The Mistake
Author: Elle Kennedy
Reviewer: Nima
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Elle Kennedy did it again. The Mistake, second installment in her Off-Campus series, is every bit as successful and enjoyable as The Deal. The Mistake brings us the romance of John Logan, Garrett Graham’s best friend and teammate. Logan has a crush on Garrett’s new girlfriend Hannah from The Deal and more and more, he just has to stay away or else find himself fantasizing about a woman he can’t have. He must find a way to move on without losing his best friend or drive himself insane. To cope, he parties excessively and sleeps with almost anyone who offers. While The Mistake is a stand-alone, being book two in the series makes it clear that Kennedy’s mastered the art of the Meet-Cute. Enter Grace Ivers.
Logan meets Grace when he’s in search of a party and remembers the address incorrectly, instead ending up at Grace’s dorm room door.
“Why would I? Seriously, what guy turns down Die Hard? The only thing that could sweeten this deal is if you offered me some booze.”
“I don’t have any.” She stops to think. “But I’ve got a whole bag of gummy bears hidden in my desk drawer.”
“Marry me,” I say instantly.
Their meeting is awkward, cute, and completely out of character for Grace—or is it? Grace doesn’t give herself enough credit. She’s nervous, has OCD tendencies, and has been under the thumb of her best friend since elementary school. She portrays herself as shy and cautious, but she’s also her mother’s daughter. Everything she does suggests a strong, adventurous will is lurking underneath. Logan, in his confused state, sees it immediately and then seeks to exploit it which as you might imagine, ends disastrously for everyone. With good cause, Logan wants to fix what he broke and sets out to win Grace over with a tenacity that rivals a dog with a bone. He simply will not give up. After months of ignoring him, Grace finally agrees to a date IF he can complete a nearly impossible list of tasks.
I didn’t want to like this book as much as I did. Too many F-bombs, too much focus on sex, but that list…THAT LIST! That list was genius. I loved watching Grace take back her identity and dignity. Too many college freshmen girls give away too much of themselves for a variety of really bad reasons, and Grace recovers with style.
Not shying away from heavy subjects, Kennedy again tackles some serious material. This time it’s alcoholism and forgiveness. She makes strong points with big impact through illustration rather than preaching. Like in The Deal, Kennedy uses the “He said, She said” format, letting the reader into the heads of both her main characters. And yeah, I reread it as soon as I finished.
The Score, book three, unfolds the romance of Briar college hockey teammate and ultimate party boy, Dean. It is scheduled for release on January 11, 2016.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
About the Book:
He’s a player in more ways than one…
College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.
Now he’s going to need to up his game…
After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.
Release Date: May 6, 2015
Publisher: Self-published
Series: Off-Campus #2
ISBN: #978-1511660662
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (294 pgs), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Purchased with my own funds
Purchase Info:
The Mistake (Off-Campus #2)
Reviews in the Series:
The Deal by Elle Kennedy (Off-Campus #1)
I should read something by her…one day
She’s definitely one to get around to sooner than later.