonometry credit is Mr. Mateo Alesci. This teacher is crazy bold, highly sexual and has his sights set on Shannon.
Mr. Alesci was something else and to be perfectly honest, he frightened me. I think he was a bit too dominating sexually and at Shannon’s age I would have ran for the hills.
”You come to my house, you take your clothes off, you study at my kitchen table naked, you suck my dick, you take the test, and if you get one right, I’ll lick your pussy until you come. If you pass that test tomorrow Shannon, I’ll fuck your brains out and you will forget all about starting over because what I will do to your body will be so addictive, you will never want me to stop. Do you understand?”
Shannon’s home life is a mess. She lives with her deceased sister’s boyfriend and new baby. Danny at times seems like he’s trying and other times like he’s a complete train wreck. The cast of characters in this story were all very well done but my personal favorite is Danny Alexander.
”Why are you so nice to me?”
“What?” He laughs.
“Nice to me. You have no good reason to be nice, and yet here you are.”
“That’s me, Daydreams. The guy who’s always there.”
Mateo uses naked lessons in and out of the classroom to teach Shannon her mathematic skills. While it appears that he has definitely fallen very hard for this young girl ten years his junior.
”I feel like he’s pulling me into something that feels good in all the wrong ways.”
Some aspects of the story I had a hard time grasping, like that Hawaii trip and their first sexual experience??? Still, Mateo and Shannon’s connection is pretty powerful. The drama really unfolds towards the end which had me frantically reading as fast as I could.
Overall, this is a great fast paced read that had me remembering all the reasons why I fell in love with this author’s stories way back when I first met Rook and Ronin!! As for the Author’s Note, I loved finding out what characters were real, what aspects of story were real, and that a certain somebody remains a love regret. I felt like he was the road not taken which made me appreciate that the author recognized this fact too.
J.A. Huss….
November 14, 2021
5 Dirty Makes Him Smile Stars ⭐
Eighteen isn't for all romance readers. It's gritty, morally questionable and kinky. But above all it's about a kickass heroine Shannon Drake and a life filled with hopelessness. She's proof that one helping hand can make all the difference.
“What?” he asks, a smile creeping out. “You thought I was gonna pass you for sucking my cock? Please. You gotta earn everything with me, Shannon.”
Here's the thing about most taboo teacher/student romances I've read. They feel like a fantasy not reality, until this book. Before either Shannon and her new teacher Mateo Alesci are exchanging maths formulas, they are fucking in the classroom. Yep it sounds crude and ethically wrong and it is. But you and I don't necessarily live in their world.
“You’re creepy, Mateo.”
“Thank you. But you’re keeping me waiting.”
“I told you, I don’t like stalkers.”
“I’m not a stalker. I’m your boyfriend.”
I adored the mystery and the stalker tendencies that were Mateo. Yet once it clicks, that his intentions aren't nefarious, I could sit back and enjoy. You see they may have just met, but Shannon has been on Mateo's radar for awhile. A girl of 18 left to fend for herself, and a much older man who could help make or break her.
“I think I hate you right now.”
“I don’t care,” he says, turning over on his stomach and resting his head in his hands so he can see my face. ”You’ll love me in the end.”
Gah I really liked this. Eighteen made me uncomfortable but I felt all the warring emotions. Go in blind and be wowed by the shock of it all and the hot sex. It's a story that thrills, pushes boundaries and keeps you guessing. After so many average reads lately, it's satisfying to have loved this. 🖤
Eighteen isn't for all romance readers. It's gritty, morally questionable and kinky. But above all it's about a kickass heroine Shannon Drake and a life filled with hopelessness. She's proof that one helping hand can make all the difference.
“What?” he asks, a smile creeping out. “You thought I was gonna pass you for sucking my cock? Please. You gotta earn everything with me, Shannon.”
Here's the thing about most taboo teacher/student romances I've read. They feel like a fantasy not reality, until this book. Before either Shannon and her new teacher Mateo Alesci are exchanging maths formulas, they are fucking in the classroom. Yep it sounds crude and ethically wrong and it is. But you and I don't necessarily live in their world.
“You’re creepy, Mateo.”
“Thank you. But you’re keeping me waiting.”
“I told you, I don’t like stalkers.”
“I’m not a stalker. I’m your boyfriend.”
I adored the mystery and the stalker tendencies that were Mateo. Yet once it clicks, that his intentions aren't nefarious, I could sit back and enjoy. You see they may have just met, but Shannon has been on Mateo's radar for awhile. A girl of 18 left to fend for herself, and a much older man who could help make or break her.
“I think I hate you right now.”
“I don’t care,” he says, turning over on his stomach and resting his head in his hands so he can see my face. ”You’ll love me in the end.”
Gah I really liked this. Eighteen made me uncomfortable but I felt all the warring emotions. Go in blind and be wowed by the shock of it all and the hot sex. It's a story that thrills, pushes boundaries and keeps you guessing. After so many average reads lately, it's satisfying to have loved this. 🖤
April 16, 2024
The tingles I felt while reading this book…
I’m aware. I have a toxic trait… reading taboo books that take spicy to another level. And… well, this definitely did that 👀😮💨.
Second time they meet:
😳…👀… Yes please 😅😉.
Shannon (18) had been living with her sister, niece, and brother-in-law ever since her mother died the year before. Three months ago, her sister died… so now she’s living with her niece and BIL. It’s her senior year, and her birthday, when she gets told some irritating news: she won’t be able to graduate, because, even though she’s ahead of credits, she doesn’t have the correct credits in order to graduate. What does that mean? She has to take night school classes in order to finish on time. Luckily, her counselor is a sweetie and gets in contact with a friend that could help her out to get the math credits she needs.
Mateo’s (28) a PhD student by day and a sexy AF math teacher by night. Not only that, but he’s alpha, dominant (in a subtle way) and controlling (in a sweet way). Enter Shannon who thought she could skirt life with doing the bare minimum… until Mateo challenges her to do more.
Ummm… including more… with him 😉
And well… he calls the shots 👀
What I liked/love: possible spoilers
—🔥slow burn where? Bahahaha. This book takes the F (👀👀👀) in fast, freak, and fun and buys them a drink until they’re all relaxed and together because… dayummmm… 🥵💦. if I hadn’t been reading with my eyeballs, I would’ve thought I missed a page or two (or a chapter) 😅. Mateo DID. NOT. COME. TO. PLAY 💅 (pun NOT intended, cause he came 😮💨). The way he’s confident and domineering is definitely p@nty melting. No wonder Shannon couldn’t resist 👀.
—the smexxy times 😉. Well, yeah. Duh. I mean. I sometimes couldn’t believe what I was reading. They’re doing what where ? Yup… there 😅. I’m not sure how much studying can ever be done sans clothing, but Shannon manages to get it done 💁🏻♀️. And the way she’s rewarded for finishing assignments 🥵. Wowza 💦. The furniture and walls will never be the same 👀
—how JP he is. LOOK. Mateo licked it first… so it’s his okay 💅💁🏻♀️. MINEMINEMINE 🥵
—the love ish triangle. I liked that Mateo was sweating a little bit 😅. OMD is my jam 👏🏻
—the way he controls the situation. This isn’t a daddy book, but I found myself wanted to say “yes daddy” whenever he spoke 😳. Yummy (I’m not the biggest daddy fan, but he total gave off those vibes)
—the way he gets her to memorize the unit circle had me FREAKING SWOOOOOONING ❤️
MATEO!!!!! Pick me!! I volunteer please!!!
—the taboo element. Jeeezus 👀. My heart was beating just as fast as Shannon’s every time they almost get caught. I’ll add this down below as well😅
—the way he makes her study 👀. Sigh. It was 🥵 especially because we got to see Mateo’s hot asf tattoos after. All those stars?
—the realism of it all. JA Huss reveals that this book is loosely based on her real life.
—the TWIST! 🤯 I didn’t see it coming. Should I have known or seen it… well, yeah 😬🤦🏻♀️. But I was pleasantly surprised
—with how busy Mateo is (he has sooo many jobs), he always makes sure to check on the woman he wants
—spying👀. He has eyes everywhere. I love that 💁🏻♀️💅😈
What I needed more of: possible spoilers
—a proper epilogue😏. We get one… ish… months after the “end” of the book, but it felt more like an HFN versus an HEA. Sigh. I think I’ve been spoiled by authors who give me epilogues years into the future lol😏. I also have to keep in mind that this was written 7 years ago 😬
—the safety talk was missing here. I have no info on when was the last time either of them had been with anyone. Just because she’s on the pill doesn’t mean everything is okay. This is definitely a personal preference and a pet peeve of mine
—I wanted to know more about how Mateo was doing what he was doing on the side. Does this man ever sleep? lol
—I wouldn’t have minded if there was more taboo in it 😬😅. I know. I’m greedy lol. Make my heart and tummy drop please 👀
Overall, this was a juicy treat that I really enjoyed
⚠️safety squad⚠️spoilers
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-dubc0n ish (more like alpha, confident, aggressive and intense)
-drug use
-addicted infant who gets hospitalized/needs to withdraw
-aftermath of the death of a sibling
-attempted SA
-OMD- there’s OM who wants the h. They’re friends but he’s willing to wait her out 😅. The H is jealous ASF about it.
-praise kink/exhibitionism ish (they like to almost get caught)
-condoms/then none/on the pill (no talk about STDs 😐)
-6 month separation. It seems like they’re both celibate
-HEA/HFN/epilogue/months later
I’m aware. I have a toxic trait… reading taboo books that take spicy to another level. And… well, this definitely did that 👀😮💨.
Second time they meet:
He sighs, letting out a long breath of air. And then he leans over the table, grabs my face, and kisses me.
😳…👀… Yes please 😅😉.
Shannon (18) had been living with her sister, niece, and brother-in-law ever since her mother died the year before. Three months ago, her sister died… so now she’s living with her niece and BIL. It’s her senior year, and her birthday, when she gets told some irritating news: she won’t be able to graduate, because, even though she’s ahead of credits, she doesn’t have the correct credits in order to graduate. What does that mean? She has to take night school classes in order to finish on time. Luckily, her counselor is a sweetie and gets in contact with a friend that could help her out to get the math credits she needs.
Mateo’s (28) a PhD student by day and a sexy AF math teacher by night. Not only that, but he’s alpha, dominant (in a subtle way) and controlling (in a sweet way). Enter Shannon who thought she could skirt life with doing the bare minimum… until Mateo challenges her to do more.
Ummm… including more… with him 😉
And well… he calls the shots 👀
”I think I hate you right now.” “I don’t care,” he says, turning over on his stomach and resting his head in his hands so he can see my face. ”You’ll love me in the end.”
What I liked/love: possible spoilers
—🔥slow burn where? Bahahaha. This book takes the F (👀👀👀) in fast, freak, and fun and buys them a drink until they’re all relaxed and together because… dayummmm… 🥵💦. if I hadn’t been reading with my eyeballs, I would’ve thought I missed a page or two (or a chapter) 😅. Mateo DID. NOT. COME. TO. PLAY 💅 (pun NOT intended, cause he came 😮💨). The way he’s confident and domineering is definitely p@nty melting. No wonder Shannon couldn’t resist 👀.
—the smexxy times 😉. Well, yeah. Duh. I mean. I sometimes couldn’t believe what I was reading. They’re doing what where ? Yup… there 😅. I’m not sure how much studying can ever be done sans clothing, but Shannon manages to get it done 💁🏻♀️. And the way she’s rewarded for finishing assignments 🥵. Wowza 💦. The furniture and walls will never be the same 👀
—how JP he is. LOOK. Mateo licked it first… so it’s his okay 💅💁🏻♀️. MINEMINEMINE 🥵
”I’m gonna come on that shirt,” he says. “Because it’s not yours.”
—the love ish triangle. I liked that Mateo was sweating a little bit 😅. OMD is my jam 👏🏻
—the way he controls the situation. This isn’t a daddy book, but I found myself wanted to say “yes daddy” whenever he spoke 😳. Yummy (I’m not the biggest daddy fan, but he total gave off those vibes)
He unbuckles his belt. “What are you doing?” I ask, really in a panic. “Fucking you,” he says.
—the way he gets her to memorize the unit circle had me FREAKING SWOOOOOONING ❤️
”If your left hand is the upper right quadrant of the unit circle, and your fingers represent the angles of the unit circle, and your pinky is zero degrees, what’s the angle measure of the finger where I’ll put your wedding ring one day?”
MATEO!!!!! Pick me!! I volunteer please!!!
—the taboo element. Jeeezus 👀. My heart was beating just as fast as Shannon’s every time they almost get caught. I’ll add this down below as well😅
—the way he makes her study 👀. Sigh. It was 🥵 especially because we got to see Mateo’s hot asf tattoos after. All those stars?
—the realism of it all. JA Huss reveals that this book is loosely based on her real life.
—the TWIST! 🤯 I didn’t see it coming. Should I have known or seen it… well, yeah 😬🤦🏻♀️. But I was pleasantly surprised
—with how busy Mateo is (he has sooo many jobs), he always makes sure to check on the woman he wants
—spying👀. He has eyes everywhere. I love that 💁🏻♀️💅😈
What I needed more of: possible spoilers
—a proper epilogue😏. We get one… ish… months after the “end” of the book, but it felt more like an HFN versus an HEA. Sigh. I think I’ve been spoiled by authors who give me epilogues years into the future lol😏. I also have to keep in mind that this was written 7 years ago 😬
—the safety talk was missing here. I have no info on when was the last time either of them had been with anyone. Just because she’s on the pill doesn’t mean everything is okay. This is definitely a personal preference and a pet peeve of mine
—I wanted to know more about how Mateo was doing what he was doing on the side. Does this man ever sleep? lol
—I wouldn’t have minded if there was more taboo in it 😬😅. I know. I’m greedy lol. Make my heart and tummy drop please 👀
Overall, this was a juicy treat that I really enjoyed
⚠️safety squad⚠️spoilers
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-dubc0n ish (more like alpha, confident, aggressive and intense)
-drug use
-addicted infant who gets hospitalized/needs to withdraw
-aftermath of the death of a sibling
-attempted SA
-OMD- there’s OM who wants the h. They’re friends but he’s willing to wait her out 😅. The H is jealous ASF about it.
-praise kink/exhibitionism ish (they like to almost get caught)
-condoms/then none/on the pill (no talk about STDs 😐)
-6 month separation. It seems like they’re both celibate
-HEA/HFN/epilogue/months later
September 23, 2017
We know when it comes to romance with a twist JA Huss does it like no other so when the blurb for 18 surfaced and I learned that her next project was going to be the of the student/teacher variety, I was excited. I knew this would not be typical. I knew that she was going to push the envelope. I knew I’d have to struggle to balance my kindle on my knee as I took care of those damn pesky pants. Why are they always in the damn way?
Shannon is having the worst birthday ever.
Scratch that.
The worst life EVER.
I am not going to tell you about Shannon and her hot mess of a life. Just know that this girl has had it tough. She’s a bit naïve, but not in the sense of being immature. She’s just sort of sees the world in a much better light than she should, than her past dictates she should. She is after all, only eighteen.
Enter Mateo.
One hot bossy teacher.
He is all things inappropriate.
From the start.
And I loved him.
And I did claim him (yep, another one bites the dust).
I can’t even tell you about this story because true to Julie’s style, it is twisty and things are not always as they appear. But what I can say is that I loved it. I loved every second of it. I loved that I read it in about three hours and had to read parts of it again later that night. I loved that Shannon was a bit broken, she sort of reminded me of a younger version of Rook from the start of Tragic.
I adored Mateo although he was bossy and a bit rough around the edges at times. But there were some pretty swoon worthy moments when he took off those bossy pants and gave us a glimpse of something a bit more romantic.
I don’t know why I am still so surprised when I pick up one of Julie’s books – by now I should just know that she is going to blow me away. And although I can’t help but try to figure out the plot points/twists as I read that even if I get enough clues to point me in the right direction, she is going to fuck with my head just enough to keep me on my toes. Which she did. Every time I was sure I figured it out, she’d throw me off her scent. Pure fucking genius. Some might say that is just a coincidence. It’s not. She is just that good.
I can’t say enough fantastic things about this book. So I’ll just leave you with this. BUY IT!
November 20, 2015
5 Trig STARS
Eighteen is just one of the countless reasons why Julie Huss is one of my all time fave authors!! From the first word, this book had it’s hooks in me and I. Could. Not. Put. It . Down.
Holy Sh*t! This was one HOT read! Mateo Alesci, can you be MY teacher?
“Welcome to eighteen, Shannon. The age when life gets to kick your ass over and over and all you get to do is stand there and take it.”
This story starts on the day of Shannon Drake's 18th birthday. This girl has had a rough life and now finds herself in an unbearable situation with no way out. On top of that, despite being 7 credits over the required number to graduate high school, she's told she needs to take AP Math AGAIN among other credits in order to graduate. I won't go into why as that's not important. What is is her night school Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Mateo Alesci.
Her teacher is hot, domineering, intimidating and did I mention, sexy-as-fuck!! Talk about taboo, steamy, forbidden and off the charts explosive!!
“This guy, he’s like a bulldozer who runs me over.”
“Overachieving nerd. With star tattoos. And a hard body. And a big cock. And that fucking chin. Oh. My. God. I’m falling for him.”
For all the things wrong with what their doing, so many things were also right! And, of course, there is so much more going on that I simply can't say more without giving it away.
All I'll say is, you know when you find yourself in a really bad situation and while you know it’s bad, and all the pieces are right in front of you but you miss the fucking picture because you’re punching your instincts in the face trying to shut them up? Well, this is Shannon’s life. And just like that, I also love how Julie gives us the pieces without us even knowing .
While Shannon may be out of her league with Mateo's sexual prowess, the girl gives as good as she gets.
If you're a JA Huss fan, this is a MUST READ! And if you're up for an adventure, an unforgettable pull between two characters and steamy, undeniable chemistry, this is a MUST READ!!
**An ARC generously provided by JA Huss in exchange for an honest review.**
For more reviews and blog posts.
July 19, 2017
3.5 Stars
Well, that was crazy hot.
Eighteen: 18 is a teacher-student romance book that is laced with a dark theme. The story started off when Shannon Drake turned eighteen. Life should be great now that she's celebrating her birthday. However, that's not the case for Shannon. Life started to suck big time when pressure from her studies got into full swing. Not to mention the fact that her sister just recently died and she was left with a baby niece and an abusive brother-in-law. Turning eighteen also means unexpectedly meeting a hot, tatted, and sexy 28-year-old Mateo Alesci who's about to become her Trig teacher.
It's my first time to read a book written by J.A. Huss. Her writing? Superb! The steamy scenes are probably the ones that got me here. They were intense they completely rendered me speechless. Sexy scenes aside, I loved the fast and the no-nonsense pacing of the book. I basically read it in two sittings because the story was also edgy and compelling.
But.
As much as I loved Mateo's drool-worthy physicality (man, I really love the way he was described!), his stalkerish personality just didn't sit well with me. He was silently watching over Shannon a month before they met and whoa, how creepy is that?
I couldn't also deny the fact that the book was unrealistic in some ways, like how filthy rich Mateo was and despite the fact that he's so wealthy and gorgeous, he became obsessively attracted to Shannon who's only an ordinary girl and well, 18. I mean, with a guy like him, why Shannon? I want to know the reasons why Shannon knocks him off his feet. What's in her that got him?
All in all, it was on alright read for me. I enjoyed it. There were some good things thrown in places. If only Mateo was far from being a total creep, I guess I would have loved it even more.
Well, that was crazy hot.
Eighteen: 18 is a teacher-student romance book that is laced with a dark theme. The story started off when Shannon Drake turned eighteen. Life should be great now that she's celebrating her birthday. However, that's not the case for Shannon. Life started to suck big time when pressure from her studies got into full swing. Not to mention the fact that her sister just recently died and she was left with a baby niece and an abusive brother-in-law. Turning eighteen also means unexpectedly meeting a hot, tatted, and sexy 28-year-old Mateo Alesci who's about to become her Trig teacher.
It's my first time to read a book written by J.A. Huss. Her writing? Superb! The steamy scenes are probably the ones that got me here. They were intense they completely rendered me speechless. Sexy scenes aside, I loved the fast and the no-nonsense pacing of the book. I basically read it in two sittings because the story was also edgy and compelling.
But.
As much as I loved Mateo's drool-worthy physicality (man, I really love the way he was described!), his stalkerish personality just didn't sit well with me. He was silently watching over Shannon a month before they met and whoa, how creepy is that?
I couldn't also deny the fact that the book was unrealistic in some ways, like how filthy rich Mateo was and despite the fact that he's so wealthy and gorgeous, he became obsessively attracted to Shannon who's only an ordinary girl and well, 18. I mean, with a guy like him, why Shannon? I want to know the reasons why Shannon knocks him off his feet. What's in her that got him?
All in all, it was on alright read for me. I enjoyed it. There were some good things thrown in places. If only Mateo was far from being a total creep, I guess I would have loved it even more.
“Life isn't all or nothing. It's something in between.”
January 3, 2016
4.5 "Welcome to Eighteen" Stars!
First of all, I AM SO SORRY guys, it's been like forever since I read this book and well with all the holidays and family reunions I haven't had time to write this review. Again, I apologise for taking so long!! I appreciate your patience, really! <33
I was so exicted to read this, I mean.. who does not enjoy a taboo teacher/student romance? ;) Eighteen is my first book by J. A. Huss but now I can say it will not be the last one! I really enjoyed this, even though it was pretty cray-cray towards the end!! LOL
This novel is about the change that suposses to the protagonist when she turns eighteen years old. Shannon Drake is a high school senior who has lost her older sister to drugs and is now living in a not-so-safe place with her sister's 'boyfriend' and her adorable niece. She is forced to grow up and make very important decisions in a short time: she is dealing with Jason's abuse, taking care of her niece and also, now, she has to go to night school in order to graduate. There she meets the hot misterious Mateo Alesci, her 28-year-old teacher and also the man who will change everything for her.
Welcome to eighteen, Shannon. The age when life gets to kick your ass over and over and all you get to do is stand there and take it.
While she is dealing with other issues, Shannon starts a taboo affair with Mateo and also has some kind of feelings towards Danny Alexander, a friend from high school and a man who is not much liked by Mateo. Let's just say, Danny and Shannon are sweet but Mateo and Shannon are over-the-charts HOT since the beggining. I loved their relationship, even though sometimes Mateo is such a crep! LOL They have amazing chemistry and I really enjoyed that.
“What are you doing?” I ask, really in a panic.
“Fucking you,” he says. And in my head I imagine that he says it mean, or rude, or condescending. But he doesn’t. He says it like it’s already happened.
“I can’t understand the answer to my problem unless I understand the process of working it out. Are you my problem, Mateo? Or my answer?”
“Which do you want me to be?”
“Both.”
However, apart from these two having very hot times (everywhere), there are many other aspects about Eighteen. We see how Shannon grows up, how she deals with Jason hitting her, how she has feelings for Mateo and for Danny, how she is living with a bunch of people who is lying to her.. I always had this feeling while reading this novel that something was going to happen. And it did.. Towards the end, OH MY GOD. I was allucinating. I was definitely not expecting all that.
“It’s time for me to make mine. I don’t want to be saved, Mateo. Regardless of what you think, I’m not looking for someone to tell me what’s best, or keep me in check, or make life less scary. What is life without risk? And what is risk without fear?”
Still, even though the fucked up stuff that happened I really enjoyed this book and, as I said, I will read more novels by this author. It was definitely different, adventurous, hot and with a final twist! And a beautiful, so sweet ending! ;)
She reaches for the handle and opens the door, letting herself in. I hold my breath as I smile, unable to dare to believe it’s finally time.
But then she speaks and everything is right in the world.
Because she says, “We’re home.”
Therefore, my rating for Eighteen is 4.5 STARS because I loved the writing, the plot and the main characters and their relationship. Still, I felt the ending was sweet but a bit rushed (I wanted to know more about Mateo and Shannon!!). But, if you like a taboo, different and super hot story, give this one a chance. I highly recommend!! :)
CHECK OUT MY BLOG HERE:
First of all, I AM SO SORRY guys, it's been like forever since I read this book and well with all the holidays and family reunions I haven't had time to write this review. Again, I apologise for taking so long!! I appreciate your patience, really! <33
I was so exicted to read this, I mean.. who does not enjoy a taboo teacher/student romance? ;) Eighteen is my first book by J. A. Huss but now I can say it will not be the last one! I really enjoyed this, even though it was pretty cray-cray towards the end!! LOL
This novel is about the change that suposses to the protagonist when she turns eighteen years old. Shannon Drake is a high school senior who has lost her older sister to drugs and is now living in a not-so-safe place with her sister's 'boyfriend' and her adorable niece. She is forced to grow up and make very important decisions in a short time: she is dealing with Jason's abuse, taking care of her niece and also, now, she has to go to night school in order to graduate. There she meets the hot misterious Mateo Alesci, her 28-year-old teacher and also the man who will change everything for her.
Welcome to eighteen, Shannon. The age when life gets to kick your ass over and over and all you get to do is stand there and take it.
While she is dealing with other issues, Shannon starts a taboo affair with Mateo and also has some kind of feelings towards Danny Alexander, a friend from high school and a man who is not much liked by Mateo. Let's just say, Danny and Shannon are sweet but Mateo and Shannon are over-the-charts HOT since the beggining. I loved their relationship, even though sometimes Mateo is such a crep! LOL They have amazing chemistry and I really enjoyed that.
“What are you doing?” I ask, really in a panic.
“Fucking you,” he says. And in my head I imagine that he says it mean, or rude, or condescending. But he doesn’t. He says it like it’s already happened.
“I can’t understand the answer to my problem unless I understand the process of working it out. Are you my problem, Mateo? Or my answer?”
“Which do you want me to be?”
“Both.”
However, apart from these two having very hot times (everywhere), there are many other aspects about Eighteen. We see how Shannon grows up, how she deals with Jason hitting her, how she has feelings for Mateo and for Danny, how she is living with a bunch of people who is lying to her.. I always had this feeling while reading this novel that something was going to happen. And it did.. Towards the end, OH MY GOD. I was allucinating. I was definitely not expecting all that.
“It’s time for me to make mine. I don’t want to be saved, Mateo. Regardless of what you think, I’m not looking for someone to tell me what’s best, or keep me in check, or make life less scary. What is life without risk? And what is risk without fear?”
Still, even though the fucked up stuff that happened I really enjoyed this book and, as I said, I will read more novels by this author. It was definitely different, adventurous, hot and with a final twist! And a beautiful, so sweet ending! ;)
She reaches for the handle and opens the door, letting herself in. I hold my breath as I smile, unable to dare to believe it’s finally time.
But then she speaks and everything is right in the world.
Because she says, “We’re home.”
Therefore, my rating for Eighteen is 4.5 STARS because I loved the writing, the plot and the main characters and their relationship. Still, I felt the ending was sweet but a bit rushed (I wanted to know more about Mateo and Shannon!!). But, if you like a taboo, different and super hot story, give this one a chance. I highly recommend!! :)
CHECK OUT MY BLOG HERE:
November 19, 2015
JA Huss is one of my absolute favorite authors, so when she announced she was doing a student/teacher book I about went crazy! Here’s why, because I absolutely love forbidden books and student/teacher is about as good as it gets. I went into this book with extremely high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed. It is everything forbidden love should be.
“You’re an unmissable girl. You’re a fucking explosion in a bottle waiting to happen. People talk to you because they can’t help but see you.”
We first meet Shannon and today is her eighteenth birthday. What should be a day of epic celebration is just another day that proves her life as an adult won’t be easy. Her sister, her only remaining family, just died and she left behind a widow and young baby. Shannon’s only option is to stay with her sister’s husband, a man she barely knows or gets along with. Then she learns that due to her new school’s requirements she has to take additional classes the last semester of her senior year.
That is how she meets Mateo. She is forced to take night classes and Mateo is her math teacher. Let me tell you, Mateo comes on strong, very strong and it isn’t long until they are hooking up. I loved how conflicted Shannon was though, it just made the story more real. She knows it’s wrong, but she feels when she is with him and she desperately wants to belong. I loved, absolutely loved Shannon’s inner thoughts. It just made her so believable as a character.
Mateo throughout the story remains a mystery and despite being a sexy, dirty talker which is right up my alley, I was torn. Sure their relationship is hot as hell and addictive, but is it good long term. Of course, it took like five minutes for me to not even care. I loved how Mateo took care of Shannon. I felt like he was always looking out for her in little ways.
"Are you my problem, Mateo? Or my answer” “Which do you want me to be?” “Both”
I also loved how Eighteen had the mystery and surprise we are used to without it being over the top. I felt like the plot played out perfectly and in the end I was in love.
In my non-expert opinion, I believe forbidden should love should have lots of sneaking around and fear of getting caught. It should include hot, steamy sex that leaves you distracted. Mostly, the couple should have a connection that justifies the risk of losing it all just to be together. Eighteen had all of the above and more. This story made me feel for the characters, it made me hot as hell, it had me completely engaged. Finding out one of your favorite authors is writing your favorite type of story is like Christmas coming early, thanks Julie!
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2015
When I saw JA Huss had a new book based on a true story (hers) come out and it was listed for $.99 [http://amzn.to/1MB6xsX] I didn't even think twice. You can't buy very many things in life for $.99 and this one promised to give us a glimpse into an author I've been reading for the last 3 years life.
"Happy birthday. Welcome to eighteen."
Shannon has a shitty 18th birthday. I remember my 18th birthday and what my life was like and I can honestly say I don't know anyone who had this type of upbringing. It made her into a tough girl- one who is just trying to graduate high school with as little drama as possible. Unfortunately, that's not what she gets.
"You're creepy, Mateo."
Yea, I agree with Shannon that for the beginning of the book Mateo came off in a less desirable way for me. But once I saw his motives I got more on board. And yet my heart was still holding out for her friend, Sunday.
"Welcome to eighteen, Shannon...
The age when life gets to kick your ass over and over and all you get to do is stand there and take it."
My son turns 18 in 4 days. Let's hope his ass kicking is less dramatic than what Shannon endeared. *fingers crossed*
'Life isn't all or nothing, it's something in between.'
I love that message this book brings to these characters. We don't get to pick the hand we're dealt but we do get to choose how we react to the situation. Watching Shannon grow and change gives hope to those out there feeling like life dealt them a crap hand. Hang in there! As Mateo said to Shannon, "I like you. Keep going."
STANDALONE
"Happy birthday. Welcome to eighteen."
Shannon has a shitty 18th birthday. I remember my 18th birthday and what my life was like and I can honestly say I don't know anyone who had this type of upbringing. It made her into a tough girl- one who is just trying to graduate high school with as little drama as possible. Unfortunately, that's not what she gets.
"You're creepy, Mateo."
Yea, I agree with Shannon that for the beginning of the book Mateo came off in a less desirable way for me. But once I saw his motives I got more on board. And yet my heart was still holding out for her friend, Sunday.
"Welcome to eighteen, Shannon...
The age when life gets to kick your ass over and over and all you get to do is stand there and take it."
My son turns 18 in 4 days. Let's hope his ass kicking is less dramatic than what Shannon endeared. *fingers crossed*
'Life isn't all or nothing, it's something in between.'
I love that message this book brings to these characters. We don't get to pick the hand we're dealt but we do get to choose how we react to the situation. Watching Shannon grow and change gives hope to those out there feeling like life dealt them a crap hand. Hang in there! As Mateo said to Shannon, "I like you. Keep going."
STANDALONE
November 21, 2015
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Eighteen. JA Huss can only make turning eighteen so suspenseful, sexy, and intriguing. In true JA Huss signature and fashion, Ms. Huss paints a literary tale with her gorgeous and deliciously steamy prose and raw characters. Eighteen may have be considered a forbidden trope but only J.A. Huss can make a forbidden romance a suspenseful twisty journey.
If you didn't get the message, then I will say it again JA Huss is a genius mastermind who can skillfully play with your emotions and mess with your minds. You can never be sure as to what Julie has in store for her readers. One minute you are so mesmerized and entranced with the hot and sexy math teacher and then the next minute, you will be reeling with the crazy plot twists that Julie has in store for her readers. Eighteen is not a story that I can fully review without spoiling it for the readers. All I can say is Eighteen is one hell of a crazy sexy adventure. As you are doused with her literary prowess, Julie has a way of capturing our sole attention as she spellbinds readers like myself with elements of steam, sex, mystery, and a taste of forbidden romance.
All there is left to say, class is in session. And the only reading material that you need to read is Eighteen by JA Huss. And get out those highlighters, because you will be finding yourself highlighting pages filled with the naughty math lessons that can only be taught by Mateo.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...J.A. Huss
Eighteen. JA Huss can only make turning eighteen so suspenseful, sexy, and intriguing. In true JA Huss signature and fashion, Ms. Huss paints a literary tale with her gorgeous and deliciously steamy prose and raw characters. Eighteen may have be considered a forbidden trope but only J.A. Huss can make a forbidden romance a suspenseful twisty journey.
If you didn't get the message, then I will say it again JA Huss is a genius mastermind who can skillfully play with your emotions and mess with your minds. You can never be sure as to what Julie has in store for her readers. One minute you are so mesmerized and entranced with the hot and sexy math teacher and then the next minute, you will be reeling with the crazy plot twists that Julie has in store for her readers. Eighteen is not a story that I can fully review without spoiling it for the readers. All I can say is Eighteen is one hell of a crazy sexy adventure. As you are doused with her literary prowess, Julie has a way of capturing our sole attention as she spellbinds readers like myself with elements of steam, sex, mystery, and a taste of forbidden romance.
All there is left to say, class is in session. And the only reading material that you need to read is Eighteen by JA Huss. And get out those highlighters, because you will be finding yourself highlighting pages filled with the naughty math lessons that can only be taught by Mateo.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...J.A. Huss
January 16, 2016
Mateo Alesci. You're so hot as fuck!!! Thank you so much for the mind blowing hours... :-D
I'm quite satisfied... :-D
I'm quite satisfied... :-D
June 3, 2022
4.25 stars 🌌
if there’s one quote from the entire book i would pick to describe the entirety of the plot, it’s this one—
naturally i had to read this after i recommended it to people that ended up loving it. recommending a book you’ve never read is fairly ironic
tropes:
•teacher/student
•age-gap (18h/28H)
•hero says the most bizarre shit
•kinky hero that likes to ✨watch✨
spoiler below, don’t keep reading if you don’t wanna know what the hero's “job” is
shannon drake (h) is a 18-year-old, high school student on the verge of not graduating. she has no living family besides her 3 month old niece. she acts a bit like a rebellious teen, but if there’s one person she’d do anything for, it’s her niece
mateo alesci (H) is a jack of all trades and a man with many lives. he’s a PhD student, a high school math teacher, astronomer, informant for the FBI, and most importantly a comedic king with a dash of creepiness. also, i’m still convinced he's tied to the Italian mafia. idk why but that was my theory in the beginning and you can't convince me otherwise
as i said, shannon may not graduate high school because her new school has these annoying requirements. to help her make up the credits, her guidance counselor (sweetest man ever), employs the help of a former student aka mateo, to help her fufill her math credit 🥰
let’s just say mateo is VERY forward in his advances. in only their second encounter ever and in a classroom—
my first thought was: did I skip a chapter
mateo is always zero to 100 🤣 all the sudden he lays her on the classroom desk and ✨fucks her✨
listen, if i heard this happened irl i would have been like pervert 🗣🗣 but here i’m just like
no words I can say can help describe how FINE mateo is. i actually described him as “exactly my type” because i love his assertiveness. like when he calls shannon one night and propositions her to have phone sex—
shannon is just like ???? because she has known this man for exactly TWO days. when shannon looks through the window, she sees him standing outside in the dark. of course, he notices shannon is a bit apprehensive, so he decides to calm her nerves—
WHY IS HIS CREEPY, ASSERTIVENESS SO FUCKING HOT 😭😭
as you can see, mateo likes watching shannon get off. she’ll touch herself on her bed in the view of a window in hopes that mateo is watching (and often times he is 😌) well one night, mateo wants to mess around outside and by outside, i mean on his porch.
he blindfolds her and instructs her to touch herself while there’s a camera across the street recording her 🤪🤪🤪—
other than the obvious reason, why do i love this scene? after a while, mateo decides he’s going to fuck her, but tells her she needs to hurry because there’s someone walking towards them on the sidewalk and they’ll see them 😌
shannon doesn’t know if she believes him. at one point i was like, maybe this is all him creating a fantasy, since he told her a fantasy story of him entering her room (prior to her knowing him) and fingering her. but all the sudden—
THE WAY I GASPED BAHAHAHAH
anyway, the plot was interesting enough. i thought mateo’s hate for shannon’s hot friend, danny, was HILARIOUS. the way he’d leave notes and send her texts reminding her to stay away from him 💀
fuck Romeo & Juliet, I want what these bitches had
hot take: mateo saying ‘stay the fuck away from danny alexander’ had the same energy as hardin saying ‘fooking trevor’
if there’s one quote from the entire book i would pick to describe the entirety of the plot, it’s this one—
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m saving you, bitch.”
naturally i had to read this after i recommended it to people that ended up loving it. recommending a book you’ve never read is fairly ironic
tropes:
•teacher/student
•age-gap (18h/28H)
•hero says the most bizarre shit
•kinky hero that likes to ✨watch✨
spoiler below, don’t keep reading if you don’t wanna know what the hero's “job” is
shannon drake (h) is a 18-year-old, high school student on the verge of not graduating. she has no living family besides her 3 month old niece. she acts a bit like a rebellious teen, but if there’s one person she’d do anything for, it’s her niece
mateo alesci (H) is a jack of all trades and a man with many lives. he’s a PhD student, a high school math teacher, astronomer, informant for the FBI, and most importantly a comedic king with a dash of creepiness. also, i’m still convinced he's tied to the Italian mafia. idk why but that was my theory in the beginning and you can't convince me otherwise
as i said, shannon may not graduate high school because her new school has these annoying requirements. to help her make up the credits, her guidance counselor (sweetest man ever), employs the help of a former student aka mateo, to help her fufill her math credit 🥰
let’s just say mateo is VERY forward in his advances. in only their second encounter ever and in a classroom—
He sighs, letting out a long breath of air. And then he leans over the table, grabs my face, and kisses me.
my first thought was: did I skip a chapter
mateo is always zero to 100 🤣 all the sudden he lays her on the classroom desk and ✨fucks her✨
listen, if i heard this happened irl i would have been like pervert 🗣🗣 but here i’m just like
no words I can say can help describe how FINE mateo is. i actually described him as “exactly my type” because i love his assertiveness. like when he calls shannon one night and propositions her to have phone sex—
“Turn on the light.”
“Why?”
“So I can watch.”
shannon is just like ???? because she has known this man for exactly TWO days. when shannon looks through the window, she sees him standing outside in the dark. of course, he notices shannon is a bit apprehensive, so he decides to calm her nerves—
“Do it,” he says. “You might like to think you’re in control, but you’re not. I am.”
“You’re creepy, Mateo.”
“Thank you. But you’re keeping me waiting.”
“I told you, I don’t like stalkers.”
“I’m not a stalker. I’m your boyfriend.”
WHY IS HIS CREEPY, ASSERTIVENESS SO FUCKING HOT 😭😭
as you can see, mateo likes watching shannon get off. she’ll touch herself on her bed in the view of a window in hopes that mateo is watching (and often times he is 😌) well one night, mateo wants to mess around outside and by outside, i mean on his porch.
he blindfolds her and instructs her to touch herself while there’s a camera across the street recording her 🤪🤪🤪—
“Get off,” he whispers in my ear. “Right here, on my porch. With the screen door open and the camera rolling. I’m going to sit on the chair off to the side and do the same. And then I’m going to take you inside, play it back on the bedroom TV, and make you come again.”
other than the obvious reason, why do i love this scene? after a while, mateo decides he’s going to fuck her, but tells her she needs to hurry because there’s someone walking towards them on the sidewalk and they’ll see them 😌
shannon doesn’t know if she believes him. at one point i was like, maybe this is all him creating a fantasy, since he told her a fantasy story of him entering her room (prior to her knowing him) and fingering her. but all the sudden—
“Nice show,” a voice calls from near the street.
“Fuck you,” Mateo calls back. “You wish you saw something, asshole.”
THE WAY I GASPED BAHAHAHAH
anyway, the plot was interesting enough. i thought mateo’s hate for shannon’s hot friend, danny, was HILARIOUS. the way he’d leave notes and send her texts reminding her to stay away from him 💀
fuck Romeo & Juliet, I want what these bitches had
hot take: mateo saying ‘stay the fuck away from danny alexander’ had the same energy as hardin saying ‘fooking trevor’
November 21, 2015
I have just three words for this book...
HOLY FUCKING SHIT!
So yesterday I kept thinking about Teacher/Student books. I always have theses little periods where I just have to read one and move on.
I was searching through Goodreads and found a shelf full of Teacher/Student romance and having read most I was finding it hard to pick one.
So I come across Eighteen by JA Huss.
I've only read one of her books before and it fucking blew me away! The reason I loved that book was there was so fucking much going on that it made my head spin and the best part was it wasn't too long.
Now days I can't read long books as my attention span is to shit!
So I one clicked it and started when I got home lastnight.
I have not put this FUCKER DOWN since I started other than to sleep which I didn't even want to do let me tell ya!
It was HOT AS FUCK!! I'm talking sitting on the face, finger in the bum to watching each other masturbate.
It was taboo as HE was HER teacher and also the fact that he was 28 and she was 18 - nothing turns me on then when the bloke is so much older than the bird.
Mateo (let's face it, I was always going to love a fucker who holds the same name as my book husband) HOLY FUCK that bloke was filthy as fuck!! All he wanted to do was either fuck Shannon in his classroom or on his front porch! He was a total mind fuck and I had no fucking clue what the fucker was going on about half the time but he sure as shit made my vagina hurt. I LOVED HIM!! I WANTED TO FUCK HIM!
Shannon was NOT your typical heroine, she wasn't a push over, she wasn't weak and she wasn't dumb. She has been through some shit and even though it got too much and she just couldn't cope she never fucking quit. She was tough as fuck and I had the best time reading from her POV! Thing is she knew the relationship with Mateo was wrong and that the stuff he came out with was fucking with her head but he turned her on too much for her to say no. I fucking loved her for that!
These two together were fucking EXPLOSIVE!
A few twists and turns I didn't see coming and a few tears shed towards the end! Sad and happy tears!
The ending was perfect.
The characters were just fucking amazing!
The whole plot of the book was out of this world!
It was a mixture of taboo and action!
I had the best fucking time reading this fucker and will without a doubt read more by this author ❤️
December 27, 2015
1.5 stars.
The writing is good. The author knows what she's doing and there is a certain confidence that lingers between the lines.
However, there is absolutely no romance here. So if you're after a forbidden love/taboo romance, there's a lot of sex here, written in explicit detail, right down to the string of saliva that lingers afterwards...but very little chemistry or romance to justify the risks the two main characters take.
I truly hated the heroine in this book. Truly. She was so naive and immature and I had so much trouble understanding her. I hated that even when some serious shit had gone down, and she found herself in the most dire of circumstances, she just cried and.... went to sleep. And if she was any more self-involved she'd be a mirror. Seriously. She was blind to everything else but her own sorry self. And even then, her awareness was mirky at best.
Also, I had some real issues with Mateo. I mostly rolled my eyes at his every word. I pretty much thought he was a jerk who could not sit down and have a conversation with a person, unless threats, demands or porn was involved.
So for me, this was a difficult read. I can't say that I enjoyed it. I was captivated by the blurb and was excited about an unapologetic taboo romance. But everything happened so fast, the heroine was so young (literally turns 18 the day the story begins and is 18.5 when it ends), the sex seemed to pop up like a hammering Jack-in-the-box ( the first time our lovers sexed it up totally took me by such surprise that I thought I must have missed a chapter...or two ) and the hero was just a little too pervy, a little too angry, a little too creepy, and a little too sporradic for my tastes. In fact, Danny was the star of this book...but I'm not sure that his path holds much redemption either.
The "based on a true story" tag line is slightly misleading but totally explained at the end of the book. I'm not sure that the tag line does the book any favours, or that it adds to the book in any way, and I felt it could have been left out all together.
1.5 urgh "I'm too old for this shit" stars.
The writing is good. The author knows what she's doing and there is a certain confidence that lingers between the lines.
However, there is absolutely no romance here. So if you're after a forbidden love/taboo romance, there's a lot of sex here, written in explicit detail, right down to the string of saliva that lingers afterwards...but very little chemistry or romance to justify the risks the two main characters take.
I truly hated the heroine in this book. Truly. She was so naive and immature and I had so much trouble understanding her. I hated that even when some serious shit had gone down, and she found herself in the most dire of circumstances, she just cried and.... went to sleep. And if she was any more self-involved she'd be a mirror. Seriously. She was blind to everything else but her own sorry self. And even then, her awareness was mirky at best.
Also, I had some real issues with Mateo. I mostly rolled my eyes at his every word. I pretty much thought he was a jerk who could not sit down and have a conversation with a person, unless threats, demands or porn was involved.
So for me, this was a difficult read. I can't say that I enjoyed it. I was captivated by the blurb and was excited about an unapologetic taboo romance. But everything happened so fast, the heroine was so young (literally turns 18 the day the story begins and is 18.5 when it ends), the sex seemed to pop up like a hammering Jack-in-the-box ( the first time our lovers sexed it up totally took me by such surprise that I thought I must have missed a chapter...or two ) and the hero was just a little too pervy, a little too angry, a little too creepy, and a little too sporradic for my tastes. In fact, Danny was the star of this book...but I'm not sure that his path holds much redemption either.
The "based on a true story" tag line is slightly misleading but totally explained at the end of the book. I'm not sure that the tag line does the book any favours, or that it adds to the book in any way, and I felt it could have been left out all together.
1.5 urgh "I'm too old for this shit" stars.
November 23, 2015
JA Huss has enthralled me, AGAIN!
This book is slightly disturbing, very compelling, and completely captivating. The raw, gritty and almost hopeless perspective had my gut churning at times. I will not lie ... parts of this book gave me some serious anxiety. I really felt like I may have a nervous breakdown, right alongside the main character (Shannon).
There is nothing better (for me) than a book that takes a hard look at life and the people we encounter in it. Knowing that this book is self-reflective of the author just makes it 100 times better. I love that Julie takes chances in her writing ... I love that she's willing to explore the uncomfortable topics that so many are too afraid or unwilling to touch. This book is an extraordinary example of how fucked up life can really be. I'm just glad that there's authors out there, like Ms. Huss, who give voice to the underdogs, the forgotten and the lost.
This book proves that, while fairy tales may not be real, even the hardest parts of life can turn out okay.
An amazing read! It's so much more than the synopsis (or my crappy review) could even begin to describe.
One of the best books of the year! Fan-fucking-tastic!!! <3
This book is slightly disturbing, very compelling, and completely captivating. The raw, gritty and almost hopeless perspective had my gut churning at times. I will not lie ... parts of this book gave me some serious anxiety. I really felt like I may have a nervous breakdown, right alongside the main character (Shannon).
There is nothing better (for me) than a book that takes a hard look at life and the people we encounter in it. Knowing that this book is self-reflective of the author just makes it 100 times better. I love that Julie takes chances in her writing ... I love that she's willing to explore the uncomfortable topics that so many are too afraid or unwilling to touch. This book is an extraordinary example of how fucked up life can really be. I'm just glad that there's authors out there, like Ms. Huss, who give voice to the underdogs, the forgotten and the lost.
This book proves that, while fairy tales may not be real, even the hardest parts of life can turn out okay.
An amazing read! It's so much more than the synopsis (or my crappy review) could even begin to describe.
One of the best books of the year! Fan-fucking-tastic!!! <3
May 18, 2022
“I’m saving you, bitch.”
😭😭😭😭😭
the way i don't understand this man at all but his chaotic self is going straight to the best boy shelf, yes he is 😌
😭😭😭😭😭
the way i don't understand this man at all but his chaotic self is going straight to the best boy shelf, yes he is 😌
April 28, 2020
Verrry Interrresting!
I am almost at a loss for words on this one. My feelings on it were going all over the place as I read the book, but one thing I can say is that it held my interest the entire time. Shannon is an 18 year old senior in high school who recently transferred schools and finds out that the school she now attends has different rules on when she can take certain classes for credit and she finds she can’t graduate unless she takes extra math and science at night school.
Mateo Alecsi is her 28 year old Trig teacher at night school where Shannon is his only student. At times Mateo is extremely creepy and stalker like, other times he is like an ultra controlling and possessive boyfriend, and other times he is like a normal sweet guy who just wants to date her.
Mateo even takes Shannon to meet his Mom. So my feelings about him kept jumping back and forth but overall the book was good and I liked the end quite a bit. Also it wasn’t so taboo since she was 18 and it wasn’t technically high school, he wasn’t really a teacher as much as a consultant or tutor.
Plus J.A. Huss can write steamy scenes like nobody’s business, so the romance between Mateo and Shannon is scorching hot and the story is great with characters that are fully developed and the world building is spot on. You can always count on her to deliver great erotic books with good stories!
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
I am almost at a loss for words on this one. My feelings on it were going all over the place as I read the book, but one thing I can say is that it held my interest the entire time. Shannon is an 18 year old senior in high school who recently transferred schools and finds out that the school she now attends has different rules on when she can take certain classes for credit and she finds she can’t graduate unless she takes extra math and science at night school.
Mateo Alecsi is her 28 year old Trig teacher at night school where Shannon is his only student. At times Mateo is extremely creepy and stalker like, other times he is like an ultra controlling and possessive boyfriend, and other times he is like a normal sweet guy who just wants to date her.
Mateo even takes Shannon to meet his Mom. So my feelings about him kept jumping back and forth but overall the book was good and I liked the end quite a bit. Also it wasn’t so taboo since she was 18 and it wasn’t technically high school, he wasn’t really a teacher as much as a consultant or tutor.
Plus J.A. Huss can write steamy scenes like nobody’s business, so the romance between Mateo and Shannon is scorching hot and the story is great with characters that are fully developed and the world building is spot on. You can always count on her to deliver great erotic books with good stories!
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
November 24, 2015
4 "HOLY HOTNESS" stars
Me:
This is my first book by JA Huss and needless to say I was impressed! I expected a forbidden sort of romance. Some dirty times and cheesy moments but I was wrong .
This book delivers a lot! And the fact the it's based on a true story was one more thing to keep reading! The plot was good, the characters well portraited, the writing addictive and the smexy scenes - OFF THE CHARTS SEXY!!!
Despite the smuttnes in the book, which is A LOT , the story was interesting. We got a girl forced to get additional classes. She is angry to the world. Shannon hasn't live an easy life. Left with her brother-in-law and her infant niece in a new city with new school. She has no life,no goals, no friends and no family who cares about her. But no matter what she was badass.
While her almost-breakdown-situation she met a complete stranger with blue eyes and hard body, she was captived by him.. only did she know that this man will be her new teacher and her seducer!
Mateo freaking Alesci was smart, sexy, even funny, domineering and.. 10 years older than her. He was a little bit creepy with his stalker needs at first but despite everything he was HOT AS SIN!
He wasn't just some teacher, he was a man with dreams and goals. He wanted to help Shannon start living again. To help her fight for what she wants.. even though he methods were different than any normal teacher.
I liked him as a character a lot because not matter the age difference he threated Shannon was equal. He was understanding and he never gave up even when she pushed him away.
As for the hot and dirty parts.. HOLY MOLY ! This author knows how to write them, damn! They are taboo, they are forbidden but they were sinfully sexy. Make your-panties-wet kind of sexy! Make you feel hot and bothered sexy! You will fanning yourself a lot, I can guarantee that!
They both secretly liked the thirll of being caught and seen. It was extremely erotic, wild, werid, sexy and you can't help but longing to want to read more and more.
Overall the book was great. There are twists you wouldn't expect! I had a few issues with the heroine with her life made her to be like this so I tried to understand her more. It was taboo but it didn't felt weird when they were together. It was funny, it was additctive and I recommend it to anyone who is fan of forbidden romances and if you are NOT don't pass this book fast because it may surprise you!
Eighteen is hard. And so is Mateo Alesci.
“I’ll fu&$ your brains out and you will forget all about starting over because what I will do to your body will be so addictive, you will never want me to stop. Do you understand?”
Me:
This is my first book by JA Huss and needless to say I was impressed! I expected a forbidden sort of romance. Some dirty times and cheesy moments but I was wrong .
This book delivers a lot! And the fact the it's based on a true story was one more thing to keep reading! The plot was good, the characters well portraited, the writing addictive and the smexy scenes - OFF THE CHARTS SEXY!!!
”He holds all the power. He holds all the cards. He holds my entire future in his hands. And I have to give in. Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.”
Despite the smuttnes in the book, which is A LOT , the story was interesting. We got a girl forced to get additional classes. She is angry to the world. Shannon hasn't live an easy life. Left with her brother-in-law and her infant niece in a new city with new school. She has no life,no goals, no friends and no family who cares about her. But no matter what she was badass.
While her almost-breakdown-situation she met a complete stranger with blue eyes and hard body, she was captived by him.. only did she know that this man will be her new teacher and her seducer!
Mateo freaking Alesci was smart, sexy, even funny, domineering and.. 10 years older than her. He was a little bit creepy with his stalker needs at first but despite everything he was HOT AS SIN!
“I told you, I don’t like stalkers.”
“I’m not a stalker. I’m your boyfriend.”
He wasn't just some teacher, he was a man with dreams and goals. He wanted to help Shannon start living again. To help her fight for what she wants.. even though he methods were different than any normal teacher.
I liked him as a character a lot because not matter the age difference he threated Shannon was equal. He was understanding and he never gave up even when she pushed him away.
“Life isn’t all or nothing, it’s something in between.”
As for the hot and dirty parts.. HOLY MOLY ! This author knows how to write them, damn! They are taboo, they are forbidden but they were sinfully sexy. Make your-panties-wet kind of sexy! Make you feel hot and bothered sexy! You will fanning yourself a lot, I can guarantee that!
They both secretly liked the thirll of being caught and seen. It was extremely erotic, wild, werid, sexy and you can't help but longing to want to read more and more.
Overall the book was great. There are twists you wouldn't expect! I had a few issues with the heroine with her life made her to be like this so I tried to understand her more. It was taboo but it didn't felt weird when they were together. It was funny, it was additctive and I recommend it to anyone who is fan of forbidden romances and if you are NOT don't pass this book fast because it may surprise you!
November 17, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
If you like Jessa Kane, you’ll love this! Except, the writing is better and the steam is even hotter.
Oh my lord!!!
Let me just say that I have read a lot of student/teacher romances. They’re one of my biggest guilty pleasures. And Mateo Alesci is the dirtiest teacher by miles.
His lesson plan and reward system is so freaking kinky. I think I forgot to mention that Shannon is his only student, that’s important. Because what he has in store for her has been tailor made just for her. And I am one jealous bish.
If he offered me what he offers her, I would’ve passed all the math classes. To put that into perspective you need to know that I had to take geometry three times. And I would ace Mr. Alesci’s trigonometry class.
It’s actually super refreshing having this teacher be a no holds barred, takes what he wants no matter the consequences kind of guy. Typically Student/Teacher romances come with a load of angst and second guessing. Yeah, Shannon goes through this but he just doesn’t give a flying fuck. God, I love him!
You know who Mateo reminds me of in a super roundabout kind of way? Mr. Myagi. Wax on, wax off mofo.
And then his family, his mother Gigi is delightful. They know everything about our crazy couple and they don’t care either.
Wow! It was a bucket of ice cold water when shit got serious. I honestly, didn’t see that coming.
Shannon for the first time in romance book history made the correct choice and chose her own path. And Mateo surprised everyone when he let her.
If you like Jessa Kane, you’ll love this! Except, the writing is better and the steam is even hotter.
Oh my lord!!!
Let me just say that I have read a lot of student/teacher romances. They’re one of my biggest guilty pleasures. And Mateo Alesci is the dirtiest teacher by miles.
His lesson plan and reward system is so freaking kinky. I think I forgot to mention that Shannon is his only student, that’s important. Because what he has in store for her has been tailor made just for her. And I am one jealous bish.
If he offered me what he offers her, I would’ve passed all the math classes. To put that into perspective you need to know that I had to take geometry three times. And I would ace Mr. Alesci’s trigonometry class.
It’s actually super refreshing having this teacher be a no holds barred, takes what he wants no matter the consequences kind of guy. Typically Student/Teacher romances come with a load of angst and second guessing. Yeah, Shannon goes through this but he just doesn’t give a flying fuck. God, I love him!
You know who Mateo reminds me of in a super roundabout kind of way? Mr. Myagi. Wax on, wax off mofo.
And then his family, his mother Gigi is delightful. They know everything about our crazy couple and they don’t care either.
Wow! It was a bucket of ice cold water when shit got serious. I honestly, didn’t see that coming.
Shannon for the first time in romance book history made the correct choice and chose her own path. And Mateo surprised everyone when he let her.
November 29, 2015
It's an absolute PLEASURE to read such a kinky, dirty and taboo book. Impossibly smutty and sinfully addictive. I think I'm a little bit in love with J.A. Huss now... Make sure to read End of book shit at the end.
About the plot: It begins at Shannon 18th birthday, which she spends on consultations at her new school, where she learns that in order to finish school must pass additional classes in her senior year. She is not happy about it, and this is just the tip of the recent rough and unpleasant events that did happen to her.
When she meets her trigonometry teacher, is completely surprised. Mateo Alesci, who will have private classes with her, is hot as sin. He seems to devote her more attention than others. But she does not understand his intentions. And when he begins to be more direct in his expectations she can not explain her reaction. He scares her but at the same time fascinates her and she can not resist. Why something so wrong could be so good.
“I’m gonna be seeing a lot of you, Shannon Drake. There’s no way in hell you’ll be invisible to me.”
Final thoughts: This book is much more than you think it will be. Of course it is hot, full of erotic scenes. As the blurb promises taboo topics here are not foreign. And the author is not afraid to write really dirty and steaming scenes. But outside the usual learning each other and experiencing their desires is a mystery and a lot of uncertainty.
This also shown an incredible way to adulthood, searching yourself, and fighting with adversity, which brings us life. The events are carried quickly but realistically, and they are so addictive that I did not want to stop even for a moment. For this is an amazing twist here. Something that I did not expect even for a moment, even when it was said, I could not believe it. Because how the hell!? And it is still authentic. The whole mystery which surrounds it is captivating.
I absolutely love the heroes of this book. Shannon is a powerless but a kick-ass when needed - all right all the time. She rarely shows her weak side. And Mr. Alesci is inappropriate, dark and tempting. They burn in bed together, and his warmth and caring for her beyond, and the possession of her, only adds to this character.
“Are you my problem, Mateo? Or my answer” “Which do you want me to be?” “Both”
This book is probably not for everyone, some scenes may be disturbing. But what bothers one, excites another. Who is going to judge? I do not. Of course. I love books like this on the edge. I noticed that the books of J. A. Huss have that I could start over and read it back again as soon as finished it. There is something addictive, mysterious and exciting. Something that I would definitely want to repeat.
***Quick Review:***
Series: Stand alone.
Grade/Tag Tabs: Erotic Romance.
Release Date: November 18th, 2015.
Main characters: Shannon Drake, eighteen years old, trying to graduate from school. Mateo Alesci, twenty-eight years, is a private trigonometry teacher for her. But this is not his only talent.
Secondary characters: There are some interesting characters. Perhaps the most intriguing person is Danny aka Sunday. He is an important figure and adds a lot to the story.
Location: Anaheim, California.
Steamy:
Sensitive topic:
Love triangle:
Cheating:
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
Who do I recommend? For those who like filthy books on the edge and not scary about disturbing theme.
***
Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you!
February 13, 2017
3* STARS!
I almost DNF this book.
Shannon Drake just turned 18 when all shit happened to her. Her eighteen really sucks at this point after she met the mesmerizing green eyes with fucking hot biker boots came to the school office. Shannon never expect that the green eyes man is gonna be her teacher for extra credit. It seems Mr. Mateo Alesci isn't just a regular teacher. He's super hot with tattoos and holy awesome body.
Shannon is emotionally unstable and childish. She's irritated me many times. Her only family are her late sister's boyfriend and niece. She struggle with money and rarely eat but, hell... she could smoke everyday. Fuck. I hate smoker who choose to smoke than eat. It's a code red for me! I'm not saying she's lazy but she doesn't has motivation and future. It was just... so helpless. Actually, she's quite smart with her own study method but again, too lazy to care.
Mateo Alesci is her future teacher with hidden motives. He's too creepy for me. In the first day, he tried to 'flirt' with her. WTF?! And... the rest, I just couldn't. Their relationship became more intimate. Mateo is a pervert bastard with exhibitionism and voyeurism. He has dirty mouth and pervert mind. Aside from his sexual feeling, he cares about Shannon. But that's not all the time. He come and go as he please. That's frustrated me. He could be a romantic normal guy when in happy mood. But he didn't like to be questioned??? He's freakin' me out. Bottom line, Mateo is control freak, obsessive and possessive.
Beside the unrealistic characters, the story was just fine. It's not taboo for me. I hardly enjoyed it but JA Huss amazingly created roller coaster of emotions. Hate, love, jealousy, anger, sadness, and fear. The other reason I liked this because of Danny than the creepy Mateo. Also I hate the unnecessary secrecy. Surprisingly, Shannon isn't too forgivable and she needs time. Yeah, I agree. The shit went down really fast. Eighteen is a turning point for some reason and I get the message. Unfortunately, the sexy scenes already overheat but it was quickly replaced with the drama and some disturbing 'confession'. Uh huh... Awkward... *cricket*
I almost DNF this book.
Shannon Drake just turned 18 when all shit happened to her. Her eighteen really sucks at this point after she met the mesmerizing green eyes with fucking hot biker boots came to the school office. Shannon never expect that the green eyes man is gonna be her teacher for extra credit. It seems Mr. Mateo Alesci isn't just a regular teacher. He's super hot with tattoos and holy awesome body.
Shannon is emotionally unstable and childish. She's irritated me many times. Her only family are her late sister's boyfriend and niece. She struggle with money and rarely eat but, hell... she could smoke everyday. Fuck. I hate smoker who choose to smoke than eat. It's a code red for me! I'm not saying she's lazy but she doesn't has motivation and future. It was just... so helpless. Actually, she's quite smart with her own study method but again, too lazy to care.
Mateo Alesci is her future teacher with hidden motives. He's too creepy for me. In the first day, he tried to 'flirt' with her. WTF?! And... the rest, I just couldn't. Their relationship became more intimate. Mateo is a pervert bastard with exhibitionism and voyeurism. He has dirty mouth and pervert mind. Aside from his sexual feeling, he cares about Shannon. But that's not all the time. He come and go as he please. That's frustrated me. He could be a romantic normal guy when in happy mood. But he didn't like to be questioned??? He's freakin' me out. Bottom line, Mateo is control freak, obsessive and possessive.
Beside the unrealistic characters, the story was just fine. It's not taboo for me. I hardly enjoyed it but JA Huss amazingly created roller coaster of emotions. Hate, love, jealousy, anger, sadness, and fear. The other reason I liked this because of Danny than the creepy Mateo. Also I hate the unnecessary secrecy. Surprisingly, Shannon isn't too forgivable and she needs time. Yeah, I agree. The shit went down really fast. Eighteen is a turning point for some reason and I get the message. Unfortunately, the sexy scenes already overheat but it was quickly replaced with the drama and some disturbing 'confession'. Uh huh... Awkward... *cricket*
May 21, 2022
Man, you really never know what Huss is going to do next... And I loved it. Disturbing and thrilling at the same time.
November 21, 2015
3.5 STARS
Genre: Gritty Romane
Cover: 6/10
Writing: 8/10
Heroine: 7/10
Hero: 6/10
Humour: 3/10
Hotness: 6/10
Romance: 1/10
Extra book Details: Heroine POV; 1st person. Stand alone, possibly a first in a series.
Eighteen is about Shannon, who has a hard life, and is getting an even harder birthday, now she's Eighteen, things should be looking up. But stuff goes awry. And to top it all off, her new private teacher, Mateo, is pretty demanding.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This one is a hard one for me to rate. It's biggest flaw for me was that I didn't feel one iota of romance. Maybe a tiny bit at the end. But I never saw or felt them fall in love. I didn't even really like the characters, they had no impressive qualities, they were just.. okay.
It was an entertaining read, not really a forbidden romance, some of Mateo's absurdity made me laugh, but there was just too much going on with him. From his extreme demanding sexual nature, to his job. I mean, how many different things can he be? Teacher, mathematician, student, astronomer, stalker... He didn't even sound like an intelligent person.
I did quite like Shannon's chip-on-her-shoulder persona. LOVED Danny. I liked the setting.
But Mateo's multiple extremities, lack of romance & a general feeling of mish-mashing, made this one a less than good read for me.
July 8, 2018
I quite liked this book.I read it in almost one go.
This is not your typical lovey dove new adult romance. Sexually, it goes straight to the point, no messing around, no hold ups. The sex is not packed with any kind of big emotional meaning. The sex is sex, it is fun. Then you have their relationships, their lives, and yes, their sexual relationship is a big part of their intimate relationship, but they can be separate too. Emotionally, there is angst and drama in this story, so I was hooked.
I liked how it ended, sometimes less is more, and here it pays of.
If you are not scared by social and moral no nos, by out there sexual experiences and atypical behaviors; and if you like drama an angst in your romances, then go ahead and pick this book up, you will enjoy the ride.
" "What the fuck are you doing?"
"I'm saving you, bitch."
I almost crack a smile.
"OK?"he says. "I'm fucking saving you whether you want it or not." He holds up a brown paper bag with a receipt stapled to it. "And I brought lasagna. So try to say no to that. I dare you" "
- J.A. Huss, Eighteen:18
This is not your typical lovey dove new adult romance. Sexually, it goes straight to the point, no messing around, no hold ups. The sex is not packed with any kind of big emotional meaning. The sex is sex, it is fun. Then you have their relationships, their lives, and yes, their sexual relationship is a big part of their intimate relationship, but they can be separate too. Emotionally, there is angst and drama in this story, so I was hooked.
I liked how it ended, sometimes less is more, and here it pays of.
If you are not scared by social and moral no nos, by out there sexual experiences and atypical behaviors; and if you like drama an angst in your romances, then go ahead and pick this book up, you will enjoy the ride.
" "What the fuck are you doing?"
"I'm saving you, bitch."
I almost crack a smile.
"OK?"he says. "I'm fucking saving you whether you want it or not." He holds up a brown paper bag with a receipt stapled to it. "And I brought lasagna. So try to say no to that. I dare you" "
- J.A. Huss, Eighteen:18
May 12, 2017
Hmm... I want more.
January 4, 2016
3.5 'I Need Mateo NOW' Stars
Shannon's eighteenth birthday was supposed to be a good one, being an adult and all that. But instead of having a good day she has a shit-tastic day and it all starts with being told she needs to take another Math class in order to graduate She goes after school to meet her math teacher who has agreed to teach a math class just for her so she can graduate. But when she get's there she never expected to see the hottest guy she's ever laid eyes on sitting in the classroom.
When Mateo got a call from his old High School principal asking for help his first instinct was to say no. He's still working on his PhD dissertation and doesn't need anything getting in his way. But then he see's the girl he's supposed to be helping and his plans of saying 'no' fly out the window. The second he see's Shannon he knows that she will one day be his.
Why did I never have a teacher like Mateo Alesci??? It's just not fair, people! Mateo was such an intense character and I loved that about him. I really never knew what crazy ass thing he would do next and he kept me constantly questioning every thing. And he was sexy as fuck! What he said, what he did, just the looks he gave Shannon made me want to jump his bones. If I had one wish, it would be that Mateo was a real person and all mine.
I really wanted to see Shannon get the best out of life after having such a shitty year. And Mateo was both the best and the worst thing for her. He really encouraged her to be better and not let her situation stop her from trying to succeed. But for Shannon her attraction to a man like Mateo only confused her. I really liked seeing her conflicting emotions and how she didn't just fall into an affair with Mateo without a thought.
My 3.5 rating comes from the ending. It was too rushed for me and I was left with a few questions about Mateo that were never answered or just not explained well enough for me. Since I never got the answers that I wanted I just can't understand exactly what went down at the ending of the book so it was kind of ruined for me.
Overall, I really liked the story and thoroughly enjoyed Mateo ;) I do wish the ending was better explained and that I wasn't left with unknowns, though. I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves an intense Alpha teacher.
Shannon's eighteenth birthday was supposed to be a good one, being an adult and all that. But instead of having a good day she has a shit-tastic day and it all starts with being told she needs to take another Math class in order to graduate She goes after school to meet her math teacher who has agreed to teach a math class just for her so she can graduate. But when she get's there she never expected to see the hottest guy she's ever laid eyes on sitting in the classroom.
When Mateo got a call from his old High School principal asking for help his first instinct was to say no. He's still working on his PhD dissertation and doesn't need anything getting in his way. But then he see's the girl he's supposed to be helping and his plans of saying 'no' fly out the window. The second he see's Shannon he knows that she will one day be his.
Why did I never have a teacher like Mateo Alesci??? It's just not fair, people! Mateo was such an intense character and I loved that about him. I really never knew what crazy ass thing he would do next and he kept me constantly questioning every thing. And he was sexy as fuck! What he said, what he did, just the looks he gave Shannon made me want to jump his bones. If I had one wish, it would be that Mateo was a real person and all mine.
I really wanted to see Shannon get the best out of life after having such a shitty year. And Mateo was both the best and the worst thing for her. He really encouraged her to be better and not let her situation stop her from trying to succeed. But for Shannon her attraction to a man like Mateo only confused her. I really liked seeing her conflicting emotions and how she didn't just fall into an affair with Mateo without a thought.
My 3.5 rating comes from the ending. It was too rushed for me and I was left with a few questions about Mateo that were never answered or just not explained well enough for me. Since I never got the answers that I wanted I just can't understand exactly what went down at the ending of the book so it was kind of ruined for me.
Overall, I really liked the story and thoroughly enjoyed Mateo ;) I do wish the ending was better explained and that I wasn't left with unknowns, though. I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves an intense Alpha teacher.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,509 reviews