He's a rich boy, she's a working class girl. He's born and raised in the city, she's a country girl. But when they meet, there are sparks.
I really enjoyed this take on the classic romance trope of "we're from different worlds." The entire book takes place over only two weeks, but I found the romance believable and not too insta-love, especially considering the youth of the characters. The setting was gorgeous, the sex scenes steamy without becoming too overwrought for my taste, and the backstory interesting. Just the right light, escapist reading for where my head is right now.
The characters were fun and I was definitely cheering for them to find a their happily ever after. There's a turn in the last few pages that stops me from giving it five stars (I still give it 4), but I understand the need to add some extra tension to lead into the second book, so I'm inclined to forgive one stumble in my suspension of disbelief. I bet when I pick up the second book, all will be forgiven.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
While this was a good book, it just sort of ended which left me a little unsure. It wasn't bad in any way. I loved it but wish there was more. However, since this is book one I'm certain more will follow.
This follows Jacob and Abby and the two weeks they spend together. The title really says it all. You can see so much potential in their relationship. Abby is living with her grandmother and working two jobs to put herself through college along with grants and scholarships. Her life hasn't been an easy one and she could have been so bitter about it but wasn't. I liked Abby as a character. She is the kind of young woman you hope your daughter grows up to be.
Jacob and his friend Luke are vacationing in West Virginia when they meet Abby. Jacob has experience loss like Abby has but he is also a senator's son. He's a really sweet guy who has dreams of helping people with poor drinking water in the world. That is one thing I loved about this book. It was just how real these two people are. Jacob is not what you would expect form a senator's son honestly.
READ AN EXCERPT
Once inside, we head for the bar. The floor beneath my feet vibrates with the heavy bass thumping through the sound system. Jacob turns to me, and though I can see his lips moving, I can’t hear what he says over the din of too loud music blasting from the speakers. “What?” I yell back. He leans down, his mouth a mere inch from my ear, and I breathe in his intoxicating smell. I close my eyes and bask in his heady, masculine scent and the sound of his smooth, deep voice. Our bodies are so close, but not quite touching. Every cell in my body is on high alert, anticipation of physical contact consuming my senses. “So, how about that shot of whiskey?” he asks with the sexy timbre that makes my stomach clench and my pulse accelerate. “That sounds great.” I’m going to need some liquid courage for this. Jacob orders me a shot of Crown and I immediately down it in one gulp, earning a chuckle from him. I'm going to need another just to still my nerves. “Maybe I should've gotten you a double.” I swallow nervously and straighten my shoulders. Here goes nothing. “Maybe you should have,” I reply, attempting a seductive tone.
Jacob grins deviously at my sassy response and his eyes darken with desire. Heat floods my lower belly and between my thighs. He hasn't even touched me yet, and already my body is responding to him. I have never felt this way about a guy before. I'm no virgin, but desire this strong is uncharted territory for me. Jacob turns to the bartender and orders me another shot, a double this time, and a beer for himself. I drain my glass in two big gulps, the smooth liquid going down easier than the cheap whiskey I usually drink. Jacob watches me over the brim of his bottle, his lips curling up on each side as he takes a swig. I reluctantly pull my eyes from his when I feel someone grab my arm.
“I wanna dance.” Tiffany has a cup filled with amber liquid. She's drank most of it and I hear Luke ordering another from the bartender. I hope she doesn't get so drunk tonight that we have to carry her out. It wouldn't be the first time, and it certainly won't be the last. She drains the rest of her drink and discards her cup before Luke hands her a new one.
“Oh, come on, dancing queen. Let's hit the floor,” I tell her. She squeals, bouncing on the balls of her feet before grabbing me by the hand and pulling me onto the dance floor. I'm already starting to feel the effects of the whiskey I consumed just a few moments ago. My mind and body relax a little as warmth from the liquor spreads through my veins. I begin to move to the music, letting the rhythm guide the sway of my hips and the motion of my arms. Tonight, the DJ is playing mostly pop and hip-hop, the best kind of music to dance to.
Tiff and I dance for a couple of songs as she sips her drink. At the end of the second song, I glance over my shoulder to find the guys leaned up against the bar watching us, a bottle of beer in each of their hands. Jacob's eyes burn into mine. He’s watching me intently and I can tell he likes what he sees. His intense observation of my body moving to the music sends a shiver up my spine. I wonder what his hands would feel like grasping my hips, in my hair, all over me. I tear my gaze away from him and turn to Tiff when she yells my name. “I need another drink. And so do you,” she insists, pointing her finger into my chest. “Come on.” Once again, she grabs my hand and leads me where she wants me to go. “Need another drink, beautiful?” Luke asks her, his self-assured grin never leaving his face. “Why, yes I do. Thanks, handsome.” I'm just buzzed enough that this interaction makes me giggle. Tiff turns to glare at me, but her spirits are instantly lifted when Luke hands her another Long Island. “Wow, that was fast,” she exclaims. “I went ahead and ordered it when you started back this way. You looked like you needed a refreshment.” His cocky smirk is almost charming. Almost.
“Awwwww, you're so thoughtful,” Tiff draws out, pressing herself up against his chest. Gag! She knows he’s trying to run his game on her, and she’s encouraging him. Luke may be a player, but he just met the coach. “You want another shot of Crown?” Jacob's question is a welcome distraction from these two and their very public displays of affection. “Yeah,” I reply. “Oh, and just a single this time.” I'll eventually have to drive Tiff and myself home, so I need to take it easy on the booze. Besides, I haven’t eaten in over eight hours, and this top-shelf liquor is working fast. When he hands me my drink a few minutes later, I thank him and down the potent elixir in one gulp. He watches me with an intensity in those icy blue eyes that makes me feel naked and vulnerable. It's an unsettling feeling, but I kind of like it. “I'm ready to dance again. Let's go.” Tiff grabs my hand and leads me back to the dance floor. There are hot, writhing bodies everywhere, and we have to shoulder our way through the crowd to make it back to our spot.
We're three songs in this time when I feel hands on each side of my waist. I start to turn around to see which one of these assholes is grabbing me without invitation when he leans in and speaks into my ear. “Abby,” he breathes my name. This one word breaks my resolve to be a good girl and not get involved with this handsome stranger. I close my eyes and lean into him. I hear his quick intake of breath before his body molds to fit mine, the sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen pressing against my back. He trails his fingers up my arm, leaving a searing path of heat in their wake. I can't suppress the shudder that moves through my body as a result. I am lost to his touch and all I can hope is that it never ends. This review was originally posted on A Lucky Grace
Really cute love story. I am a descendant of a Cherokee Indian. I really enjoyed the information about them. I really love Jacob he is respectful and thoughtful. It was hard for me to keep reading. I’m not a fan of slow burn. I hate cliff hangers! But overall the story was well written. This was my first book by this author. I recommend this story.
***I received this novel as an eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.***
I was so excited to get a copy of this book to review. The New Adult genre is currently my obsession. However, not all of the content within it is something that speaks to me. Thankfully, Something That Could Last really hits all the sweet spots for me. Also, appropriate amounts of steam and sexy time.
Abby is a small town girl with plans for the summer. Plan to make some money for college and to take care of her grandmother and keep her head down.
Jacob is on a 2 week vacation from the high expectations in his Senator Son life. He and his best friend, Luke, find a small town and are ready for some adventures. When they decide to do some thrill seeking and go zip lining, they run into Abby and Jacob is instantly attracted to her.
Their attraction is so intense that it scares them, but it didn't scare me. It delighted and excited me. Abby was so sweet, yet she wasn't a push over. This novel is full of sexy consent moments. I love how New Adult has made consent so sexy, really, I mean it. I adore that in a romance and this story was made so much richer for it. Jacob is such a gentleman and compared to his friend Luke, he is a freaking saint.
Its really hard to pick out things that I don't like about this story. There isn't a ton of plot in this one until the last 50 pages or so, but I don't want that to seem like a detriment, I was so into them building their relationship. They are both such cool people and I want more time with them. Which I assume will happen since this had a heart-stopping cliffhanger. Like, I screamed out loud in my Starbucks!
I am sitting here just quietly dying for the sequel.
*There is a trigger warning for sexual assault and regular assault.*
I give this 5 stars, I wasn't expecting to do that, but I just can't think of any reason to knock it.
**I received a copy of this to review via NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Ashley Cade, for the opportunity to review this book.**
I'll start with the things I DID like about this book. The obvious thing I loved about this book is that gorgeous cover. It is what drew me in. I know, I know...judging books by their covers and all that jazz, but come on...look at it! It is definitely my whole aesthetic. I also really liked all the times music was mentioned in this book and what music was mentioned. I am not sure I have ever seen The Pistol Annies mentioned in a book I have read and that made my little country heart happy as could be. The actual story itself got so much better in the last 15% of the book. It was the most engaged I became into the story if I am honest. Knowing that there is at least one more book at come after this one, it makes sense. Sometimes the first book in a series can take a while to set the scene, story, and tone for the whole series.
However, I did not like the characters in this book at all. I'm pretty certain the only characters I liked were the brother of the main female character and her grandmother. And we barely get any of them in this book. Every other character is so unlikable. Unlikable characters aren't exactly a problem for me. I can do unlikable characters. Humans can be unlikable. I just couldn't figure out how to really care about these guys because I didn't know why I was supposed to and how I was supposed to relate to them. I just don't think it was my cup of tea. Their language and how they talked was hard to read through for me. Also, there are quite a few sex scenes in the book which is to be expected with the nature of the book and usually something I can get behind. They just made me cringe. The language used during the sex scenes is something I keep hoping we can leave behind (and with a lot of books of this nature we have). I'm just over reading about the female anatomy in terms of "slick heat" and "sensitive nub" and the likes.
I can see why people would like this book and I think the ones to come after this have potential. I think Cade's writing style, for the most part, is nice. It was easy to read and there were some good parts. As a debut novel, it's well done and even though it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, it is a book that I think will find its audience pretty easily and be received very well. I would honestly check out the second book to see how it all comes along. I'd wager she catches a nice stride in the story and I'd love to see a lot of good character development in these guys.
For now, I'm going with a 2.5-star rating going by goodreads definition of the stars. It was okay, for me, teetering on having liked some portions of it.
A wonderful story about falling in love when you least expect it. Abby is a hard working college student from West Virginia while Jacob is a privileged young man from a wealthy political family from Virginia. They are different in many ways but bond over the many ways that they are the same. Both have lost family members and have strained relationships with their mothers. Their love felt real and not forced just for the sake of the storyline. The ending was questionable but it definitely left me wanting more. This would be a great summer book to enjoy by the pool or at the beach. I recommend enjoying it! I am grateful that I received an ARC from Netgalley in return I have offered an honest review.
Cozy fluffy read. Small WV town. A bit trope-y with Jacob being the “rich senators son with a heart of gold” but I loved that Abby was a darker skinned part Cherokee/Italian woman.
Things I did like: Beautiful cover! It drew me in and I was looking forward to reading this. The ending - the last quarter of it was much better than the rest of it and set itself up for another book. Things I didn't like: I wasn't keen on all the music references, I didn't see the point. The book felt over padded and there was so much stuff that could have been removed to make it tighter and read much better. I didn't like the main characters either. I struggled to care at all. And I found the sex scenes a bit uncomfortable and cringey...
This book wasn't for me, but I can see it having a large fan base and I can understand why people would want to read this. It was good for a debut novel and I think the way it picked up at the end means the rest of the series might be much better.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
First: what a beautiful cover. It caught my eye and I could not resist it.
Abby is a lovely heroine. Living with her grandmother, working to jobs to be able to study. She was quite a character. During one of her jobs she meets Jacob, who is traveling with his friend Luke and is immediately taken by Abby. For two weeks Abby and Jacob have a whirlwind romance, before Jacob has to get back to his own privileged world. There worlds couldn't be further apart. Jacob is the son of a senator and has his life mapped out for him. You can't help but root for these two!
I was a bit miffed to find the book ends on a cliffhanger and there is no date set for a sequel. I did not expect it as it was not mentioned. I do think it is worth the wait, but I wished I had known before requesting.
There is nothing to do but wait for the sequel!
*** I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest review. ***
