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Desperate Love Institute
Natalie Winters wasn't sure what life in the military would have in store for her. Leaving her simple life in the past, hoping to forge her own path into adulthood, she embarks on a journey to become a linguist in the U.S. Army.
Bonds formed in basic training follow Natalie to her arrival at the Defense Language Institute, where she will spend the next 64 weeks enduring the grueling trials of attempting to learn an exotic foreign language to fluency.
As if this wasn't enough to grapple with, Natalie finds herself entangled in a complex romantic web that forces her to confront passion, guilt, excitement, betrayal, and depression. Unable to escape the ensuing drama, she risks losing focus on the true purpose of her military journey.
Desperate Love Institute is more than just a romance novel. This is a story of hope, determination, confliction, perseverance, and growth.
Bonds formed in basic training follow Natalie to her arrival at the Defense Language Institute, where she will spend the next 64 weeks enduring the grueling trials of attempting to learn an exotic foreign language to fluency.
As if this wasn't enough to grapple with, Natalie finds herself entangled in a complex romantic web that forces her to confront passion, guilt, excitement, betrayal, and depression. Unable to escape the ensuing drama, she risks losing focus on the true purpose of her military journey.
Desperate Love Institute is more than just a romance novel. This is a story of hope, determination, confliction, perseverance, and growth.
235 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2024
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11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 31, 2024
Interesting for the novelty of a book set at DLI, but the romance itself is like eating cardboard. Jones and Natalie are as dull as their names. A male lead who studied kinesiology in college and responds to texts with a single 👍, and a female lead whose biggest concerns are which bland guy to pick and whether every female soldier who talks to Jones is secretly moving in on her man… spare me.
December 14, 2024
For beginners, I desperately hope that her Arabic is much better than her English because YIKES. Sis had a typo on the front cover of her own book. Yet the whole book boasts about how intelligent the main character is. (Which I’m assuming she based off herself.)
A few things that drove me insane:
1. This book had no plot. It is just a bland ass story of some bland ass girls time at DLI.
2. There is absolutely no character development. We don’t even know the first name of the main love interest. She claims she loves him yet calls him by his last name the entire time. Weird.
3. Taylor, the Air Force girl, was villainized and called a bitch for what exactly? She knew the main character, Natalie, was secretly sleeping with two dudes at the same time and informed one of them of what was going on. Girl could’ve spread an STD so easily. I would’ve told the guy too.
4. She makes a friend, Schultz, during her single depressed girl era and the second she gets back together with her ex(?) we never really hear about the girl again. The friendship seemed solid and Natalie would help Shultz in her studies. It seemed as though she was doing better in her studies yet we never hear about her DLPT scores or anything after the course is over. It would’ve been nice to see that she scored well and all her studying paid off. Additionally, she went to eat with Jones and his family after graduation and didn’t invite Schultz. Natalie desperately gives off overly attached “I’m not like other girls” girlfriend vibes who drops everyone the second she gets a boyfriend. It’s giving bad friend imo.
5. The repetition in this book is exhausting. She will rephrase the same thing in 2,3,4 different sentence back to back. Girl we get it. Natalie was excited for “what was to come.”
6. If you aren’t familiar with Monterey/DLI then this book will really make no sense. So many things mentioned without any context or clarification of what they are. Del Monte Center, Franklin gate, OPI, etc.
7. Natalie had awful taste in food since she only eats at restaurants on cannery row (including Bubba Gumps) and the wharf.
A few things that drove me insane:
1. This book had no plot. It is just a bland ass story of some bland ass girls time at DLI.
2. There is absolutely no character development. We don’t even know the first name of the main love interest. She claims she loves him yet calls him by his last name the entire time. Weird.
3. Taylor, the Air Force girl, was villainized and called a bitch for what exactly? She knew the main character, Natalie, was secretly sleeping with two dudes at the same time and informed one of them of what was going on. Girl could’ve spread an STD so easily. I would’ve told the guy too.
4. She makes a friend, Schultz, during her single depressed girl era and the second she gets back together with her ex(?) we never really hear about the girl again. The friendship seemed solid and Natalie would help Shultz in her studies. It seemed as though she was doing better in her studies yet we never hear about her DLPT scores or anything after the course is over. It would’ve been nice to see that she scored well and all her studying paid off. Additionally, she went to eat with Jones and his family after graduation and didn’t invite Schultz. Natalie desperately gives off overly attached “I’m not like other girls” girlfriend vibes who drops everyone the second she gets a boyfriend. It’s giving bad friend imo.
5. The repetition in this book is exhausting. She will rephrase the same thing in 2,3,4 different sentence back to back. Girl we get it. Natalie was excited for “what was to come.”
6. If you aren’t familiar with Monterey/DLI then this book will really make no sense. So many things mentioned without any context or clarification of what they are. Del Monte Center, Franklin gate, OPI, etc.
7. Natalie had awful taste in food since she only eats at restaurants on cannery row (including Bubba Gumps) and the wharf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2025
Absolutely terrible book. Read it for the lols of a romance novel set at DLI but it was so bad and cringy. This authors say's she is a two time graduate of DLI, she might have mastered language but English was not one of them. The writing alone is horrible. She repeatedly sees the same words and phrases. Feels a lot like the cringe Y/N fanfiction you write when your are 12 years old. The dialogue is unbelievable and just line after line of no one talks like this or has ever said that.
The book starts with the main character being like i am a totally ordinary girl with a 4.0 GPA and proceeds to show us how she is literally the most plain person but still is top of the class. 0 personality except fantasizing about boys. The insecurity becomes insufferable, not every girl talking to the man your interested in is a threat. Also how are you going to let him touch you, kiss, you SLEEP WITH YOU, and not define your relationship. Maybe if you asked you would not need to be insecure. At least the second love interest said he wanted to be casual and defined the relationship. It was annoying that she complained about losing the guys when she literally never defined the relationship. Then is all like "were they using me" yes, and its your fault. I cannot imagine someone who has to repeatedly remind herself to focus and study instead of daydreaming or making out with boys to be able to actually pass the DLPT. She should have made some female friends sooner so they could tell her how stupid she was being.
Also how are you going to switch your language for a boy, that affect your whole future, you can still be friends with people in other languages, switching felt so rash.
The novel did not need to take place at DLI, it felt like the author just wanted to name drop places DLI students would recognize and some events without giving the actual feel. How do you not know what seventh hour is until the day before class. How do you forget about getting an AA degree. The whole magnitude and weight of the DLPT is not even touched upon until the end of the book without showing how it hangs over everyone from before you even start class. You show up at DLI and are already behind it terms of preparing for your DLPT, it is a single focus and you do not have this much time to waste sleeping with boys.
The whole thing felt like the author trying to write a fantasy version of her life where she is perfect in school, works out and gets the guy all while being totally ordinary and insufferable.
feels like the book was written as a rage bait to discover all the DLI linguist.
And the biggest bullshit is setting anki up with ease at breakfast, girl that nightmare app is not " a fun spatial repetition flashcard app" it induces feelings of violence but is necessary to help maintain thousands of words.
p.s.
buddy reading the book aloud plus doing the voices for the characters made the book kinda funny and is enjoyable to listen to in class. 10/10
The book starts with the main character being like i am a totally ordinary girl with a 4.0 GPA and proceeds to show us how she is literally the most plain person but still is top of the class. 0 personality except fantasizing about boys. The insecurity becomes insufferable, not every girl talking to the man your interested in is a threat. Also how are you going to let him touch you, kiss, you SLEEP WITH YOU, and not define your relationship. Maybe if you asked you would not need to be insecure. At least the second love interest said he wanted to be casual and defined the relationship. It was annoying that she complained about losing the guys when she literally never defined the relationship. Then is all like "were they using me" yes, and its your fault. I cannot imagine someone who has to repeatedly remind herself to focus and study instead of daydreaming or making out with boys to be able to actually pass the DLPT. She should have made some female friends sooner so they could tell her how stupid she was being.
Also how are you going to switch your language for a boy, that affect your whole future, you can still be friends with people in other languages, switching felt so rash.
The novel did not need to take place at DLI, it felt like the author just wanted to name drop places DLI students would recognize and some events without giving the actual feel. How do you not know what seventh hour is until the day before class. How do you forget about getting an AA degree. The whole magnitude and weight of the DLPT is not even touched upon until the end of the book without showing how it hangs over everyone from before you even start class. You show up at DLI and are already behind it terms of preparing for your DLPT, it is a single focus and you do not have this much time to waste sleeping with boys.
The whole thing felt like the author trying to write a fantasy version of her life where she is perfect in school, works out and gets the guy all while being totally ordinary and insufferable.
feels like the book was written as a rage bait to discover all the DLI linguist.
And the biggest bullshit is setting anki up with ease at breakfast, girl that nightmare app is not " a fun spatial repetition flashcard app" it induces feelings of violence but is necessary to help maintain thousands of words.
p.s.
buddy reading the book aloud plus doing the voices for the characters made the book kinda funny and is enjoyable to listen to in class. 10/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2024
i saw someone who reviewed this book use the phrase "like eating cardboard" to describe the romance but i'd say it applies to the entire book...233 pages...it could have been condensed down to 50 if we cut out all the times "she couldnt wait for what happened next" or "whatever came next--she was ready" was written. anyway. the novelty of it being a book about DLI is funny and really the only reason i see anyone reading this book. can't wait for the sequels "goodfellow heartbreak" and "first duty station top secret fling"
November 18, 2024
I read a lot of incredible romance novels, and I wanted to give this a legitimate shot. I also want to acknowledge that perhaps I am biased to not like this…. It’s mediocre, at best. Like Baby’s first romance novel, but I’ve read YA romances better than this.
The novelty of DLI was fun. But that’s where the good stuff ends.
I had the kindle edition of this book and there were some formatting/editorial things that drove me nuts. Why were all the conversations in italics? Why did Natalie have three different times she exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding? Why was one of the chapters titled “Untitled”? What the hell was Jones’ first name!
A lot of description was overwritten, and the romance was underwhelming. I also didn’t feel bad for Natalie getting herself caught up in the Desperate Love part of DLI. She was just annoying
The novelty of DLI was fun. But that’s where the good stuff ends.
I had the kindle edition of this book and there were some formatting/editorial things that drove me nuts. Why were all the conversations in italics? Why did Natalie have three different times she exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding? Why was one of the chapters titled “Untitled”? What the hell was Jones’ first name!
A lot of description was overwritten, and the romance was underwhelming. I also didn’t feel bad for Natalie getting herself caught up in the Desperate Love part of DLI. She was just annoying
August 27, 2025
Of all the books I’ve read, this was certainly one of them.
December 15, 2024
Desperately wanted to like it more, but the story just wasn't compelling. Wish the platonic friendship introduced more than halfway through was explored more, as it was one of the few ways Winters outwardly showed any growth independent of her romances.
November 15, 2024
It felt like a collaboration between all the insufferable girls who joined right after high school and only had DLI and their boyfriends as personality traits. It was bland, generic, vapid, and worst of all, boring. She really didn't do anything or go anywhere except whatever comes up when you Google "top 5 things to do in Monterey". She had no real friends outside the two or three guys she's interested in and came off as a holier than thou snob at a few points. She went absolutely feral when a guy touched her knee and spent more time fantasizing than actually doing anything. Not only did she switch languages for a boy she met at basic, she also spent little to no time actually studying because 💖boys💖 yet was still somehow top of her class? I call bullshit.
November 20, 2024
Pretty shallow read. I'd enjoy it if I was a 13 year old girl.
May 8, 2025
couldn't even finish, just so cringe and terrible grammar lol
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews