MCs:
- Lane, 21/22
- Hallie, 18
Book info:
- No cheating, third act breakup
- OWD (see notes)
- Sports romance
- Best friend's brother
- Spice coaching
- Virgin FMC, manhoe MMC
- HFN (living together)
Notes:
- OWD, not really, but previous hookups did appear at some point wanting to get Lane's attention, but he ignored them.
- Based on Lane's POV, he wanted her since they were in high school, but he never acted on it. Because she's his little brother’s best friend. 🙄
- They never used protection because, according to him, he's clean and she's on bc 🤦♀️
- His pet name, "baby," is so icky to read. Idk, but for some reason in my imagination, I feel like he uses this term all the time if he can't remember the name of his hookup. 🤷♀️
I have to admit it took me a long time to warm up to Lane; to be honest, I'm not even sure if I like him even after reading the book.
When he got Hallie's proposal (which isn't even for him; it was meant for his brother, Eli, also Hallie's best friend) he couldn't stop thinking about it and her. So after a week, he decided to take up that role and chance to finally be with Hallie by taking her v-card 🤢
According to Lane, since Hallie moved in with him and Eli, he has been living in hell because he can't stop wanting or thinking about her. Buuuut he had no problems sneaking out women into their dorm at night, despite this "living in hell" dilemma (mentioned off page). He was not even ashamed of telling Eli and Hallie about his day plans, which may or may not include finding a cleat chaser; he was actually smirking at Hallie when he said this. 🙄
So how will I be able to believe he's been pining for her for YEARS when he has no qualms about sleeping around and even letting Hallie see those women? For the life of me, I just can't fucking buy this BS. You don't act like this around the person that you certainly want. I know this is fiction, but seriously? That was low and disgusting. 😤
But I have to give credit when credit is due. Lane is a good coach when it comes to this smex thing (*coughs* manhoe *coughs*). He just knows all the right things to do and say to help Hallie step out of her comfort zone and be at ease with her sexuality. He's also caring all the time, especially in that chapter when she was on her period and got really bad cramps. He took care of her and made sure she was comfortable—a totally sweet gesture, btw. He's also protective; I did appreciate him punching a guy who insulted Hallie and for telling off his previous hookup after she made snide remarks about her. Like I said, he had his good times; he's patient, sweet, thoughtful, and overall dependable when he realized he wanted Hallie for real and not just because of her proposal. Also, the grand gesture at the end? Some readers would probably swoon over him and his gesture, but I only got secondhand embarrassment from that. Although I liked his lines and felt his sincerity, I really think he should've said those confessions in private and without making it a huge spectacle. But it is what it is. 🤷♀️
Despite the good he had going, the constant reminders of his reputation always left a sour taste, which diminished the plus points he earned from his sweet gestures. It was bad enough that he fucked around since he was a college freshman, even though "apparently" he wanted Hallie. And I really, really don't need this gross information about what "Old Lane" would do if Hallie wasn't in the picture. I.JUST.WANT.IT.TO.STOP!!!!
As for Hallie, her quirks annoy the crap out of me. Idk why, tbh, I didn't find it cute even at the beginning. The stuttering around Lane eventually gets exhausting along the way. Maybe this is supposed to be adorable. But her stammering was irksome. Why does she become speechless whenever he's around? I really hoped and waited until the end that she would get over this, but, nah, it didn't happen. However, there are things that I did like about her. I like her dedication to her podcast and that she's unapologetically herself all the time. I liked that she didn't change a thing about her and that she really owned her interests and quirks. I appreciated it the most when she became comfortable with her sexuality and learned not to shy away from expressing what she wanted.
Overall, this story didn't work for me. Though Lane did prove himself in the second half of the book, I just can't get over the annoyance I felt from the first half, and that feeling ruined the rest of the story for me. This might be a me case too, but I didn't feel the emotional connection between them. Sexual tension? Sure, off the charts. But emotional pull? Meh.
Anyway, while this book isn't for me, other readers might feel differently, and to each their own as always.
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based on the reviews, he's been secretly pining for her for YEARS! and yet he's a notorious playboy??? i should probably read this to get the full context, but reading that info is already making me a little annoyed.