London Hale

In this Temperance Falls novella, Elliot Goodridge is obsessed over the pretty barista at the local coffee shop. They’ve been flirting for months, and he finally gets up the nerve to ask her out. Then he learns the truth—Samantha Monroe is a college student, a month shy of graduating, and her father is a college trustee. Unfortunately, Elliot is the new dean of students. A relationship is forbidden, but neither of them can stay away from each other.
The sex scenes were super hot, and there were a lot of them! I loved all their raunchy dirty talk too. Elliot and Sam were strong-willed, mature characters, but they weren’t all that careful in keeping their relationship a secret. The story takes place on an island (I have no idea where), so the community is tight-knit and people are bound to talk.
I really wish the characters’ ages had been mentioned. Sam is just graduating, so she’s around 21. Elliot is the youngest dean in his field, but I imagine he’s between 30-35. I could be wrong. Despite the age gap, they fit well together.
4 Stars… (mehr)

***SPOILERS***

The good (IMO):
- The age difference trope, particularly the older woman/younger man
- He’s a sex worker, she’s in a position of success and power
- Intriguing plot setup
- It’s very hot (fast burn)
- He’s always looking out for her comfort and consent
- It’s a quick and dirty read and on KU

Not so good (IMO):
- We don’t learn anything about him apart from how much he wants her. It’s all he thinks about, to the point he’s almost a caricature (he actually reminds me of a puppy). Surely he must have other interests outside work and wanting her?
- We don’t learn anything about her outside of her work and her scenes with him. Neither have any personality, I guess the novella format doesn’t help
- The pacing isn’t great in that the conflict only arises at about 80%, then is resolved within the final chapter, THE END
- There is no grand gesture, and he doesn’t actually seem to understand why he was such an asshat (he really was although he meant well), why his actions were harmful to her
- He’s also a little creepy possessive. A little bit is ok but this got too much for me, especially in the...
- SURPRISE BABY EPILOGUE! Urrrggghhhh. It came out of nowhere and was totally unnecessary (she was already fulfilled and happy with her life). Had her unexpected pregnancy been part of the main plot, it would have added some much-needed conflict, but all the action, including the wedding, was merely told (not shown) in a few sentences. Yes it’s a novella but the pacing was off.… (mehr)