Sometimes I'm just in the mood for NA. My last read kind of got me there. In reviewing my list, I decided to settle on Julianna Keyes since the first offering was so solid. I found myself recalling so much of that book that I'm not completely sure why I only rated it a 3, further solidifying the fact that I'm a moody reader.

Keyes has an unpretentious, realistic style. She's not sentimental or flowery, just pretty real. In this installment, we get to see everyone's favorite recovered gonorrhea patient, Kellan. I'm not saying this to be flip-it was a very big part of the first book of this series and a very real foundation for Kellan's development. While there are jokes here and there (I've mentioned my sensitivity to this) it's not done in the tasteless, easy manner of some other authors (ahem) but more that way that friends remind you that you made a mistake and you'll never live it down. Again, with the set up that Kellan fucked his way through freshman year, used sophomore year to pick up the pieces, and is now turning to junior year without knowing who he is or what his major is, his childhood best friend and 'first' on the list is returns to his life from the prior two years of shutting him out. It's painful, yet a delight to see Kellan's longing for her impossible nature--she denies him or ignores him for much of the first third of the book. She doesn't want to associate with him or live in his shadow. Not because of his list, but because she's really trying to stand on her own and just resort to the boy she's loved forever.

What results is a stumbling, realistic college romance. Kellan and Andi are funny, tentative with each other, honest and sweet (oddly, one of the moments that really got me was when someone said "Andrea Walsh" and he corrected them on the pronunciation...because it's these little moments that I feel like characters show how they care.) It was their easy joking back and forth, and their appreciation of one another.

To tell it from Kellan's POV was lovely. He wouldn't be a super easy character to not pass off as a douche (though he didn't necessarily always come across as such in the first) but seeing his internal thoughts made it impossible to doubt his feelings for Andi. Because he knows her so well, it really worked for me in this book. Andi wasn't a mystery, though as in every first person romance, it's more difficult to know her. Her motivations were still understandable.

I'm surprised to say I found the last 15% or so quite moving, with a very romantic but not overdone ending. ( )

I really liked this book even though Kellan is so frustrating. I mean he is the embodiment of "turning a blind eye". Andi, I loved. Being a tomboy and into sports myself when I was younger made me feel a kinship to her in many ways. I was the only girl in my class with 7 other boys (Yep it was a small class because we chose a different curriculum). Girls asked me to help them get the attention of my classmates and the guys treated me as one of the boys. So yeah pretty much went through what Andi did as Kell's best friend.

But props to Andi for putting up with his crap for so long. I'd have given up way sooner than she did. So, all in all, it is a fun read because New Adult co-eds do some really dumb things and are quite clueless about their feelings. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley for voluntary review consideration. ( )

I really liked this book even though Kellan is so frustrating. I mean he is the embodiment of "turning a blind eye". Andi, I loved. Being a tomboy and into sports myself when I was younger made me feel a kinship to her in many ways. I was the only girl in my class with 7 other boys (Yep it was a small class because we chose a different curriculum). Girls asked me to help them get the attention of my classmates and the guys treated me as one of the boys. So yeah pretty much went through what Andi did as Kell's best friend.

But props to Andi for putting up with his crap for so long. I'd have given up way sooner than she did. So, all in all, it is a fun read because New Adult co-eds do some really dumb things and are quite clueless about their feelings. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley for voluntary review consideration. ( )