Why Me?

by T. Renee Fike

Jordyn Stevens, an independent woman, has managed to keep her head down and get through high school. She’s seen the good and ugly in people and prefers to rely only on herself. Hoping that college will be different, she opens up to her roommate Candace and her best friend, Chase. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Jordyn finds herself in the crosshairs of someone who would rather make her life a living hell.

Wanting to help and protect Jordyn, Candace enlists the help of her sexy football star brother Avery, who is also one to keep people at bay. Brought together by a common bond, neither expects to develop feelings for one another. However, a simple friendship doesn’t work out as planned. When tragedy strikes and miscommunication occurs, Jordyn and Avery are lead down a dark and dreary path that she is all too familiar with.

Will Avery be able to make her see that things aren’t always what they seem?

Will Jordyn be able to survive or will her WHY ME mentality destroy her?

Genres: College, Romance, Abuse

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Me... what can I say...I love to read books as well as write them!

I enjoy spending time with my baby girl, even though she's now 4 years old! She keeps me on my toes and looking forward to all the exciting things to come!

I enjoy learning and growing daily, finding new things to treasure and being grateful for everything that comes my way!

Reviews

[Kanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Why Me, and I have mixed feelings about it. It was a very emotional read, one I’m not used to reading, and I don’t know if I liked that or not. I usually like feel good reads, and while this book eventually does a have a happily ever after ending, it’s the ride to the end that makes you feel so much. Makes you empathetic, hopeful, annoyed, sad, and terrified. It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster well written T. Renee Fike.
Jordyn: The main character was extremely broken and needed more than a loving boyfriend, her best-friends, and Nana to cope with her issues. Her reluctance to accept good things happening to her and quickness to revert back to old habits irritated the mess out of me. I can’t quite figure out if I liked her or not. Either way, I was rooting for her.
Avery: Jordyn’s boyfriend had the patience of a saint. Initially, I didn’t like him, but he eventually won me over.
Candace: Jordyn’s roommate was the worst friend ever. She was so immature. I didn’t like her, and no matter what her intentions were, I think she sucked as a friend.
Chase: Jordyn’s best friend, and the best person ever. He’s a true friend, and because of his adorable personality, he was my favorite minor character in this book.
Ryder: What a freaking douche! He was the worst. A well written bad guy. He will creep you out just like me.
Time it took to read this: 2.5 days
My ratings: 4 stars (It took me awhile to come up with how I would rate this book. I couldn’t decide. I didn’t hate this book nor did I love it. It was better than 3 stars but not quite 5. It was too emotional for me. )
This was not your typical story about a girl meeting a boy and falling in love. This story had so much more, so much more depth than your typical love story. It’s a heart-wrenching read about young adults finding out who they are and finding love in the process, and if that’s for you, then this book is for you.
P.S. I was given this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Amy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me for an honest review by the author.

This story is about bullying, Lies, love and doing the right thing in the end. It starts out with so many questions and you want to know all the answers then!! This story is amazing it captivates you at the beginning and doesn't let you go! Jordyn at the beginning runs into a popular guy on accident and all the bullying starts. Jordyn is amazing with all she goes through in this story. I could put myself in her shoes. She does things that help her to ease the pain. Then there's Avery he's popular and he's also Jordyns best friends brother. He's in a group of bully's he realizes what he's done and try's to correct them. In the process things change for him he learns so much he didn't know and he also learns to love. But the true question lies with can Jordan trust Avery ever with her life? Thats really all I can say without telling you the story. But Avery is amazing and Jordyns is also! This story is written so well that it's like today. It truly tells a story of what people go through in life now. It's well written you won't regret this read and I am amazed once again by how amazing T Renee Fike's is! She never once lets you down in this story. It keeps you on edge and I read this in one setting I stayed up all night to read it! I can't wait to see what she throws towards us next!! Outstanding story a must read!

[Jennifer Shiels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great book and I'm on the fence if I want to rate it 4 or 5 stars, so maybe I'll just rate it 4.5. Jordyn Stevens is 18 years old and she is somewhat damaged and a little broken. She has been through some really terrible things in her 18 years. When she was 3 years old, her parents decided they didn't want her and they left her with her Nana permanently. At the age of 14, she met an older guy that she was interested in and she slept with him. She found out later that it was a bet and he didn't care about her. To top it off, she told her best friend about it who used the information against her to turn everyone else against her. She was bullied and crucified as a slut or whore and other crude words. She now wears mostly all black (she occasionally wears white or grey) and tries to hide in the background. The one thing she has always had was her Nana's love and attention. Her grandmother has always been there for her and she hasn't ever felt like she wasn't loved enough from her. Going to college an hour and a half away, Jordyn hopes that things will be different for her there and she can start over. Her first day there, she meets Chase and her roommate Candace. Chase is great, he's gay and he makes an amazing person and friend. He is always there for Jordyn and shows the type of strength he has. Her roommate Candace came to school in South Carolina from Nebraska to be closer to her brother. When they were growing up they were much closer and supportive of one another. Candace has done some things to mess up her relationship with Avery. She annoys him very much and has caused him some heavy grief but he still cares about her. Avery is a star football player at their college and has a great deal of talent. He's gorgeous, popular, and people either want to be with him, be friends with him, or be him.

Jordyn and Avery meet under very bad circumstances. She accidentally runs into him on the first day of their class they share and he treats her horribly. On top of that, his friends who are mostly part of the football team, start treating her and Chase awfully. One of the guys in the group, Ryder, makes it his own mission to make her pay and tries to do everything he can to demean her.

I like Jordyn as a character. I don't agree with how she deals with things and some of the decisions she makes but overall she's a good and decent individual. She second guesses Avery's feelings all the time and cannot understand why he would want to be with her when there are tons of women that would love to be with him. She's had to deal with so many things in her young life and it has caused her to not believe that she can be loved or be in a lasting relationship. She needs to learn to communicate and not bottle things up so much that are bothering her.

Avery comes across as a jerk in the beginning of this story. If he comes across people that aren't his friend or someone he knows, he treats them terribly. But when you get to know him better or when he's willing to open up to someone, he can be a really great guy. He's caring, sweet, and takes up for others.

Definitely worth reading.

[MzLane · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, thank you so much T Renee Fike for allowing me to beta read this book for you!! From the prologue alone I was hooked!! My heart absolutely broke for Jordyn but I couldn't put it down. I wanted answers to all my questions asap!! I needed to know if things would work out for Jordyn? What happened in her past to make her lose faith in so many people? What in the hell is Ryder's problem? Would anyone stand up and fight for her?

The only person Jordyn has ever been able to trust and rely on in life is her Nana! OMG, I loved Nana so much!!!! She was the sweetest most loving woman to Jordyn and she reminded me of my own grandma in a way. She is getting ready to head off to college and other than leaving Nana behind she is ready to start a new chapter in her life. She decides she is going to keep a low profile and just stick to herself....that is until she meets Chase and Candace. I freaking loved Chase, he was hilarious!! Him and Jordyn have something in common that no one should ever have to go thru...being bullied and tormented by others bc they are different. No one has ever stuck up for Jordyn like Chase does except for Nana. Candace is Jordyn's new roommate. They couldn't be more different but surprisingly they hit it off really well. Some of the things Candace does surprises the heck out of me but I think she honestly means well to a point. I can see where Chase gets frustrated with her.

Things are going well for Jordyn until she realizes that her and Chase get stuck in an upperclassmen ethics class. Being around the older students scares the life out of her but with Chase by her side she tries to endure it, that is until she accidently bumps into someone and everything goes from bad to worse. Will Chase and Candace be able to keep her safe? When Candace enlists the help of her older brother Avery (who I LOVE btw) will he help? Can Jordyn trust him....with her life and her heart?

Oh my gosh, about 70%...NOOOOO!!! O my heart was breaking even more!! How much more can Jordyn handle. From this point on my nose was stuck in my kindle. I was devouring it trying to get to the end. I soooo did not see the stuff that happens coming at me but holy crap!! Really Brenden??? All I could say to that one was WTH!! The epilogue was perfect! I loved seeing where everyone is and where they are going. Amazing job T Renee Fike!! I can't wait for more!!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordyn is by far is one of my favorite female characters. She's spunky, witty, and has a mouth on her that you just have to love. She was tormented throughout High School but she still seems to have that air about her that screams "Try Me". She loves her Nana and has those she chooses to let in are her dear friends that she would do anything for.

Avery, concerned me quite a bit. I never knew what the truth was. Do I believe everyone else and the gossip? or do I believe what he's saying when he tells Jordyn that he will protect her? I went back and forth between believing him and not and thinking that there was some huge plot with Ryder and it was all a set up.

There were even doubt about Candace. For quite a bit of the book, I didn't know if I could trust her. I wondered if she had other motives and was just out for herself and all of it was to just piss her brother off. I absolutely adored Chase. Who doesn't love the only guy who wants nothing from you but your true friendship and loyalty? I need a Chase of my very own.

The angst throughout the book had my heart beating and my guard up for Jordyn. The poor girl couldn't win for losing it seemed.

This is easily a book you should pick up to read. May not be so easy to put it down though. Even though T. Renee Fikes is an Eagle fan (GO TEXANS!) I would gladly read more of her books.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Why Me? By T. Renee Fike

Review done for Hooked on Books

4 ½ out of 5 stars

Jordyn Stevens has felt alone most of her life. Her parents abandoned her when she was little and she was left to be raised by her Nana.

High school was a nightmare for her; lies and betrayal scarred her for life. She doesn’t trust anyone.

When Jordyn starts college, she hopes it will be a new start. She makes a couple new friends and is excited about her classes. Unfortunately her and Chase end of being in an Ethics class filled with Jackass seniors who taunt them every chance they get.

When things get out of hand, Jordyn has to rely on her roommate’s brother Avery for help. Pushed into each other’s lives, they soon start to develop feelings for each other.

Neither Avery nor Jordyn like to show their true feelings, but they soon learn to trust each other. They are amazing together but outside forces try to do everything they can to tear them apart.

This was a very emotional read. The author touched on a lot of difficult issues: bullying, abuse, cutting, and suicide. I thought she did an amazing job with these subjects.

This was a great love story that had a lot of drama and suspense. I definitely recommend it to read!

[Tracie Redmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5☆
This story is full of emotion. true emtoion for Jordan. Avery is a great book boyfriend i absolutely love the bond he developed with Jordan but i wanted a little more between him and his sister and wished that i could read her struggle as well. there was definitely a twist to the story i didnt see coming.
highly recommended this book and if you have never read TRENEE Fike before she is a must read her work is phenomenal.

[Leslie Penrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

review provided by between the pages book blog

This was a great read with a darker storyline but I loved it you get romance suspense bully's and some issues that are tough to read about if you are a fan of bully by Penelope Douglas or the hashtag series by Cambria Hebert then I highly recommend this book to you

[Krystyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a touching story of real life emotional stuggles that teens and young adults face on a regular basis.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread 1-3-19

This is the second time I read this story and I was deciding between four and three stars, but ultimately I gave it a three star rating.

The story does end with a HEA however the beginning of the story is where I am still hung up on. Jordyn and Avery are the two main characters but how they meet and the cruelty at the very start is where I couldn't let go. Avery does end up helping Jordyn and resenting his choices but it doesn't matter because that was how he acted and he was still friends with Ryder after everything until the very end where it changes.

This is an emotional read where self hurt does occur among a few other things. I don't want to give away the story but because of some choices I edited my review to only three stars.

[Dg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this book. I really liked it but it just seems like it went from one extreme to another in the way the hook up between Avery and Jordyn happened. First there was no connection between them at the beginning and then went to the point where they were in love with each other. Then waiting forever to have sex was like the story just kept dragging. I dont know what Candance's problem was but I wanted to kick her ass throughout the whole thing. Love Chase and Derek. Like I said I have mixed feelings because I wanted to really like it but just got frustrated with Jordyn so much.

[Sandravides · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about bullying, lies, love , Jordyn and Avery meet under very bad circumstances. She accidentally runs into him on the first day of their class they share and he treats her horribly. On top of that, his friends who are mostly part of the football team, start treating her and Chase awfully. One of the guys in the group, Ryder, makes it his own mission to make her pay and tries to do everything he can to demean her. it is roller coaster

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I have read this book over and over again. I appreciate how the characters were developed and grew throughout the book. I look forward to reading other books by T. Renee Fike in the future.

[Naye · Rating 2 out of 5]

why

I'm not sure what to say.. it seemed like a GOD story line but dragged on in a way and seemed things were being skipped or left out.. I did like parts of the book which is always a plus somewhere

[Jdm74aol.com · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

I thought the book was interesting and had a good storyline. My one complaint would be that it wrapped to quickly. There was all this prolonged build-up and then a speedy ending. I think a little more drama could have been added to make the ending more gritty.