I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book I'm reviewing this week is another new adult tome which is part of a series, "Sheridan Hall", although you can read it as a standalone - in fact, that is what I did. It is by author Jessica Calla and it can be a 'coming of age' book as well and more Young Adult, since the characters are eighteen and are at university, but there are 16+ scenes as well.
After what happened a few months ago in Sheridan Hall, everything changed. The guys living in the basement are trying to get back to their everyday lives, even though it seems impossible. For Ben Riley, who was involved directly in what happened [I don't want to spoil you] things look tough because he hurt his shoulder and he can't play football for a while, leaving him hanging and anxious this could cost him his scholarship. Yet, among all this tragedy, there is a light. Megan Smith is his floormate, a mysterious girl who's keeping secrets that don't let her open up completely with her friends and that instead push her to run away not to face reality. But when she and Ben start getting close after a failed encounter months before, things start to take a different shape and maybe she can finally start anew.
Like I said above, this book is part of a series that I imgine is still not finished. But the story is clear even though I haven't read the previous book, so I believe you won't have any problem either. The protagonists of this book are Ben and Megan. Ben is the classic good guy, the dreamy quarterback of the University team, and a down-to-earth person who loves to help whoever in need. He was easy to like and I think he was realistic. When he said something or acted in a certain way, I reminded myself he's supposed to be 18. He was mature to be a 18 year old character, to be honest, but this is not a problem for me because I appreciate when young and male fictional characters are not always jerks. Same it goes for Megan. I couldn't quite agree with her on a lot of matters, but I can't blame her. She is just a teenager who is approaching adulthood and life and I can see that she's afraid. But in the end I'm glad she makes the right choice.
On the story part, it was okay. I mean, I liked it and all, it was a simple story with its twists and turns and it was enjoyable but it wasn't anything exceptional. I was glued to the book, though, so this is telling. I like reading books with light stories with not too much drama, they give me a break from life. This is the perfect book for those who want a romantic story with young characters and a calm mood. The characters were developed and I liked the floormates as well as the protagonists, so this adds to the laid-back tone of the book. There wasn't anybody to despise or anything to fear, and I liked that.
RATING: 4.5/5 stars