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Winter Jacket #1
Winter Jacket
It all started with a broken classroom heater…
Graduate school prepares you for many things – the rigor of academic life, how to pull consecutive all-nighters, and living off a meager stipend without having to be roommates with cockroaches.
Elle Graft might have made it through six years of graduate school, but she's not convinced she'll survive her first position as an Assistant Professor.
Because for all she learned, graduate school never prepared her for dealing with a student crush.
Graduate school prepares you for many things – the rigor of academic life, how to pull consecutive all-nighters, and living off a meager stipend without having to be roommates with cockroaches.
Elle Graft might have made it through six years of graduate school, but she's not convinced she'll survive her first position as an Assistant Professor.
Because for all she learned, graduate school never prepared her for dealing with a student crush.
250 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2013
234 people are currently reading
1543 people want to read
About the author
Eliza Lentzski
31 books890 followersEliza Lentzski is the best-selling author of sapphic fiction, romance, and erotica including the Winter Jacket and Don’t Call Me Hero series. A historian by day, Eliza is passionate about telling the stories of marginalized communities.
Born and raised in the upper Midwest—a landscape that often shapes her novels—Eliza now lives in Boston with her wife and their cat, Charley.
Born and raised in the upper Midwest—a landscape that often shapes her novels—Eliza now lives in Boston with her wife and their cat, Charley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
August 14, 2017
Fantastic series! romance,friendship,good dialogue and chemistry,college/campus drama,explicit sex scenes,well defined and developed cast of characters,adorable leads and great storytelling..a nicely written love story..highly recommend to all
October 31, 2020
I'd not read anything by Eliza and still have The Woman in 3B in my Kindle. But when I saw that she'd hired the "legendary" Angela Dawe to narrate this book I had to pause everything else and listen to it. Dawe and Craden are my favorite narrators and sadly, we only have a handful of Dawe-narrated lesfic books to enjoy. In the beginning I was completely hooked. It was funny and you understood and empathized with Assistant Professor Elle Graft's fascination with Hunter, a beautiful, decade-younger nursing student taking her English class. Stories about teacher/student relationships tend to make me feel a bit uncomfortable since I once taught high school, but this was college and Hunter was of legal age. And - importantly - there was nothing unprofessional that occurred while Hunter was in her class. All good. My issue with the story came into play in the second half - once the two got together. The sexual chemistry was off the charts but you would have thought it was Elle who was the one a decade younger. She was a hot mess and I almost felt sorry for Hunter that Elle was her first. It's understandable that Elle was uncomfortable with the age difference initially (though like I said - Hunter was the more mature of the two) but she beat that horse to death. And then she was so damn wishy-washy and made some really terrible decisions. One of these involved someone who reappears from her past and that's pretty much when the story lost much of its appeal.
There were good things about it. I liked Hunter, Elle's friends, and it was a very steamy read. Ultimately, though, Elle was a bit too flawed for me to root for her very much. There were also some grammatical errors that you don't often catch on audio but stood out - problematic when Elle is supposed to be an English professor. This gets 4 stars because of Angela Dawe - who always elevates a work. Dawe doesn't just read, but performs. Each character has their own distinct voice and I especially liked Hunter's. And Dawe's narration of the love scenes? Lord have mercy. This is the first of a series that many in FB groups have said that they love. I may give the second one a go - especially if Dawe narrates it. But I won't be rushing out to do it.
There were good things about it. I liked Hunter, Elle's friends, and it was a very steamy read. Ultimately, though, Elle was a bit too flawed for me to root for her very much. There were also some grammatical errors that you don't often catch on audio but stood out - problematic when Elle is supposed to be an English professor. This gets 4 stars because of Angela Dawe - who always elevates a work. Dawe doesn't just read, but performs. Each character has their own distinct voice and I especially liked Hunter's. And Dawe's narration of the love scenes? Lord have mercy. This is the first of a series that many in FB groups have said that they love. I may give the second one a go - especially if Dawe narrates it. But I won't be rushing out to do it.
May 16, 2021
Sexy, Sweet Characters. Listening to Angela Dawe as Hunter blew up this book. Chemistry is smoldering between Professor Elle and her former student. Angst Steam Angst.
August 5, 2014
Am I the only one disappointed at the reason why Hunter kept her winter jacket on?
November 11, 2020
I love Eliza Lentzski - like, really, really love her. I connected with the Don't Call Me Hero books and read the entire series in what felt like days. So, a while ago when I saw that there was another series, Winter Jacket, to inhale, I didn't waste a second downloading the first book. I'm not sure why I didn't click with it, sometimes I have days or weeks where I'm not feeling it and so I won't finish a book - the dreaded DNF. And that's what happened with this one. (I won't get into the plot since this has tons of reviews already and is a few years old).
BUT... when I saw that the audiobook was released in late October and ANGELA DAWE is the narrator - I decided to give it another chance. And boy, oh boy, am I glad I did. I did not lose interest at all and I kept asking myself along the way why on earth I was so quick to dismiss this book when I tried to read it. Did I mention Angela Dawe is the narrator? She acts out the book/characters, instead of simply narrating it... and when it comes to the sex scenes - ohh my. Angela Dawe does not do enough lesfic narrations and if I had the power to change this fact, I would!
For those on the fence about listening to audiobooks or this one in particular, I highly recommend it. I'll be here patiently waiting to listen to book 2 in the series.
BUT... when I saw that the audiobook was released in late October and ANGELA DAWE is the narrator - I decided to give it another chance. And boy, oh boy, am I glad I did. I did not lose interest at all and I kept asking myself along the way why on earth I was so quick to dismiss this book when I tried to read it. Did I mention Angela Dawe is the narrator? She acts out the book/characters, instead of simply narrating it... and when it comes to the sex scenes - ohh my. Angela Dawe does not do enough lesfic narrations and if I had the power to change this fact, I would!
For those on the fence about listening to audiobooks or this one in particular, I highly recommend it. I'll be here patiently waiting to listen to book 2 in the series.
August 27, 2016
This probably wasn't the book for me to read. I was hesitant to begin with because it involved a teacher and student. That's not really my kind of thing. Then it was so bloody slow (ironically, I've seen reviews saying it's too fast, meh, can't displease everyone the same way. hehe)
Right, so below is what I wrote as I read it. I suggest not reading it. I kind of got a little annoyed and used words I shouldn't have.
I probably could have given this an extra 1/2 star if I could. Even a full extra star if the melodrama had been cut down a little bit.
ETA: I've added another star after thinking about it. The story is lingering in my mind. Description of the rest of the series is a little off-putting, though, so I'll probably still not continue.
Right, so below is what I wrote as I read it. I suggest not reading it. I kind of got a little annoyed and used words I shouldn't have.
I probably could have given this an extra 1/2 star if I could. Even a full extra star if the melodrama had been cut down a little bit.
ETA: I've added another star after thinking about it. The story is lingering in my mind. Description of the rest of the series is a little off-putting, though, so I'll probably still not continue.
May 24, 2021
4⭐ - Audible version - solid/sexy college student/professor romance
I liked this book quite a bit. A have a soft spot for a little bit of taboo and really, its only a very little bit here as the "student" is 20 and in college and the professor is in her early thirties and they do not get together until after the student is no longer in her class.
This is a series. I am not sure if I will read the next one cuz I kinda like leaving stories at a HEA. I loved both of these characters, especially Hunter I am just not sure I want to read any more drama between them, ya know? I just want to believe they are happy together forever. :D
I liked this book quite a bit. A have a soft spot for a little bit of taboo and really, its only a very little bit here as the "student" is 20 and in college and the professor is in her early thirties and they do not get together until after the student is no longer in her class.
This is a series. I am not sure if I will read the next one cuz I kinda like leaving stories at a HEA. I loved both of these characters, especially Hunter I am just not sure I want to read any more drama between them, ya know? I just want to believe they are happy together forever. :D
June 28, 2021
Eliza Lentzski is fast becoming one of my go-to author. It wasn’t love at first read for me but it kind of grew on me over time. The character and book that spurred me to read more of Eliza Lentzski’s book is Julia Desjardin… yeah that lady who still intrigue me to this end from Don’t call me Hero Series.
Now back to Winter Jacket. I don’t have anything bad to say about WJ. MC who are both femme with an age-gap of about 10 years.. Well, when one is an Associate Professor with a PhD under her belt and the other is an undergraduate student albeit, a former student, 10 years sounds quite right. It was sweet and it was hot… with a little angst at the side. Like I said… nothing for me not too like.
4 star
Now back to Winter Jacket. I don’t have anything bad to say about WJ. MC who are both femme with an age-gap of about 10 years.. Well, when one is an Associate Professor with a PhD under her belt and the other is an undergraduate student albeit, a former student, 10 years sounds quite right. It was sweet and it was hot… with a little angst at the side. Like I said… nothing for me not too like.
4 star
January 1, 2021
Review of 'Winter Jacket' by Eliza Lentzski, Audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe
This is a wlw student teacher romance with a twist. Instead of the stereotyped student crush, we get to read the story from the infatuated teacher's point of view.
I've read this book years ago and loved it. As it has recently been released in audiobook, narrated by none less than Angela Dawe, I've
jumped at the chance to revisit the story. 'Winter Jacket' is told in first person from the point of view of Assistant Professor Elle Graft, who is relatively new in her job and still learning to navigate the hardships of academic life while fighting for a tenure position. Having a strong student crush wasn't part of the plan, especially involving equally enigmatic as gorgeous graduate student Hunter Dyson...
'Winter Jacket' - incidentally an unforgettable title - is book one of the series under the same name. There is a prequel to this one called 'Hunter' which tells the story from the namesake pov, intertwining in time with 'Winter Jacket'. The series continues with 'New Beginnings', 'Finding Home' and 'All in', all of them following Elle and Hunter as their relationship evolves. I haven't read any of the other books but if Angela Dawe will be narrating the rest, count me in.
As I said above, 'Winter Jacket' is narrated in first person from the point of view of Elle, who is as much a fascinating and frustrating character. Ms. Lentzski not only inverts the role of the infatuated person but also makes the more mature character... well, immature. As it's normal with first-person pov, the reader learns about Hunter from Ellen's perspective which makes her unattainable and intriguing, starting with the mini-mystery of why she never takes her winter jacket off in the warm classroom.
The reader is naturally in Elle's headspace a lot, who is fleshed out really well especially in all her shortcomings. She's a frustrating character to read but, at the same time, realistic. It doesn't hurt that Angela Dawe brings her to life in such an exquisite way, performing all the range of emotional turmoil as the pro she is. However, for me, Ms. Dawe's interpretation of Hunter deserves special praise because she makes us all fall in love a little with her alongside Elle. Hunter's voice, husky and sultry should be taught in voice artists' classes as the epitome of sensuality.
Overall, a highly recommended audiobook that will make you want to listen to the rest of the series. Book 2 is going to be released soon and Book 3 is going to be recorded in 2021 (both narrated by Angela Dawe). 5 stars.
Length: 8 hours, 54 minutes.
This is a wlw student teacher romance with a twist. Instead of the stereotyped student crush, we get to read the story from the infatuated teacher's point of view.
I've read this book years ago and loved it. As it has recently been released in audiobook, narrated by none less than Angela Dawe, I've
jumped at the chance to revisit the story. 'Winter Jacket' is told in first person from the point of view of Assistant Professor Elle Graft, who is relatively new in her job and still learning to navigate the hardships of academic life while fighting for a tenure position. Having a strong student crush wasn't part of the plan, especially involving equally enigmatic as gorgeous graduate student Hunter Dyson...
'Winter Jacket' - incidentally an unforgettable title - is book one of the series under the same name. There is a prequel to this one called 'Hunter' which tells the story from the namesake pov, intertwining in time with 'Winter Jacket'. The series continues with 'New Beginnings', 'Finding Home' and 'All in', all of them following Elle and Hunter as their relationship evolves. I haven't read any of the other books but if Angela Dawe will be narrating the rest, count me in.
As I said above, 'Winter Jacket' is narrated in first person from the point of view of Elle, who is as much a fascinating and frustrating character. Ms. Lentzski not only inverts the role of the infatuated person but also makes the more mature character... well, immature. As it's normal with first-person pov, the reader learns about Hunter from Ellen's perspective which makes her unattainable and intriguing, starting with the mini-mystery of why she never takes her winter jacket off in the warm classroom.
The reader is naturally in Elle's headspace a lot, who is fleshed out really well especially in all her shortcomings. She's a frustrating character to read but, at the same time, realistic. It doesn't hurt that Angela Dawe brings her to life in such an exquisite way, performing all the range of emotional turmoil as the pro she is. However, for me, Ms. Dawe's interpretation of Hunter deserves special praise because she makes us all fall in love a little with her alongside Elle. Hunter's voice, husky and sultry should be taught in voice artists' classes as the epitome of sensuality.
Overall, a highly recommended audiobook that will make you want to listen to the rest of the series. Book 2 is going to be released soon and Book 3 is going to be recorded in 2021 (both narrated by Angela Dawe). 5 stars.
Length: 8 hours, 54 minutes.
October 22, 2021
Finally. I finally got my hands on this after it being on my TBR for too long, not being able to find it anywhere. Being a Kobo user, I kept checking for it to be available on that platform, only to constantly be disappointed. When I heard Angela Dawe did the audio, I broke my "no amazon" rule and got it on Audible, and promptly feel like I'll go straight to hell (booooo amazon).
But let me tell you, hearing this rather overdone story line but by Ms. Dawe's narration......Swoon worthy. I adore Ms. Lentski's work overall, and found the burn of this one rather addictive. Yes we've all read the teacher/student trope before, but I liked that this was from the professor's POV. I didn't find the 9 year age gap creepy or wrong at all. I enjoyed Hunter's character a lot, though I often wanted to punch Elle in the face for her poor decisions. This is where the story lost some points, and some parts were a little drawn out for me. Had I been reading it, my interest would have waned.
The sex....THE SEX. PEOPLE. It is so good, and if anyone has read Ms. Lentski's "Don't Call Me Hero" series, you'll know how creative and descriptive it can be. Same goes here, and Ms. Dawe knows how to enunciate....so.....appropriately. jesus christ in a jogging suit it was sublime. A true gift!
And yes, I had a sell another little piece of my soul by purchasing book 2 from *shudder* amazon. Take my $17 jerkos, I need to read more about Elle and Hunter! Worth it. But Please authors, PLEASE.....give us Canadian Kobo users some lovin'!
But let me tell you, hearing this rather overdone story line but by Ms. Dawe's narration......Swoon worthy. I adore Ms. Lentski's work overall, and found the burn of this one rather addictive. Yes we've all read the teacher/student trope before, but I liked that this was from the professor's POV. I didn't find the 9 year age gap creepy or wrong at all. I enjoyed Hunter's character a lot, though I often wanted to punch Elle in the face for her poor decisions. This is where the story lost some points, and some parts were a little drawn out for me. Had I been reading it, my interest would have waned.
The sex....THE SEX. PEOPLE. It is so good, and if anyone has read Ms. Lentski's "Don't Call Me Hero" series, you'll know how creative and descriptive it can be. Same goes here, and Ms. Dawe knows how to enunciate....so.....appropriately. jesus christ in a jogging suit it was sublime. A true gift!
And yes, I had a sell another little piece of my soul by purchasing book 2 from *shudder* amazon. Take my $17 jerkos, I need to read more about Elle and Hunter! Worth it. But Please authors, PLEASE.....give us Canadian Kobo users some lovin'!
June 17, 2016
2.5 stars. So disappointed. I was going to round up to 3 stars, but the more I thought about the book, I couldn't. I recently read her "Hero" series and I love, loved it, so I was really looking forward to reading this series.
It started off fine, I was enjoying it. But then someone from Elle's past shows up (the requisite angst) and it went downhill for me. I began to really dislike Elle. Because of her actions and non-actions, she comes off as selfish & self centered. I know she had tenure coming up, but if she was that worried, why start a relationship? Well, as I stated when I first started to read this book - teacher/student boss/employee that are May/Dec affairs especially if the younger is very young is not usually very appealing to me. This book didn't change my mind.
One of the reviewers (I'll have to go back and see who it was) thought the reason why Hunter kept her jacket on was lame - I agree. Made no sense, it was dumb. Maybe the first time initially, but after that take it off in the hallway or off to the side. Yes, early on Hunter says people say she is too polite. All the more reason she was at a disadvantage in this relationship.
I plan to check out the author's other books, but I think I'll skip the rest of this series.
It started off fine, I was enjoying it. But then someone from Elle's past shows up (the requisite angst) and it went downhill for me. I began to really dislike Elle. Because of her actions and non-actions, she comes off as selfish & self centered. I know she had tenure coming up, but if she was that worried, why start a relationship? Well, as I stated when I first started to read this book - teacher/student boss/employee that are May/Dec affairs especially if the younger is very young is not usually very appealing to me. This book didn't change my mind.
One of the reviewers (I'll have to go back and see who it was) thought the reason why Hunter kept her jacket on was lame - I agree. Made no sense, it was dumb. Maybe the first time initially, but after that take it off in the hallway or off to the side. Yes, early on Hunter says people say she is too polite. All the more reason she was at a disadvantage in this relationship.
I plan to check out the author's other books, but I think I'll skip the rest of this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2013
Winter Jacket is a May-December romance (the age gap is just 10 years so nothing shocking there) but it is compounded by the fact that the protagonists are a teacher and a student. Nothing overly unethical happens though, so no worries there. The romance is sweet. The development is slow and enjoyable. The sex is really hot. The characters were well-rounded, and sufficiently conflicted about their relationship, but willing to make a go of it. External pressures like parental disapproval and school politics provide some angst. Overall, an enjoyable read.
December 8, 2020
An older favorite of mine. Read this one when I first discovered lesfic and fell in love with Hunter and Ellio. Some of the events seemed weaker to me now but Dawe’s amazing, rich voices more than made up for it. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.
August 27, 2013
Gratuitous Capitalization of Seasons and misspelling of homophones, which really kept popping me out of the story. Also, the story itself sort of lost its momentum about halfway through the book when the two main characters actually hooked up. The characters weren't very 3D either - they were stereotypical or there to play a role. Basically, it read rather like unpolished fanfiction.
August 31, 2017
Aug 2017 - I never thought I'd say this but I miss Hunter and Elle. I know they're one of the most frustrating couple but after reading Hunter's POV I kind of appreciate this book more.
Here comes immaturity, jealousy, cliché which I like! (Sometimes) Hahaha! Peace! :p
Here comes immaturity, jealousy, cliché which I like! (Sometimes) Hahaha! Peace! :p
August 7, 2018
An ok read. It's just not my piece of cake.
August 11, 2020
I had high expectations since I loved The Woman in 3B, and I’m sorry to say that this was a huge disappointment. Of course, Lentzski’s writing is good. The story seemed interesting enough, but it was the main character, Elle, that really ruined things for me.
The story was reasonably paced, and I enjoyed the first few chapters of the book. There was a sense of mystery and intrigue; I wanted to know what Hunter was thinking. Their interactions were awkward and cute, and I liked their banters when they became more comfortable with each other.
My main problem is with the characters. At first, the only one I didn’t like was Troian. I’m not sure if she was supposed to be a funny character, but she was just annoying and was almost always inappropriate. Nevertheless, I tried to ignore it since she wasn’t a main character. But when that incident with Ruby happened, things just went downhill. I can’t believe how unlikable Elle is. She’s the main character, but I felt like she had almost no redeeming qualities. She cheated on her past girlfriend, she checks other girls out despite being in a relationship, and she can’t stand by her choices. I feel like she lacks courage and integrity. She is also waaay too immature for her age. I hate how she leaves things unfixed despite being the older one. Throughout the whole book, I didn’t feel her love for Hunter. Fixation, yes, but love? No.
Story-wise, I was disappointed when they had their misunderstanding. It was so predictable. And since I had just finished The Woman in 3B, my reaction was, “Oh, this again? Another major conflict due to a character mishearing things?”
I don’t know if I’m just being fussy, or if I have high standards and expectations, but this just didn’t do it for me. :(
The story was reasonably paced, and I enjoyed the first few chapters of the book. There was a sense of mystery and intrigue; I wanted to know what Hunter was thinking. Their interactions were awkward and cute, and I liked their banters when they became more comfortable with each other.
My main problem is with the characters. At first, the only one I didn’t like was Troian. I’m not sure if she was supposed to be a funny character, but she was just annoying and was almost always inappropriate. Nevertheless, I tried to ignore it since she wasn’t a main character. But when that incident with Ruby happened, things just went downhill. I can’t believe how unlikable Elle is. She’s the main character, but I felt like she had almost no redeeming qualities. She cheated on her past girlfriend, she checks other girls out despite being in a relationship, and she can’t stand by her choices. I feel like she lacks courage and integrity. She is also waaay too immature for her age. I hate how she leaves things unfixed despite being the older one. Throughout the whole book, I didn’t feel her love for Hunter. Fixation, yes, but love? No.
Story-wise, I was disappointed when they had their misunderstanding. It was so predictable. And since I had just finished The Woman in 3B, my reaction was, “Oh, this again? Another major conflict due to a character mishearing things?”
I don’t know if I’m just being fussy, or if I have high standards and expectations, but this just didn’t do it for me. :(
July 9, 2025
I'd been putting this book off for the longest time, but when I finally got my hands on the audiobook, I could not put it off any longer. I loved the book so much! The storyline was much better than what I anticipated it to be, and the way Elle's character grew through the book was so nice. It was written in the first pov, and Elle was narrating. Honestly it's been so long since I've read a book in first pov and I'd missed this sort of narration. The way she thinks and processes stuff was nice. And I love Hunter so much. The way Elle saw her, I get the infatuation haha.
The narrator, Angela Dawe was so good. She really got into the story and acted out all the emotions. And now that I know she's also narrated the next two books in the series, I'll definitely listen to them!
The narrator, Angela Dawe was so good. She really got into the story and acted out all the emotions. And now that I know she's also narrated the next two books in the series, I'll definitely listen to them!
May 8, 2024
4.5 Stars
I got a bit OBSESSED with this story ngl. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to take a break from reading and had to life for a bit. I was ready to be greeted with the usual Professor-student story and the usual troubles that coupling encounters but Winter Jacket had the roles reversed a bit and I was there for it. I was living for storyline. Obsessed I tell you. I really enjoyed the different POV.
I got a bit OBSESSED with this story ngl. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to take a break from reading and had to life for a bit. I was ready to be greeted with the usual Professor-student story and the usual troubles that coupling encounters but Winter Jacket had the roles reversed a bit and I was there for it. I was living for storyline. Obsessed I tell you. I really enjoyed the different POV.
September 10, 2017
This book can be divided in halves, the good and the bad. The beginning is hilarious and the second half disturbing in just how low the main character will sink. The answer? Far.
April 15, 2026
She seemed to me a piece of beach glass, sharp around the edges and unremarkable until years of being thrown against the sandy shore had worn down her sharpness and polished her smooth.
REREAD 2026. 3.5 stars. My thoughts are pretty similar to my first time reading this. It was messier and more dramatic than I usually like my romances, but it was still fun. The main character is a bit hard to like, but she grows on you. While Elle is flawed, she's pretty upfront about those flaws, and she's made to confront them or fix some of them over the course of the book. And Hunter is a wonderful love interest; both mysterious and vulnerable, confident and shy. The taboo aspect isn't my favourite, but I like how we dealt with it. I'm both happy and leery about the fact that there are three more books in this series. On one hand, I really like the couple and I'm looking forward to getting more of them. But on the other hand, I expect there's going to be a lot of overblown drama...
Oh, well. I'm still committing to finishing the series, because, idk, I got a lot of simple enjoyment out of this, even if the quality isn't the best. Like last time, I have to mention all the random capitalised words that threw me for a loop, but since I mostly listened to the audiobook, it didn't bug me that much. Angela Dawe was amazing, as always.
--
“I make it a rule never to be where I don’t want to be.” There was an unmistakable intensity that flickered behind her eyes.
3.5 stars. This was a hell of a lot of fun, especially for a taboo teacher/student romance where I expected it to be full of drama and mess. There was a lot of drama and mess, and not all of it was necessarily good, but this had such a light and sweet tone overall that really worked for me, and I had a lovely time with the romance. Elle is an assistant professor, working towards getting tenure, and finds herself developing a deep and all-consuming crush on one of her students. The story is told entirely from her POV, and that was surprising to me, and at first I wasn't sure how much I'd like it. I think most of the teacher/student romances I've read have been from the student's POV, or dual POV, and I think that's what I'm most comfortable with. I thought I might get a little skeeved out only seeing the crush from Elle's POV. But this is honestly a relatively tame romance, and although Elle is messy, it never feels inappropriate or weird, and I actually enjoyed seeing her consumed with this crush, being appalled at falling for one of her own students, and the (relatively minor) age gap. There's this definite air of mystery around Hunter at first, and I honestly loved it. And even more so when they eventually start interacting more, and we see the veneer slip away. I loved the feel of the romance, not being able to stay away from each other, bonding about books. That first kiss... so many butterflies.
As I mentioned, Elle is a pretty flawed and imperfect character, and I loved that. She's made a bunch of honestly terrible relationship decisions in her past, and I do always enjoy having main characters who make mistakes, and not just easy fixable ones. Her irreverence was fun, and I loved her relationship with her best friends. (I kinda want a book about Troian and Nikole!) There were some instances, however, where Elle just came across as judgemental and mean, like commenting about someone having to draw their eyebrows in, or certain women having boob jobs. This book is almost 10 years old, and it definitely shows its age in that way, and some of the language used. I get really annoyed when characters comment about/judge other people for no reason, and that did sap some of my enjoyment. And some of the drama with the ex, and some of their later miscommunication, was just blown out of proportion imo.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Angela Dawe, who is a narrator I fall more and more in love with the more I listen to her. Her voices are so animated and filled with personality without going over the top, and she adds the perfect amount of nuance to every scene, whether it's humour or irony or emotion or sexiness. Such a joy to listen to. (I have to say, I was reading along while listening, and the author sometimes randomly capitalised certain phrases/words like Top or Dom or Coming Out, and that was a bit irksome, but the fact that I was listening to it made it less annoying.) The book ends on a very satisfying HFN, but I definitely want to read the rest of their story, and hopefully soon. This is a couple I could see myself becoming obsessed with.
May 5, 2018
3.5. I think this is a first Eliza Lentzski book I've read.
Not bad. The story as been done many times before, but still a nice read. The MC are like able. Would have been nice to no a bit more about there back grounds to understand there characters a bit more, especially Elle, who I found to be a 'tad' bit frustrating at times. Loved the characters of Troian and Nikole, so hoping they appear more in book 2.
Not bad. The story as been done many times before, but still a nice read. The MC are like able. Would have been nice to no a bit more about there back grounds to understand there characters a bit more, especially Elle, who I found to be a 'tad' bit frustrating at times. Loved the characters of Troian and Nikole, so hoping they appear more in book 2.
March 10, 2017
An enjoyable and sweet May-December romance with some steamy scenes.
February 8, 2019
After much thinking, I have decided to not write a heavy and long review detailing how much I disliked this book because there are better books to dedicate my time. So I will quickly gloss over the points I did like and those that made this book not so great. UPDATE: I totally lied and really went in on this book.
Elle Graft has fallen for one of her students in her writing seminars. Chance meetings after the semester ends brings her and her student, Hunter Dyson, closer than she ever expected.
Pros:
1. Elle's sexuality did not need to be explained. She is a lesbian and she's is an adult aware of this.
2. It has a happy ending.
Cons: (...where do I start?)
1. The age difference is 9 years (that isn't a problem for me) but this problem felt exhausted and not very arguable compared to other age gaps.
2. I wasn't even halfway through the book and the couple was already together so I was worried the problems that would drive the rest of the book were going to be predictable or not important at all. It was worse than I could have expected. The problems were not well thought out and were resolved too quickly to accommodate for the next problem.
3. There are three (3) main points of conflict:
4. I am no one to judge whatever nicknames you give your significant other but Ellio???? And the fact that Elle absolutely melts every single time Hunter calls her this? It seems out of character of Elle.
5. I guess I can't really blame the character for this but Elle is weirdly obsessed with the whole Top vs. Bottom concept like she mentions she's a bit of a Dom but it felt out of place everytime it was brought up. Even beyond the sexual ramifications of it, whenever she'd let Hunter take care of her it still felt like she was obsessing over "I don't submit to anybody." But it could just be the writing coming off this way. Which brings me to #6.
6. That weird little BDSM mention???? Oh yeah, "I, Hunter, would like you, Elle, to tie me up even if we have never discussed this ever until this point because I learned that's what you used to do with you ex-lover." And then it was never brought up again.
7. At first it was nice to not have Elle explain her journey discovering she liked girls but the feeling didn't last long because she is obsessed over what other think of her being gay like being gay is the thing to be to be interesting. When she meets Hunter's brother she thinks:
Her thoughts about her being a lesbian always felt more demonstrative. Like she wanted everyone to know even though she too often stressed not caring if others knew.
8.Elle wanted to protect Hunter from all bad things because her heart ached for this lonely girl. She moved once during high school and her only friend was her neighbor turned college roommate. Her parents were still a big (financial and emotional) part of her life so the ploy to sympathize for her character was unsuccessful. I mean, if she was unable to make more friends since high school it says more about her not wanting any than she's had a hard life.
9. There was a moment where the author's shaming of women jumped out when they were in the strip club. Elle remarks:
Oh, but this can't mean what I'm possibly saying. Wait, there's more. She gets a lap dance from a woman who was "long-limbed with fine bones and small, but natural breasts. I think they were the first real breastsI'd seen since we'd gotten here." Absolute garbage. Had to throw away the whole book.
I said I wouldn't get into it but how could I not when this book made me write a list of everything I hated. There's only been one other book and it was a memoir of sorts of a real person. So this book couldn't have done worse than that. But still, I was excited to read the series but they're all the same theme and now I don't trust the author's writing.
I don't mean to offend but the book was not made for me, others may enjoy it but I had to be honest. Hope others pick this book up and genuinely enjoy it, it just wasn't to my taste.
Elle Graft has fallen for one of her students in her writing seminars. Chance meetings after the semester ends brings her and her student, Hunter Dyson, closer than she ever expected.
Pros:
1. Elle's sexuality did not need to be explained. She is a lesbian and she's is an adult aware of this.
2. It has a happy ending.
Cons: (...where do I start?)
1. The age difference is 9 years (that isn't a problem for me) but this problem felt exhausted and not very arguable compared to other age gaps.
2. I wasn't even halfway through the book and the couple was already together so I was worried the problems that would drive the rest of the book were going to be predictable or not important at all. It was worse than I could have expected. The problems were not well thought out and were resolved too quickly to accommodate for the next problem.
3. There are three (3) main points of conflict:
4. I am no one to judge whatever nicknames you give your significant other but Ellio???? And the fact that Elle absolutely melts every single time Hunter calls her this? It seems out of character of Elle.
5. I guess I can't really blame the character for this but Elle is weirdly obsessed with the whole Top vs. Bottom concept like she mentions she's a bit of a Dom but it felt out of place everytime it was brought up. Even beyond the sexual ramifications of it, whenever she'd let Hunter take care of her it still felt like she was obsessing over "I don't submit to anybody." But it could just be the writing coming off this way. Which brings me to #6.
6. That weird little BDSM mention???? Oh yeah, "I, Hunter, would like you, Elle, to tie me up even if we have never discussed this ever until this point because I learned that's what you used to do with you ex-lover." And then it was never brought up again.
7. At first it was nice to not have Elle explain her journey discovering she liked girls but the feeling didn't last long because she is obsessed over what other think of her being gay like being gay is the thing to be to be interesting. When she meets Hunter's brother she thinks:
Brian, a typical teenage boy wouldn't know how to react to seeing the two of us together. I'm sure his hormones were racing with typical straight boy girl-on-girl fantasies, but were complicated because on of those girls was his sister.
Her thoughts about her being a lesbian always felt more demonstrative. Like she wanted everyone to know even though she too often stressed not caring if others knew.
8.Elle wanted to protect Hunter from all bad things because her heart ached for this lonely girl. She moved once during high school and her only friend was her neighbor turned college roommate. Her parents were still a big (financial and emotional) part of her life so the ploy to sympathize for her character was unsuccessful. I mean, if she was unable to make more friends since high school it says more about her not wanting any than she's had a hard life.
9. There was a moment where the author's shaming of women jumped out when they were in the strip club. Elle remarks:
The women, the dancers, walking around . . . were pretty but in a very plastic, uniform way. They all had the same breasts and the same teeth.
Oh, but this can't mean what I'm possibly saying. Wait, there's more. She gets a lap dance from a woman who was "long-limbed with fine bones and small, but natural breasts. I think they were the first real breastsI'd seen since we'd gotten here." Absolute garbage. Had to throw away the whole book.
I said I wouldn't get into it but how could I not when this book made me write a list of everything I hated. There's only been one other book and it was a memoir of sorts of a real person. So this book couldn't have done worse than that. But still, I was excited to read the series but they're all the same theme and now I don't trust the author's writing.
I don't mean to offend but the book was not made for me, others may enjoy it but I had to be honest. Hope others pick this book up and genuinely enjoy it, it just wasn't to my taste.
May 30, 2025
2.75 ⭐
May 20, 2023
Thought it would be better, but I could barely stand Elle at some points
October 21, 2023
pelo o que eu vi falar eu esperava que fosse piorkkkkkk
as 3 estrelas são pela minha princesa hunter, n acho q a elle mereça ela e como uma grande apoiadora da monogamia a aversão dela a isso me irritou 🩷🩷
se algum dia eu continuar essa série será pela loirinha exclusivamente :P
as 3 estrelas são pela minha princesa hunter, n acho q a elle mereça ela e como uma grande apoiadora da monogamia a aversão dela a isso me irritou 🩷🩷
se algum dia eu continuar essa série será pela loirinha exclusivamente :P
March 20, 2022
Likeable characters, but I found the conflicts a bit too forced and fabricated and the spelling was just on this side of tolerable. There's much worse out there, but the kind of mistakes just annoyed me.
There are sequels, I'm sure I'll check them out, there's just something about the characters. And sometimes I just do like to punish myself.
Update reread 2022: I absolutely did not recall not liking it much the first time. I was looking for something to reread that wasn’t my usual go to for that. I stand by what I said a few years ago but there’s just something about these two.
There are sequels, I'm sure I'll check them out, there's just something about the characters. And sometimes I just do like to punish myself.
Update reread 2022: I absolutely did not recall not liking it much the first time. I was looking for something to reread that wasn’t my usual go to for that. I stand by what I said a few years ago but there’s just something about these two.
January 13, 2024
There were things I really liked and others that infuriated me. Elle's character is sometimes pleasant and others infuriating.
Hunter is a sweetheart.
Teacher-student age gap. I wanted more of Hunter. Elle was too dominant in this book.
I was left with some unanswered questions and doubts.
Curious about the sequels....
Hunter is a sweetheart.
Teacher-student age gap. I wanted more of Hunter. Elle was too dominant in this book.
I was left with some unanswered questions and doubts.
Curious about the sequels....
December 13, 2014
It pained me how much a writing prof struggled with homophones--"put on the breaks," etc. And the characterization of the MC was weird, and the whole thing kind of weirdly-paced.
That said, I'm a sucker for teacher student romances and, like Elle, a sucker for reserved, willowy blondes. Sigh.
That said, I'm a sucker for teacher student romances and, like Elle, a sucker for reserved, willowy blondes. Sigh.
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