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Absolute #1-2
The Absolute Novels
THE ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE LOVE STORY, FROM START TO FINISH…
Professor Stephen Worthington’s life makes perfect sense.
That is, it did until Ms. Julia Wilde showed up and became the one thorn in Stephen’s perfectly organized side. Never has he dealt with a more unruly student. She’s rude, provocative, infuriating—but all those opinions change once Stephen finds himself out of the classroom and in Julia’s bedroom.
Suddenly, the student/teacher roles are reversed, and the professor receives a much-needed lesson between the sheets.
The Absolute Novels brings both Absolute Beginners and Absolute Lovers together in one complete volume for the first time, along with exclusive, never-before-seen bonus material.
Readers can now experience all the romance—from textbook student/teacher beginning to the crossroads that will test whether Stephen and Julia’s relationship can move past its friends-with-benefits status—and more, with one new chapters told from Julia’s perspective!
SJ Hooks’ Absolute Novels series will tease and delight dedicated fans and new readers alike with its humor, sincere characters, and nontraditional take on falling in love.
Praise for Absolute Beginners, Book 1 in the Absolute Novels
“…a rare beast among romance novels…heated and passionate.” —Romantic Times
"SJ Hooks puts a unique spin on the teacher student taboo with an exploration of sexual awakening, and the tangled webs weaved through secrecy and deception. Absolute Beginners is a promising debut. I can't wait to see how Stephen and Julia's tentative, illicit relationship unfolds." —Helena Hunting, New York Times bestselling author of Pucked
“Absolute Beginners is a hilarious and fun romp through a college co-ed’s education of her older, inexperienced professor. She’s going to teach him a LOT, but only if he can keep it all a secret! Tear off the bow-tie, Mr. Teacher. It’s time to get schooled!” — Shay Savage, USA Today bestselling author ofTranscendence
“Absolute Beginners is just so much fun…. Stephen's character is so set in his ways, older than his years, and organized to a fault (my heart ached when we learned why). Julia Wilde completely rips his life apart at the seams and it was SO MUCH FUN to watch him change over the course of the story. [It’s] damn good erotica, too. With a plot…about possibly finding that thing you didn't even know you were looking for, even when it was right in front of you the entire time. " —Amber L. Johnson, author of Puddle Jumping
- GenresRomance
556 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2015
113 people want to read
About the author
S.J. Hooks
4 books254 followersAlthough she is a native of Denmark, SJ Hooks has always had a keen interest in the English language. She has a BA in English Literature and Masters degree in American Studies. As a working mother of two special needs children, her days are busy. At night, when she isn’t passed out on the couch, she’s in front of her computer, writing stories of love, humor and passion – the best things in life. Her dream is to build a career as a full-time author.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 1, 2015
You know what I love about this novel? It's the transformation. See here:
From here:
The whole nerdy look to something cool and hot with the glasses:
And the splash of this:
It's like that TV SHOW Beauty and the Geek. Yeah? Curios? Here's what I think of each novel:
Absolute Beginners 5★ Review
Absolute Lovers 4.5★ Review
The Wilde Side 4.5★
Surprise! Surprise! There's a third part and bonus on this novel. You may or may not need to proceed reading this one.
I guess I could go on with my life without reading Julia’s side of the story. And even though I already had a sneak peek of her thoughts in Absolute Lovers, I’m still curious about her side of the story. Well, I thought this is more of a continuation, but yes, Julia’s side of the story. Silly me. It’s a part of her before the first time she got involve with Professor Stephen Worthington and although it was a repeat of some of the scenes on her side, I still felt the same while reading the rest of the book. I was like a little school girl waiting for the glimpses of the professor.
Well, at least I get to know Julia a little bit more and got a deeper understanding of her character. Looking back on the novel, I appreciate her character growth and development and I just love her even more.
**I received an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2017
I began the books and was surprised at how typical was the plot: a sex/love relationship between a student and her professor. Told by the professor/male side. Usually, I would have stopped reading at the first time they had sex together because even if the professor had already showed a fixation on her it still looked al ot like insta sex, but there was something about the characters that seemed alluring: the naive professor, who knows nothing about sex and you want to know why he is like he is, so closed up and off from social interaction; and the younger woman, who knows aht she wants sexually and how to get it and you wanna know more from this persona. But you keep reading and you realize:
- the sex is gonna be spoon feed to you in an array of situations, not always coherent or believable
- sometimes the male character seems stalker-ish, and he even jokes so to himself
- the female character knows how to defend herself and kick a punch. Which comes in handy when the male goes neanderthal on her
- the characters don't evolve. Ever. Plain as plain can be.
When I was almost at the end of the first book I decided I didn't want to keep following this story. *Possible spoilers ahead* Now the lady doesn't want to talk to him? Now he is gonna do anything for her? Now they are gonna talk about their feelings when both only wanted sex (well, he seems to fall for her between fuckings) and find out bot are in love? And she is gonna see how great he is, how well she treats her, how great he is in and off the sack and acknowledge her feelings to him, right? And couldn't they see it before? Had they to go to the official "romantic plot" all this kind of books seem to have? Arrrrgh.
- the sex is gonna be spoon feed to you in an array of situations, not always coherent or believable
- sometimes the male character seems stalker-ish, and he even jokes so to himself
- the female character knows how to defend herself and kick a punch. Which comes in handy when the male goes neanderthal on her
- the characters don't evolve. Ever. Plain as plain can be.
When I was almost at the end of the first book I decided I didn't want to keep following this story. *Possible spoilers ahead* Now the lady doesn't want to talk to him? Now he is gonna do anything for her? Now they are gonna talk about their feelings when both only wanted sex (well, he seems to fall for her between fuckings) and find out bot are in love? And she is gonna see how great he is, how well she treats her, how great he is in and off the sack and acknowledge her feelings to him, right? And couldn't they see it before? Had they to go to the official "romantic plot" all this kind of books seem to have? Arrrrgh.
July 23, 2015
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books
I don’t know how else to start this review other than to say I absolutely (no pun intended) loved this series. Honestly when I first started reading it I wasn’t sure how I would feel but after 1 chapter in I was hooked. I will get to this further in my review.
This story is about Stephen, an awkward extremely shy and has limited experience with women – Stephen is a college Lit professor who wears a bow tie to his class and what can only be described as old man pants. His life is very orderly and he generally doesn’t change his habits to the frustration of his brother Matt. Stephen though is actually very good looking he just doesn’t know it.
Julia is a student in Stephen’s class who is the complete opposite of Stephen. She is crass, rude (she calls Stephen by his first name which drives him crazy), extremely smart and dresses in his opinion like a freak, heavy black eyeliner, hair a mess, and clothes that are to raveling with holes everywhere. Julia is actually very pretty if she would just dress that way.
Stephen notices Julia at first by her clothing but as the class progresses she does have some very insightful commentary around the different authors and books they are studying this of course drives Stephen crazy. They have a random meeting outside of class and one thing leads to another and end up back at Julia’s apartment and the story takes off from there.
This is the first book I have read where the hero at the beginning is not the typical alpha male that I am use to and I really thought I was going to have a problem with that. Since the story is told in Stephen’s POV and because of it I really found myself somewhat relating to him. As his relationship with Julia progresses he starts to come more out of his shell to the point when he is with her the alpha male that I enjoy finally starts to come out. I loved watch that progression and found it extremely interesting – I also enjoyed Julia teach Stephen what it meant to be a good lover for her specifically and that was for me fun to read. So as you can imagine there is a lot of sex scenes through the two books and it actually does drive the story.
The writer who from what I can tell this is her first series does a great job with the male POV and hinting at what is really going on with Julia. There is a great sub plot with Julia and Stephen’s friends that I would have liked to have explored more – the 4 friends were definitely the comic relief. We also get to see Julia change because of her relationship with Stephen and not because he wants her to but because she does. It is fantastic to see a women making choices because she wants to and not because it was expected.
The ending by the way is fantastic and I wont give anything away but the pay off was great. This is a great story about finding love even when you think the person in front of you is not what you want – you may be surprised to find out they are exactly what you need. I think this book may not be for everyone but trust me give it a chance. I am really glad I did.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
I don’t know how else to start this review other than to say I absolutely (no pun intended) loved this series. Honestly when I first started reading it I wasn’t sure how I would feel but after 1 chapter in I was hooked. I will get to this further in my review.
This story is about Stephen, an awkward extremely shy and has limited experience with women – Stephen is a college Lit professor who wears a bow tie to his class and what can only be described as old man pants. His life is very orderly and he generally doesn’t change his habits to the frustration of his brother Matt. Stephen though is actually very good looking he just doesn’t know it.
Julia is a student in Stephen’s class who is the complete opposite of Stephen. She is crass, rude (she calls Stephen by his first name which drives him crazy), extremely smart and dresses in his opinion like a freak, heavy black eyeliner, hair a mess, and clothes that are to raveling with holes everywhere. Julia is actually very pretty if she would just dress that way.
Stephen notices Julia at first by her clothing but as the class progresses she does have some very insightful commentary around the different authors and books they are studying this of course drives Stephen crazy. They have a random meeting outside of class and one thing leads to another and end up back at Julia’s apartment and the story takes off from there.
This is the first book I have read where the hero at the beginning is not the typical alpha male that I am use to and I really thought I was going to have a problem with that. Since the story is told in Stephen’s POV and because of it I really found myself somewhat relating to him. As his relationship with Julia progresses he starts to come more out of his shell to the point when he is with her the alpha male that I enjoy finally starts to come out. I loved watch that progression and found it extremely interesting – I also enjoyed Julia teach Stephen what it meant to be a good lover for her specifically and that was for me fun to read. So as you can imagine there is a lot of sex scenes through the two books and it actually does drive the story.
The writer who from what I can tell this is her first series does a great job with the male POV and hinting at what is really going on with Julia. There is a great sub plot with Julia and Stephen’s friends that I would have liked to have explored more – the 4 friends were definitely the comic relief. We also get to see Julia change because of her relationship with Stephen and not because he wants her to but because she does. It is fantastic to see a women making choices because she wants to and not because it was expected.
The ending by the way is fantastic and I wont give anything away but the pay off was great. This is a great story about finding love even when you think the person in front of you is not what you want – you may be surprised to find out they are exactly what you need. I think this book may not be for everyone but trust me give it a chance. I am really glad I did.
Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.
June 26, 2015
Arc provided by NetGalley
WOW! This was just what I needed a new spin on a romance.
Professor Student Romance- Check
Strong Female Lead- Check
Sexy Male Lead- Check
But then things get interesting. The female lead we have in Julia/Ms. Wilde is our wounded soul who needs to be shown the ways of real love. Then we have Stephen/Professor Worthington who is our shy, naive party who does not see how lonely he is or what his true worth is.
As Stephen and Julia progress along the "sex buddy" path it becomes abundantly clear that there is more to there relationship. They are both clueless about the draw they feel for each other. As the story progresses little mysteries are unveiled and we watch as a true loving relationship is built. This book will make you laugh out loud, cringe at the awkward moments, swoon and even shed a few tears. Stephen is so sweet it really is fun watching him come out of his shell and become a swoon worthy alpha male. While Julia is wounded and just needs someone to make her feel loved an wanted.
All in all a great read and I am glad I had both these novels together.
WOW! This was just what I needed a new spin on a romance.
Professor Student Romance- Check
Strong Female Lead- Check
Sexy Male Lead- Check
But then things get interesting. The female lead we have in Julia/Ms. Wilde is our wounded soul who needs to be shown the ways of real love. Then we have Stephen/Professor Worthington who is our shy, naive party who does not see how lonely he is or what his true worth is.
As Stephen and Julia progress along the "sex buddy" path it becomes abundantly clear that there is more to there relationship. They are both clueless about the draw they feel for each other. As the story progresses little mysteries are unveiled and we watch as a true loving relationship is built. This book will make you laugh out loud, cringe at the awkward moments, swoon and even shed a few tears. Stephen is so sweet it really is fun watching him come out of his shell and become a swoon worthy alpha male. While Julia is wounded and just needs someone to make her feel loved an wanted.
All in all a great read and I am glad I had both these novels together.
August 20, 2015
The Absolute Novels is an amazing book. Julia and Stephen don't meet in the most ideal of circumstances.The relationship between Julia and Stephen (who are opposites in many ways) starts out as an arrangement. Neither one plans to feel any emotional attachment. Little by little, it's apparent that their relationship is more, much more. With some bumps along the way, it becomes one of the best things to happen to either one of them. I really love both characters. SJ is a fantastic writer and I look forward to reading her future books!
August 20, 2015
Both funny, sexy, shy moments, omg moments.
The books bring a refreshing male.pov from being entirely a shy book nerd who has no idea about women.
some may think he is a loser, but i think he just adorable!
The books bring a refreshing male.pov from being entirely a shy book nerd who has no idea about women.
some may think he is a loser, but i think he just adorable!
July 31, 2015
***ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
Though I was hesitant at first because it was classified as Erotica, I was glad I requested this set.
I loved that the book was told from Stephen's POV. I loved that he was this unsure, geeky but cute guy that needed someone to draw him out. I loved that both Stephen and Julia changed and grew because of how and what they became to each other.
Absolute Beginners was the falling and it was an exhilarating and sexy ride. A great tale of finding love with the unlikeliest of people. Absolute Lovers was more of what happens after the "happily ever after" part in the tale. A little more day to day, a little less excitement but still romantic.
Though I was hesitant at first because it was classified as Erotica, I was glad I requested this set.
I loved that the book was told from Stephen's POV. I loved that he was this unsure, geeky but cute guy that needed someone to draw him out. I loved that both Stephen and Julia changed and grew because of how and what they became to each other.
Absolute Beginners was the falling and it was an exhilarating and sexy ride. A great tale of finding love with the unlikeliest of people. Absolute Lovers was more of what happens after the "happily ever after" part in the tale. A little more day to day, a little less excitement but still romantic.
August 28, 2015
"The Absolute Novels: Absolute Beginners and Absolute Lovers," by SJ Hooks, is sweet and sexy. Stephen isn't the typical romantic lead and the story is almost entirely from his point of view, which was refreshing. Things got a little too cutesy or sappy at times but I have a high tolerance for that if I'm enjoying the book, which I did.
August 14, 2015
Yes, former fanfic, but still a very fun read.
June 5, 2018
I don't think this plot was anything out of the ordinary, predictable most of the time-yes, but I enjoyed the series with Julia and Stephen working their way into becoming a functional couple.
I'd be honest, the first book impressed me more than the second book with its introduction of the beta professor who was completely a newbie in the field of seduction. The second book was like meh, and meh and then meh. Throughout the first book, I threw in numerous outbursts with Stephen being so adorable and quite... innocent, in a way. And we have our promising tough girl without batting an eye with her confidence and sex appeal. Yes, she IS definitely attractive and she embraces IT.
It's refreshing to see our male protagonist being a beta lover in this plot. Unconventional, as far as plot lines goes...
I enjoyed it, nevertheless. (WHY AM I ALWAYS LURED INTO THIS CHARACTER SETUP? GAH! I LIKE FORBIDDEN ROMANCE, I GUESS.)
I'd be honest, the first book impressed me more than the second book with its introduction of the beta professor who was completely a newbie in the field of seduction. The second book was like meh, and meh and then meh. Throughout the first book, I threw in numerous outbursts with Stephen being so adorable and quite... innocent, in a way. And we have our promising tough girl without batting an eye with her confidence and sex appeal. Yes, she IS definitely attractive and she embraces IT.
It's refreshing to see our male protagonist being a beta lover in this plot. Unconventional, as far as plot lines goes...
I enjoyed it, nevertheless. (WHY AM I ALWAYS LURED INTO THIS CHARACTER SETUP? GAH! I LIKE FORBIDDEN ROMANCE, I GUESS.)
September 7, 2015
Book 1-
I absolutely loved this first book….
Teacher student books are my weakness. The whole forbiddeness of it all.
I just love it.Usually you get the girl student that super shy and experience. But in this book it’s the opposite. The student was the one to teach the teacher. It was something different. I really was feeling everything about this book!Stephen and Julia was so hot together. Julia really knew how to handle Stephen. She was super patient with him and allowed him to slowly spread his wings. She was a great teacher to him in the bedroom. He was just super shy and reserved! And she just brought another side of Stephen out.
He really let it all go with her.The relationship started off so casual. Julia called all the shots. Stephen was really fighting his feeling of what his body really wanted. Julia awakened Stephen in ways he never felt before. He really had a hard time letting go.
But as time went on…. He really opened up to her and started to relax.
I loved that.The ending of this book left me feeling like there was hope for both of them. Julia was opening herself up to Stephen and Stephen wanted to be with Julia as a couple and not just as a casual thing.I can’t wait to read book 2 to see how this story ends with big of them.
Book 2-
I LOVED this book. Stephen has come a long way and he truly has let go and embraced his new found sex life!…lol
I felt the tables turn a bit in this book and Julia was the one that needed Stephan to be her rock and fight for them to be together. They were both so scared and both were in new territory with being in a relationship.
This book picks up right from where book one ended. Almost makes me think why make 2 books at all. And just make 1 whole book.
Anyway…
There was a lot of growth from both characters in this second book. And I loved that. I loved how confident Stephen was becoming in the bedroom and in everyday situations.
He really found himself.
He just needed someone to show him and guide him.
Julia had to let her guard down and let Stephen in. Which wasn’t very easy for her. She was burned by a past boyfriend that kind of shaped her to who she is today.
I think that’s why Stephen was perfect for her. She was able to be in charge but at the same time open up and to him on her terms.
And… I think that was the key for both of them.
The sex was out of this work in this book! They were so hot together! I loved how they were so open with each other and just tried everything!
There was a lot of funny little moments in this book that just had me laughing so loud!
The sex shop visit and what happens after had me laughing! Omg that was so funny!
And I loved Matt in both books! He was so funny too!
I’m so glad I read this book! I will definitely be keeping my eye out for other books this author puts out!
*ARC provided by Full Fathom Five via Netgalley*
-Michelle
I absolutely loved this first book….
Teacher student books are my weakness. The whole forbiddeness of it all.
I just love it.Usually you get the girl student that super shy and experience. But in this book it’s the opposite. The student was the one to teach the teacher. It was something different. I really was feeling everything about this book!Stephen and Julia was so hot together. Julia really knew how to handle Stephen. She was super patient with him and allowed him to slowly spread his wings. She was a great teacher to him in the bedroom. He was just super shy and reserved! And she just brought another side of Stephen out.
He really let it all go with her.The relationship started off so casual. Julia called all the shots. Stephen was really fighting his feeling of what his body really wanted. Julia awakened Stephen in ways he never felt before. He really had a hard time letting go.
But as time went on…. He really opened up to her and started to relax.
I loved that.The ending of this book left me feeling like there was hope for both of them. Julia was opening herself up to Stephen and Stephen wanted to be with Julia as a couple and not just as a casual thing.I can’t wait to read book 2 to see how this story ends with big of them.
Book 2-
I LOVED this book. Stephen has come a long way and he truly has let go and embraced his new found sex life!…lol
I felt the tables turn a bit in this book and Julia was the one that needed Stephan to be her rock and fight for them to be together. They were both so scared and both were in new territory with being in a relationship.
This book picks up right from where book one ended. Almost makes me think why make 2 books at all. And just make 1 whole book.
Anyway…
There was a lot of growth from both characters in this second book. And I loved that. I loved how confident Stephen was becoming in the bedroom and in everyday situations.
He really found himself.
He just needed someone to show him and guide him.
Julia had to let her guard down and let Stephen in. Which wasn’t very easy for her. She was burned by a past boyfriend that kind of shaped her to who she is today.
I think that’s why Stephen was perfect for her. She was able to be in charge but at the same time open up and to him on her terms.
And… I think that was the key for both of them.
The sex was out of this work in this book! They were so hot together! I loved how they were so open with each other and just tried everything!
There was a lot of funny little moments in this book that just had me laughing so loud!
The sex shop visit and what happens after had me laughing! Omg that was so funny!
And I loved Matt in both books! He was so funny too!
I’m so glad I read this book! I will definitely be keeping my eye out for other books this author puts out!
*ARC provided by Full Fathom Five via Netgalley*
-Michelle
January 16, 2016
The dynamic between Stephen and Julia make this a book you cannot put down. I love how opposites attract and it got my attention straight away. I love how unsure Stephen was to begin with and how things changed between them from annoyance to love. The changes and twists in these stories make the book one of my favourites. This is incredibly well written and I look forward to reading more works from SJ in the future. It ended perfectly in my opinion and I'm honestly desperate to read more of Sj's writing. Simply put a must read. I loved it.
July 9, 2015
This is such an amazing story. Who has not thought of a teacher this way at one point in time. The chemistry between the two is written so wonderful that it draws you in. Cant wait to see what else this author gives us. Her words are heartfelt and with such emotion behind her words. Great Story
October 27, 2025
Sí, es el clásico cliché de profesor y alumna universitaria, pero ¡qué bien llevado está! Lo que podría haber sido una historia más del montón se convierte en algo fresco, diferente y totalmente adictivo. La gran sorpresa es que está narrado desde el punto de vista de él, lo que aporta una originalidad tremenda y una mirada nueva dentro de un género que a menudo se repite. Se nota la intención de ofrecer algo distinto a quienes ya hemos leído tanta romántica, y se agradece muchísimo.
Las escenas picantes están cuidadas al detalle: intensas, elegantes y con la dosis justa de emoción. La historia, dividida en dos libros, mantiene un gran equilibrio; aunque el segundo resulta algo más flojo, el conjunto funciona de maravilla gracias a su coherencia, evolución y la conexión real entre los protagonistas.
Y sinceramente, no entiendo por qué esta autora no tiene más libros traducidos al español. Es una verdadera pena que no se siga apostando por este tipo de romántica, tan bien escrita, apasionante y capaz de entretener y emocionar incluso dentro de los clichés más conocidos.
Las escenas picantes están cuidadas al detalle: intensas, elegantes y con la dosis justa de emoción. La historia, dividida en dos libros, mantiene un gran equilibrio; aunque el segundo resulta algo más flojo, el conjunto funciona de maravilla gracias a su coherencia, evolución y la conexión real entre los protagonistas.
Y sinceramente, no entiendo por qué esta autora no tiene más libros traducidos al español. Es una verdadera pena que no se siga apostando por este tipo de romántica, tan bien escrita, apasionante y capaz de entretener y emocionar incluso dentro de los clichés más conocidos.
December 4, 2017
I'm in love with Stephen and Julia. They are the perfect couple. Great Book.
April 9, 2023
mehhhhh
October 19, 2015
ARC provided by Full Fathom Five Digital via NetGallet for an honest review
Absolute Beginners review:
SO, let me tell you what drew me to read this ARC .... 'the twist' and I loved every second of it. The premise of the story, teacher student taboo romance, has been done SO many times that it just isn't fun any more to read. BUT, this story has THE TWIST ... The student, becomes the teacher ! And boy did the teacher learn!
The story was incredibly touching and heart-warming and just over all feel-good type of romance. It's also not your typical romance. You have to read between the lines to even know the romance is actually happening. But it's happening.
The only drawback in the story is the things left unsaid and up in the air. Even though I know there is a sequel coming in June, THIS part seemed unfinished. The conflict at the end wasn't actually resolved well enough for me to be confident that all was forgiven. Because again, with this book, what is unsaid speaks higher volumes that what is actually said.
OH, the gist ... lol, I almost forgot ... well, actually, the blurb pretty much tell you the plot without details. I wont go further and ruin the surprise for those of you that want to read this story.
But know this, the premise is very unique. Our main characters are very well defined both inside and out. And our hero's development thru the story is like a butterfly growing from a cocoon! It's absolutely wonderful to read! Their chemistry is incredibly portrayed and the sex was not only touching when needed to be but SCORCHING HOT as well when the plot called for it.
EXCELLENT JOB and I look forward to the continuation of Stephen and Julia's story soon!
Absolute Lovers review:
Well, my honest thoughts on this part of Stephen Worthington & Julia Wilde 's story is that it was unnecessary. The honest truth is that S.J. Hooks should have stopped at Absolute Beginners. THAT book told a story. It had events that meant something and added to the growth of our leads as a couple. Absolute Lovers had absolutely nothing except maybe the constant inner dialogue of Stephen on 'does she love me or loves me not...'
I was incredibly disappointed in this half of their journey. The writing had no flare to it. It didn't hold my attention. The entire book read like a fluff piece. It took away from the greatness that is this story..or was.
My advice to future readers...read Absolute Beginners because it's really really good. But stop there. Reading this story brought me down from the excitement I felt while reading Absolute Beginners. And it's not worth it.
So as you can read, this story started really well but then it just went downhill really really fast with the second part :(
Absolute Beginners review:
SO, let me tell you what drew me to read this ARC .... 'the twist' and I loved every second of it. The premise of the story, teacher student taboo romance, has been done SO many times that it just isn't fun any more to read. BUT, this story has THE TWIST ... The student, becomes the teacher ! And boy did the teacher learn!
The story was incredibly touching and heart-warming and just over all feel-good type of romance. It's also not your typical romance. You have to read between the lines to even know the romance is actually happening. But it's happening.
The only drawback in the story is the things left unsaid and up in the air. Even though I know there is a sequel coming in June, THIS part seemed unfinished. The conflict at the end wasn't actually resolved well enough for me to be confident that all was forgiven. Because again, with this book, what is unsaid speaks higher volumes that what is actually said.
OH, the gist ... lol, I almost forgot ... well, actually, the blurb pretty much tell you the plot without details. I wont go further and ruin the surprise for those of you that want to read this story.
But know this, the premise is very unique. Our main characters are very well defined both inside and out. And our hero's development thru the story is like a butterfly growing from a cocoon! It's absolutely wonderful to read! Their chemistry is incredibly portrayed and the sex was not only touching when needed to be but SCORCHING HOT as well when the plot called for it.
EXCELLENT JOB and I look forward to the continuation of Stephen and Julia's story soon!
Absolute Lovers review:
Well, my honest thoughts on this part of Stephen Worthington & Julia Wilde 's story is that it was unnecessary. The honest truth is that S.J. Hooks should have stopped at Absolute Beginners. THAT book told a story. It had events that meant something and added to the growth of our leads as a couple. Absolute Lovers had absolutely nothing except maybe the constant inner dialogue of Stephen on 'does she love me or loves me not...'
I was incredibly disappointed in this half of their journey. The writing had no flare to it. It didn't hold my attention. The entire book read like a fluff piece. It took away from the greatness that is this story..or was.
My advice to future readers...read Absolute Beginners because it's really really good. But stop there. Reading this story brought me down from the excitement I felt while reading Absolute Beginners. And it's not worth it.
So as you can read, this story started really well but then it just went downhill really really fast with the second part :(
August 27, 2015
Liked the first book a lot more than I did the second. The story had its really hot, really sweet moments but also its really stupid, cliche, eye-rolling moments. Especially the second book. I think that would've been better off if it was a short story after. There was a lot of unnecessary stuff going on. I'd be 80 pages in out of 200+ and be wondering "ok that problem is solved now what could possibly happen in the next 100+ pages." It kept going like that for most of the book. It seemed like problems appeared just for the sake of having a longer book. I liked the story in general I guess, but Absolute Lovers (the second book) really irritated me.
Absolute Beginners 3/5 stars
Absolute Lovers 2/5 stars
Absolute Beginners 3/5 stars
Absolute Lovers 2/5 stars
November 18, 2015
Too short. BORING.
March 30, 2017
I picked up the bundled Absolute Novels (with some additional bonus chapters) during a special offer sometime in 2015, but didn’t get around to reading them until recently. They were worth the wait, though.
Stephen Worthington may be only 33, but he is rather stuffy and finds it difficult to connect with his peers. He dresses quite old-fashioned and is studious. His (step)brother calls it boring, and regularly invites him out in order for him to socialize more. His interactions with women are awkward at best, and he is not very experienced.
Julia Wilde is a student in Stephen’s American Literature class, and she aggravates him to no end. She dresses inappropriately, interrupts his lectures and class discussions, and always has a snarky comment available. The one thing he does appreciate about her are her insightful contributions to those discussions. If only she would behave…
When Stephen meets his brother in his bar for a drink, he is surprised to see his student there with some friends. His brother insinuates that his annoyance is caused by attraction, to which he scoffs. On his way home he notices that Julia is stranded in front of the bar, and offers her a ride home. Being the gentleman he is, he cannot politely decline her offer to come up for a drink. She seduces him, taking him out of his comfort zone. He enjoys it immensely, but is worried about repercussions, considering she is his student. Julia insists she is only looking for a casual arrangement, which she’ll keep secret, and he cannot resist.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. The characters are developed and complex, and as the story progresses, more details are revealed. I liked how Julia is the more experienced one, despite being ten years younger than Stephen, and how she shows him the ropes. Their relationship progresses naturally, although Julia is worried about making a commitment and getting hurt.
The only thing that irked me a bit was Stephen’s inner monologue reflecting on the impact Julia has on his previously lonely existence, which happens on several occasions. However, this does fit his personality, as he is finally blossoming as an adult with romantic and sexual interests, and his musings are not repetitive.
The second part of the Absolute duet picks up where Absolute Beginners ended. Stephen and Julia further explore their budding relationship. This is no easy feat, seeing as Stephen is Julia’s professor, and their personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum. They try, though, and face several complications with a strong determination to make it work.
While in the first book Julia took the lead in their physical relationship, in this second book Stephen is able to help Julia develop emotionally. Stephen is a delightful character: sweet and loyal, but insecure almost to a fault. It was nice to see him become more comfortable with his own person.
I very much enjoy the author’s writing style. It is sincere and honest, and provides fluff and sexiness without being flowery. It makes for an easy read. The additional chapter in Julia’s point of view is a good bonus, offer her side of the ‘seduction’ that started their romance.
Stephen Worthington may be only 33, but he is rather stuffy and finds it difficult to connect with his peers. He dresses quite old-fashioned and is studious. His (step)brother calls it boring, and regularly invites him out in order for him to socialize more. His interactions with women are awkward at best, and he is not very experienced.
Julia Wilde is a student in Stephen’s American Literature class, and she aggravates him to no end. She dresses inappropriately, interrupts his lectures and class discussions, and always has a snarky comment available. The one thing he does appreciate about her are her insightful contributions to those discussions. If only she would behave…
When Stephen meets his brother in his bar for a drink, he is surprised to see his student there with some friends. His brother insinuates that his annoyance is caused by attraction, to which he scoffs. On his way home he notices that Julia is stranded in front of the bar, and offers her a ride home. Being the gentleman he is, he cannot politely decline her offer to come up for a drink. She seduces him, taking him out of his comfort zone. He enjoys it immensely, but is worried about repercussions, considering she is his student. Julia insists she is only looking for a casual arrangement, which she’ll keep secret, and he cannot resist.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. The characters are developed and complex, and as the story progresses, more details are revealed. I liked how Julia is the more experienced one, despite being ten years younger than Stephen, and how she shows him the ropes. Their relationship progresses naturally, although Julia is worried about making a commitment and getting hurt.
The only thing that irked me a bit was Stephen’s inner monologue reflecting on the impact Julia has on his previously lonely existence, which happens on several occasions. However, this does fit his personality, as he is finally blossoming as an adult with romantic and sexual interests, and his musings are not repetitive.
The second part of the Absolute duet picks up where Absolute Beginners ended. Stephen and Julia further explore their budding relationship. This is no easy feat, seeing as Stephen is Julia’s professor, and their personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum. They try, though, and face several complications with a strong determination to make it work.
While in the first book Julia took the lead in their physical relationship, in this second book Stephen is able to help Julia develop emotionally. Stephen is a delightful character: sweet and loyal, but insecure almost to a fault. It was nice to see him become more comfortable with his own person.
I very much enjoy the author’s writing style. It is sincere and honest, and provides fluff and sexiness without being flowery. It makes for an easy read. The additional chapter in Julia’s point of view is a good bonus, offer her side of the ‘seduction’ that started their romance.
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