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The Amherst Sinners #1
The Best Years
SAINT
College. My one chance to escape. And I ran as far and fast as I could.
Straight into the arms of something more dangerous.
Oliver.
He thinks I’m a good girl. But he doesn’t know what I’m running from.
He thinks I should stay away from him. But I can’t.
I like his cruel words. And his intoxicating smile.
He’s a temptation I can’t resist.
Am I a sinner or saint?
SINNER
College. Second year.
There are bad decisions at every turn.
Including the new freshman, Layla.
Temptations I can’t fight. Shackles I can’t escape.
I’m only comfortable with the cruelty that slips from my lips.
Her innocent charm isn’t going to polish away my bad reputation.
This wasn’t going to end well.
We all have secrets. What’s your sin?
College. My one chance to escape. And I ran as far and fast as I could.
Straight into the arms of something more dangerous.
Oliver.
He thinks I’m a good girl. But he doesn’t know what I’m running from.
He thinks I should stay away from him. But I can’t.
I like his cruel words. And his intoxicating smile.
He’s a temptation I can’t resist.
Am I a sinner or saint?
SINNER
College. Second year.
There are bad decisions at every turn.
Including the new freshman, Layla.
Temptations I can’t fight. Shackles I can’t escape.
I’m only comfortable with the cruelty that slips from my lips.
Her innocent charm isn’t going to polish away my bad reputation.
This wasn’t going to end well.
We all have secrets. What’s your sin?
454 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2019
147 people are currently reading
633 people want to read
About the author
Elena Monroe
18 books546 followersElena Monroe grew up in Florida scribbling down stories from a very young age. These stories were really just wavy lines filling the paper, but she knew each word, each emotion, each character's name, and there was no tricking her into forgetting what each line signified. Just like her unconventional way of writing as a toddler Elena is setting her own rules and just telling stories.
Much like her debut novel, The Best Years, life certainly imitated art. Transplanting from the South to the East Coast, Elena currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, reformed bad boy.
Find her on her social media through Twitter at @elenamonroe, Instagram at @elenamonroewrites, Facebook at @elenamonroewrites, and more!
Much like her debut novel, The Best Years, life certainly imitated art. Transplanting from the South to the East Coast, Elena currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, reformed bad boy.
Find her on her social media through Twitter at @elenamonroe, Instagram at @elenamonroewrites, Facebook at @elenamonroewrites, and more!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
July 10, 2019
SECOND REVIEW:
'THE BEST YEARS' Is the first book in 'Elena Monroe's' debut full length New Adult novel. In this we meet Oliver and Layla. Two complete opposites. Various ‘POV's
This copy was a vast improvement over the last one I read, other than a few more tweaks or a beta reader this book would've been a 5 star read.
ie: I don't think his stint in rehab had to be included because it was open/ended it wasn’t reincorporated in the book again.
And some sentences were repeated which became repetitive.
Other than the above this debut novel was an enjoyable read.
Over summer break instead of enjoying himself like his mates Oliver was dropped off at the nearest rehab to detox due to an overdose, he'd been dipping into hard narcotics since his senior year of high school. It was his best friend that basically saved his life.
Layla has up rooted herself from the town she grew up in and moved 1,293 miles away to a whole new beginning. A place where she could reinvent herself and no one knew of her past and the secret she'd buried down deep. Not even her best friend B knew. Even though B has followed her.
Our bad boy Oliver with the tattoos that mar practically his whole body was a hard one to get a grasp on, he took me a while to warm up to but once I did I couldn't get enough of him. You do get to understand what makes him tick and why he is the way he is.
If it wasn’t for B and her pushy tendencies, I don’t think Layla would be who she is today, she forced her to go out more instead of hiding in her head. I loved the secondary characters which made an appearance and can’t wait to see if we see them more in future books.
This time around I enjoyed this one so much better, the angst and drama is what made this book, and I can’t wait to see where this author leads us to next. These two were perfectly imperfect together but perfect for each other. A slow burn that got its hooks into me as I progressed further into the book. I’m glad I gave this a second chance.
FIRST REVIEW: As an ARC/Beta reader I know we're given unedited versions that we have to work with putting aside errors and giving constructive feedback without focusing on the errors. But this arc copy was really messy, the messiest arc I've ever been offered which took away from enjoying this story more. It really needed to be polished up before handing over to bloggers/readers. Some sentences were repeated throughout, chapters weren't numbered or formatted so it just ran as a never ending pile of words. Words were missing, and in some cases the storyline jumped from one scene to the next which left huge gaps, added pov's where they didn't need to be incorporated didn't make an ounce of sense, I don't know what more to say.
Sooooo at this stage I'm not going to rate this, I'm going to buy the polished product on release day and do a re-read because take away all the above I did enjoy this story, I liked the characters to a certain degree. Oliver's character was the shining light in this book, I loved his so called bad boy ways, Layla on the other hand was hard to connect with, she was always the victim that needed to grow a backbone instead of welding her inexperience and mistakes like a shield, because it became repetitive and annoying after a while.
I loved the angst which is why I chase these kind of reads, and so with some fine tuning I know this book would become everything this author could ever wish for because she's got the backbones of a really good storyline, a few tweaks and it could become an outstanding book.
Read
June 18, 2019DNF at 50%
I had several issues with this book:
1. I could not connect with the characters. Seriously I couldn't understand how Oliver thinks. Oliver is a big fan of drugs. I suppose he wants to try everything. There is an incident with a blue viagra pill that he takes to join his friend and he does not know why he does it. There is no serious explanation. Just because.
I swallowed the blue pill with the last of my coffee, hoping this wasn't a mistake. How can a boner be a mistake, really?
It was supposed to be tragic. I wanted to laugh with their stupidity.
2. The sexual scenes between Oliver and Layla are awkward. Layla was raped a year ago. She is not comfortable with sex. Oliver pursues her and I believe he pushes her more than he should. And while they have sex, he thinks things like
I knew he probably didn't let her ride him. Rape wasn't really possible this way.
3. Layla looks “innocent” and acts “innocently”. What does this mean? She has many tattoos, she has her breasts pierced, she goes to parties, she speaks her mind, she has no problem talking and making out with boys. Anyway, she seems a cool girl. I don't understand why we need to emphasise the fact that she is a good girl.
He sat back, giving me more room as his hands roamed my ass and back. He didn't seem as confident as Oliver. Maybe he had less experience like me.
I think they were doing just fine.
4. Both Layla and Oliver after they meet, they make out with other people. I don't like it when the main characters play around after they met.
5. The fact that Oliver thinks that his life resembles Oliver Twist’s life. I couldn't get it. Oliver behaves like a spoiled prat. Oliver Twist had the most tragic years a child could have.
Finally I had issues with how the story flows. There are parts that had too many details and other parts that were rushed. Why there were so many pages for Oliver's rehab?
Moreover, the alternating points of view between Oliver and Layla were confusing at times.
This could have been an interesting story, but it definitely needs editing.
No rating from me.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
I had several issues with this book:
1. I could not connect with the characters. Seriously I couldn't understand how Oliver thinks. Oliver is a big fan of drugs. I suppose he wants to try everything. There is an incident with a blue viagra pill that he takes to join his friend and he does not know why he does it. There is no serious explanation. Just because.
I swallowed the blue pill with the last of my coffee, hoping this wasn't a mistake. How can a boner be a mistake, really?
It was supposed to be tragic. I wanted to laugh with their stupidity.
2. The sexual scenes between Oliver and Layla are awkward. Layla was raped a year ago. She is not comfortable with sex. Oliver pursues her and I believe he pushes her more than he should. And while they have sex, he thinks things like
I knew he probably didn't let her ride him. Rape wasn't really possible this way.
3. Layla looks “innocent” and acts “innocently”. What does this mean? She has many tattoos, she has her breasts pierced, she goes to parties, she speaks her mind, she has no problem talking and making out with boys. Anyway, she seems a cool girl. I don't understand why we need to emphasise the fact that she is a good girl.
He sat back, giving me more room as his hands roamed my ass and back. He didn't seem as confident as Oliver. Maybe he had less experience like me.
I think they were doing just fine.
4. Both Layla and Oliver after they meet, they make out with other people. I don't like it when the main characters play around after they met.
5. The fact that Oliver thinks that his life resembles Oliver Twist’s life. I couldn't get it. Oliver behaves like a spoiled prat. Oliver Twist had the most tragic years a child could have.
Finally I had issues with how the story flows. There are parts that had too many details and other parts that were rushed. Why there were so many pages for Oliver's rehab?
Moreover, the alternating points of view between Oliver and Layla were confusing at times.
This could have been an interesting story, but it definitely needs editing.
No rating from me.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
May 21, 2019
I honestly don't even know what to say right now since my thoughts about this book are all over the place and I'm just trying not to go on one huge rant. Let me first say that I did find this book to be intriguing. I was constantly left wondering where the story would lead with Oliver and Layla and I liked that they had me so captivated. But part of that fascination had me very aggravated at times.
To start, this book was a little too long. There were so many scenes that were either drawn out more than needed or just weren't necessary to the story at all. Especially at the beginning. We go through so much detail of Oliver in rehab when that didn't honestly have too much to do with the story. Him being in rehab at all, yes. But not to the point that we needed so many pages of his journey when he was first arriving there. And from there it was only more scenes that were overly detailed, making the book feel slow and too long. To top that off, the book ended in a cliffhanger that had me ready to throw my Kindle across the room.
On to the characters. Layla was perceived to be some innocent girl by her friends back home, and thanks to her friend B, who went with her to Boston, her new friends also saw her as nothing more than the good girl. With Oliver she let out some of what she was hiding, which I liked since it was giving readers the chance to see the real her. Yet I still never connected to her. I felt for her when we learned of what she was dealing with but sometimes it was like her pain was forced and not actually true to her character. Like she said she was in pain more than we saw her suffering. And it's just a little bit of a pet peeve for me when a character who's been sexually assaulted uses that to prove a point. Layla hadn't told anyone what happened but the second Oliver picked at her a little too much for being "innocent" she threw out that she'd been raped. I just wasn't super okay with how that was handled.
Then we have Oliver who was okay I guess but he was also a complete mess. Which was part of his character, but he was just a little too all over the place for my liking. He was constantly hot and cold with Layla and his friends and it made it hard to actually get to know him. There were also some things that bothered me with how he dealt with Layla after learning of her assault. Their sexual scenes rubbed me the wrong way at the beginning. I didn't always see it as Oliver "respecting her trauma" as Layla put it, but more as a self centered need to get off. Some of their first scenes together left me with a weird feeling since Layla never seemed to really mind Oliver pushing for more once she gave in, but the fact that he knew some of her past and didn't immediately pull back to give her space when she was unsure, and said so, didn't go over real well with me. It was an off combination of him being understand, yet still pressuring her to give in.
Also I'm not a huge fan of books that have dual POV's where one POV ends and the next starts in the middle of the scene we just saw, which happened in this book quite a bit. It was yet another reason the book felt too long since the scenes that were shown over again were never anything major where I could understand why we were seeing it more than once. More than that though, there were times that I noticed dialogue changed from one POV to the next. Details may changed based on the perspective but words certainly aren't going to change.
I'm being a hypocrite with one of my complaints being that this book was too long and here I am writing a way too long review so I'll finish my ranting now. Just know that I did have some issues with this book but I would still recommend reading it. Especially for anyone that enjoys a bully-hero that you can love to hate your entire reading experience. It might not be flawless but I think it was intriguing.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2020
Five Perfect Ollie's Stars for my new favorite book bad boyfriend 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟!
I want this review to be the best I ever wrote because this book deserved it 📒✏.
I'm so grateful that Elena found me on Instagram and sent me an email for reading and review the first book she had written ❤.
Okay, I've finished this book last night at 2.30 a. m. 😁
So, I've needed some sleep before I wrote a review 😴.
Everyone knows how much I'm in love with NA and College Romance plus bad boy trope 😅😍😁.
So, that means I like this book 😉.
You're wrong 😔.
I don't like it 😳.
I'm in love with it 😍😍😍.
And this is something huge when I said it because when it comes to NA especially College Romance, I become very, very critical.
Elena, you did it!
You rock my world with this book, these characters and with the whole story.
Last night, I hardly fell asleep 😂.
You wrote in this story, everything I ever need in one College Romance with boiling and tattoo bad boy.
Now, what can I say about characters?! 🤔
Only, I can say is that I love their imperfection, their dark past, every good and every bad thing that they ever do.
But, most of the all I fell in love with Oliver aka Ollie that I don't even know how it happens. Because he is the guy who radiates with danger, and I knew it that is the last thing I need in my life 😜.
Layla knew too. But, that not important for her because no matter how long she fights against him or her feelings, she at the end fell in love with him so deeply.
She was imperfect too but that what makes her special.
But, before you gonna critical about characters behaviors, just remember that you once were the young and you did mistakes like everyone in college did.
And remember this too!
This is fiction and that means enjoy when you're reading "The Best Years" and don't look for every little mistake maybe Elena did while she was writing.
Because everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect 😘!
P. S. I need this book in paperback version 😍!!!
I want this review to be the best I ever wrote because this book deserved it 📒✏.
I'm so grateful that Elena found me on Instagram and sent me an email for reading and review the first book she had written ❤.
Okay, I've finished this book last night at 2.30 a. m. 😁
So, I've needed some sleep before I wrote a review 😴.
Everyone knows how much I'm in love with NA and College Romance plus bad boy trope 😅😍😁.
So, that means I like this book 😉.
You're wrong 😔.
I don't like it 😳.
I'm in love with it 😍😍😍.
And this is something huge when I said it because when it comes to NA especially College Romance, I become very, very critical.
Elena, you did it!
You rock my world with this book, these characters and with the whole story.
Last night, I hardly fell asleep 😂.
You wrote in this story, everything I ever need in one College Romance with boiling and tattoo bad boy.
Now, what can I say about characters?! 🤔
Only, I can say is that I love their imperfection, their dark past, every good and every bad thing that they ever do.
But, most of the all I fell in love with Oliver aka Ollie that I don't even know how it happens. Because he is the guy who radiates with danger, and I knew it that is the last thing I need in my life 😜.
Layla knew too. But, that not important for her because no matter how long she fights against him or her feelings, she at the end fell in love with him so deeply.
She was imperfect too but that what makes her special.
But, before you gonna critical about characters behaviors, just remember that you once were the young and you did mistakes like everyone in college did.
And remember this too!
This is fiction and that means enjoy when you're reading "The Best Years" and don't look for every little mistake maybe Elena did while she was writing.
Because everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect 😘!
P. S. I need this book in paperback version 😍!!!
Read
May 17, 2019DNF @ 15%
It's probably the case of "it's me, not you". I wasn't able to get past the way it was written or the discrepancies that were apparent from the start. I didn't like any of the characters and couldn't care less about what was happening in their lives.
It's probably the case of "it's me, not you". I wasn't able to get past the way it was written or the discrepancies that were apparent from the start. I didn't like any of the characters and couldn't care less about what was happening in their lives.
Want to read
July 2, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/2/2019)! 🎁
May 9, 2019
*Got an ARC for honest reviews* (Non-spoiler review.)
What can I say about this book? OMG! I enjoyed this book so much!
I actually didn't expect to like this book because I am not a fan of some trigger warnings, and I don't read dark romance so I was happy that that part wasn't described thoroughly in the book.
>BUT! This is NOT a dark romance novel!<
Without this being spoiler-y, I'll just write what I think about the book in bullet form.
The Best Years
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, College Romance
Book Cover: SO BEAUTIFUL! How I imagined Ollie ugh
Plot/Setting: So the setting of this book is actually in college and I really loved the concept where most of the characters are "sinners". The blurb of the book is so much more than just that. I LOVED IT. I don't know how can I put it into so much more than I loved it. It is definitely not your typical college romance.
Characters: I LOVED THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK HOLY CRAP. I LOVE THE GANG SO MUCH. I can't say more without spoiling how they are as characters but I assure you that I CAN'T IMAGINE OLLIE AND LAYLA BEING SEPARATED. They are such a good pair! Both bring out the best and worst in each other, I think I will protest if they don't end up together.
Oliver is a bad boy alright, but he is NOT the typical bad boy you read in cliche books, HE IS SO MUCH MORE. The character is complex and I JUST LOVE HIM.
Layla my homegirl, she is DEFINITELY NOT a weak character, you'll expect that because the blurb says that she is a good girl, but don't let that get into you. SHE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN a GOOD GIRL. I love her sense of character.
Writing: THE WRITING IS SO GOOD. I got hooked the first page and I wanted to finish it in one sitting. It was so intriguing and I couldn't put the book down. SO GOOD. I can't believe that this is a debut novel, like seriously. Elena Monroe has the talent and I am sure that she will rise in this industry.
Romance: THEIR ROMANCE IS EVERYTHING. THE DEVELOPMENT IS SO GOOD! I also love the steamy scenes, oh there were SEXY. OH MY GOD. I LOVE IT!
Overall, I give this book 5 stars! SO GOOD! I recommend this book for those who love bad boy/good girl romances, and of course, college romance fans!
THIS BOOK IS WORTH YOUR TIME!
-thefriendlybookcorner
What can I say about this book? OMG! I enjoyed this book so much!
I actually didn't expect to like this book because I am not a fan of some trigger warnings, and I don't read dark romance so I was happy that that part wasn't described thoroughly in the book.
>BUT! This is NOT a dark romance novel!<
Without this being spoiler-y, I'll just write what I think about the book in bullet form.
The Best Years
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, College Romance
Book Cover: SO BEAUTIFUL! How I imagined Ollie ugh
Plot/Setting: So the setting of this book is actually in college and I really loved the concept where most of the characters are "sinners". The blurb of the book is so much more than just that. I LOVED IT. I don't know how can I put it into so much more than I loved it. It is definitely not your typical college romance.
Characters: I LOVED THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK HOLY CRAP. I LOVE THE GANG SO MUCH. I can't say more without spoiling how they are as characters but I assure you that I CAN'T IMAGINE OLLIE AND LAYLA BEING SEPARATED. They are such a good pair! Both bring out the best and worst in each other, I think I will protest if they don't end up together.
Oliver is a bad boy alright, but he is NOT the typical bad boy you read in cliche books, HE IS SO MUCH MORE. The character is complex and I JUST LOVE HIM.
Layla my homegirl, she is DEFINITELY NOT a weak character, you'll expect that because the blurb says that she is a good girl, but don't let that get into you. SHE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN a GOOD GIRL. I love her sense of character.
Writing: THE WRITING IS SO GOOD. I got hooked the first page and I wanted to finish it in one sitting. It was so intriguing and I couldn't put the book down. SO GOOD. I can't believe that this is a debut novel, like seriously. Elena Monroe has the talent and I am sure that she will rise in this industry.
Romance: THEIR ROMANCE IS EVERYTHING. THE DEVELOPMENT IS SO GOOD! I also love the steamy scenes, oh there were SEXY. OH MY GOD. I LOVE IT!
Overall, I give this book 5 stars! SO GOOD! I recommend this book for those who love bad boy/good girl romances, and of course, college romance fans!
THIS BOOK IS WORTH YOUR TIME!
-thefriendlybookcorner
May 13, 2019
I really wanted to like this one, and I did to a certain extent. However, there were somethings that just seemed repetitive like I was reading the same events over and over again. The book is told in several POVs and sometimes these POVs contain the same scenes just from someone else’s perspective. Even some of the angst seemed repetitive. Every time something happened, the characters responded the same way which made the scenes seem the same.
There are some trigger warnings with this book that I did not think were handled. They were almost brushed over and some actions taken by the characters didn’t make sense based on them being a victim.
I also thought that the main heroine was a bit of a pushover. She was constantly giving in to others and when she did stand up for herself, it was fast fleeting. The hero of the book was your typical jerk hero, but he took some actions too far. I understand the reasoning behind these actions, but none of the other characters made him take responsibility. He could do anything he wanted without repercussions.
I did love the writing, the angst, and the characters each being broken in their own way. This added more intrigue to the book and had you rooting for everyone. I know this author will do amazing things in this reading community. This book just wasn’t for me.
-An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
There are some trigger warnings with this book that I did not think were handled. They were almost brushed over and some actions taken by the characters didn’t make sense based on them being a victim.
I also thought that the main heroine was a bit of a pushover. She was constantly giving in to others and when she did stand up for herself, it was fast fleeting. The hero of the book was your typical jerk hero, but he took some actions too far. I understand the reasoning behind these actions, but none of the other characters made him take responsibility. He could do anything he wanted without repercussions.
I did love the writing, the angst, and the characters each being broken in their own way. This added more intrigue to the book and had you rooting for everyone. I know this author will do amazing things in this reading community. This book just wasn’t for me.
-An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
January 4, 2021
OMG... talk about frustrating!
I swear I wanted to strangle all of these characters at one moment in time but I couldn't put this down!
Layla and Oliver's path's collide whilst studying at University and it rolls on from there.
Both are dealing with past trauma's, secrets are slowly told, connections made with a lot of hurt in the mix. The push and pull and angst was maddening at times but I'm here for that shit when in the mood and in the mood I was!
I'm off to dive into the next book, because, you know... fucking cliffhanger!
Contains abuse, addiction.
I swear I wanted to strangle all of these characters at one moment in time but I couldn't put this down!
Layla and Oliver's path's collide whilst studying at University and it rolls on from there.
Both are dealing with past trauma's, secrets are slowly told, connections made with a lot of hurt in the mix. The push and pull and angst was maddening at times but I'm here for that shit when in the mood and in the mood I was!
I'm off to dive into the next book, because, you know... fucking cliffhanger!
Contains abuse, addiction.
May 10, 2019
➳ Rate: 4/ 5 stars
The Best Years is Elena Monroe's debut novel. It's the start of a series bound to be epic. I got After vibes, even though Oliver is broken in different ways than Hardin and Oliver's friends despite having their secrets and being relunctant to let new people into their little group are much nicer than Hardin's 'friends'.
The first few chapters didn't really call to me so if the same happens to you, keep reading because it gets GOOD. If you love college romances, full of drama, sex, epic parties and all the good stuff, this is perfect for you. It's a little darker than your normal college romance but I think that's exactly what made it so good.
You never really knew where things were going, and Ollie is so frustrating and unpredictable, specially at first, you just never know what he'll do next. But every character in this book has his own secrets, demons and sins and that's why this series has so much potential already. The book is mainly written in dual povs, both Ollie and Layla's, but from time to time you'll get a chapter in someone else's pov and I loved that. I'm super curious about both Caden, his povs intrigued me so much, specially knowing how both Ollie and Layla saw him. I'm so curious about Aspen as well though, this broken, hunted boy makes my heart hurt and just need him to forgive himself for his sins and find happiness, thank you.
So much happens in this book, so many emotions, so many betrayal, so many sexy times, so much drama and unexpected pop ups, disappearances... this book had it all and my goodness... that ending!! Ugh, I cannot believe that ending, it's either one of two things and both of them are BAD. Another wait that will kill me.
Warning and side note: This book may have a lot of triggers so be aware of that. The issues are not dealt with the best way either, they aren't triggers for me and I didn't like how some things were portrayed or dealt with; so if things like rape, overdose and cheating are triggers or things you don't like to read about, be aware this book contains them.
➳ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.
➳ Order at: Amazon UK ⁕ Amazon US
➳ Follow me on: Blog ⁕ Instagram ⁕ Facebook ⁕ Twitter
The Best Years is Elena Monroe's debut novel. It's the start of a series bound to be epic. I got After vibes, even though Oliver is broken in different ways than Hardin and Oliver's friends despite having their secrets and being relunctant to let new people into their little group are much nicer than Hardin's 'friends'.
The first few chapters didn't really call to me so if the same happens to you, keep reading because it gets GOOD. If you love college romances, full of drama, sex, epic parties and all the good stuff, this is perfect for you. It's a little darker than your normal college romance but I think that's exactly what made it so good.
You never really knew where things were going, and Ollie is so frustrating and unpredictable, specially at first, you just never know what he'll do next. But every character in this book has his own secrets, demons and sins and that's why this series has so much potential already. The book is mainly written in dual povs, both Ollie and Layla's, but from time to time you'll get a chapter in someone else's pov and I loved that. I'm super curious about both Caden, his povs intrigued me so much, specially knowing how both Ollie and Layla saw him. I'm so curious about Aspen as well though, this broken, hunted boy makes my heart hurt and just need him to forgive himself for his sins and find happiness, thank you.
So much happens in this book, so many emotions, so many betrayal, so many sexy times, so much drama and unexpected pop ups, disappearances... this book had it all and my goodness... that ending!! Ugh, I cannot believe that ending, it's either one of two things and both of them are BAD. Another wait that will kill me.
Warning and side note: This book may have a lot of triggers so be aware of that. The issues are not dealt with the best way either, they aren't triggers for me and I didn't like how some things were portrayed or dealt with; so if things like rape, overdose and cheating are triggers or things you don't like to read about, be aware this book contains them.
➳ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.
➳ Order at: Amazon UK ⁕ Amazon US
➳ Follow me on: Blog ⁕ Instagram ⁕ Facebook ⁕ Twitter
May 19, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! You’ve got angst, a college romance, bad boy, and everyone full of secrets, could it get any better!?
Once I got into the story, I just could not stop reading it, it was so good and all the characters were so interesting and had so many different things going on. And I loved our main man Ollie, he and Layla are so good together and I hope everything works out for them! (Pretty please!? 😊) Although Ollie has a lot of deep rooted problems, I loved that we got to see his soft side underneath the hard exterior and see how kind and caring he really is. That warmed my heart!
And I just wanted to also point out that the author’s writing style is wonderful! I loved it and it was neat to read the story from a few different POVs.
I’m on the edge of my seat over here after that cliffhanger, i need to know what happens next! Oh my goodness!!!
Once I got into the story, I just could not stop reading it, it was so good and all the characters were so interesting and had so many different things going on. And I loved our main man Ollie, he and Layla are so good together and I hope everything works out for them! (Pretty please!? 😊) Although Ollie has a lot of deep rooted problems, I loved that we got to see his soft side underneath the hard exterior and see how kind and caring he really is. That warmed my heart!
And I just wanted to also point out that the author’s writing style is wonderful! I loved it and it was neat to read the story from a few different POVs.
I’m on the edge of my seat over here after that cliffhanger, i need to know what happens next! Oh my goodness!!!
Read
October 4, 2021This book is definitely a roller coaster ride because my emotions were all over the place, ranging from indifference and hatred towards some characters to absolute lust and love for others.
I think what drew me in is each and every single character in this book is broken in some way but who isn't? Who of us doesn't wear the scars of someone who has hurt us
Oliver has had quite the year and is living up to his sharped tongue "bad boy" persona. He's starting his second year of college trying to put behind every bad mistake from his freshmen year. The lies, the betrayals, the secrets. Hitting rock bottom.
He and his group of friends.....Elizabeth- the straight laced type A personality with a soft spot for Oliver & a hard time letting go of their "hook ups" Caden- President of his fraternity dealing with a haunting past that he hides under that handsome smile, Aspen-the perpetual life of the party, everyone loves him you'd never know that guilt was eating away at him and Hayley- she's a tough nut to crack, all bark and bite it probably hurts not being able to be your true self all the time
Layla and her best friend, B are starting their first year. Layla is closed off in a lot of ways and naïve to most things. She just wants to start fresh after something heinous happened to her, her senior year. If it wasn't for B she probably wouldn't have much of a social life at all.
When Layla & Oliver meet sparks fly! Just kidding......he absolutely brushes her off just like he does with every other girl that shows interest in him on campus....he's rude, comes off arrogant and indifferent to everyone except his group of friends but as everyone gets to know each other things start to change and the dynamics of the group start to shift, some are okay with the changes but most are not and that's when feelings get involved. True colors start to show, secrets come out & the deceit and jealousy come out to play.
For me the complexity of some of the characters and the demons they were fighting held my attention......not to mention those tantalizing and hot love scenes!
It took me a good 30% to get into it. I did get confused sometimes with the switching of the additional POVs, sometimes I didn't know who's view point I was in and there were a lot of re tellings from each character but we had just read that same scene in the previous chapter so it seemed redundant, also there were a few times where the narrative didn't seem to flow and I wanted to gloss over those sections but all in all a solid and captivating read ending in a heart pounding cliff hanger!
May 13, 2019
2.5 stars
The good:
I just love the NA genre. I love the drama. Love. It. I love the emotion and the build up. Each character in The Best Years, has a secret. They all have demons, but they're each written so it all just works together. I love the angst between Oliver and Layla. I love the back and forth.
The bad:
I understand that arcs will need fine tuning, but this one needs more than that. There are A LOT of missing words and wrong words. A few sentences didn't make sense because they have both missing and wrong words. There was also missing details or wrong details. The time jumps.... one paragraph they're in a coffee shop, the next paragraph they're still there but it's a week later. Sometimes, we don't need the POV of certain characters. I think it should have been kept to just Oliver and Layla because the others didn't add anything to the plot. Plus, it's unneeded to rehash a previous chapter, but from another character's point of view. It becomes redundant.
The story is there, and it's a good one. Unfortunately, it needs a good edit and proofread to pull it together.
The good:
I just love the NA genre. I love the drama. Love. It. I love the emotion and the build up. Each character in The Best Years, has a secret. They all have demons, but they're each written so it all just works together. I love the angst between Oliver and Layla. I love the back and forth.
The bad:
I understand that arcs will need fine tuning, but this one needs more than that. There are A LOT of missing words and wrong words. A few sentences didn't make sense because they have both missing and wrong words. There was also missing details or wrong details. The time jumps.... one paragraph they're in a coffee shop, the next paragraph they're still there but it's a week later. Sometimes, we don't need the POV of certain characters. I think it should have been kept to just Oliver and Layla because the others didn't add anything to the plot. Plus, it's unneeded to rehash a previous chapter, but from another character's point of view. It becomes redundant.
The story is there, and it's a good one. Unfortunately, it needs a good edit and proofread to pull it together.
October 1, 2019
This book wasn't what I was expecting, I kept having some issues with the writing and the story and I couldn't connect with the characters.
Layla wanted to get away from her life and have a new beginning, and the only way to do it was going to college on the other side of the country, so she and her best friend B decided to move from Florida to New England. Over there she met Oliver and his friends, all of them with secrets and dark pasts that kept them together and made them protective of each other, so to say that Layla wasn’t well received in the group would be the understatement of the year, she looked “too innocent” for them, only she wasn’t, she had a dark past and secrets too.
Layla is perceived as an innocent and good girl, but she is far from it, she’s strong, she has tattoos, piercings and she always speaks her mind, she doesn’t have a problem standing up for herself or fighting for what she wants. The moment she meets Oliver they connect instantly, they have a bigger attraction that they want to admit, and he helps her to overcome her past and be comfortable with her body and to have sex again.
“She needed to know she couldn’t save me. That wasn’t an option. I didn’t want saving. I didn’t need it.”
Oliver is the epitome of bad boy, he spent most of his youth on drugs, alcohol and sex, until he went to rehab. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love, but he’s been with Elizabeth (a girl that is a part of his group of friends) for a long time, he cheated on her, got another girl pregnant, he overdose and went to rehab, but for some reason she’s still with him. He doesn’t even like her or want to be with her but they keep sleeping together, even after meeting Layla.
“Layla was my serenity to accept the things I could not change. Elizabeth was my courage to change the things I could. And I was still searching for that damn wisdom to know difference.”
After rehab the only high he could get was through sex, and his bigger high?? Sex with Layla, but he is so hot and cold you’ll get tired of it and give you whiplash. He had a great moment with her and then disappeared for a whole week, but good thing for him Layla was always there, waiting for him to get back to sleep together again. On the bright side he made her realized sex was great and it helped her heal for the bad experience she had last year.
When Oliver and Layla finally make it together something happens to keep them apart a-fucking-gain...
The end left me with so many unanswered questions and so many thoughts about Oliver and Layla’s relationship. I also had a few other issues with this book, for starters I can’t deal with toxic relationships, and this book is full of it. I didn’t like the way the story flowed, it was repetitive at times. There were scenes that weren’t necessary, like the beginning with all the rehab thing. I don’t like books that have dual POV’s and when one POV ends the next one starts in the middle of the scene we just read so we end reading the same thing twice, it was absolutely unnecessary.
Layla wanted to get away from her life and have a new beginning, and the only way to do it was going to college on the other side of the country, so she and her best friend B decided to move from Florida to New England. Over there she met Oliver and his friends, all of them with secrets and dark pasts that kept them together and made them protective of each other, so to say that Layla wasn’t well received in the group would be the understatement of the year, she looked “too innocent” for them, only she wasn’t, she had a dark past and secrets too.
Layla is perceived as an innocent and good girl, but she is far from it, she’s strong, she has tattoos, piercings and she always speaks her mind, she doesn’t have a problem standing up for herself or fighting for what she wants. The moment she meets Oliver they connect instantly, they have a bigger attraction that they want to admit, and he helps her to overcome her past and be comfortable with her body and to have sex again.
“She needed to know she couldn’t save me. That wasn’t an option. I didn’t want saving. I didn’t need it.”
Oliver is the epitome of bad boy, he spent most of his youth on drugs, alcohol and sex, until he went to rehab. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love, but he’s been with Elizabeth (a girl that is a part of his group of friends) for a long time, he cheated on her, got another girl pregnant, he overdose and went to rehab, but for some reason she’s still with him. He doesn’t even like her or want to be with her but they keep sleeping together, even after meeting Layla.
“Layla was my serenity to accept the things I could not change. Elizabeth was my courage to change the things I could. And I was still searching for that damn wisdom to know difference.”
After rehab the only high he could get was through sex, and his bigger high?? Sex with Layla, but he is so hot and cold you’ll get tired of it and give you whiplash. He had a great moment with her and then disappeared for a whole week, but good thing for him Layla was always there, waiting for him to get back to sleep together again. On the bright side he made her realized sex was great and it helped her heal for the bad experience she had last year.
When Oliver and Layla finally make it together something happens to keep them apart a-fucking-gain...
The end left me with so many unanswered questions and so many thoughts about Oliver and Layla’s relationship. I also had a few other issues with this book, for starters I can’t deal with toxic relationships, and this book is full of it. I didn’t like the way the story flowed, it was repetitive at times. There were scenes that weren’t necessary, like the beginning with all the rehab thing. I don’t like books that have dual POV’s and when one POV ends the next one starts in the middle of the scene we just read so we end reading the same thing twice, it was absolutely unnecessary.
October 23, 2019
4.5/5 Stars
This is a book I went into reading blind but if you need trigger warnings I would take caution as some topics/issues might affect you.
This book had everything I love in a New Adult Romance. It was incredibly angsty, packed with drama, it made me feel all the emotions as it took me on a wild ride. I enjoyed this book so much and found I could not put it down.
Oliver/Ollie was troubled, could be cruel and harsh at times, made bad desicons that left you feeling frustrated, angry, and hurting. He was also a beautiful, complex, vulnerable and a lost soul type of character.
Layla was the sweet innocent freshman with insecurities and issues from her past plaguing her.
This story was so capitvating. At times it broke my heart then slowly pieced it back together. This is an amazing beginning to a 3 book series for anyone who enjoys a good New Adult Angsty College book.
This does end on a cliffhanger and you are definitely going to want to read book 2 as soon as you are finished.
This is a book I went into reading blind but if you need trigger warnings I would take caution as some topics/issues might affect you.
This book had everything I love in a New Adult Romance. It was incredibly angsty, packed with drama, it made me feel all the emotions as it took me on a wild ride. I enjoyed this book so much and found I could not put it down.
Oliver/Ollie was troubled, could be cruel and harsh at times, made bad desicons that left you feeling frustrated, angry, and hurting. He was also a beautiful, complex, vulnerable and a lost soul type of character.
Layla was the sweet innocent freshman with insecurities and issues from her past plaguing her.
This story was so capitvating. At times it broke my heart then slowly pieced it back together. This is an amazing beginning to a 3 book series for anyone who enjoys a good New Adult Angsty College book.
This does end on a cliffhanger and you are definitely going to want to read book 2 as soon as you are finished.
May 18, 2019
First of all I’d like to thank Elena for letting me read and review her book! I enjoyed reading it. I did however at first have a hard time keeping track of who was who and had to keep referring to the prologue . But I do have the tendency to make things harder than what it really is. I don’t know why the prologue really confused me while reading the first couple chapters other then the fact I was trying to figure out what happened before I actually read what happened! HAHAHA! But I really did enjoy reading “The Best Years”. The connection between Ollie and Layla… so good! This book has just the amount of steam and drama to keep me entertained. I can’t wait to read the next book to find out what happens with not only Ollie and Layla, but Caden, B, Hayley, and even that bitch Elizabeth. This book comes out Tuesday May 21st. Definitely get your hands on it and read it!
January 2, 2021
The Best Years by Elena Monroe is a new adult college romance. This is the first book in The Amherst Sinners series.
This was Elena's debut novel back in 2019 and she knocked it out of the park. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I am loving the chemistry between Oliver and Layla. Their relationship is a roller coaster but I can't help but root for them. I loved that we got Oliver, Layla, Elizabeth, and Caden's points of view throughout the book. It really brought the story to life.
The book does end on an amazing cliffhanger leaving me with so many questions. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series The Best Moments to get more of Layla and Oliver's story.
I would highly recommend this book if you like new adult romance or college romances.
This was Elena's debut novel back in 2019 and she knocked it out of the park. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I am loving the chemistry between Oliver and Layla. Their relationship is a roller coaster but I can't help but root for them. I loved that we got Oliver, Layla, Elizabeth, and Caden's points of view throughout the book. It really brought the story to life.
The book does end on an amazing cliffhanger leaving me with so many questions. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series The Best Moments to get more of Layla and Oliver's story.
I would highly recommend this book if you like new adult romance or college romances.
May 12, 2019
Amazing debut novel Elena, and 5 amazing stars!
But l did need to take a moment when l finished The Best Years l didn't know whether l wanted to scream or cry with that cliffhanger! My emotions where all over the place with this story up, down, sad, happy with Oliver & Layla and the other characters! This is one you won't want to put down, it had me intrigued! Elena please tell me we won't be waiting long for more, l want more not sure my poor heart can wait long!
But l did need to take a moment when l finished The Best Years l didn't know whether l wanted to scream or cry with that cliffhanger! My emotions where all over the place with this story up, down, sad, happy with Oliver & Layla and the other characters! This is one you won't want to put down, it had me intrigued! Elena please tell me we won't be waiting long for more, l want more not sure my poor heart can wait long!
January 14, 2021
Cliffy
Ahhhhh it ended in a cliffy. Thank god I have the next on my kindle ready and waiting for me. Onto it I go!!
Ahhhhh it ended in a cliffy. Thank god I have the next on my kindle ready and waiting for me. Onto it I go!!
October 28, 2019
Broken and screwed
I’m giving 3.5-4 stars because this book has the potential to be great, but there’s a ‘but’
I’ll start with what I loved :
I loved the rawness of these kids realities. Every character is broken , searching , wanting . And they have formed a friendship group that is loyal and strong together and the world building his author has done is fantastic .
I loved the plot, and the ideas that are brought in. I loved that we got to see the ebs and flows of growth in the characters two steps forward one step back kind of thing.
Layla and Ollie are imperfect in a lot of ways . Both hurt and broken and trying to find themselves and drawn to each other in the process . Ollie
Is a recovering addiction , and finding himself after a stint in rehab . Trying to stay sober while also staying loyal to his friends . Layla is trying to discover who she is after feeling like the label of innocent has been forced on her and she doesn’t feel that way at all .
We are also taken on parts of their friends journeys. We get glimpses and I’m curious to see how
That fits into the remainder of the story !
What lost points for me was that there were clear and obvious indescrepancies throughout the story , like it hasn’t been fully or carefully edited.
There are some scenes that we see in detail through two different perspectives (which lacks consistency as well ) and often the dialogue between these same scenes was different and there were a few other things that had me second guessing my memory though I’m pretty sure were just conflicting information .
I think some careful editing could take this book from
Good to great !!
Despite this I’m kean to finish this series and find out what happened with this cliffhanger ending !!
I’m giving 3.5-4 stars because this book has the potential to be great, but there’s a ‘but’
I’ll start with what I loved :
I loved the rawness of these kids realities. Every character is broken , searching , wanting . And they have formed a friendship group that is loyal and strong together and the world building his author has done is fantastic .
I loved the plot, and the ideas that are brought in. I loved that we got to see the ebs and flows of growth in the characters two steps forward one step back kind of thing.
Layla and Ollie are imperfect in a lot of ways . Both hurt and broken and trying to find themselves and drawn to each other in the process . Ollie
Is a recovering addiction , and finding himself after a stint in rehab . Trying to stay sober while also staying loyal to his friends . Layla is trying to discover who she is after feeling like the label of innocent has been forced on her and she doesn’t feel that way at all .
We are also taken on parts of their friends journeys. We get glimpses and I’m curious to see how
That fits into the remainder of the story !
What lost points for me was that there were clear and obvious indescrepancies throughout the story , like it hasn’t been fully or carefully edited.
There are some scenes that we see in detail through two different perspectives (which lacks consistency as well ) and often the dialogue between these same scenes was different and there were a few other things that had me second guessing my memory though I’m pretty sure were just conflicting information .
I think some careful editing could take this book from
Good to great !!
Despite this I’m kean to finish this series and find out what happened with this cliffhanger ending !!
December 30, 2020
Ok so whilst I wipe away the cobwebs and try to gather my thoughts in to something that will be understood I want to give a warning. Please pay attention because it's a TRIGGER warning.
This book touches heavily on rape and miscommunication during sex. I understand a lot of books touch on these subjects but this one leaves room for question on both parts. It's sits in that grey area and I have a feeling it will be delved deeper into, in the next book. But just so you're aware, if this subject matter effects you then I have a feeling this book won't be for you.
Where to fucking start?.
Oliver and Layla's story is a chaotic deprived mess. Their journey delves deep in to the inner workings of fucked minds trying to navigate through life. Their journey is not pretty and this is just the start. Both characters bring their very own slice of fucked for you to dissect and digest.
Oliver is what I shall call a dark realist. He has a whole slew of problems that he's very much aware of and quite frankly doesn't try to hide. His darkness is all consuming. He's toxic and self deprecating. He broken beyond repair and draws everyone to him like a moth to flame. Something you shouldn't want but find yourself needing. He is the bully alpha / hate to love, love to hate guy. There are more reasons to hate him then there is to love him and yet I found myself drawn to the many pieces that makes his huge puzzle. He on more than a few occasions makes references to relating to Oliver Twist now that's intriguing because we actually don't know much about his past. It's made clear he has a strained relationship with his father and his mother is a glorified door mat for her precious boy and husband it seems. However the details surrounding his adoption are not clear and I have a feeling they are the key to unlocking his torture. For me there is something so brutally raw and honest about seeing someone's every fault. Perfect is an illusion that people hide behind to cover up the ugly. It's not a reality though. I'll take the broken over the illusion.
Layla is a contradiction of sorts. She paints herself as this tainted being, something broken and jaded. She's traumatised over her first sexual experience but she's also conflicted and confused because of it. She's sick to her teeth of being perceived as this innocent being when really she is anything but. And yet she is. Despite her actions and her thoughts she does have an innocence that glows. The kind that makes people either envy her or want to save her. She's perfectly human in everything she does from her curiosities and frustrations to her need to prove everyone wrong and bite back. She is a working progress in this story which makes her at times frustrating because she isn't perfect. She's growing and evolving, just trying to figure out where she fits in and who she is and everything around her tips the scales. Molds her in a different direction and changes her path making her future uncertain. This is just the beginning of her journey and it reads like this to me because just like with Oliver I feel like there is a lot of information missing that would help fill in the gaps of why she is the way she's is but I have a feeling that will come.
These two are toxic as fuck together in all honesty. Her need to prove everyone wrong whilst wanting Oliver to commit whilst also knowing how toxic what they have is but being selfish enough to take what's given is crazy. Mix that in with Oliver being selfish in general and taking what he wants but also acknowledging her differences to the others and being drawn to her innocence whilst simultaneously sabotaging himself at every corner. It makes for a lethal combination of toxic that could and probably will lead to catastrophic outcomes for all parties involved. Their journey is questionable to say the least. It's chaotic drama filled and dark. There is nothing pretty about addiction here but frankly for me I don't think that's the biggest problem. I think that's a coping mechanism for Oliver who's trying to hide the ugly under all the broken and angry. There is no logic or humanity with addiction so when he has the choice he takes what's given and be damned the consequences but I think it's a front. Certain things he does and the ways he acts make me believe there is more that just an addiction which yes I know has to be held accountable but again I don't think it's the actual problem.. it rarely is for addicts.
Contrary to popular belief.. no one in this story is sin free. Every single character carries their own special breed of broken and ugly. The story itself is super chaotic switching between povs with many little sub plots in and amongst the main plot leaving you with way more questions that answers. The characters are multidimensional with so much depth and substance you could be digging for days and still not know everything about them. I'm intrigued as much as I'm frustrated. It's a messy af story and as a reader you don't even have anything close to the full picture which makes you question everything. The climactic build and suspense just had me on edge... waiting wondering.. wanting more. I loved the premise of the story and what it could potentially be building to. Not every story is pretty sweet and easy and this is just proving that. These characters are young and have ALOT of growing to do which leaves room to fuck up. I have a feeling the best and worst is yet to come and I'm both anxious and excited about that. Generally I hate angst because it drives me crazy but this story in all it's fucked up unpredictable glory just swallowed me whole and spat me back out at the end leaving me wanting more. I love the detail in which this author writes and just how flawed her characters are. Despite the sometimes over exaggerated events.. a lot of these characters and events are relatable in some ways.
Having read a few of Elenas stories now I feel like I can say I understand her breadcrumb writing. By that I mean she feeds up bits and pieces throughout the story wether it be a standalone or more and leaves it linger for while creating curiosity and tension. I've yet to read a time she doesn't come back to it with answers though so I'll wait patiently for the next books to see if this stands. It's the reason I'm not questioning her lengthy details of his rehab and then just leaving it linger in the air open. If this was a standalone I'd say it's unnecessary but I have a feeling the reasons for it will be touched on later on in another book. It's important to note this is book one and does have a cliffhanger so for me it's the foundation. The groundwork which provides us with bits and pieces but not the full story. Obviously depending on what the other books are like will be the reason for my opinion changing.
So.... if you're looking for hearts and flowers then this is not the book for you. But if you want something gritty raw and emotionally driven then go forth with your bad self and read this. It's a absolute rollercoaster and it won't be for everyone but fuck if I didn't love it anyway.
This book touches heavily on rape and miscommunication during sex. I understand a lot of books touch on these subjects but this one leaves room for question on both parts. It's sits in that grey area and I have a feeling it will be delved deeper into, in the next book. But just so you're aware, if this subject matter effects you then I have a feeling this book won't be for you.
Where to fucking start?.
Oliver and Layla's story is a chaotic deprived mess. Their journey delves deep in to the inner workings of fucked minds trying to navigate through life. Their journey is not pretty and this is just the start. Both characters bring their very own slice of fucked for you to dissect and digest.
Oliver is what I shall call a dark realist. He has a whole slew of problems that he's very much aware of and quite frankly doesn't try to hide. His darkness is all consuming. He's toxic and self deprecating. He broken beyond repair and draws everyone to him like a moth to flame. Something you shouldn't want but find yourself needing. He is the bully alpha / hate to love, love to hate guy. There are more reasons to hate him then there is to love him and yet I found myself drawn to the many pieces that makes his huge puzzle. He on more than a few occasions makes references to relating to Oliver Twist now that's intriguing because we actually don't know much about his past. It's made clear he has a strained relationship with his father and his mother is a glorified door mat for her precious boy and husband it seems. However the details surrounding his adoption are not clear and I have a feeling they are the key to unlocking his torture. For me there is something so brutally raw and honest about seeing someone's every fault. Perfect is an illusion that people hide behind to cover up the ugly. It's not a reality though. I'll take the broken over the illusion.
Layla is a contradiction of sorts. She paints herself as this tainted being, something broken and jaded. She's traumatised over her first sexual experience but she's also conflicted and confused because of it. She's sick to her teeth of being perceived as this innocent being when really she is anything but. And yet she is. Despite her actions and her thoughts she does have an innocence that glows. The kind that makes people either envy her or want to save her. She's perfectly human in everything she does from her curiosities and frustrations to her need to prove everyone wrong and bite back. She is a working progress in this story which makes her at times frustrating because she isn't perfect. She's growing and evolving, just trying to figure out where she fits in and who she is and everything around her tips the scales. Molds her in a different direction and changes her path making her future uncertain. This is just the beginning of her journey and it reads like this to me because just like with Oliver I feel like there is a lot of information missing that would help fill in the gaps of why she is the way she's is but I have a feeling that will come.
These two are toxic as fuck together in all honesty. Her need to prove everyone wrong whilst wanting Oliver to commit whilst also knowing how toxic what they have is but being selfish enough to take what's given is crazy. Mix that in with Oliver being selfish in general and taking what he wants but also acknowledging her differences to the others and being drawn to her innocence whilst simultaneously sabotaging himself at every corner. It makes for a lethal combination of toxic that could and probably will lead to catastrophic outcomes for all parties involved. Their journey is questionable to say the least. It's chaotic drama filled and dark. There is nothing pretty about addiction here but frankly for me I don't think that's the biggest problem. I think that's a coping mechanism for Oliver who's trying to hide the ugly under all the broken and angry. There is no logic or humanity with addiction so when he has the choice he takes what's given and be damned the consequences but I think it's a front. Certain things he does and the ways he acts make me believe there is more that just an addiction which yes I know has to be held accountable but again I don't think it's the actual problem.. it rarely is for addicts.
Contrary to popular belief.. no one in this story is sin free. Every single character carries their own special breed of broken and ugly. The story itself is super chaotic switching between povs with many little sub plots in and amongst the main plot leaving you with way more questions that answers. The characters are multidimensional with so much depth and substance you could be digging for days and still not know everything about them. I'm intrigued as much as I'm frustrated. It's a messy af story and as a reader you don't even have anything close to the full picture which makes you question everything. The climactic build and suspense just had me on edge... waiting wondering.. wanting more. I loved the premise of the story and what it could potentially be building to. Not every story is pretty sweet and easy and this is just proving that. These characters are young and have ALOT of growing to do which leaves room to fuck up. I have a feeling the best and worst is yet to come and I'm both anxious and excited about that. Generally I hate angst because it drives me crazy but this story in all it's fucked up unpredictable glory just swallowed me whole and spat me back out at the end leaving me wanting more. I love the detail in which this author writes and just how flawed her characters are. Despite the sometimes over exaggerated events.. a lot of these characters and events are relatable in some ways.
Having read a few of Elenas stories now I feel like I can say I understand her breadcrumb writing. By that I mean she feeds up bits and pieces throughout the story wether it be a standalone or more and leaves it linger for while creating curiosity and tension. I've yet to read a time she doesn't come back to it with answers though so I'll wait patiently for the next books to see if this stands. It's the reason I'm not questioning her lengthy details of his rehab and then just leaving it linger in the air open. If this was a standalone I'd say it's unnecessary but I have a feeling the reasons for it will be touched on later on in another book. It's important to note this is book one and does have a cliffhanger so for me it's the foundation. The groundwork which provides us with bits and pieces but not the full story. Obviously depending on what the other books are like will be the reason for my opinion changing.
So.... if you're looking for hearts and flowers then this is not the book for you. But if you want something gritty raw and emotionally driven then go forth with your bad self and read this. It's a absolute rollercoaster and it won't be for everyone but fuck if I didn't love it anyway.
May 27, 2019
Highly unsafe.
December 23, 2020
Elena Monroe continues to have the ability to surprise me after every turn. Her books leave me questioning my own morals and what things like love and loyalty mean to me. The Best Years is another example of her ability to do this. As the first book of her Amherst Sinners series, I knew I would be settling in for a long haul. What I didn’t expect though, was to meet Layla, the main female character, and relate so much to her. I would imagine many readers delve into this series and immediately fall for the bad boy Ollie, which believe I did too, but Layla is an interesting character.
I can remember being in high school and feeling incredibly uncomfortable in my own skin. Never feeling like you really fit in anywhere and going to parties where you watch everything from the sidelines. This is Layla. She had to grow up quickly, learn how to raise herself and do things to keep herself in line. Like focus on school and her part-time job. But college has arrived and she’s ready to move from FL to New England to try and make a new path for herself.
While I whole-heartedly believe she found exactly what she needed, I do not believe it was what she was expecting. Layla and her best friend B immediately hit it off with a very close-knit group of upper classman that have basements full of secrets. Ollie is a recovering cocaine addict and has never let himself really care about anyone in his life. This stems from being adopted and harboring feelings that he believes he doesn’t belong or really matter to anyone. Rather than let himself get thrown away by anyone, he keeps everyone at a distance. But Layla and her quiet ways eat away at Ollie’s hard exterior and they have to fight constantly to make their relationship work.
This is an element of their story that I love so much. Nothing has been easy for them. They are having to claw and fight their way to happiness, but those issues continue to pull their demons from underground all the way to the surface where they will be forced to either deal with their issues, or tear each other apart in the process. This is not an easy or a happy love story. It’s raw; it’s real; it’s beautiful in it’s agony.
You get to learn a lot about the entire group of friends throughout this book and it does leave you on a cliff hanger, propelling you right into the next book in the series: The Best Moments.
I can remember being in high school and feeling incredibly uncomfortable in my own skin. Never feeling like you really fit in anywhere and going to parties where you watch everything from the sidelines. This is Layla. She had to grow up quickly, learn how to raise herself and do things to keep herself in line. Like focus on school and her part-time job. But college has arrived and she’s ready to move from FL to New England to try and make a new path for herself.
While I whole-heartedly believe she found exactly what she needed, I do not believe it was what she was expecting. Layla and her best friend B immediately hit it off with a very close-knit group of upper classman that have basements full of secrets. Ollie is a recovering cocaine addict and has never let himself really care about anyone in his life. This stems from being adopted and harboring feelings that he believes he doesn’t belong or really matter to anyone. Rather than let himself get thrown away by anyone, he keeps everyone at a distance. But Layla and her quiet ways eat away at Ollie’s hard exterior and they have to fight constantly to make their relationship work.
This is an element of their story that I love so much. Nothing has been easy for them. They are having to claw and fight their way to happiness, but those issues continue to pull their demons from underground all the way to the surface where they will be forced to either deal with their issues, or tear each other apart in the process. This is not an easy or a happy love story. It’s raw; it’s real; it’s beautiful in it’s agony.
You get to learn a lot about the entire group of friends throughout this book and it does leave you on a cliff hanger, propelling you right into the next book in the series: The Best Moments.
September 15, 2019
REVIEW:
Book: The Best Years
Series: The Amherst Sinners #1
Author: Elena Monroe @elenamonroewrites
Rating: 4/5🌟
•
Honest review.
The beginning was SO good. I really couldn’t put my phone down because from the very first page I was hooked and just couldn’t stop reading. Then the middle was like: FINALLY something happened between the heroes and it was SO good! But then.... after the middle, this book just became a little boring. Everything was the same: wake up, coffee shop, something happens in the coffee shop, class, party, repeat. I felt like this book had a cycle that was on repeat and nothing new really happened that made this book get out of its usual comfort zone.
Oliver and Layla constantly played hot and cold. Ignored each other, avoided each other for weeks, I can understand that because that’s the only “drama” that happened in this book between the heroes but at some point it just got tiring because again, it was always the same.
Layla wasn’t the strong girl I wanted her to be. She confused me and did things I really just didn’t understand. She was annoying at times but I know that it’s just the first book. I’m sure the second book will explain much much more.
What I really did like was the AMAZING beginning. And of course, the unconditional friendship they had in their group. This book shows so much about friendship and being there for your friends and really caring for them (Caden is my fave). Everyone was damaged in this book and I loved that because everyone had their own troubled past and present.
It was a good book but I know it could have been so much better if the situations didn’t constantly repeat themself. If Oliver and Layla’s communication was written better. And their relationship overall just more reasonable. the cliffhanger was amazing though I can’t wait for book 2!
Book: The Best Years
Series: The Amherst Sinners #1
Author: Elena Monroe @elenamonroewrites
Rating: 4/5🌟
•
Honest review.
The beginning was SO good. I really couldn’t put my phone down because from the very first page I was hooked and just couldn’t stop reading. Then the middle was like: FINALLY something happened between the heroes and it was SO good! But then.... after the middle, this book just became a little boring. Everything was the same: wake up, coffee shop, something happens in the coffee shop, class, party, repeat. I felt like this book had a cycle that was on repeat and nothing new really happened that made this book get out of its usual comfort zone.
Oliver and Layla constantly played hot and cold. Ignored each other, avoided each other for weeks, I can understand that because that’s the only “drama” that happened in this book between the heroes but at some point it just got tiring because again, it was always the same.
Layla wasn’t the strong girl I wanted her to be. She confused me and did things I really just didn’t understand. She was annoying at times but I know that it’s just the first book. I’m sure the second book will explain much much more.
What I really did like was the AMAZING beginning. And of course, the unconditional friendship they had in their group. This book shows so much about friendship and being there for your friends and really caring for them (Caden is my fave). Everyone was damaged in this book and I loved that because everyone had their own troubled past and present.
It was a good book but I know it could have been so much better if the situations didn’t constantly repeat themself. If Oliver and Layla’s communication was written better. And their relationship overall just more reasonable. the cliffhanger was amazing though I can’t wait for book 2!
May 14, 2019
I’m going to try my best not to give too much away!
I will start with expressing my love for dark romances. I’m a sucker for the twisted and messed up anti-heroes. (Maybe it’s my good girl heart that enjoys a little corruption)
With that said, this is a more tame read in comparison to other “dark romances” I have read. I would consider it borderline dark. The characters go through some very traumatic experiences but the way Elena Monroe approaches the subjects makes them easier to take in. There are trigger warnings for a reason so do keep that in mind.
Now...I FREAKING LOVED THIS SO MUCH!
I will be honest, the first few chapters I struggled to focus (it was a busy day for me) and you are kind of thrown in the middle of world with a lot of characters to learn about and their complex relationships with the MCs. But, I found myself so eager to see where the story was going and to uncover all the secrets. When it started getting good, it really gets GOOD!
I will never complain about the predictability of books. I find it satisfying to guess what’s ahead and be right most of the time. With this book, it was a breath of fresh air to truly not be sure exactly what was going to happen.
As always, I can be nitpicky and find small details that bothered me.
Overall, this story was captivating and beautifully written. I loved each and every character even when they were at their worst.
And that ending. I DIE.
Congratulations on your debut novel, Elena Monroe! I can’t wait to see what’s next for the #AmherstSinners
*** I did receive an ARC from the author for an honest review***
I will start with expressing my love for dark romances. I’m a sucker for the twisted and messed up anti-heroes. (Maybe it’s my good girl heart that enjoys a little corruption)
With that said, this is a more tame read in comparison to other “dark romances” I have read. I would consider it borderline dark. The characters go through some very traumatic experiences but the way Elena Monroe approaches the subjects makes them easier to take in. There are trigger warnings for a reason so do keep that in mind.
Now...I FREAKING LOVED THIS SO MUCH!
I will be honest, the first few chapters I struggled to focus (it was a busy day for me) and you are kind of thrown in the middle of world with a lot of characters to learn about and their complex relationships with the MCs. But, I found myself so eager to see where the story was going and to uncover all the secrets. When it started getting good, it really gets GOOD!
I will never complain about the predictability of books. I find it satisfying to guess what’s ahead and be right most of the time. With this book, it was a breath of fresh air to truly not be sure exactly what was going to happen.
As always, I can be nitpicky and find small details that bothered me.
Overall, this story was captivating and beautifully written. I loved each and every character even when they were at their worst.
And that ending. I DIE.
Congratulations on your debut novel, Elena Monroe! I can’t wait to see what’s next for the #AmherstSinners
*** I did receive an ARC from the author for an honest review***
May 27, 2019
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book has its pitfalls. The writing is is choppy and all over the place. I recommend skipping the entire prologue as it is confusing, unnecessary, and longer than any other chapter in book. Oliver is a recently sober frat boy (why he was not kicked out of school or at least the frat is beyond me). He has every possible character flaw you can think of: abandonment issues, a history of lying, cheating, violent outbursts, and substance abuse, major trust issues and yet completely untrustworthy himself, etc. But he's hot so what does the rest matter? Layla is a freshman, who comes across as innocent, but she's really just hiding the fact that she was raped and isn't comfortable with her sexuality. The pair of them (actually their entire messed up friend group) are constantly battling their pasts and each other, while still managing to have sex constantly. I don't like them together, but I understand their appeal as two "broken" individuals finding solace in each other. As flawed as this story is, I couldn't put it down. For that reason, I gave it 2 stars. I'm at a loss for how intrigued I am by these characters, but for some reason I wanted to see where they ended up.
This book has its pitfalls. The writing is is choppy and all over the place. I recommend skipping the entire prologue as it is confusing, unnecessary, and longer than any other chapter in book. Oliver is a recently sober frat boy (why he was not kicked out of school or at least the frat is beyond me). He has every possible character flaw you can think of: abandonment issues, a history of lying, cheating, violent outbursts, and substance abuse, major trust issues and yet completely untrustworthy himself, etc. But he's hot so what does the rest matter? Layla is a freshman, who comes across as innocent, but she's really just hiding the fact that she was raped and isn't comfortable with her sexuality. The pair of them (actually their entire messed up friend group) are constantly battling their pasts and each other, while still managing to have sex constantly. I don't like them together, but I understand their appeal as two "broken" individuals finding solace in each other. As flawed as this story is, I couldn't put it down. For that reason, I gave it 2 stars. I'm at a loss for how intrigued I am by these characters, but for some reason I wanted to see where they ended up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2019
The Best Years is a new adult romance filled with angst.
The story begins with Layla, a freshman in college who craves to set herself apart from a life that has left her with a haunting memory and a feeling of isolation.
She finds an opportunity to separate herself from an innocent facade that she cannot seem to shake when she meets Oliver, a tortured soul with a cold exterior.
The reader is able to look into the mind of interesting and complex characters who share intriguing reflections of the world around them.
This story goes beyond romance, as it shows growth, diverse perspectives and why you should never judge a book by its cover.
It has become one of my favorites and I would definitely recommend!
The story begins with Layla, a freshman in college who craves to set herself apart from a life that has left her with a haunting memory and a feeling of isolation.
She finds an opportunity to separate herself from an innocent facade that she cannot seem to shake when she meets Oliver, a tortured soul with a cold exterior.
The reader is able to look into the mind of interesting and complex characters who share intriguing reflections of the world around them.
This story goes beyond romance, as it shows growth, diverse perspectives and why you should never judge a book by its cover.
It has become one of my favorites and I would definitely recommend!
May 12, 2019
3.5 stars!
I'm not really sure what i was expecting but this was more than that!
Oliver and Layla was pretty complex characters because everything isn't what it seems. They are so much more deeper than what meets the eye.
Oliver at first i thought i had him all mapped out and that was it but the more i read the more i was like damn maybe i was wrong. He wasn't a angel by any standards but he has a point.
Layla at first i thought i had her pegged too. Good girl meets bad boy and slipped, fell landed on his d*ck kinda thing but nope wrong again so i loved that part that maybe i shouldn't be so quick to judge.
For this authors debut its not bad! Room for improvement but that's kind of the point no one ever starts out amazing so well done!
❤
I'm not really sure what i was expecting but this was more than that!
Oliver and Layla was pretty complex characters because everything isn't what it seems. They are so much more deeper than what meets the eye.
Oliver at first i thought i had him all mapped out and that was it but the more i read the more i was like damn maybe i was wrong. He wasn't a angel by any standards but he has a point.
Layla at first i thought i had her pegged too. Good girl meets bad boy and slipped, fell landed on his d*ck kinda thing but nope wrong again so i loved that part that maybe i shouldn't be so quick to judge.
For this authors debut its not bad! Room for improvement but that's kind of the point no one ever starts out amazing so well done!
❤
October 30, 2019
Ok, just a couple of things about this book:
1) I was immediately intrigued by the characters and story.
2) Then I was absolutely confused.
3) And more confused.
4) Then it started making sense!
The author created a super elaborate world with quite a lot of characters so it took a minute to really understand everything that was going on in the book. I can tell you that it was not my favorite introduction into a series, but good news, I have read the entire trilogy by the author and MAN oh MAN did the second and 3rd book make up for it! You really just need to make sure that you read this one first to have a bit of backstory because they all build on each other and then you definitely would be lost! ;)
1) I was immediately intrigued by the characters and story.
2) Then I was absolutely confused.
3) And more confused.
4) Then it started making sense!
The author created a super elaborate world with quite a lot of characters so it took a minute to really understand everything that was going on in the book. I can tell you that it was not my favorite introduction into a series, but good news, I have read the entire trilogy by the author and MAN oh MAN did the second and 3rd book make up for it! You really just need to make sure that you read this one first to have a bit of backstory because they all build on each other and then you definitely would be lost! ;)
January 17, 2021
I was given an advance readers copy of this book and have decided to write a voluntary honest review. I was really excellent to read this book after i read the blurb. Once i got to kmow Oliver i didn't like him very much, and thought give it time. But the more i read the more I disliked him. He kept screwing up making mistakes. I just ended up resenting him. Now as for Layla she needs to have backbone, sge needs to take control. I feel what happened with her and hunter wasn't how she says it was. I feel like hunter got misjudged. Im also so over Elizabeth and oliver and don't even get me started wiyh jade I can't stand her. I like Caden and Aspen i need more of. Hayley not a fan of
And b is still undecided.
And b is still undecided.
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