This Love (University of Branton #1) by Nazarea Andrews
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: A&A Literary
Pages: 346
Format: eBook
Source: Review Copy from Author
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She wants a summer job and a ride to a wedding.
He wants an assistant and a distraction from the mess his life had become.
They didn't know they needed each other.
Avery Emili needs two grand. Two grand and a plane ticket—her sister is counting on her to get to Jamaica for her wedding. But the semester is over, and tutoring college freshman and high school students has dried up until the fall.
Atticus Grimes needs help—the messy split with his wife left the twenty-eight year old professor scrambling to keep things together as the semester winds down. Now he's got a research grant he has to actually do research for and all he wants to do is drown himself in a tall bottle of bourbon.
When Avery sees his ad for an assistant, all she's thinking is a summer job. But as they spend time together, in the office and out, both of them begin to realize something is there. Something that can't happen—he's a professor and she's a student. And both of them have histories, pasts that won’t let go. Can two broken people pulled apart by expectations find a way to be whole?
This wasn't really the best time for this book. What I mean is, This Love is a perfect summer/beach read, and winter in Massachusetts wasn't really fitting the bill. It's a forbidden love scenario between a student and professor, full of sexy chemistry and a surprising amount of emotion.
The one aspect of the story that took some getting used to was the pacing. Told in alternating POVs, the narrative is fast-paced, spanning weeks in just the first quarter of the book alone. While certain parts are more drawn out to capture the development of Atticus and Avery's relationship. But the initial progression of meeting, flirting, becoming friends, and heading towards being together feels rushed as a result. It's not insta-love within the timeline of the book, but it happens very early on page-wise. It's enough to make the initial build-up feel like a blur.
With that said, the parts that were more thoroughly explored packed a bigger punch than you might think. It's the kind of book that you don't expect to be heavy on character development and true emotion behind the romance. On the contrary, I found myself invested in the characters and the ups and downs of their relationship. I wanted to see them succeed, even though it was rather doomed. Atticus and Avery were both relateable and likable, both because of and despite their problems and insecurities. Which is good, because none of the other characters get a full development, leaving these two to run the show.
Focusing on Atticus in particular—he is a great love interest. He's genuine and open with his feelings, despite all of the stickiness surrounding his failed marriage. He's not overly sure of himself and feels real, rough edges and all. He cares deeply for his family, best friend, and Avery. He actually communicates with Avery (how novel!). And Avery had a lot of the same attributes in the best way. It makes it that much easier to become invested in and enjoy their relationship!
This Love is a great choice for forbidden romance fans; a fun, sexy summer read with just the right amount of heart.
Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.
Sometimes it can be fun to read a summery book in the winter because it allows you to escape from the harsh realities of winter! Thanks for the review.
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