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Hustle

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South Eastern University: Where the football players are royalty and Andrew Fayden is king.

College was supposed to be Brook's chance to escape the rumors and the harassment that plagued her at home, but she hadn't planned on meeting Andrew Fayden.

Now, she's finding it hard to think of anything else or anyone else. She's determined to wipe him from her mind though because he is the definition of unavailable. He's got an on and off again girlfriend always on the sidelines and a flood of girls willing to take over that position.

And his popularity makes it hard to keep a low profile, something she needs to do if she doesn't want to be pulled back into the drama of her past.

Despite all the warnings, she's finding it hard to resist—and he's making it hard to say no.

470 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2015

1542 people are currently reading
9413 people want to read

About the author

Ashley Claudy

7 books482 followers
New Adult Author.

New release, HUSTLE, will be published Nov 19th!

The Outside The Ropes Series:
http://amzn.com/B00Q7UR3B6

Outside The Ropes (Book 1)

Inside Danger (Book 2)

OtherSide Of Fear (Book 3)

Mother. Wife. Teacher. Proud UMD Terp. Perpetual learner. Wild imagination fueled by coffee. Occasional runner. Late night book junkie. Daytime dreamer.

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5 stars
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3 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 732 reviews
Profile Image for Jennifer Kyle.
2,611 reviews5,401 followers
December 26, 2015
3.75 ~ 4 STARS

description

I hated this book at times but the writing and the heroine had me proceeding to see how things would end for a nice girl like Brooklyn. The heroine is taken by the hot, arrogant, manwhore, quarterback, Andrew Fayden. It seems he has a girl already named Fallon and everyone keeps telling Brooke so. Drew and Fallon are connected, they share a past and still have a relationship of sorts here in South Eastern University. Layer that drama with our heroine seeing something that makes one of Drew’s teammates furious and aggressive and a crazy sister on the lamb to the mix, and this book was nonstop drama!!!!

description

As for Brooke and Drew's relationship, there could have been a lot more communication on Drew’s part but I did like how he stands by Brooke when all hell breaks loose on her.

”You don’t disappear and make it easy on them.” He’s quick to respond. “You fight back.”

I could identify with Brooke’s character and wished that her scholarship had been for a school further from home and this sick group of people. Secrets, bullies, and lies, all make Brooklyn’s life a war zone.

description

Drew’s feelings for Brooke were well written and realistically paced. He said the shittiest things in the beginning and really only wanted one thing from Brooke. However, slowly you could feel him trusting the good in Brooklyn and what they could have in one another. I completely bought his feelings for her and found the two of them an odd but interesting pair.

description

I can’t really recommend this read as I’m not sure what friends will enjoy this level of drama (some over the top) and cruelty. The hero is also a pretty hard sell. I didn’t love him, but I warmed a bit to him throughout the course of the story. Overall, this read takes a ton of twists and turns and poor Brooke shouldn’t trust anyone!

description
Profile Image for Zain Otoom.
130 reviews210 followers
July 18, 2017
Being kind doesn't mean be a fucking doormat or fucking stupid.
Profile Image for Michelle.
944 reviews219 followers
December 19, 2015
4.5 Stars!
I really loved this one. I was up all night reading it last night.
Brooklyn is a very sweet girl. She's also a virgin. She's just started college and hoping that her past stays in the past. At first we know nothing about Brooklyns past. We only know that she was homeschooled because of it and her mother is very over protective.
Brooklyn and her new roommate are getting a tattoo when they run into the college football team.
Andrew is your typical sexy, cocky manwhore. He's the star of the football team and he's a mystery to me. He's very forward when it comes to Brooklyn letting her know he wants her. At first I didn't like Andrew. He was an asshole. His ex girlfriend and him were always running off together and fighting. When his ex came in the room he just dropped everything and they would go off some where and argue. I didn't like her at all.
Slowly Andrew and Brooklyn become friends but I was still unsure if I trusted Andrew or not. He seemed to only have one thing on his mind and that was getting Brooklyn in the bed. I was nervous she wasn't going to be able to tell him no. He was VERY persuasive! lol
There were so many secrets going on in this book. I couldn't put my kindle down because I needed to know what was really going on.
Something happens around 50% that made me nervous for Brooklyn. It seemed like this poor girl was always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Then around 70% shit started hitting the fan. I was nervous for Brooklyn again. But it wasn't Andrew that was making me nervous. Secrets were coming out and I knew it was about to get ugly. I wanted Brooklyn to stand up for herself and not hide like she did in high school. I loved that Andrew wanted her to do the same.
I deducted a half star because I felt Brooklynn was just too nice. Ugh! The ending was very OTT and I kind of felt a few things were left unanswered IMO. But I still loved it.
If you like a book filled with drama, secrets, a tight group of friends and a sexy as hell football player that will have you fanning yourself this is a book for you! I hope you give it a try! I will defiantly be looking for more books by this author:))
Profile Image for ✮ rach ✮.
688 reviews113 followers
December 6, 2015
As much as I love angst and drama, this was way over the top for me. The heroine came off as whiny and a bit of a martyr. The nice-ness was ridiculous! Nobody talks or acts like that! (Or at least they shouldn't.) The hero was just a dick who pressured the heroine into having sex and kept getting mad when she didn't want to...even while having his on-again-off-again ex in his life. (And it was more than obvious the outcome of the drama involving the ex. Nothing surprising there.)The story had huge potential, but the author failed to deliver. I expected the heroine to finally grow some balls and stand up for herself, but she didn't. She was either running away or telling everyone she was staying away from their own good.
Brooklyn was a very disappointing heroine and Drew was an even more disappointing hero. And in the end, they both deserved each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for NMmomof4.
1,788 reviews5,030 followers
July 27, 2017
3.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: This was better than I thought it would be. I was in the mood for an angsty college romance, and I got it. Every once in a while I am in the mood for the love triangle, or I am tempted by a blurb that just promises angst. It is always a gamble, because I think they have to be just right to be enjoyable instead of making me just hate the mcs instead. I think this book succeeded. While it isn't going down as one of my favorites, or it might not be all that memorable with how many books I read, it was still pretty enjoyable.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Brook and Drew's story. They meet in a tattoo shop, and are instantly attracted. Brook is a new freshman, and Drew is the star football quarterback junior. They keep on bumping into each other, and Drew doesn't hide the fact that he would like to have a ONS with Brook. Brook is a virgin, and doesn't want that type of situation being her first. They decide to form a friendship, but of course that doesn't last and stronger feelings start to develop. Drew has a complicated relationship with his ex that always seems to be around, and this is another reason Brook is hesitant to start anything with him. They have some friend drama, some ex drama, some sexy times, some sweet times, and some old drama come up...but they eventually get their HFN.

POV: This was told in Brooklyn's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. It was on the longer side @ 514 e-pages, but it read smoothly and I didn't feel the need to skim.

Instalove: No. Instalust for sure, but the stronger feelings didn't develop until later.

H rating: 3 stars. Andrew. I really disliked him at first, but once he started showing the h his true self he became more likeable.

h rating: 4 stars. Brooklyn. Poor girl was always trying to do the right thing and was punished for it. I thought she was a good character, and I appreciated how she demanded to mean more than just a hookup for the H when they first met.

Sadness level: Moderate. This did have some tough subjects that make it sad at times, but I didn't personally cry.

Heat level: Moderate. They do have some good chemistry together.

Descriptive sex: Yes.

OW/OM drama: Yes. The H has an off again on again abusive relationship (they yell at each other and the OW hits him) with OW since high school. OW claims that she has no issue with him sleeping with girls, because she "knows" he'll end up with her. She even makes "friends" with h, but you can assume how that'll go...

Sex scene with OW or OM:

Cheating:

Possible Triggers:

Closure: This had decent closure, but I wanted more. I would call it a HFN ending.

Worth the $?: This was on my scribed account, so yes!
Profile Image for Anne OK.
4,100 reviews553 followers
December 31, 2015
This is one very large package of angst. I had difficulty cultivating a real like for Drew, the main male character. He’s the campus heart throb and star quarterback with a chance at an NFL contract upon graduation. I spent most of my time questioning whether or not he was on the up and up. He had secrets and lots of them including a noose around his neck. But then again, so did our main girl, Brook. Some bad happenings in her past reared their ugly heads bringing about more misery in her attempt to put the past behind her and make a new start as she begins her freshman year of college. She’s also a virgin with her eye on the douche bag quarterback. There is a bit of criminal activity taking place on campus that sets up some suspense for the group of college students and even more questions as to who you can trust among them.

This is another sports-themed romance with little to none of the actual sport evident in the storyline. Readers get a trip to the football field but all they see is their star quarterback on the sideline with his cell phone. Not sure I'm able to believe this. I’ve yet to see a college football player talking on a cell phone in the middle of a game and I’ve watched plenty of games. The suspense gave this one a boost of interest. There was also a surprise among the group of friends that came out of nowhere and most likely will shock readers a bit.

I haven’t seen it mentioned in any reviews that I’ve read, but there is an overabundance of editing errors, mostly small and careless that would be easy fixes with some proofreading (a knowledge in correct use of your v. you’re and definitely a lesson in the use of apostrophes, particularly). These kinds of sloppy errors are among my biggest pet peeves and drive me crazy when it is a constant problem throughout the manuscript as here.

I sincerely wanted to love this book – but it just didn't happen because of the reasons listed above. There are way too many editing problems along with over-the-top angst and unrealistic plotting. And when all was said and done, the ending felt too rushed and not very fulfilling after all that had transpired on the road to happy-ever-after.
Profile Image for Paula.
703 reviews231 followers
December 30, 2015

Phew! Fans of college drama and angst would really like this book!

This book was strangely addictive, even with all the neverending drama and angst. Although, I will admit I almost DNF’d this book because Drew came across as a total jerk in the beginning. But I kept reading, suddenly finding myself understanding Drew as he burrowed his way into my heart. His character is complicated in a realistic way. He’s someone who tells the truth, never sugar-coating things. But I do wish I got his POV too.

I loved how Brook stayed true to herself and her friends, but she was too nice, a pushover. And that drove me crazy! But she did have some great moments where I wanted to high five her.

While I liked this story, my rating is based on not getting Drew's POV, and the ending with was all a bit much and ridiculous.

Overall, Ashley Claudy delivered an engaging story with loads of angst and drama, heavy sexual tension, and some heartbreaking moments that tugged at my heart.
Profile Image for Antonella.
4,124 reviews621 followers
January 13, 2021
an old school New Adult..I don't read them as I used to but this one worked for me..
sure it has many things that I cringe at but overall I enjoy reading this book!!
it can be frustrating at times but it is very addicting and impossible to stop reading..
Profile Image for Jan.
1,252 reviews989 followers
December 25, 2015


It is going to be difficult to explain my 5 Stars when Drew was such a manwhore and Brook, at least in the beginning, was driving me mad with the pressure she was putting on him to be more than just a hook-up.


With that said, the characters had grown on me and the story kept me on tip toes.



It was an extremely busy week for me.



There was no time for dreaming but for the life of me I couldn't stop thinking about this book. To a point that, when running one of my many tasks (lastminute.com.post office) I was praying to find a massive queue. How sad was that? Wishing for quality time with my kindle at the post office?!



The story was packed with drama and action, a manwhore who I couldn't wait to see on his knees, a on and off ex-girlfriend which was a total bitch (I have to say) and a heroine who survived hell at school.

All those elements combined gave me a constant “butterfly feeling" in my tummy.
Hence my 5 Stars.

Thanks Jojo! Loved the recommendation <3
Profile Image for Fre06 Begum.
1,260 reviews205 followers
December 27, 2015
There was no chemistry from him for her and she was pathetic!
Profile Image for Melluvsbooks.
1,570 reviews
October 25, 2021
Reread 2021 - I just finished my reread and I loved it!

He’s aggressive. Which is something I find oddly missing in sport romance. I loved it. He manages to both take and not be rapey. It’s a fine balance. 🤷🏼‍♀️

This is a story of manwhore NFL bound hero and the innocent naive, but not stupid, gal who snares him without even trying.

There’s tons of relationship drama and outside drama that gives the h a chance to show some grit and the H a chance to be protective. 💕

I love this scenario, and I think this author does a great job with it.


Bottom line? If you like an aggressive college athlete H and an innocent h who makes him work for it, you’ll like this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️

- no cheating or sharing

-OW drama - loads of it. She’s the Evil Cackling Whore variety, which makes for a fun read - we find out near the end that while they’ve known each other a long time, the feelings are mostly on her end

- OM drama - the H has a chance to be jealous and try to get in OM’s way

- h is a virgin - is only with the H

- h is a manwhore

- h is physically assaulted twice on page (not sexual) by OP
Profile Image for Ksenia.
222 reviews27 followers
January 4, 2016
DNF at 60 %.

This book can be described in three words: angst and OTT drama. Add to this rude and jerkish hero and constant presence of his ex-girlfriend…I was it the mood for some angst, but it’s too much for me. I can’t handle it.
Profile Image for Ang C.
756 reviews115 followers
December 11, 2015
1.5 stars

Sigh. Where do I begin...

This read did not work for me at all. I could not connect with the main characters/secondary characters. The hero, Drew, was a douche for most of the story and held no sex appeal whatsoever. Brooklyn, the heroine was vexing and weak in character. The overly dramatic story line did not flow well for me, at all, and the angst felt forced. I was bummed, the synopsis was promising and I love angsty reads that involve sexy guys falling for the sweet and sassy chicks. It was a total miss for me.

Profile Image for Tpagirl Loves Romance.
1,672 reviews185 followers
October 12, 2018
Hustle by Ashley Claudy was a stand-alone and my first book by the author.

Andrew “Drew” Fayden was the star college quarterback with the NFL in his sights. He was gorgeous, cocky, confident, arrogant and basically an asshole to most women. He had his eyes on Brook and was surprised when she wasn’t an easy conquest.

Brooklyn “Brook” Shaw was a freshman that preferred to stay on the sidelines. She was beautiful, bright and genuinely kind. She kept running into Drew but refused to give in to their chemistry for a one night stand.

Claudy detailed the chase with a multi-faceted suspenseful vibe. I liked the premise of the story except I’m never fond of triangles and once that was evident, I hated the direction. I’m a loyal kinda girl, so the multiple girls was a turn off. With that said, I still couldn’t put it down. And there were so many facets to the storyline that brought twists and turns to what was expected. Not everything appeared as it seemed. I was intrigued and hooked until I read it all in one sitting.

It was written with a single POV, Brooke’s, but there were bonus scenes from Drew at the conclusion of the book. It was well written and well developed but with so many twists, there were a couple items that weren’t completely fleshed out and I was craving more detail and conclusion. I also was craving an epilogue. Drew and Brook got their HFN but I wanted a deeper dive into the future. Otherwise, it was enjoyable, suspenseful and entertaining.
Profile Image for Denisa.
1,381 reviews332 followers
December 20, 2015
2.5, doesn't deserve a 2 star rating though so I'm sticking with 3.

This was a pretty addictive read for some reason, despite the flaws and weird, over-the-top plot in this book.
It started pretty good, it was funny at times, and then it all went down hill after about 55%. It was sooo so so over the top! I mean, everything that could have gone wrong did. And to top it all off,
Why did Claudy have to complicate the story! It could have been something really nice if not for the over-the-top plot.
On the bright side, the book was really well written, it caught my attention and, even though I can't say I liked it too much for the last 40%, I stayed up all night reading. That's why I can't give it less than 3 stars, I was caught up in it and couldn't let go, so it deserves to be appreciated for that at least.
Profile Image for Sheree.
26 reviews4 followers
February 18, 2016

Loved it!

|| Review to come ||

description
description
“You, Brooklyn Shaw, will not be anyone I will soon forget. And when you give me your body, it will be one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.”
description
Profile Image for Kelli Spear.
524 reviews65 followers
December 16, 2015
Honestly, I'm trying to understand the high ratings here. This could've been a good, fun book. I love the sports romances, and even though they tend to be über cliché, there's always something that gets me about an athlete.

Hustle starts out the same. Virgin meets hot, playboy athlete. Insta-lust. But then it all goes to shit. Andrew was an asshole. No apologies. And Brook? She just took it. Over and over and over again. I cannot stand a girl in a book without a backbone, and that's all she was. Drew pushed and she gave in. The author tried to play it off, having friends accuse her of playing hard to get, but that wasn't even close to the truth. She was weak throughout, and I couldn't understand her appeal as a character OR love interest. And Drew? I suppose he got a bit better as the story progressed, but not much. His past was nonsensical and didn't make any of his actions acceptable.

And the plot... What a clusterfuck. Everyone has secrets. Most are beyond ridiculous. All they did was draw out the story to where I just wanted to skim the book to reveal the endgame. The one secret that Brooklyn was hiding for Kyle --- I'm still trying to determine why it was relevant to the story. Just to add a gay element to it all? No idea, but again, pointless. Once I hit 80% my eyes were rolling do often I was afraid I was permanently damaging my vision. Yet I finished this atrocity to see what I'd wasted all my time on. It wasn't worth it. It's like a combination of Days of Our Lives and every terrible Lifetime movie combined. Every piece of drama was overly contrived. All the puzzle pieces from the entire story come together in a nice box and are wrapped up within five pages. Right.

For the first 40% or so, Hustle felt like a Beautiful Disaster re-write. Except these characters weren't lovable at all and the author changed the sport. I didn't feel the angst that I've seen in other reviews. I felt aggravation and annoyance at the way this chick was portrayed. The message I got: "Have no self-respect, ladies. Just be nice, keep giving him little bits of yourself, and eventually he'll change and want just you." The only thing I keep wondering is how serious this book is. Like, is it really a parody, meant to be utterly ridiculous in every way? Because if that's the case, I'd give it 20 stars. But an attempt to be realistic? It falls way short.
Profile Image for Danny Lea.
758 reviews12 followers
May 20, 2025
Not even going to lie. I enjoyed this book. It was angsty. Something was happening on every page. Never a boring moment which was fun. But a few thing's could have been better. The biggest? No POV for the H Drew. To be honest with a book like this two POV's should have been present. I think the ratings would have been higher. Yes, it's YA drama, but it kept me turning the page's because everyone was up to something and everyone had secrets. But I needed to be inside Drew's head to make his feeling's more believable for Brook. It was just bam! Oh, he did chase, but only to get into her pants at first. You'll be happy to hear she fought him pretty much not to fall into his trap until she felt like he could care.

There's some om/ow drama throughout til the end. Tatum was a piece of work which brings me to my next gripe. Never is it ok to hit a man and put scratches and marks on them and just pass it by like it's nothing. Just as it would be for a woman. Tatum physically abused Drew, but the author defended in the book that he liked it somehow. Not true. He did not seem that way to me. Fighting and f****** is the excuse used like it was ok from everyone. For me? Not in this case. It's not bdsm or some kink. These were actual arguments and altercations between the two. From the first time they were together actually. She's aggressive and abusive both physically and verbally. Tatum is there the whole entire time, but her big lie in the end I think woke Drew up. BUT not once did I think he was in love with Tatum. He was concerned yes because she was all he knew. But I wish the author didn't make it seem like it was ok to hit a man. Because she had the H Drew defending to people that he of course never hit back..

My last complaint? The h Brook. She was just too innocent for my tastes. Unless this girl lived under a rock, which she did not, acted like Mother Teresa, but it wasn't cute or endearing for me. She was too kind. Everyone turned their back's on her and yet she didn't get angry one time. It's just not believable. BUT I do not consider her a doormat.

Overall I enjoyed this book for the angsty read that it was. It literally never quit til the end. Though I have to say the ending to the conflict was a bit OTT 😆
Profile Image for Quinn's Quippy Quotes.
1,440 reviews142 followers
October 11, 2018
Currently FREE on Amazon bitches!!!!


4.5 He's got the Hustle... Stars

So I've learned a few things. I've learned that when my fellow sister, Shannon, recommends a book. You read it. I've also learned to ask her questions, because I was not expecting what I got out of this book. So you may look at this cover and go, another sports romance. Forehead, met hand. Let me just stop you right there. NOPE! Not it, try again.

We meet our heroine, Brook, a freshman at South Eastern College. We learn very quickly that Brook is embarking on a new phase of her life, one that will hopefully leave her past well off behind her. We don't know exactly what happened, but we know that it was something major that brought down a whole community onto her family and that her relationship with her sister is obsolete because of it.

Brook's new dorm mate, Rose, is all about getting Brook out of her shell and living the full college experience. Because of this Brook meets the star football quarterback, Andrew. It's very evident that Andrew wants to get Brook in his bed, but the motive of which is up in the air. Is he just a wing man or is he just looking for his usual one night stand....or more?

To put it simply, Andrew is a pompous asshole. He's used to getting everything he wants without asking for it, especially women. But Brook isn't so easy. He senses her innocents right away, but she continues to be hesitant.

"I want to be more than noticed."

Be prepared to hate Drew, be frustrated and distrust him. But you also better be prepared to swoon for him. He also has a dark past that starts to slowly be unveiled, explaining why he usually keeps himself at a distance and why he is so connected with Tatum.

"You have a way of crawling under peoples skin and living there, taking over my thoughts. But I think that you already know that."

There are so many great things that I love about this book. First, every single character is very distinct and complex. I knew right off the get go that I was going to fall in love with them all, especially Kyle. The plot wasn't just a straight forward plot line. There was scheming, lying and menacing going on, creating this whole other aspect that kept up the pacing. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to know first!

Brook has learned from her past to keep things to herself, that no one will believe her no matter the evidence. She thought that she left her past behind her, but it quickly reappears creating another situation where her word is questioned against another's.

It's always the same. Are you sure? You can tell me the truth. The repeated questions about what I've said. And in the end, it's not the ones who yell I'm a liar or chase me with insults that hurt the most. It's those little things, the tiniest statements from the people you need to believe you, that chip away at your soul- that bury you.

But there's one person that will always believe her, no matter the consequence, and against all odds.

"You're the team," .....
"What?" ....
"When I talked about the play, you're the team. I trust you because you're my team, and moments like this-" he brings his lips back to mine, give me air as he speaks against me "—this is winning."


The last 100 pages had me second guessing my theories as to what was going to happen. So much had to be bundled up before it ended. Although the end result was satisfying, it had me asking a lot of questions too. I wanted more of a full explanation of everyone's motives. I wanted answers to my whys. I was also really hoping for a fuller epilogue, because I love a good epilogue.

This was my first novel by Ashley Claudy and was pleasantly surprised with the complexity of it. I will definitely be reading more from her.
Profile Image for MisskTarsis.
1,253 reviews97 followers
May 28, 2018
Le doy tres no porque no me haya encantado, sino por las cosas que no me gustaron.

Hustle va sobre Andrew o Drew, como le gusta ser llamado, un chico que vive y respira fútbol y sexo, son las dos únicas cosas que realmente le importan. Y al otro lado tenemos a Brooklyn, la chica buena, la buena estudiante, la sobreprotegida que esconde un pasado lleno de chismes. Se conocen cuando ella va a cometer el error de hacerse un tatuaje a dueto con su compáñera de piso y él le advierte que no lo haga. Luego simplemente comienzan a coincidir y él está sobre ella. Ella lo rechaza y él insiste hasta que al fin están juntos.

Sí, ese es el resumen. Excepto por el hecho de que todo pasa en un mes. UN MES. Me sentí literalmente así: description

Este libro es el perfecto ejemplo de que hay que hacerse la dura para conseguir al chico jajaja. De pana, todo va tan rápido, no te da un descanso, todos los días es un drama nuevo. Nunca hay un momento en que tu digas, conchale AL FIN UN MOMENTO DE PAZ. Aparte de que quedé decepcionada de que no ampliaran todo lo de Kyle y TJ, me hubiese gustado leer mucho más sobre eso.

Libro leído a dueto con Jarusauskas <3
Profile Image for Shannon.
2,724 reviews226 followers
November 19, 2015
I don't recall a book that has caused me as much frustration as this one did...the angst, the anxiety, the drama- I'm not sure how much more I could have handled! This book grabbed me by the throat, sucked me in, and wouldn't let go until the final word.

Honestly, there were so many times I wanted to reach into my Kindle to shake, slap, hug, rage, or coddle these characters...the emotions this book evoked in me are hard to put into words. Hustle is a quintessential New Adult book, and while in some ways it follows the typical "young, naive college girl meets bad boy king of the campus" formula, there is so much more to this book than just that- so much more than what meets the eye...when it comes to everyone involved.

Brook has escaped to college, hoping to shed the stigma she's been living under at home, when she catches the eye of quarterback and man-about-campus Drew. On the surface these 2 seem to be quite opposite, but deep down they are more alike than not- they both have issues and secrets they keep hidden from the outside world. As much as they both drove me batty at times, I was really hoping that they would be able to work through everything they had going on in their lives, to see what each had to offer to the other.

This book isn't just about the relationship between Brook and Drew, though. There are so many twists and turns in this book, so many interwoven storylines, so much depth and complexity to the characters, I wasn't sure what to expect from each chapter to the next. The anticipation to find out what was going to happen was off the charts.



***I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ashley Claudy.
Author 7 books482 followers
December 13, 2015
I'm the author, so my rating is biased, of course.

It's a stand alone New Adult Romance with some suspense mixed in. It's got some of the common themes, college, football, a dirty talking jerk... but typical to my style, I aim to keep you entertained and on your toes throughout. If you choose to venture in, I hope you enjoy!

Here's some teasers to further help you decide if it's something you might want to read!






Profile Image for Sarah.
1,907 reviews1,364 followers
March 28, 2016
What a roller coaster of emotions!!!

I kept looking at this book and debating whether or not to buy it. I finally took the plunge, and, to be honest, I thought I made a mistake. I hated these people at the beginning. Brooke was weak, Drew and Kyle were a**holes, Tatum and her friends were clearly up to no good. As the book progresses, Drew becomes better but Rose and TJ, characters I liked, started to change. Then at 73%, my world blew up. People I thought were good, weren't. Drew became and amazing hero. Brooke became a strong formidable heroine. So while I thought it was a mistake to buy this book, in the end it was a great decision. It took me through a range of emotions, I was honestly shocked, and any author that can take reprehensible characters and make me like them is a fantastic writer. I will certainly look into her other books.
Profile Image for Melanie (mells_view).
1,929 reviews395 followers
April 14, 2016
Too much repetition. Too many weird stories. Not a fan and I DNF. Hopefully I didn't miss a redeemable ending but I couldn't suffer through Brook once again telling Drew she didn't know WHAT she wants, but she just didn't want a hook up. Ok brook if he didn't get it the first 4 times you told him, then he must have 0 respect for you. Also you have 0 respect for yourself not to actually put real boundaries in place. This was just too much. This is like a lesson in how not to teach your teenage daughter self respect.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
October 10, 2018
💝FREE on Amazon today (10/10/18)!💝
Profile Image for Samantha Lynn.
779 reviews47 followers
October 19, 2021
So Much Yes

*possible spoilers ahead*

I loved this story. Loved.

This story was the perfect combination of everything from the plot, the character development, the drama and the story flow.

Brooklyn is this freshman in college who’s a virgin and somehow gets under the skin of Andrew, the star quarterback for the school. And at first, I was convinced that Andrew only really saw her as a challenge because she wouldn’t sleep with him, but as the story goes on, you realize it’s more than that. Andrew is the ultimate alpha jealous possessive a-hole we love and Brooklyn is the ultimate female lead who doesn’t take his bs and stands up for herself against him. She doesn’t cave easily to him and I love it.

There is some crazy drama with other characters but this story was *chefs kiss*

I’m going to end my review here as if I go on, I will just ramble.
Profile Image for Mercedes.
563 reviews105 followers
July 21, 2020
I've been in the mood for college athlete romances and this was a pretty good one. We followed Drew and Brook through various stages of their non-relationship, their friendship, their quasi-relationship and their actual relationship. There was definitely a bit of crazy drama in this story so be prepared for a more fictitious college experience in this one.
I do like the way he's looking at me in this moment, like I'm just as exciting to him as he is to me.

Brook was not to be swayed by Drew's mind numbing lips or hands, she wasn't coerced by his status or good looks and I loved this about her. She wasn't looking for a quick hookup she wanted a relationship and she was very upfront with Drew about this. I didn't feel like she was rude about it, she told him what was up and that she liked his friendship so they could be friends or they could be in a relationship or neither. She wasn't pressuring him into it but she wasn't settling for his friends with benefits/hookup offer. She came with some emotional baggage but she didn't let it dictate her life in college or her personal relationships.
—he's already inside me, his words and touches burn in me long after he's gone. I'm already ruined.

Drew was your typical college jock, he had hordes of women throwing themselves at him, he liked to party with his teammates and I'm not sure he ever went to class. When he met Brook he was looking for a quick hookup but I think she intrigued him and he decided to get to know her better. It took him quite a while to warm up to what Brook wanted but he wasn't oblivious to what she was waiting for and he continued to pursue her.
When I've upset you, you let it show, but you explain why. Fuck if it doesn't make me feel like shit, but at the same time, it makes me want to do better.

This was a good college athlete romance. There was a bit more drama in it than would be "normal" for a college experience but it's a book, so a bit of deviation from what may be typical is totally okay. And the author did it quite well.
Profile Image for Aliyeh.
278 reviews6 followers
December 5, 2015
Four stars for Drew and Brooklyn

I am conflicted with this one. I did enjoy it and had a hard time putting it down but at the same time Drew really frustrated me. At first he seems extremely attractive but as time went on his sudden angry/cruel outbursts at Brooklyn got annoying. It was almost as if he was a little boy throwing a tantrum.
On a story line level, this was a good light mix of suspense, romance and a whole lot of drama. I wasn't expecting so much suspense/crime reading the blurb I really thought this was more of a comedy but it isn't. Strong Heroine lovers beware, our main lady is very timid almost all throughout the novel. I loved this book all throughout the back and forth chase between Brooklyn and Drew but once they were truly together my love for it started dwindling.


“I want inside of you—to ruin you from the inside out for anyone else, because you are mine. You may not want to accept it yet, but it's the truth. I told you from day one, it's inevitable. I'll be your first and best.”


“You, Brooklyn Shaw, will not be anyone I will soon forget. And when you give me your body, it will be one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.”
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