Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

So This Is College...

Rate this book
Growing up Diane was always in control of her life. A non-emotional mother and a sometimes father forced her into adulthood at an early age. Determined to leave home and never return, she got accepted into “Thee Illustrious Howard University''. Diane understood working hard and making the right connections would guarantee she’d have the life she wanted.

Being the great, great-grandson of one of the most prominent men in the Washington, DC area, Jared wanted to have one accomplishment of his own. He felt everything he’d accomplished up to this point was due to his family's influence or name. As an undergraduate pre-med student, Jared was looking forward to becoming completely self-sufficient. Being a doctor was first on that list, and second, finding his forever woman to share it with.

They both had control of their lives and thought nothing would prevent them from having a successful journey in college and beyond. That is, until the first attack…

330 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2023

38 people are currently reading
152 people want to read

About the author

Darlene Cunningham

17 books54 followers
Darlene Cunningham is an Indie author that writes beautifully flawed characters who challenge the traditional ways of living and loving.

She is a graduate of Thee Illustrious Howard University where she completed coursework in Creative Writing, Poetry and Scriptwriting.

She currently lives in Atlanta.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
27 (30%)
4 stars
32 (36%)
3 stars
16 (18%)
2 stars
12 (13%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Angie.
85 reviews14 followers
Read
August 27, 2023
Im not sure what the hell i read 🤔
Profile Image for Black Girl  Tired Energy Book reviews.
232 reviews43 followers
February 20, 2023
First let me say WOW... second how thee hell....third Ma'am no you didn't (This was me reading this book)

Trigger Warnings:
Explicit Sex Scenes
Anal Sex
Pegging
MFM
Mommy Kink
Violence
Recreational Drug Use
Childhood Trauma
Abandonment issues
Touch her and Die

Diane is an adult college student a transfer from a two year college to Howard University. Her focus is to do better with her life majoring in TV & Broadcasting, but she also wants to enjoy the whole college HBCU experience. Jared a Pre-Med major and a Kappa see Diane the first day ...and likes every curvy plus size bit of her immediately. From the first meeting they were an inferno of sexual energy that was a tornado destroying anything in their path. Diane isn't looking for a commitment with all the sexy brothers on campus. So she's exploring her sexual needs without regret or shame. Unfortunately sex and death seems to follow her no matter how she moves on campus.

There are so many things I want to say not enough time to type them out. This book if I can describe it in movie terms would be She's got to have it, College hill(Reality show), and American Psycho because the way this author took you on a erotic rollercoaster mixed with a whole lot of crazy. This isn't what I expected, but baby I pleasantly surprised and happy to read it in one sitting. The BDE that was slanging in this book and the drama was full in effect. This story went from one extreme to the next, but I didn't put it down because it was like watching a movie in my head. The story was too sexy and crazy all at the same time, but I ate it all up because it was good. I didn't see what was happening till it was happening. Why did I go into this thinking this was a Black romance college story with a HEA? Hell no this is Black Erotica, suspense, and thriller that takes you for a loop because the ending I wasn't ready! After reading this book I had to make so many highlight notes on my kindle because ma'am what! This is a damn good book!
Profile Image for Cynwitdapen.
45 reviews20 followers
June 20, 2023
Bat Sh*t Crazy!! Literally!

I don’t want to spoil this but wow. This book was insane. This was a fantastic debut novel. Complex characters who are relatable, especially the FMC! I liked Diane she’s a plus sized girl entering college knowing just what she wanted from the experience and one of those things was getting her back blown out by whomever she wanted. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and fanning myself at the same time. I want justice for a few things but I won’t spoil. This is a must read. @cynwitdapen on Tiktok if you want a more detailed review.
Profile Image for Maggie.
1 review
January 4, 2023
Omg!! This book was a thriller romance! I kept yelling at Diane cause girl get it together you putting these men lives in danger! The whole time I thought it was the professor until the end! I was team Jared this whole book so imma find a way to understand why he did what he did 😂. Such a great read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sistaharlem.
360 reviews6 followers
January 13, 2025
Sexy scenes with unhinged characters. The sins of the mothers seem to be a constant them for at least 3 characters in this book. The college campus mentioned is Howard University. One of the MMC's is a member of one of the Divine 9 Fraternities.

The FMC was very liberated but open about her not being tied down to one person. The main MMC had problems understanding that b/c she reminded him of his mother. His mother abandoned him as a child. His insecurities regarding this were made quite clear throughout this book.
Profile Image for Black Girl  Tired Energy Book reviews.
232 reviews43 followers
February 20, 2023
First let me say WOW... second how thee hell....third Ma'am no you didn't (This was me reading this book)

Trigger Warnings:
Explicit Sex Scenes
Anal Sex
Pegging
MFM
Mommy Kink
Violence
Recreational Drug Use
Childhood Trauma
Abandonment issues
Touch her and Die

Diane is an adult college student a transfer from a two year college to Howard University. Her focus is to do better with her life majoring in TV & Broadcasting, but she also wants to enjoy the whole college HBCU experience. Jared a Pre-Med major and a Kappa see Diane the first day ...and likes every curvy plus size bit of her immediately. From the first meeting they were an inferno of sexual energy that was a tornado destroying anything in their path. Diane isn't looking for a commitment with all the sexy brothers on campus. So she's exploring her sexual needs without regret or shame. Unfortunately sex and death seems to follow her no matter how she moves on campus.

There are so many things I want to say not enough time to type them out. This book if I can describe it in movie terms would be She's got to have it, College hill(Reality show), and American Psycho because the way this author took you on a erotic rollercoaster mixed with a whole lot of crazy. This isn't what I expected, but baby I pleasantly surprised and happy to read it in one sitting. The BDE that was slanging in this book and the drama was full in effect. This story went from one extreme to the next, but I didn't put it down because it was like watching a movie in my head. The story was too sexy and crazy all at the same time, but I ate it all up because it was good. I didn't see what was happening till it was happening. Why did I go into this thinking this was a Black romance college story with a HEA? Hell no this is Black Erotica, suspense, and thriller that takes you for a loop because the ending I wasn't ready! After reading this book I had to make so many highlight notes on my kindle because ma'am what! This is a damn good book!
Profile Image for Beauty_bydebrosse.
339 reviews9 followers
July 11, 2023
First off it’s really a 4.5 but I had to take a star off because of the typos and that there was too much detail on the Howard buildings that I found a little boring. At the beginning the writing felt a little off and there was a weird pacing to the book but once I hit like the 27% mark, I felt like I started to get immersed into the story. I can’t deny that this book had drama, a plus size girl who was confident and didn’t let anyone shame her for her sexual experiences, while also having crazy psychos on the loose. I can’t say I’ve ever read a book like this, I’ve definitely watched many seasons of criminal minds and it was giving that while also giving a plus size girl who was living her life like it’s golden. Lol, I found Resto, the most fleshed out character and the most interesting because of his weird kink and damaged past. I low key wanted better for him (after I find out he wasn’t the killer, before that I was like this dude CRAZYYYY) But I also understood him and if he had ended up being the killer, I wouldn’t have blinked twice. Low key justice for Resto!!! Also I found Jared’s dad creepy as f, and wish we had another book to flesh that out but overall this was fire! I was hooked towards the end and though I felt Diane was crazy at the end and need therapy (really all of them needed therapy). I probably would have stayed with the rich dude myself 😂 (im just kidding, but like maybe not idk) If this author ever decided to make a second book to this, I would definitely read it!!! Don’t know if I would recommend to just anyone. If you don’t like dark romance and/or horror books, don’t read this. But if you love those things, this is definitely an entertaining read 👏🏾!!
Profile Image for O'Shan Waters.
Author 6 books46 followers
February 8, 2023
Admittedly this is not a genre I would usually read. But I wanted to support another author's debut creative work, so I decided to read this book. I don't give spoilers to allow someone else to read, discover and decide.

I don't regularly read erotica or urban stories. So this was a stretch for me. "Do young people really talk like this in college? Wow, I'm older than I thought."

Alas, I forged ahead. There were a few parts I skimmed over, simply for the subject matter and language but I read it all! I laughed and yelled at a character or two for doing or not doing what I wanted them to, and of course, I cringed a little in some places.

I had no expectations walking into this adventure. Aside from what I didn't particularly care for, I liked the story. So thank you Darlene Cunningham for writing it. I was entertained by the quick read. Really appreciating the complexity of human behavior and understanding the psychological issues one often faces, I could see a few layers of both leading characters and a couple of the side ones. Congratulations on your first book!
Profile Image for Plus Size Bibliophile.
1,205 reviews59 followers
August 14, 2023
Ya'll remember when America discovered the Tiger King? It was so crazy and fucked up yet we couldn't look away and even though we all knew he was acting a fool a part of you wanted him to succeed??

That's how I felt about this book. Our girl Diane is a new transfer and an adult student. She's plus size confident af and sex positive. She gets hers! She didn't bother learning names or catching feelings. She is only focused on finishing her degree and enjoying life.

But not one but TWO men are hella possessive and want to make her theirs. One just keeps getting his heart stumped on and the other wants to bang his own mom. Ya'll these men are complex AF.

Both of them just want to keep Diane forever and ever. So much so that when someone started running around beating down Diane's hookups with a bat it wasn't hard to narrow it down to them. But which one????
Profile Image for Kelly.
51 reviews3 followers
Read
May 4, 2024
I really hated this book, hence the lack of a rating. It’s literally a ZERO out of five. Which publisher allowed this book to be published???!!!

I really hated the fmc, I’m all for female sexuality and doing whatever you please but this book did not do any of that justice. It felt like reading a book about an immature female character who was simply reckless. I wonder if I read the same book as you guys who loved this book so much. All of the characters weren’t my cup of tea, from the way they spoke and their actions as well.

When I read the blurb I thought I’d have a lot in common with the fmc but it was the complete opposite. Hated the book, would never recommend even if it was the last book on earth and we were in a zombie apocalypse where we were left with no books. I’d rather create stories and write them on leaves than to give someone this book to read. Love you💋
Profile Image for Jade.
242 reviews1 follower
October 3, 2023
Let’s start with the positives, I really like the way Howard history and culture is weaved throughout. And there is a palpable sense of place with DC as the backdrop for the story.

I really struggled to get through this one. The FMC is unreliable and changed motivations several times throughout the book and the pov switches so much I often didn’t know who was narrating. Continuity is all over the place. It’s just not well constructed or executed. Which is something I struggle with.

If you don’t need your smut to be pretty, give it a shot. It’s solid fat rep. Which is how I found it in the first place.

Profile Image for J. Ruffin.
Author 1 book2 followers
February 15, 2023
This book will leave you speechless.

There is a lot that can be said for this book, but each of them could never explain the journey this book takes you on. As you join the main character Diane on her college experience, you will see a deep and erotic view of the college view. Along side some graphic geography that really puts you in the story. The characters can be a little muddled at time and really take attention, but this book will leave you speechless, your heart pounding, and your mouth agape. The only thing we can hope for is a sequel.
26 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2023
Wow!!!!

This book was amazing. First check trigger warnings. For me personally trigger warnings are just another reason to read the book. There was one trigger warning that I didn’t even know it was a trigger warning, but I was OK with it. The character development was awesome. I love the fact that the main female character was expressing herself and getting to know herself, emotionally, spiritually, and sexually. There’s a huge twist that I wasn’t expecting, but read this book. And I will continue to devour any other books by this author.
Profile Image for Aloysia Burgess.
Author 4 books1 follower
March 13, 2023
Many times we get stories about college through the lens of someone fresh out of highschool. It was refreshing to read a story that followed the adult student experience through the main character Diane. The characters and their journeys are all different yet somehow connected through our common desire as human beings which is to be loved. It's a spicy read and great storytelling. Would highly recommend! Sequel please!
Profile Image for K. Powell.
Author 5 books11 followers
May 1, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. I've always wanted to attend an HBCU and this book gave me life. It was nice seeing what college is like through the pov of an adult. The sex scenes tho...... lol loved it.
5 reviews
February 23, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was well done, the smut did it's thing but the plot was good. The plot twist had me holding my pearls... I really enjoy the writing from Darlene , she knows how to work her pen to paper or fingers to keyboard either way...it was a good read
Profile Image for Leslie.
548 reviews9 followers
fuck-you-book-dnf
March 31, 2025
DNF at 75%
I just had no interest in finishing this book... it wasn't written well and all they did was Fuck in this book. Homegirl was.....a lover of different dicks...lol.
Profile Image for TK Walker.
Author 1 book11 followers
August 6, 2023
This was my first read by this author, but it will not be my last. The spice was spicing big time with this one. I can’t wait to read her other work. Excellent job!
Profile Image for Laneisha.
196 reviews24 followers
May 4, 2023
This story took me on a wild ride. It had a decent plot that was funny and suspenseful/thrilling. It also seemed to speak well to the Howard University culture as it contained lots of HU lingo. I loved the main character, Diane. I appreciated this book featuring a sexually confident and liberated female main character at the center. One that was secure in who she was and had no shame about it. She told you what it was and what it wasn't; if you couldn't get with it, you had to get lost. Period. On that same note, Diane also had me yelling at her through my book many times. The main male character, Jared, was a good man, Savannah. A good man! A little deranged but still good. I was conflicted about how Diane was treating him. One part of me wanted to side with her, while the other wanted to stand beside Jared. This story did, however, fall flat for me in some areas. Some chapters got muddy when it came to the plot. It became confusing when multiple character interactions and POVs existed in a single chapter. It made it difficult to figure out what was going on and who to focus on. Chapters with single POVs might've worked better for readers to keep up. I also wish we could've gotten some more from Kim. I was curious about her thoughts on Diane and her actions from her own POV. Finally, once I put all of the puzzle pieces together, the ending was predictable but still wild nonetheless. Overall, this was a good read that put a suspenseful twist on college life. This was my first read from this indie author, and I look forward to reading more from them.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.