Mara Jacobs is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Worth series.
After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in advertising, Mara spent several years working at daily newspapers in advertising sales and production. This certainly prepared her for the world of deadlines!
She writes mysteries with romance, thrillers with romance, and romances with…well, you get it.
Forever a Yooper (someone who hails from Michigan's glorious Upper Peninsula), Mara now splits her time between the U.P. and Las Vegas.
In Too Fast is book two in the Freshman Roommates trilogy by Mara Jacobs. It is set at a college that is just below the Ivy League schools. Jane and Lily are roommates and Sydney is their suitemate. Her roommate left college due to a family emergency and no one filled her spot. It worked out great for the three girls. Lily is now tied to Lucas but is there during evening hours when he is working. It is now Christmas Break and Lily has gone home, Syd is staying to work, and Jane is forced to go home and to her half-sister’s wedding. Jane Winters is the daughter of an unwed mother and a man who had been running for President at the time. Of course, Jane is the catalyst that kept Joseph Stratton from becoming President. He has paid child support for Jane but any family time is spent with his ex-wife Caroline and their two kids, Betsy and Joseph Jr. Over the years, Jane has spent mandatory birthdays with her Father and Caroline and her kids. No one was happy with the situation. Then Jane went to boarding school and changed her name from “Jaybird” to Jane and is living her life in college under the radar. Only her friends, Lily and Syd, know who she is and she likes it that way. Now, her “Father” has insisted she be a bridesmaid in Betsy’s society wedding. In order to help Lily and Lucas get back together, Jane makes a bargain with Lily’s father who is the political consultant for her Father and her part is she has to be a bridesmaid and not cause any uproar. For Lily, Jane will do it. The wedding, which is not the small one Betsy wanted, went off like clockwork until pictures. Then Caroline insisted Jane be in the family photograph. No one is thrilled except the photographer whose photos will be in People magazine. At the reception, Joey saves the day by dancing with his half-sister and telling her he is going on a mission to Africa and Betsy will be in Europe on her honeymoon when their father announces he is running for Governor of Maryland. Now Jane sees she will be asked or coerced into helping him in his campaign. Not what she wanted! One of the older powerful men decides to dance with Jane and then pushes himself on her. He insults her and her Mother by saying Jane is just like her- a slut. Before Jane can extricate herself without causing a scene, they are interrupted by Stick. Stick is a friend of Lucas’s, Lily’s boyfriend. After realizing she is grateful for his breaking this up without a scene, she wonders why Stick is here. While dancing, he tells her that he is working for Caroline Stratton. He is getting out of the car stealing business and concentrating on redoing Caroline’s father’s collection of old cars so she can sell them. She is downsizing. Jane wonders why Caroline is downsizing. She also wonders why Caroline still supports her Father after all he has embarrassed her. Jane’s head is spinning from more than the champagne she drank, the dances she danced with Stick, and the kiss he gave her!
Jane is known as Jaybird, the illegitimate daughter of a presidential hopeful whose run for president was ruined when he was exposed for having an affair, cheating on his wife who had cancer and denying paternity of his daughter. Stick is a recently-reformed former car thief. From their first meeting, Jane and Stick pretty much hate each other. They are natural enemies yet there seems to be something just under the surface. This book was loaded with sexual tension. I love a good enemies to lovers storyline and this one was perfect! Jane and Stick both were complex characters who had interesting pasts that shaped them into who they are. This book was also really interesting with all the politics with Jane's dad and it also had a little angst and drama that kept me turning the pages and not wanting to put this one down. I really loved this story and I am enjoying this series. I can't wait for Syd's story next! I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a steamy romance or a good enemies to lovers storyline.
Bribury College freshman Jane Winters,19, was once the center of political scandal and all she did to cause it was be born. She hasn’t necessarily had a privileged life but she’s also no stranger to an elite existence.
Stick,21, is a local boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and whose life also hasn’t cut him many breaks. But when the events from the first book in the Freshman Roommate series, In Too Deep, place Stick deeper in Jane’s world, their differences aren’t as vast as they might think.
Stick is like a bad ass boy who's really vulnerable deep down. I adored him for the majority of the story and thought he had a ton of potential. The sexual tension between him and Jane oozed off the page. If I’d have had a boy like him at that age I’d have totally learned to drive stick too. ;-)
“‘It really is like sex. The early gears are foreplay. In fourth and fifth gear you’re trying to maintain, to make it last, make it build. Sixth and seventh, she…you know.’”
Told via Stick and Jane’s first person point of view, they were totally hot together and I was completely enthralled with this story. It kept me glued to the pages, loving how the story stayed focused on Jane and Stick’s developing romance….until it didn’t. And then what was an amazing story was ruined by a completely out of nowhere twist that I very much loathe and made the story loose its punch. I largely skimmed after that as their romance felt cheapened. The ending was rushed and abrupt and I wondered what happened to a story that had soooo much potential. It could have been a really well done new adult romance but it fell prey to too many unoriginal and trite troupes.
Very disappointing last third. All in all, I’d give it 5 stars for the first roughly 70%, but only 2 stars for the climax/resolution.
Lily and Lucus from the first book make appearances, but honestly I felt they should have played a much bigger role. Perhaps then the story could have stayed on track.
Each book can be read as a standalone. I'd recommend the first one for readers who wish to avoid OW/OM drama.
Just another book that I stumbled upon on Amazon. A romance book evolving a car thief? Count me in! I love a bad boy but the thing about Stick is that he is so much deeper than your typical "bad boy". When I started this book I realized that the focus was more heavily on political family relationships than just a hot car thief romance. What kept me going was the intelligence and witty banter of Jaybird. I admired her mindset and determination to be normal even with such a hard upbringing. As this one went on I found it impossible to put it down. The new major elements that were added threw me through a major curveball. I wanted Stick and Jane to work badly because at that point, their love and relationship became that much more realistic. For the first time in a long time for me the story was a real world relatable story and not just a romance. It brought love down to a something simplistic, "let everything else go" and just be and do whatever you want.
Loved Loved Loved!! She's snarky and guarded, rich and privileged. He's an ex car thief. Most importantly they don't like each other. But as they spend more time together and really get to know each other things change. The shouldn't work but they do. This is a great book that everyone will want to read. I highly recommend it.
Ugh, I don't know what it is about me and the second book in a series - they just always always always seem to do it for me. I always say it's the author settling into their groove, and that's what it felt like Jacobs did here, but maybe it's me settling into my groove and the whole universe that's been built up in the first book, too. I don't know, that's probably irrelevant. I had a rather large inkling from In Too Deep that Stick and Jane would be the ones for me, and that their story would hit so much harder than Lily and Lucas' did, and it did not disappoint. They're both the epitome of an MC that I absolutely adore and will continue to eat up every time. Jane was brilliant and sharp and complex and guarded and witty and Stick was her perfect match; all scruffy reformed criminal, kind and rough around the edges with a great back story - I love that it was never 'I can fix him', it was always this man is stepping up and fixing himself, it was refreshing in the best way. I loved them individually, then Jacobs went and made them an enemies to lovers, forced proximity thing and yeh, I was in for the long haul.
It felt like compared to the first book, the pacing was better here, nothing was as rushed and there was time for a bit of build up; I felt more drawn in to both their backstories and there was more focus on their characters complexities and nuances and how they worked to make them fit together. As a series I stumbled upon due to stuff your kindle day, I really feel like this trilogy needs so much more hype.
⭐️3.75/5 🔥4/5 🌶️3/5 So close to 4 stars, but that drama at the end that didn't change anything but break them up for a few chapters was completely unnecessary. Like oh no, sad they break up, but oh they love each other so they are going to make it work. But oh, never mind the drama cleared up and isn't an actual issue so... So what?! Why put the reader through that? If it had lasted longer or been part of the main issue they weren't together for most of the boom then okay, but it felt like it was just tossed in to make the short novel longer than a novella. Needless to say, as much as I adored Stick and Jane, that ending could have been edited. She still could have said I love you on national TV the way she did for other reasons that were apart of her reasons to not be with him from the beginning! Ugh, it is so frustrating.
I’ve been wanting to read Jane and Sticks story since their first interaction in the car in the first book. I wish there was a little bit more depth and story of them actually together, but over all it was a good story. Very cute.
Such a story- the past shaping the future but also owning your life and doing what’s right. Such a brilliant sequel. I look forward to number 3- such a brilliant series.
Summary: In this second book of Mara Jacobs’ Freshman Roommates series, we revisit Jane Winters, the love child that brought her father’s political aspirations to a screeching halt. Growing up in the spotlight, Jane developed a hard shell with witty remarks, bright clothes, and vivaciousness to keep everyone at arm’s length. The only person able to crack this nut is Stick, an ex-car thief turned spy for Jane’s father. With her father’s impending run for governor, she’ll be under the microscope again. She knows it’s a risk to trust Stick, but he’s the one she can be herself around…if he doesn’t break her heart first.
Review: If there ever was a book I took my time with, it was Mara Jacobs’ In Too Fast. Kind of ironic, don’t ya think? One of the bright points of the first book in this series, In Too Deep, was the constant bickering between Jane and Stick, and I couldn’t wait for them to have their own story. Jane’s already seen Stick at his worst, especially when he cons her best friend Lily’s boyfriend into stealing a car for him. There isn’t much reason for her to like him or trust him. He appears out of nowhere during an awkward family wedding and sparks fly, although she quickly puts together the pieces – he’s there to spy on her.
I almost feel bad for Stick during their initial interactions. Jane has a lot of sass and a sharp tongue; she’ll filet you with it. She constantly brings up his past as a reason she can’t trust him, but I always felt this was more for her benefit than his. As long as Jane doesn’t forget that he’s no good for her, it’s easier to ignore the way she feels. Stick just gets her. There’s no bullshit between them, and for the first time she can just be herself.
Jane’s family dynamics are…complicated. Even when we see people being more emotional, relationships deepening, Jane has to question its sincerity. The only pure, simple, straightforward thing in her life is Stick. When something tears them apart it’s not clear if they’ll get an HEA, but “Stick” around ‘cause the ending’s worth it.
Well well well Siempre soy la que anda hablando y quejándose de los libros siendo todos iguales con protagonistas poco originales e historias aburridas y predecible. Así que estaba buscando libros para descargar y me encontré con éste. Me llamó la atención, a pesar de que es una segunda parte de una trilogía, pero tampoco era tan importante haber leído el primero para entender la historias así que... simplemente me metí de lleno en la historia. Y me encantó! Siempre es entretenido leer cosas diferentes y encontrar un libro donde ambos protagonistas te gustan tanto, entiendes tanto y simplemente encajan juntos. La historia me pareció simple, entretenida, y corta. Por que si hay algo que odio de toda la literatura; sea YA, New Adult o simplemente contemporánea es cuando alargan innecesariamente la historia. Y gracias al cielo que esta historia fue justa con los capítulos y los POV. Aparte de todas estas cosas, amé que Stick (El protagonista) fuera un autentico feminista. Sin ni siquiera ser necesario que fuera proclamando ser un feminista, o el ver la transformación de Jane (Jaybird) desde el principio hasta el final de la historia.
Me gustó por que me dejó un buen mensaje, sentí que todos los personajes tenían un propósito con la historia y con la protagonista.
I adored the chemistry between these two! Their whole "hate-that-I-want-you" vibe has this book brimming with sexual tension from the start. But they are also such a fabulous pair and great partners for each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Plus, the dramatics of the plot were rather refreshing.
I knew they we're going to get together. It was a matter of when . I loved how Jane never really let her wall down but when she knew she could trust Stick it was amazing . They were both afraid of what could happen . In this book Jane found herself , through Stick . They weren't codependent but they worked well together . He revealed the soft spot that I'm sure not everyone knew about . It was adorable how he just let go around her . I however could not believe the twist but I was so proud of Stick . He may not have seemed like it in In Too Deep but he is a gentleman . They bring out the worst each other but they also bring out the side that not everyone really knows about which is actually there better side .
In Too Fast is book two in the Freshman Roommates Trilogy. This book stars feisty Jane and her sparring partner, Stick. What I loved most about this book... Jane and Sticks constant bickering! One of my favorite types of reads is one where the two main characters have such a love hate relationship and this story is fully of that type angst. Jane is a senators daughter who despite her instincts finds herself falling for the car thief turned Hospice nurse, Stick. While their story is a unique one, it is a great story of how two people can truly find who they are and grow with this help of each other. In Too Fast is a great read that'll have you laughing, crying, and ready to read the third book in the series. Happy Reading!
Jane and Stick are like most of us humans. We have a personality we show to the public, but rarely is that who we really are in the quiet sanctuary of our inner beings. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their journey as they shifted through the winding roads of who they want to be and who they truly are. The best part is finding out if they can be their true selves together when they're not even sure they like each other!
I read the first book of the trilogy and had to reward this one. It is just as capturing as the first book "in too deep". I also fell into fast with stick. I knew he had a heart but didn't no he was sooo much of a carer. This is a definite must read and I recommended it to everyone.
As with the last book I read by Mara Jacobs this book was sexy and firey with intense love scenes and an adorable romance. But I am pretty sure the time line was very off. Anyway, 5 out of 5 love it! I will be picking up the next one very soon.
I liked this one much more than the first book of the series. The main characters in this were much more relatable and interesting than the ones in the previous book. It may have been a little predictable at times but overall, it was very enjoyable to read.