Forced Proximity

Bluebell House #1

by Jaymin Eve, Tate James

New College. New Start. New Life.

Or at least a second chance at life after almost dying at my last school.

Meadowridge College was supposed to be a fresh start at the safest college in America. I'd be rubbing elbows with the elite of the world, while trying to complete my degree and find a path to a brighter future.

My trauma had other ideas though. When the panic attacks send me into the arms of a gorgeous stranger in the library, it sets off a chaotic chain of events that end with me being kicked out of my dorms and forced to live and renovate a rundown old house on the edge of campus.

With five of the schools richest, most arrogant, controlling men.

Men who are filled with secrets.

Secrets I was starting to think might be to do with me.

Being forced to share Bluebell House could turn enemies into friends, and maybe even lovers... but will we all make it out alive?

*Forced Proximity is book one in the Bluebell House duet and ends on a cliffhanger. This is a 95k word dark, college romance and the FMC will not choose between the men. It is recommended for 18+ due to adult situations and language.

Genres: Why Choose, Dark Romance, Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Dark

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

Jaymin Eve is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi novels filled with epic love stories, great adventures, and plenty of laughs. She lives in Australia with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a couple of crazy pets. To date, she has sold over three million ebooks, and still can't believe that she gets to create fantasy worlds as a job. 

For action, adventure, romance, and a guaranteed HEA, start one of her series today.

Reading order:

Secret Keepers series (Paranormal Romance) House of Darken. House of Imperial. House of Leights. House of Royale.

Storm Princess Saga (PNR/Fantasy)
The Princess Must Die. The Princess Must Strike. The Princess Must Reign.

Curse of the Gods (Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance series) UpperYA/NA
Trickery. Persuasion. Seduction. Strength. Neutral. Pain.

Supernatural Prison (UF/PNR romance -shifter, vampire, fae, magic user) Upper YA/NA
Dragon Marked. Dragon Mystics. Dragon Mated. Broken Compass. Magical Compass.

NYC Mecca Series (UF/PNR Romance - shifters) Upper YA
Queen Heir. Queen Alpha. Queen Fae. Queen Mecca.

Hive Trilogy (UF/PNR Romance - vampires) Upper YA
Ash. Anarchy. Annihilate.

Walker Saga (Fantasy/adventure/romance - gods, mermaids, dragons) YA
First World. Spurn. Crais. Regali. Nephilius. Dronish. Earth.

Stay updated:

http://www.jaymineve.com

https://www.facebook.com/JayminEve.Au...

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

'𝐅O𝐑C𝐄D P𝐑O𝐗I𝐌I𝐓Y' Is the first full length RH romance book in the (Bluebell House) duet Co written by authors Jaymin Eve and Tate James. Ends on a cliffy.

It's been a while since I've read anything by these two..So when I got that notification that this had been released, purchasing my own copy had never been done so quick.

Each guy brings their own individual personalities alive in this book, all hotter than the blazing sun each smitten with our strong willed sexy heroine.

Once this landed on my iPad, I dived right in, and from that point I was hooked, the banter between these characters and our fast witted heroine had me snorting abundantly.

So much mystery surrounds each guy
The connection to each other which they hide from the world
Their pasts.

Straight A student Evelyn is the shiny new transfer student at Meadowridge College, a college which is heavily guarded and a safe place for her to blend in and keep her head down. She didn't expect this college catered to royalty, politicians and the rich. So blending in was going to be a bit of a challenge for her.

BUTTTTTT that kind of went out the window (Day 1) when during a frequent panic attack, trauma leading back to PTSD she locks lips with a hot guy in the library. 'He was one of the hottest guys I'd ever seen.'

That hot guy that she'd kissed turned out to be her professor who teaches 'Economics of Crime' then she meets Andrew who also takes this class and she can't help to be drawn to him as well. Turns out he's the president's son..

Due to a fight breaking out on campus and fingers pointing towards Evelyn being involved and the boys it's quickly established that they all have to share accommodation together and supervised by Ethan.

Forced proximity has never been so hot..
It just keeps raining men..

The guys...
The thirst trap teacher is Ethan who is Connor's older brother.
Brodie Keller, a superhero heartthrob, who claims Evelyn as his bestie.
Andrew Is the serious one of the group and butts heads with Evelyn the most.
Haze is dealing with some deep dark trauma in his life and due to that doesn't like to be touched.
Then we have Connor Who's Andrew's bestie, he's also closely connected to Evelyn's father whom she hasn't seen since he uploaded her off to people when she was young.

I thought this was a great start to the series, but I just wanted more where the guys were concerned, becasue here and there we'd get a few sentences sprinkled throughout about them and that's pretty much it, so I'm hoping they delve more into the boys dynamics and pasts in the next book because we really only got snippets.

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[Kristie (read_between.the_wines) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG…

This was a wild ride. I really loved our FMC, Eve. She was struggling with PTSD but didn’t let it stop her from being fierce. The guys UGH the mennnnn im obsessed with Haze. Something about him speaks to me! But you can tell all of them were obsessed with her just in different ways.

There is only one guy that I want to junk punch… but hopefully he’ll be redeemed in book two.

This was fun and sexy and exciting, everything I’ve come to know and expect from Tate and Jaymin together.

My ONLY con was, I felt, there weren’t enough guy chapters. There were just a few sprinkled in like less than 4 chapters all together so we didn’t get to see everyone’s personality and thoughts… and with it being a whychoose of 5 guys I need a little more. BUT this is my personal opinion because I’ve read tates book with all FMC and I loved it… I just wanted more after I got a taste of it… you know what im trying to say?! lol

Does end of cliffhanger

4.5 stars :)


**arc read**

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five freaking stars as always!! I'm not sure I've never requested an ARC so fast before. I love everything I've read of Tate's and Forced Proximity with Jaymin is no exception. I loved Evelyn and her story. She had a lot of trauma and PTSD from her past experiences at her last college and she doesn’t even know the truth depths of the danger she is in or the full story. The guys were sooooo frustrating with their BS, but I was rooting for them so hard. Brodie was my absolute favorite with his happy attitude and unending support for Eve. Ethan was my second favorite of the guys. I’m really rooting for Haze and Connor to figure things out with Eve in book two. The jury is still out on Andrew though. I love the mysterious aspect of the unknown backstory of the guys, their families, and the friendship. I’m also dying to know more about Eve’s backstory and her mysterious father who seems like bad news. I devoured this book and a little over a day and lived every minute of it. Of course in classic Tate style, these two left us with a major cliffhanger. My only question is, when does book two come out?! It’s a need, not a want.

[Doom Sunshine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evelyn (Eve) was the victim of a college school shooting where the shooter killed twenty plus people, but came for her specifically. FMC sustained a nasty gunshot wound to her back and almost died. She then transferred to a prestigious university where royals, diplomat children and other VIP's attend for a huge price. There, she meets five men and through events she now has to live with them.

Man, Jaymine Eve cannot write an original FMC for the life of her. I could easily put Eve in any of her other books and no one would notice.

There were so many problems with not only the FMC, but the plot and even the men.

The FMC's whole personality was this: I have PTSD and I refuse to look deeper into anything that is happening because I have PTSD.

The authors also refused to do any kind of deep research into individuals with C-PTSD. How do we know the FMC has PTSD? She has nightmares and suffers from panic attacks that only happen when convenient to the plot. There was a scene where the FMC was in the cafeteria and she even says “being around loud noise with a bunch of people is a trigger for me.” One would expect the FMC to flee or begin a panic attack, but that's not what happened at all! FMC all of a sudden is over her PTSD and goes chasing after her friend. The next day does the FMC suffer from any side effects for her “episode?” Nope. All is good.

The men also follow the standard RH tropes and it was so disappointing. There is, of course, the one MMC who hates the FMC for [insert dumb reason here]. And this is his dumb reason: “It’s not what you’ve done now—it’s what you’re going to do. You’re trouble, Evelyn. The others might want to play happy families and pretend you’re not our downfall, but I know fucking better.”
That's right, he hates the FMC due to events that haven't even happened, may not even happen and he is holding her responsible for how the other men will treat her. It's 2025, let's leave the misogyny in the 90's, hmm?

And the nicknames are TERRIBLE. Our FMC already shortens her name, from Evelyn to Eve. Is that respected? Nope. Everyone pretty much refuses to call her by her preferred name and she only pushes back once. Here are the nicknames: babe, Cinderella, sweetheart, Evie babe, Evie, baby girl, new girl, sunshine, Lilith, baby, beautiful, little Lilith, brat, and filthy little Lilith.
Keep in mind that only three of the five men talk to her on a consistent basis; which means three men gave her fourteen nicknames. PICK A FUCKING NAME AND STICK WITH IT.

Also, brat wasn't said with any kind of love or affection. Does the FMC push back? Nope. She answers to him and starts to develop a crush on the guy that is just jaw dropping mean to her. Cause, why have strong women in 2025? That is just silly.

And we all saw that "cliffhanger" coming.

[Spasticnontastic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The word ‘trauma’ was used 46 times.

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was ridiculous! i had the time of my life reading it.
i loved our protagonist's attitude towards life - she was an absolute vibe, and her perspective was such fun to read from. the love interests were a messy bunch, all unique and each with their own personalities, and i definitely adored some (while being slightly meh towards some others).
i'm mildly upset by the ow/cheating we've got on a couple fronts... but look, this was an entertaining read nonetheless, and flew by. where's part 2?!

[Vicky Ramey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️
3🌶️

This was the trashy reality tv version of a romance book.

Was this mind blowing 🤯 good? No.

Was it very entertaining? Definitely.

I feel like the authors got together and challenged each other to add as many tropes as they could in 300 pages 😂🤦🏽‍♀️

I would not recommend this book to anyone because it is actually pretty bad… but the vibes were there and I must admit I would be looking forward to book two 🤷🏽‍♀️

I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Taylor Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d @ 27%

The writing was ALL over the place. The plot was subpar at best.

They all get into one big fist fight & what is the solution?? The dean moves them all into a house together until they “get along.” LMFAO, seriously?

She’s in the middle of a panic attack and what does our wonderful professor do? Kiss her, as if that will make it suddenly better. “Oh you’re panicking? My lips will fix that” 🙄🙄🙄🙄 shares LITERALLY one kiss with her and then says “no one will hurt you. I promise. I will destroy anyone who tries.” Okay, get a grip buddy.

Brodie is famous, but.. for what, exactly? Idk either. An explosion happens in the chemistry lab that is so big it damn near takes out the FMC but everyone moves on like it’s a normal Tuesday. & the guy who set off the explosion? Totally okay, but the FMC who was OUTSIDE the building needs to go see the nurse. OKAY.

So much potential with this book, but it was written so poorly. You’d think with two authors it would be fantastic, but it’s like both of them had their own ideas and wanted to put it in regardless if it made sense or not.

Wish I could get the time back I spent reading 82 pages of this flaming trashcan.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was absolutely addictive, and bursting with all the best why-choose tropes. But honestly, it was a hot mess of a story. Sinfully hot, with forced proximity, alpha-holes, and super spicy scenes, but a complete mess of a plot and over-indulgence of tropes that were a little cringey when all tied together in a story that was too quick to fully dive into.

I didn’t click with Eve, our FMC - she had no clear personality and wavered between timid and mouthy in a way that didn’t feel relatable or uniquely her.

Eve’s trauma felt like it was purely for plot devices, and had no real depiction or meaning to it. The insta-lust made every other aspect of the story (trauma recovery, connection, and found-family) completely overshadowed.

I don’t think it was the best from these authors, but as a duology it was fast-paced and I couldn’t stop reading to see what would happen next.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

You basically have to completely suspend all belief in reality to enjoy this book. It's technically a contemporary book, but it is so unrealistic that it is basically fantasy.

The FMC is a bit of a special snowflake that they're all obsessed with from day 1 for literally no reason, but it has the entertainment factor.

[tane'a · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ oh i need that next book immediately

[amarachireads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, it took me a while to read but it was a decent first book in the duology. This is sort of a mystery and a why choose romance as the fmc was targeted and someone tried to murder her at her old school. Now shes at her current school, dealing with the pysd/trauma and she meets this group of men separately and ends up having to room with them.

The romance differed across the different mmc, some liked her, some didn’t and they having to work for the hea. Theres a bit of steam but not to much but like the part of them trying to figure out who is after the fmc. This ends in a cliffhanger and I’m ready to see how it ends.

[Helene Svendsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending had me SHOOKETH.

I have so many questions.
How am I supposed to wait for I don’t even know how long for book nr 2? 𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘.


Loved every second of this book. It got me so hooked from the start, and I flew through it.
The plot. The tension. The romance. The found family. The banter. The spice. YES PLS.
I physically paced myself because I didn’t want it to end.

I love all the characters, but I have a favourite and it’s bestie, 𝙨𝙪𝙚 𝙢𝙚. But with what book 2 brings, someone else might take that place 👀


All I’m saying - add this book to your tbr immediately and wait for the release, cause you wanna read it!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know that this just came out 💀 What am I going to do with myself. FML.

[Allison Mazur · Rating 1 out of 5]

God blessed me with eyes and i abused them

[Camilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this before it was officially released! This is my first book from Tate James and my second from Jaymin and I'm so glad I got to know their books because I have a huge obsession with reverse harems😂

I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the sequel because the ENDING killed me. I love the professor/student trope and it's really really really good here 💦💦💦 The other men are really good too but I would have liked more of their personality to be revealed and I hope there's more of that in the second book! Eve occasionally annoyed me with her thoughts but overall it's forgivable.

This is a 4 star for me and I'm really really looking forward to the sequel and MORE SPICY SCENES!
Thank you Tate and Jaymin for the chance to read your work!

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The moment I saw the ARC sign-up for "Forced Proximity" by Tate James and Jaymin Eve, I swear I hit that sign-up button so fast I nearly broke my screen.😅

Secrets. Tension. Spice. Drama. 😏

Thank you so much to Good Girls PR and the powerhouse duo of Tate & Jaymin for sending this my way! 🙌

🔥OMG. WHERE DO I EVEN START?!
The moment I picked up this book, I was hooked. Tate and Jaymin have delivered a dark, chaotic, and completely addictive romance that had me screaming (literally) when I reached the last page. Like, "IT’S OVER ALREADY?! I NEED MORE!!"🫠

That cliffhanger? Torture. Pure torture.

Here’s the deal:
🌸 Evelyn is trying to rebuild her life after a devastating trauma. Meadowridge College was supposed to be her fresh start, but fate had other plans. One panic attack (oops), a chaotic chain of events (double oops), and now she’s living in a rundown house with five of the school’s richest, most powerful—and most secretive—guys. Enemies-to-friends-to-lovers energy? CHECK.
🖤 The spice? 🔥
💙 The secrets? Mind-blowing.
🖤 The tension? Immaculate.
💙 The boys? Protective, broody, and hiding so much more than they’re letting on. I’m OBSESSED.

I was laughing, crying, swooning, and fanning myself (because HELLO SPICE 🥵). Evelyn is such a relatable, real FMC, and the boys? Let’s just say I’m already debating which one’s my favorite (why not all of them? 😉).

If you love:
💙 Forced Proximity
🖤 College Romance
💙 Found Family
🖤 Protective MMCs
💙 And cliffhangers that leave you screaming…

Then RUN and add this book to your TBR immediately. Trust me, you’ll devour it just like I did, and you’ll be joining me in the "I NEED BOOK TWO ASAP" club. 😭

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 estrellas porque el final es TRE-MEN-DO. No debería ser legal que un libro termine así, sobre todo cuando no tengo la segunda parte para leer...
Me encanta el tema de la proximidad forzada -sí, hasta el título lo indica-, pero sobre todo que todos los que forman parte del reverse harem sean tan distintos y tengas personalidades tan marcadas. La verdad es que en este punto no sé cómo puede llegar a terminar. Necesito el segundo libro ASAP.

[Katie Krueger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ate this up. This is for all my dark romance girlies who love forced proximity, professor/student relationship, a why choose situation, trauma bonds, found family, protective af MMCs, all the banter, and obviously all the SPICE 🌶️🔥

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine The Parent Trap, but instead of twins, it’s a bunch of enemies who want to kill (and fuck) each other. Naturally, they’re forced to live in the same house. One made poison for the KGB, one’s the president’s son, they’re all allegedly in college, and none of it makes sense. I cringed through most of it and only didn’t DNF because it was short.

[Chenoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ends on a cliffhanger and I dont know when the next book comes out. Thats just rude

[Angie Goodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What was that ending😭😭 I need book 2 out now pls

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely explosive and heart stopping and sizzling hot romance from Jaymin Eve and Tate James! This why choose college romance had me on the edge of my seat till the very end. And the tension among the characters! Oh you can cut it with a diamond knife. The chemistry is otherworldly. The suspense keeps you glued to the pages. The guys are drool worthy and swoon worthy and drop dead gorgeous alphas. And Evelyn is still holding her own space! Shout out to her for surviving something so traumatic but coming out stronger. She is sassy and sweet and her vulnerability is like kryptonite for the men. I cannot wait for the next book of the duet

🖤 why choose
🖤 college romance
🖤 romantic suspense
🖤 forced proximity by design
🖤 friends to lovers / enemies to lovers
🖤 Son of the president, the professor, his brother ( both part of their family business of organized crime), a hacker, a Hollywood superstar...and the girl they are supposed to protect at any cost.


Evelyn got admission into a prestigious college after her guardians pulled some unknown strings. She thought it will be a safe place after barely surviving a shooting at her previous school aimed at her. But the danger isn't over. Her father ( who she thinks to have abandoned her) has blackmailed Andrew, the son of the president and also a student, to take care of her. Now after some planning and manipulation they all get moved into Bluebell House, the professor as a chaperone. A dilapidated mansion.


Andrew is very serious and focused and he is the one who fights with Evelyn the most. She doesn't know the plans and she defies him a lot. But that can be a kind of foreplay. Conner is Andrew's best friend and a total broody a&&h0le. He doesn't like Evelyn in their life specially when he has some dangerous secrets and missions. But she is getting under his skin and their scathing conversations are getting more cozy. The one man who Evelyn trusts from the get go is Conner's brother and the professor, Ethan Sullivan. He is older and he gives such protector vibes! He is sweet and soft with Evelyn and he doesn't hide his forbidden feeling. Their chemistry is insane and Ethan is obsessed with Evelyn. The one who shares this obsession is Brodie Keller. The movie star with Golden Retriever energy. He broke down Evelyn's wall with his persistent flirting and banter. But he is a different beast when it comes to sex. Right now it's Ethan and Brodie who is in this dynamic with Evelyn. But she has got even the aloof dark hacker intrigued. Haze has a mile long list of traumas and scars but she makes him feel things he never has but he isn't ready for fully coming out with that. The twists and action packed chapters complemented the spicy parts so well. Evelyn is a fighter and her heart is gold. The guys can make her feel frustrated and confused but they are also making her feel safe and wanted and cherished and worshipped. The real enemy is still out there and it ends with a massive cliffhanger.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Blaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this and it was mediocre at best. You’d never know it was written by Jaymin Eve and Tate James. It was so underdeveloped. The plot. The characters. We got nothing from any of the MCs. I kept seeing sparks of hope with guys like Connor and Haze but we still barely scratched the surface. Insta heat with the professor and the play boy actor was so obvious and the FMCs only defining characteristic was her past trauma. Homegirl is just oblivious to how she’s being maneuvered…like what? There wasn’t even any well written smut to makeup for the lack of development. Le sigh…

[Heather Rada · Rating 5 out of 5]

in shock

I was not expecting the epicness of this book or the cliff that Jaymin and Tate just kicked me off! But knowing that these women are fantastic authors together I should have known the book hangover was going to be real! Evie and the Bluebell boys have quickly become favorites and I have so many questions and so many theories. I can’t wait til the second book comes out!

[Jordyn Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

hellooooo what was put in this book?!

this was one of this books where i could not put it down!
imagine you getting sent to a college for elites, the safest school for you because you're running from your past.

then you get put in a house five guys who are all ordered to protect you, oh and one of those guys is your professor!! omg the way they were ALL obsessed with her and so protective!

connor is my man my man my man 🤭

when i tell you some of the suspense had me glued to my kindle I mean it. And also that CLIFFHANGER? gimmie book 2 right nowwwww.

4.25/5 stars.

[Catalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

CUM SA SE TERMINE ASA

[Erin Mosesso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly whatever negative things I have to say about this book are probably overshadowed by the fact that I stayed up until 2 am reading it because I couldn’t put it down 😂 I can’t wait for the second book!!! I will say that the writing felt a little choppy (which is unusual for the authors), but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! I am a ho for a good RH and the spice is already 🥵🥵

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man this was so so so so good!! Tate and Jaymin really got me good with this one, the trauma, the angst, the tension, the spice, the banter, the plot, I couldn’t put it down. Eve and her guys were so perfect (not Andrew, I’m mad at you rn Andrew) and it was reminiscent of why I love Tate’s Madison Kate series so much. The plot was insane actually and I love that there are still more secrets to unfold and THE CLIFFHANGER GIVE ME THE NEXT ONE NOW.

.
.
.

Thank you to Good Girls PR for the arc opportunity!

[Maddie Vaters · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

Now sadly I just couldn’t get into this book🥲 The Boys of Bellerose is a god-tier why choose series for me so I was sooo excited for this one but it just fell short. It wasn’t bad per se, I actually liked a lot of the concept and the characters, but I feel like everything was just so rushed. It was definitely insta lovey with a couple of the guys which isn’t personally my cup of tea. BUT it appears the slower burning relationships will be featured more in book 2 so hope is not yet lost for this series! Overall this is a fairly short read, and since there are only going to be 2 books in the series it’s not a huge commitment to make, so if your a why choose fan I’d still say it’s worth a try🤷‍♀️