This was waaaay better than I expected. It was on some random list of books that said were perfect for fans of The Sweetest Oblivion and it sounded interesting and I'm a sucker for a college romance (& it was on KU) so I tried it. 


I think maybe it was that the sex was actually part of the plot that maybe it didn't ever feel unnatural or over the top. They had insane chemistry and their emotional connection really got me. The protectiveness was also an added bonus. He was straight-up smitten with her and did not plan on that happening. 


I loved how the heroine especially had so much emotional and character growth in the book. In the beginning, she annoyed me because I know so many women who act like her and are just doormats for others while thinking they're helping or being a good friend and it's just so sad. The hero wasn't super pushy about her behavior, but he pointed out that she deserved better friends that genuinely cared about her and that was just so darn sweet. Idk what else to say but this was fun, sweet, and so freaking hot so try it out if it sounds like your type of thing. It's hard to find smutty romance books with an actual plot and somewhat emotional depth, but this one has it! Even the side characters felt real and pretty well fleshed out.

I'm a sucker for the little things people do that show how much they care, so the fact that the heroine opened the window for the hero when he came over because she knew for some reason it made him feel better, that was so darn sweet. Or the way he would act when she made him jealous? I love that shit. This was the first romance book though where the guy said that he was going to punish the girl and actually did something she didn't like lol. The dark thing was clever and even though I know it was fucked up for him to do that, the fact that she wasn't as scared of the dark afterwards because of him and he was trying to punish her while also helping her overcome her fears made me turn into a little puddle. I'm also just a sucker for the dark. I think it's just so easy to create tension because you honestly can't see where the other person is so you don't know what they're going to do before they do it and that's fun.

The fact that the guy was the one who had been abused in a previous relationship was a stereotype flipped on its head. Not that abuse is good (obviously) but the fact that they gender-swapped that stereotype was cool to see. I hated that woman and what she had done to him but I'm also kinda a sucker for that trope where someone is noticeably different after finally accepting that they aren't who they pretend to be. People may not have liked him as much afterwards, but he was being more himself and I respect that. It kinda helps that I also have a thing for the strong semi-silent type.

The ending was good too. I liked her relationship with her sister. It was super realistic with the one sister the parents have such high hopes on and the other sister who is always compared to her and how that affects each girl in so many ways. Seeing them drop their facades and be real with how much their parents' expectations and verbal abuse affected the way they lived and acted and ultimately their relationships with others too. I love a good sister relationship side plot.