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Main Desire #3
Hard Facts
Summer knows secrets.
Everyone has a secret. Everyone, that is, except Grayson Rowe. With my new tutor, apparently what you see is what you get. Though what I see is fine, I know he’s hiding something behind those dorky glasses and annoyingly endless collection of facts. And it’s not just a superhero set of biceps.
I don’t date nerds. But I need Gray’s help keeping this tutoring thing on the down low. So we strike a deal. Pretend to be my boyfriend, and he gets a spot in my rich daddy’s engineering program. Until then, I’ll ignore that I’ve got the hots for his smug grin and sharp mind―the one that makes me want to spill all my secrets instead. Including that I’m falling for him. Hard.
Grayson just knows everything.
Vinegar and baking soda. Sodium and water. Gunpowder and fire. Summer Prescott and me. Do you know what these things all have in common? Reactive chemistry. All things that, when mixed together, erupt. But as much as I love a good bang, that level of combustion can be…distracting.
I can’t afford distractions. And Summer, with her nosy nature and generous curves and all those secrets I don’t know, is the ultimate distraction. Yet, I need that internship. So I’ll fake-date her, and I’ll ignore that I’d like to know her. In more ways than one. Because if we get together, for real―that’s waiting for an explosion on an entirely catastrophic level. Fact.
Everyone has a secret. Everyone, that is, except Grayson Rowe. With my new tutor, apparently what you see is what you get. Though what I see is fine, I know he’s hiding something behind those dorky glasses and annoyingly endless collection of facts. And it’s not just a superhero set of biceps.
I don’t date nerds. But I need Gray’s help keeping this tutoring thing on the down low. So we strike a deal. Pretend to be my boyfriend, and he gets a spot in my rich daddy’s engineering program. Until then, I’ll ignore that I’ve got the hots for his smug grin and sharp mind―the one that makes me want to spill all my secrets instead. Including that I’m falling for him. Hard.
Grayson just knows everything.
Vinegar and baking soda. Sodium and water. Gunpowder and fire. Summer Prescott and me. Do you know what these things all have in common? Reactive chemistry. All things that, when mixed together, erupt. But as much as I love a good bang, that level of combustion can be…distracting.
I can’t afford distractions. And Summer, with her nosy nature and generous curves and all those secrets I don’t know, is the ultimate distraction. Yet, I need that internship. So I’ll fake-date her, and I’ll ignore that I’d like to know her. In more ways than one. Because if we get together, for real―that’s waiting for an explosion on an entirely catastrophic level. Fact.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2021
85 people are currently reading
1084 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
November 13, 2022
3.5 Stars
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise. The side characters making another appearance. The humor.
The Not-So-Good: The lack of closure for certain things. I wanted to know what they ended up doing with their lives. How they moved on once they graduated. How they made things work. I also wanted a little more grovel from Greyson -- I think Summer deserved it!
The Bad: The ending was way too abrupt. I'm a broken record, I know -- but even though they are NA books, I want a good solid ending! A jump ahead glimpse or something!
Overall: This was cute for what it was. I think this felt a little deeper than the previous books in the series. I still wanted more though. Especially with that ending!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Summer and Greyson's story. Summer's famous billionaire father is threatening to take away her position as philanthropic chair at her sorority if she doesn't get good grades in math and chemistry. She knows a lot about everyone on campus, but when her sorority sister tells her she must use Greyson as her tutor, she is stumped because she doesn't know anything about him. Greyson is working hard to beat the statistics of foster kids just returning back to the system and he really needs it when Summer offers him on the side cash for tutoring her while also pretending to be her boyfriend to avoid rumors. They get closer, lines are crossed, and feelings develop...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Summer and Greyson's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Greyson. I liked him. I like smart men, so he was right up my ally!
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Summer. I liked her. I appreciated her confidence, her caring nature, and how she appreciated the H for who he was.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Kind of a slow burn because
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Not really
Sex scene with OW or OM: Not really
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a pretty good place for the couple, but with what j would call a HFN ending
Safety: This one should be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
Opinion Breakdown
The Good: The premise. The side characters making another appearance. The humor.
The Not-So-Good: The lack of closure for certain things. I wanted to know what they ended up doing with their lives. How they moved on once they graduated. How they made things work. I also wanted a little more grovel from Greyson -- I think Summer deserved it!
The Bad: The ending was way too abrupt. I'm a broken record, I know -- but even though they are NA books, I want a good solid ending! A jump ahead glimpse or something!
Overall: This was cute for what it was. I think this felt a little deeper than the previous books in the series. I still wanted more though. Especially with that ending!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Summer and Greyson's story. Summer's famous billionaire father is threatening to take away her position as philanthropic chair at her sorority if she doesn't get good grades in math and chemistry. She knows a lot about everyone on campus, but when her sorority sister tells her she must use Greyson as her tutor, she is stumped because she doesn't know anything about him. Greyson is working hard to beat the statistics of foster kids just returning back to the system and he really needs it when Summer offers him on the side cash for tutoring her while also pretending to be her boyfriend to avoid rumors. They get closer, lines are crossed, and feelings develop...and they get a HFN ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between Summer and Greyson's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Greyson. I liked him. I like smart men, so he was right up my ally!
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Summer. I liked her. I appreciated her confidence, her caring nature, and how she appreciated the H for who he was.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I shed a few tears but never needed any tissues.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Kind of a slow burn because
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Not really
Sex scene with OW or OM: Not really
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This ends in a pretty good place for the couple, but with what j would call a HFN ending
Safety: This one should be Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences
September 27, 2024
I actually enjoyed a lot about this. I feel like Grayson was different from a lot of MMCs I read and he and Summer were a really cute match.
Besides the book dragging a bit, I got super annoyed at the ending. Not only did Natalie bug the crap out of me throughout the book, but her remark to Summer about always running away from things was so off the mark. And then Summer takes it to heart and feels bad about walking about from Grayson! Um, hello he betrayed her and then lied to her about it forever while she continually told him she loved him. I hated how quickly she got over it, his grand gesture, and the fact that he lied in the first place.
Besides the book dragging a bit, I got super annoyed at the ending. Not only did Natalie bug the crap out of me throughout the book, but her remark to Summer about always running away from things was so off the mark. And then Summer takes it to heart and feels bad about walking about from Grayson! Um, hello he betrayed her and then lied to her about it forever while she continually told him she loved him. I hated how quickly she got over it, his grand gesture, and the fact that he lied in the first place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2025
nobody loves this book like i love this book 🥹🐝
March 3, 2025
Someone please hit me with car, punch me, run me over, ANYTHING SO I CAN REREAD THIS BOOK AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I lived this so much, don’t want to hear a single slander, if you don’t like this book it’s you, not it.
I lived this so much, don’t want to hear a single slander, if you don’t like this book it’s you, not it.
April 2, 2026
very cute book, i liked that the mmc and fmc game was kind of flipped, so the trope: nerdy guy x popular girl
they are a great match, and omg the scientific stuff was very cute and fun
and honestly it was refreshing to see, that they had an emotional connection before all.
i hate the cover though 🫣 (yuck 😬)
they are a great match, and omg the scientific stuff was very cute and fun
and honestly it was refreshing to see, that they had an emotional connection before all.
i hate the cover though 🫣 (yuck 😬)
July 4, 2021
I freaking love this series so much! It reminds me of Off-Campus/Briar U, so if you love those books..you’ve got to read this series! Highly recommend! Summer & Gray adorable. And I love getting to see the others featured so much in this book. (Kennedy & Spencer are my faves!) 10/10 highly recommend!!
September 22, 2025
Those three stars for the FMC and ONLY THE FMC! God, the FMC was way too good for him. He was a such a loser and what he did to her at the end…that was THE most justified third act break up ever. I am so angry that she forgave him (and quite easily, I might add) and they had an HEA. The FMC was way too good for him and what he did was just unforgivable. This guy embarrassed her in front of EVERYONE and literally blew up her life. I feel like the author glossed over this to reach a happy ending. FMC wasn’t mad enough for me (although I did like her crash out).
I should’ve listened to the reviews about this one 😩 While the ride was mostly enjoyable, I really hated seeing the FMC do all the chasing. The premise was so unrealistic. FMC was way too great a person to be putting up with this shit 😤 I didn’t like the MMC but he was valid in his approach to the internship. It WAS important for him and getting good grades should also have been his priority. He didn’t have a safety net unlike other characters so it was weird that they made him feel bad about chasing his dreams. He just didn’t need to crush my girl to get it smh 😤
I should’ve listened to the reviews about this one 😩 While the ride was mostly enjoyable, I really hated seeing the FMC do all the chasing. The premise was so unrealistic. FMC was way too great a person to be putting up with this shit 😤 I didn’t like the MMC but he was valid in his approach to the internship. It WAS important for him and getting good grades should also have been his priority. He didn’t have a safety net unlike other characters so it was weird that they made him feel bad about chasing his dreams. He just didn’t need to crush my girl to get it smh 😤
November 5, 2025
Ugh imo natalie ruined this book for me. She was so UNBEARABLE!! And I’m sorry Summer forgave him too quickly- fuck natalie for making her feel bad for ending things with him when Gray was the one who betrayed HER??? Like what the heck. NO.
November 20, 2025
I enjoyed reading the book—like, a lot—up until I reached the 80% mark. Specifically at around 96.7%, the ending felt too rushed. I absolutely hated how Nat accused Summer of being a runner when both she herself and her supposed lover are also runners. She honestly gave me such ‘pick-me’ vibes, it pissed me the fuck off too (though I hope she gets better with whatever shit she was dealing with). That shit really pissed me off.
I also wish Gray had apologized more, grovelled more, and that Summer shouldn’t have forgiven him so easily. Personally, I believe she had every right to act the way she did—from getting rid of all his shit to breaking his birthday gift (that she bought for him). And I respect her for it, because if I were her, I would have taken all his shit to his house, burned it in front of him, and yelled curses the whole time. Some people might argue that’s too much and that I’m overreacting, but I’d counter that with the fact that he went to her, picked her up, asked her about her dead mother, had sex with her right after hearing about the trauma, and then continued living and sleeping with her like he didn’t just tell her father about their arrangement—even though he knows they don’t have the best relationship. That shit really pissed me off.
Now, tying this back to when Nat called her a runner—put yourself in Summer’s shoes and think carefully. Was she actually a runner, or was she used by the guy she thought liked her? And after severing ties with him and him realizing what a dick he’d been, he tried to get her back—even though he was the one who pushed her away. If he was mad about her sleeping with his best friend when they were freshmen, then by that logic, doesn’t she also have the right to run away from him after the shit he did?
I know this might not be the best breakdown of the book, because honestly the only issue I had was the ending. It should’ve been either: they don’t get back together, or he should’ve been grovelling for a whole lot longer. But yeah—that's just my opinion. Read this book at your own risk. The only good thing about the entire book is the FMC and her little sister. Everyone else sucked. Farewell, fellow readers.
I also wish Gray had apologized more, grovelled more, and that Summer shouldn’t have forgiven him so easily. Personally, I believe she had every right to act the way she did—from getting rid of all his shit to breaking his birthday gift (that she bought for him). And I respect her for it, because if I were her, I would have taken all his shit to his house, burned it in front of him, and yelled curses the whole time. Some people might argue that’s too much and that I’m overreacting, but I’d counter that with the fact that he went to her, picked her up, asked her about her dead mother, had sex with her right after hearing about the trauma, and then continued living and sleeping with her like he didn’t just tell her father about their arrangement—even though he knows they don’t have the best relationship. That shit really pissed me off.
Now, tying this back to when Nat called her a runner—put yourself in Summer’s shoes and think carefully. Was she actually a runner, or was she used by the guy she thought liked her? And after severing ties with him and him realizing what a dick he’d been, he tried to get her back—even though he was the one who pushed her away. If he was mad about her sleeping with his best friend when they were freshmen, then by that logic, doesn’t she also have the right to run away from him after the shit he did?
I know this might not be the best breakdown of the book, because honestly the only issue I had was the ending. It should’ve been either: they don’t get back together, or he should’ve been grovelling for a whole lot longer. But yeah—that's just my opinion. Read this book at your own risk. The only good thing about the entire book is the FMC and her little sister. Everyone else sucked. Farewell, fellow readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2026
had all the troupes i liked and was a fun read but personally, if i were summer i would NOT have forgiven grayson. i will never ever understand the normalisation of shitty male leads EVER
March 7, 2026
Edit: 03/07/26
I changed my mind, I’m rounding down 👎.
Certain things I remember are souring my memory. Funny how I don’t remember anything I really liked.
————————————————————————————————
Was so so conflicted on whether to round this up or down but ultimately decided up because I truly couldn’t put this book down. For all intents and purposes, it kept me entertained. I reserve the right to change my mind and round down after the book high wears off.
We already know I’m a pervert so yes I only read this because it had a nerd H who wears glasses. Unforch it didn’t give what I wanted it to. Still on the search for more nerds, please help. (Safe ones 🙄).
Y’all. When I tell you my fucking jaw DROPPED at that reveal. This book stressed me the fuck outttttt. Definitely need to read a guaranteed safe book after this .
This is the horniest college of all time dude. Why everybody getting around with literally everybody… except Natalie. Poor Nat please let her get some D from someone other than that douche. Safe to say I won’t be reading their book 😒. Or any other in this horned up series.
I don’t know why their sexual history was talked about so much. And we already know I have double standards so ofc I’m realllyyyy only talking about from the H’s side. Less is more mama. Or none is more. That ain’t none of my business ❤️.
Once we hit a certain point… the sheer drama. These people are crazy as hell. It was like I was watching a telenovela or an off-brand, less problematic gossip girl.
⚠️ Spoilers in safety!! ⚠️
୨⎯ Safety Info ⎯୧
~ No cheating. No sharing (Intentionally 😳).
~ Murky OWD…
ׂ╰┈➤ His past is brought up a few times in detail. Especially the story of when he loses his virginity. He’s slept with 4 women and gone down on 3. It’s weirdly brought up kinda often… like right after he and Summer have sex for the first time. When he lost his virginity he forgot a condom and OW was late for her period.
~ OMD…
ׂ╰┈➤ She slept with his best friend (H of book 4) back in freshmen year before her and Grey knew each other. They both kept it a secret for a verrrry long time. Smh. When the secret gets out it’s pretty catastrophic. (Prayers for Nat cause she’s stronger than me.)
ׂ╰┈➤ They frequently run into an old hookup of hers. For some reason her and Grey discuss OM’s dick size and she reassures him that the other guy was ‘too big’… okay. This couple loves some TMI likeee 😭. When they break up, she seeks out OM and tries to hook up with him but can’t go through with it.
—— Both their sexual history is explicitly mentioned and discussed.
—— It’s clear she’s more experienced than him but he is NO virgin. That fact was shoved in our face serval times. Trust.
I changed my mind, I’m rounding down 👎.
Certain things I remember are souring my memory. Funny how I don’t remember anything I really liked.
————————————————————————————————
Was so so conflicted on whether to round this up or down but ultimately decided up because I truly couldn’t put this book down. For all intents and purposes, it kept me entertained. I reserve the right to change my mind and round down after the book high wears off.
We already know I’m a pervert so yes I only read this because it had a nerd H who wears glasses. Unforch it didn’t give what I wanted it to. Still on the search for more nerds, please help. (Safe ones 🙄).
Y’all. When I tell you my fucking jaw DROPPED at that reveal. This book stressed me the fuck outttttt. Definitely need to read a guaranteed safe book after this .
This is the horniest college of all time dude. Why everybody getting around with literally everybody… except Natalie. Poor Nat please let her get some D from someone other than that douche. Safe to say I won’t be reading their book 😒. Or any other in this horned up series.
I don’t know why their sexual history was talked about so much. And we already know I have double standards so ofc I’m realllyyyy only talking about from the H’s side. Less is more mama. Or none is more. That ain’t none of my business ❤️.
Once we hit a certain point… the sheer drama. These people are crazy as hell. It was like I was watching a telenovela or an off-brand, less problematic gossip girl.
⚠️ Spoilers in safety!! ⚠️
୨⎯ Safety Info ⎯୧
~ No cheating. No sharing (Intentionally 😳).
~ Murky OWD…
ׂ╰┈➤ His past is brought up a few times in detail. Especially the story of when he loses his virginity. He’s slept with 4 women and gone down on 3. It’s weirdly brought up kinda often… like right after he and Summer have sex for the first time. When he lost his virginity he forgot a condom and OW was late for her period.
~ OMD…
ׂ╰┈➤ She slept with his best friend (H of book 4) back in freshmen year before her and Grey knew each other. They both kept it a secret for a verrrry long time. Smh. When the secret gets out it’s pretty catastrophic. (Prayers for Nat cause she’s stronger than me.)
ׂ╰┈➤ They frequently run into an old hookup of hers. For some reason her and Grey discuss OM’s dick size and she reassures him that the other guy was ‘too big’… okay. This couple loves some TMI likeee 😭. When they break up, she seeks out OM and tries to hook up with him but can’t go through with it.
—— Both their sexual history is explicitly mentioned and discussed.
—— It’s clear she’s more experienced than him but he is NO virgin. That fact was shoved in our face serval times. Trust.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2026
Surprisingly really enjoyed this, always hit or miss eith these covers lol. First book of the year!
Spice: 3?
Spice: 3?
October 22, 2025
painful for any engineers to read.
Here’s the thing about engineering: work experience is vital. And I don’t mean unpaid internships; if you SEE an unpaid engineering internship, it’s a straight up scam. Any accredited engineering school should be shoving co-ops down your throat. Because that’s how you get a job as an engineer.
It’s like an internship but with more commitment (sometimes a full year of work, sometimes alternating school and work semesters, RARELY but possibly every summer between sophomore year and graduation). It pays good (I made about $17/hour, with health insurance, vacation, and sick time back in 2017). If you do a decent job as a co-op student, you will get a job offer. I had already signed my offer before Christmas break my senior year.
And EVERY company that has an engineering department is likely to have a co-op program. It’s just… it’s just such a NORMAL and REGULAR part of an accredited engineering program.
And for all his genius and all his concerns over money and stability and a safety net, the MMC has been working minimum wage jobs? He didn’t even bother applying for an INTERNSHIP until right before he graduates?!?!??!?
Sorry, my disbelief cannot be suspended this far.
Unfortunately for me, I was also in a sorority at an SEC school and I just… sure, it was more plausible than the MMC’s whole setup, but I honestly had to skip the entire beginning of this book because none of it felt true. I was going to DNF the book based on the co-op/internship thing alone, but I got curious about the major conflict and ended up reading from about 40% through the end.
It was fine. I agree with other reviews that she forgave him WAY too quickly and it was a HFN not a HEA. The writing itself was good (like it was technically good, from a writing perspective) but the lack of research and the conflict resolution means I would have a REAL hard time recommending this book to anyone.
Here’s the thing about engineering: work experience is vital. And I don’t mean unpaid internships; if you SEE an unpaid engineering internship, it’s a straight up scam. Any accredited engineering school should be shoving co-ops down your throat. Because that’s how you get a job as an engineer.
It’s like an internship but with more commitment (sometimes a full year of work, sometimes alternating school and work semesters, RARELY but possibly every summer between sophomore year and graduation). It pays good (I made about $17/hour, with health insurance, vacation, and sick time back in 2017). If you do a decent job as a co-op student, you will get a job offer. I had already signed my offer before Christmas break my senior year.
And EVERY company that has an engineering department is likely to have a co-op program. It’s just… it’s just such a NORMAL and REGULAR part of an accredited engineering program.
And for all his genius and all his concerns over money and stability and a safety net, the MMC has been working minimum wage jobs? He didn’t even bother applying for an INTERNSHIP until right before he graduates?!?!??!?
Sorry, my disbelief cannot be suspended this far.
Unfortunately for me, I was also in a sorority at an SEC school and I just… sure, it was more plausible than the MMC’s whole setup, but I honestly had to skip the entire beginning of this book because none of it felt true. I was going to DNF the book based on the co-op/internship thing alone, but I got curious about the major conflict and ended up reading from about 40% through the end.
It was fine. I agree with other reviews that she forgave him WAY too quickly and it was a HFN not a HEA. The writing itself was good (like it was technically good, from a writing perspective) but the lack of research and the conflict resolution means I would have a REAL hard time recommending this book to anyone.
July 7, 2021
I was a little vocal about being disappointed we weren't getting a Natalie book yet, but thankfully I was wrong and Penny Clarke was right. My apologies Ms. Clarke.
Now for my 'review' which is mainly just gushing about my love for this series.
Grayson is my absolute favourite Main Desire man, no competition. He is mature, vulnerable, an absolute gentleman while still being sexy, and has his priorities in order. Summer is a good balance for Gray reminding him to live a little too.
Summer was great, honestly anyone would pale in comparison to Gray....except for Natalie, have I mentioned I love Natalie? But not as a partner for Gray so moving on. Summer tries to give back by pouring herself into volunteer work and philanthropy, but I didn't feel that she really grasped how privileged she is - she doesn't seem to try in school until her father forces her to, and for as much as she complains about others bailing on volunteer work, she fails to realize it is easier to volunteer more when your not studying, working, and have a personal maid/chef. All that being said, she's 21 years old, she's still young, she's growing, and this is what makes her for with Gray, he cares about his grades so much she learns to care too. Summers self confidence is what pushes Gray to take risks, while Gray in turn teaches Summer to trust.
Theres also some really hot solo scenes.
Natalie, who is not the main character of this story but I'm going to talk about her anyway. Natalie is such a whole person in a way I rarely see in romance stories. By taking 3 books to get to know her she is so real, flaws, insecurities, hobbies that dont make sense together, and truely just finding her way in university which is not always rainbows and butterflies. She is a character that does not fit a mold and is full of contradictions. She loves girls night and glitter but has a male best friend, she is the welcoming bestie to Kennedy and Rylie but doesn't trust Summer. I am so excited for her book, and if it's 300+ pages of just her and no love interest, I'm still in.
I recieved Penny Clarke's first book, Nude Awakening as an ARC. Here I am a year later on her mailing list, obsessively checking release dates for her next books. Clarke converted me from a reviewer to an uber fan.
Now for my 'review' which is mainly just gushing about my love for this series.
Grayson is my absolute favourite Main Desire man, no competition. He is mature, vulnerable, an absolute gentleman while still being sexy, and has his priorities in order. Summer is a good balance for Gray reminding him to live a little too.
Summer was great, honestly anyone would pale in comparison to Gray....except for Natalie, have I mentioned I love Natalie? But not as a partner for Gray so moving on. Summer tries to give back by pouring herself into volunteer work and philanthropy, but I didn't feel that she really grasped how privileged she is - she doesn't seem to try in school until her father forces her to, and for as much as she complains about others bailing on volunteer work, she fails to realize it is easier to volunteer more when your not studying, working, and have a personal maid/chef. All that being said, she's 21 years old, she's still young, she's growing, and this is what makes her for with Gray, he cares about his grades so much she learns to care too. Summers self confidence is what pushes Gray to take risks, while Gray in turn teaches Summer to trust.
Theres also some really hot solo scenes.
Natalie, who is not the main character of this story but I'm going to talk about her anyway. Natalie is such a whole person in a way I rarely see in romance stories. By taking 3 books to get to know her she is so real, flaws, insecurities, hobbies that dont make sense together, and truely just finding her way in university which is not always rainbows and butterflies. She is a character that does not fit a mold and is full of contradictions. She loves girls night and glitter but has a male best friend, she is the welcoming bestie to Kennedy and Rylie but doesn't trust Summer. I am so excited for her book, and if it's 300+ pages of just her and no love interest, I'm still in.
I recieved Penny Clarke's first book, Nude Awakening as an ARC. Here I am a year later on her mailing list, obsessively checking release dates for her next books. Clarke converted me from a reviewer to an uber fan.
January 19, 2022
I really love this couple. The slow paced love.... its definitely my favorite thing to read, but i feel like, well at least in the two books that i read of this saga (#2 and #3), the heroine always forgives the hero’s fuck ups so fast!!!! In this case i wanted Summer to tell him ‘ok, thanks for everything (spoilers), for the fireworks and shit but what you did ISN’T IT, I CANT TRUST YOU’. I love Gray ok and I understand him, but his actions towards Summer were dumb as fuck for a smart boy. He betrayed her after everything she told him!!! After she told him that Nolan hates her because of her mom’s death, he still went and told him everything she did to not loose her philanthropist chair. God i was so mad. Gray really deserved to grovel but he didnt at all, he told her some nice words and she forgave him sooooo freaking easily. And what bothered me the most was Natalie, sticking her nose where it doesn't concern her (kinda sad because i was expecting her to be my fave for the sole reason that i love morris and he should have the best HEROINE) I was like WTF???? When she told Summer she was a ‘runner’ for ending things with Gray after his awful betrayal!!!! Like WHAT? I know you like Gray but he's the one who did everything wrong... he kept sleeping with her and accepting her love after everything he did to her behind her back.... idk man... she should’ve left him for a while, it would’ve make everything much more.... exquisite to read, you know what I mean? Also i think it was kinda out of Summer’s character for her to forgive him at once, she had trust issues since the start... it would’ve been more credible if she ignored him for a little bit at least.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2025
Natalie was the worst and I really hate bfs to lovers bc omg, just say you like each other!
I felt so sad that Grayson did that to Summer at the end, I would’ve been fine with them being broken up after that lol
I wanted to drop the book off so many times but it got good. Summer should not have had to try to have revenge sex, she was portrayed almost like man are in books… overly sexual bc why was it necessary to have her have as a secret she had x with Morris, just UGH
I felt so sad that Grayson did that to Summer at the end, I would’ve been fine with them being broken up after that lol
I wanted to drop the book off so many times but it got good. Summer should not have had to try to have revenge sex, she was portrayed almost like man are in books… overly sexual bc why was it necessary to have her have as a secret she had x with Morris, just UGH
September 18, 2025
I honestly wish Summer wasn't so much after Gray. I felt sad for her... Anyway, it's not a bad story, on the contrary, very interesting, although very slow.......About Nat? What a boring and horrible character, I really wish Morris would end up with someone else. 😉
July 5, 2021
While this book could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first 2 books in the series, or at least book 2 since it will give you a much needed inside understanding of who the characters are and how they work. I will also say that I really appreciate that the author explicitly stated a trigger warning and mentioned exactly where they take place. Most authors don't do that so I very much appreciated the thought behind it.
Now for the actual review. This is book number 3 of the Main Desire series and focuses on Gray and Summer. We have seen Gray quite a bit over the last 2 books. He is a literal genius level smart and sometimes doesn't 'people' well but he has a very loyal group of friends who are great. Summer is newer to the series and is known for unearthing everyone's secrets. Her dad, Nolan, is funding an engineering program that Gray really needs to get in to. When Summer has to get tutoring from Gray, she wants to keep it hidden so they strike up a deal. They fake date so it isn't obvious that he's her tutor and she gets him a spot in her dad's program.
I absolutely loved this book! I had been very impatiently waiting on it to come out and I am so glad that it did! I absolutely loved Gray and I love that he found someone who respected and appreciated his nerd-ness. I know in the previous book he had trouble getting girls because of his random facts but I liked seeing him with someone who appreciated it. These 2 were great together! This was definitely a one click purchase for me and I am really looking forward to book number 4! I definitely recommend this book, but I also recommend reading the first 2 in the series before this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Now for the actual review. This is book number 3 of the Main Desire series and focuses on Gray and Summer. We have seen Gray quite a bit over the last 2 books. He is a literal genius level smart and sometimes doesn't 'people' well but he has a very loyal group of friends who are great. Summer is newer to the series and is known for unearthing everyone's secrets. Her dad, Nolan, is funding an engineering program that Gray really needs to get in to. When Summer has to get tutoring from Gray, she wants to keep it hidden so they strike up a deal. They fake date so it isn't obvious that he's her tutor and she gets him a spot in her dad's program.
I absolutely loved this book! I had been very impatiently waiting on it to come out and I am so glad that it did! I absolutely loved Gray and I love that he found someone who respected and appreciated his nerd-ness. I know in the previous book he had trouble getting girls because of his random facts but I liked seeing him with someone who appreciated it. These 2 were great together! This was definitely a one click purchase for me and I am really looking forward to book number 4! I definitely recommend this book, but I also recommend reading the first 2 in the series before this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 16, 2022
Obsessed
This story broke me. If been reluctant to read this one but I think it's been my favourite so far. Such a fantastic story, Summer and Grey are up there with some of my all time favourite characters. This series is one I cannot recommend enough!
This story broke me. If been reluctant to read this one but I think it's been my favourite so far. Such a fantastic story, Summer and Grey are up there with some of my all time favourite characters. This series is one I cannot recommend enough!
July 8, 2021
PENNY CLARKE IF YOU ARE READING IT, KNOW THAT YOU OWE ME AN EXTENDED EPILOGUE, AFTER GRADUATION. We just *need* to know. My boy Grayson James is going places. Love you.
May 11, 2025
Once again I am procrastination reading but part of it was because this book was insanely good. Love a popular girl x nerdy boy book
November 29, 2025
3.5/5 stars
February 5, 2026
This was tooo good toooo good
November 5, 2021
Bagus deh... Summer & Gray story, apa yg terlihat belum tentu benar pokoknya... ah gw nungguin Theo - Nath ni, ntah kapan terbit kwkwkwkw
gw gak sempet bikin review XD
gw gak sempet bikin review XD
July 9, 2021
The Agreement . . .
Summer and Gray’s story was a fun read. Gray is an intelligent, nerdy guy who meets Summer, spoiled girl who is skilled at finding out everyone’s secrets. She surprisingly doesn’t know anything about Gray, other than that she needs him to tutor her but keep it hidden. She makes an agreement with him that they will fake-date each other so no one will figure out he is tutoring her. And in return she will get him the internship in her dad’s engineering program that Gray has been eager to get into. Will their plan be successful?
Grab your copy to see how their bargain turns out and whether each of them gets what they wanted in the end.
Summer and Gray’s story was a fun read. Gray is an intelligent, nerdy guy who meets Summer, spoiled girl who is skilled at finding out everyone’s secrets. She surprisingly doesn’t know anything about Gray, other than that she needs him to tutor her but keep it hidden. She makes an agreement with him that they will fake-date each other so no one will figure out he is tutoring her. And in return she will get him the internship in her dad’s engineering program that Gray has been eager to get into. Will their plan be successful?
Grab your copy to see how their bargain turns out and whether each of them gets what they wanted in the end.
July 4, 2021
I was excitedly looking forward to this one just because Summer and Gray interested me from the previous book. Unfortunately since it was a while since reading the previous book, I found the first few chapters of this very confusing as there are lots of characters and names that are thrown in right at the beginning and they aren't really introduced.
What I liked. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters and the conversation s between Gray and his friends were quite funny
Didn't like how "easy" the main character was call me old fashioned but I am not a fan of characters that sleep around and while it's great that it's different from the typical manwhore. The fact that summer has so many partners and the first paragraph talks about her casually sleeping with her sorority sister's bf when drunk is off putting. But if you enjoy forward female leads I am sure this book is for you. Didn't quite manage to finish this one but will wait for Natalie's book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What I liked. I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters and the conversation s between Gray and his friends were quite funny
Didn't like how "easy" the main character was call me old fashioned but I am not a fan of characters that sleep around and while it's great that it's different from the typical manwhore. The fact that summer has so many partners and the first paragraph talks about her casually sleeping with her sorority sister's bf when drunk is off putting. But if you enjoy forward female leads I am sure this book is for you. Didn't quite manage to finish this one but will wait for Natalie's book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2025
i have so much to say…
this book felt like someone went inside my head and wrote a book about it, it was sooooo good until THAT happened
Now personally not only would i never forgive someone for doing something like that but the fact that summer forgave him so easily????? my poor girl definitely deserved better, i hated gray for doing that sooooo much, such a low low low blow
this book felt like someone went inside my head and wrote a book about it, it was sooooo good until THAT happened
Now personally not only would i never forgive someone for doing something like that but the fact that summer forgave him so easily????? my poor girl definitely deserved better, i hated gray for doing that sooooo much, such a low low low blow
May 18, 2023
Cringefest
May 3, 2025
2.5 stars. mmc felt pretty unlikable at first.
July 3, 2021
em primeiro lugar: é absolutamente inaceitável que os livros da penny clarke sejam incríveis dessa forma e as capas sejam tão feias porque o mundo nunca irá saber o verdadeiro talento dela com as palavras. a mulher é um MONSTRO de escrever, na moral.
segundo: eu queria dar 4,5 estrelas por causa de uma coisa que me incomodou um pouquinho. não posso dizer aqui porque seria spoiler, mas basta afirmar que foi um drama desnecessário envolvendo o melhor amigo do gray e a summer. tipo, qual foi a necessidade? meu filho grayson james certamente não mereceu. mas enfim, como não é possível dar notas quebradas, admito que preferi dar 5.
terceiro: estou extremamente ANSIOSA pra ler a história da natalie (poor thing) e morris (apesar de eu ter ficado PUTA com ele). é muito curioso eu querer ler o livro deles, porque sou hater número 1 de friends to lovers. mas penny clarke nunca falha em entregar preciosidades. espero que a natalie COMA O RABO do morris por ser um idiota.
quarto: LIVRO IMPECÁVEL. PERSONAGENS IMPECÁVEIS. admito que não me identifiquei TANTO com a summer e fiquei catando kennedy e spencer (MY BABIESSSSSS) no livro. E SIM, SPENCER CHAMOU KENNEDY DE KENNEDY FUCKING WALSH NESSE LIVRO TAMBÉM. mas o gray é um personagem INCRÍVEL, muito bem construído mesmo, e a minha parte preferida nos livros da penny é que você consegue distinguir claramente um personagem do outro, porque cada um tem uma personalidade bastante peculiar.
quinto: espero que a penny veja esse review e consiga traduzi-lo no google tradutor e entender. estou passando muito mal pra escrever algo em inglês agora. talvez eu volte aqui futuramente para reescrever. talvez não. mas com certeza voltarei para ler laid bare.
XOXO
segundo: eu queria dar 4,5 estrelas por causa de uma coisa que me incomodou um pouquinho. não posso dizer aqui porque seria spoiler, mas basta afirmar que foi um drama desnecessário envolvendo o melhor amigo do gray e a summer. tipo, qual foi a necessidade? meu filho grayson james certamente não mereceu. mas enfim, como não é possível dar notas quebradas, admito que preferi dar 5.
terceiro: estou extremamente ANSIOSA pra ler a história da natalie (poor thing) e morris (apesar de eu ter ficado PUTA com ele). é muito curioso eu querer ler o livro deles, porque sou hater número 1 de friends to lovers. mas penny clarke nunca falha em entregar preciosidades. espero que a natalie COMA O RABO do morris por ser um idiota.
quarto: LIVRO IMPECÁVEL. PERSONAGENS IMPECÁVEIS. admito que não me identifiquei TANTO com a summer e fiquei catando kennedy e spencer (MY BABIESSSSSS) no livro. E SIM, SPENCER CHAMOU KENNEDY DE KENNEDY FUCKING WALSH NESSE LIVRO TAMBÉM. mas o gray é um personagem INCRÍVEL, muito bem construído mesmo, e a minha parte preferida nos livros da penny é que você consegue distinguir claramente um personagem do outro, porque cada um tem uma personalidade bastante peculiar.
quinto: espero que a penny veja esse review e consiga traduzi-lo no google tradutor e entender. estou passando muito mal pra escrever algo em inglês agora. talvez eu volte aqui futuramente para reescrever. talvez não. mas com certeza voltarei para ler laid bare.
XOXO
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