Mónica B. Wagner

This was a very gripping book with all the fun of a high school drama set in college.

I enjoyed how, though the story was of four very different people, they all connected in some way. Their stories were all linked and as such they made one cohesive novel instead of four separate tales. Each event had a corresponding reaction, and it was a lot of fun to guess how these each occasion might manifest itself into another character's life.

Wagner successfully captured the feeling of being new at college, especially with Ellie. Her excitement and nervousness was palpable. Details such as her finding people to go to the dining hall with, as simple as they might seem, really resonated with me.

There were some scenes that were very college in an exaggerated way, such as Devon being invited to get ready for a party with other girls, but these were fun to read. The plot, too, was similar to a good gossippy high school novel, but it worked.

Devon and Ellie were both very distinct characters, and both a lot of fun. On the outside, Devon was extremely polished and put-together; however, it was fun seeing her inward thoughts and how she reacted to the boys and their actions. Ellie, too, looked geared for success, but in a different manner as she had a lot less confidence but just as much determination.

Though this was told with concentrations on four different characters, this was a fun and authentic new adult book.

I recevied a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)

It's freshman year at Hillson University and before classes have even started the drama is heating up. Ellie wants to be a journalist, but there is only one spot available for the campus newspaper. She may have been given the task to write about the star QB, but in order to make a splash she has to dig a little deeper. Grant may be the star QB, but he's got a secret that could affect his future and he's not sure who he is outside of football. He can't have the reporter screwing it up for him, but she's too cute to ignore. Devon's the IT girl on campus this year, she's well known thanks to her dad's name being on a building. None of that matters to her though, she wants the QB on her arm and her name in everyone's mouth. Charlie's the nerd with eyes only for Devon. He's willing to do what it takes to get in her line of sight, but he may not even need to. FROSH: First Blush is the intertwining of these four and their first week of school.

I was too excited for this book, it had a great premise and the characters seemed like my kind of people. I really enjoyed reading from Ellie's POV, her drive to succeed mixed with stumbling through her first week alone at school made for entertaining situations. I both liked and disliked Grant, he seemed to float where he fit best in the book, but as a character I wanted to read about his story separately. I disliked Devon from start to finish, but rooted for her role in Charlie's life as much as possible. It's an interesting mix of characters, all very different personalities, mashed together for an interesting first week of school. The parties were realistic, the dorm room situations exactly like I remembered, and the interactions completely believable.

Unfortunately, the changing POV was hard to follow along with from time to time and I felt like some of the characters, especially Ellie, changed during the book without any reason to. I felt her characterization changed and who she was as a person didn't connect from start to finish. While each POV was unique, it was easy to lose track of time and where I was at with each character. Additionally, it all moved almost too fast. For the first week of school there sure was a lot happening! The first football game, several parties, and a lot of twists and turns. I almost wish I had more time to spend with the characters, because we only saw glimpses of their background and how it affected them and that detail could have been useful.

Overall, it is a well written novel with a cliffhanger that absolutely left me wanting more. I'd like to see what happens to the characters in the next installment.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
You can find more of my reviews on my blog, Carlene Inspired.… (mehr)

FROSH is a unique, fun look at the lives of four young people as they make their way through their first year of college. It's unique because it is written from the POV of all 4 main characters. There's Ellie - the good girl. Always tries to do the right thing although she may want something else entirely. Then we have Grant the jock. Not your typical jock though. He's smart, determined, and not as committed to the game as some the others. My personal fav Charlie is the geeky science guy, thrown into the frat house for his GPA and tutoring. Lastly and my least favorite, there's Devon. The rich mean girl with a bit of a wild streak. Or is there more to Devon then she let's people see??

I really liked this one. I found the author's writing style very enjoyable and considering this is her debut novel, I'm expecting great things in the future. While the 4 person POV was a bit confusing in the beginning, once I got all the characters straight it worked out great!

This is one I definitely recommend.… (mehr)