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melly2966's review against another edition
5.0
suuuuuuuuch a good boook!!!!!!!!!!!!! loved the gender role reversal!
mollywetta's review against another edition
2.0
Your standard NA complete with a past history of sexual assault and the hero beating up a bad guy/protecting the girl. He's even a tattoo artist!
jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Read this one a few months back, but somehow forgot to write a review. A welcome inversion of the typical bad boy/good girl New Adult romance trope. And for having two protagonists from working class backgrounds, rather than the cross-class dynamic that typically gives New Adult its tension and kick.
Nursing student Avery enjoys sex, but never demands anything more from it than a quick release of sexual frustration. Her mother's line of seriously bad boyfriends (as well as her mother's over-reliance on men, and her self-delusion about the power of love), have taught Avery that "If you remained in charge of your life, they [guys] couldn't mess with your head or put their hands on you without your permission.... Love was only a ridiculous fairy tale that was never satisfying, warm, or safe." Avery uses sex to exercise power, to feel control. Not to get all sentimental over a guy.
Avery usually has no trouble finding boys to scratch her sexual itch, but at a party, she's abruptly turned down by a guy she's drawn to. When said guy moves into her apartment building, and he ends up scaring off an intruder about to break into her apartment, Avery's both angry at her damsel-in-distress reaction (not unsurprising, given her past experiences) and at the guy's announcement that unlike Avery, he's a "commitment kind of guy." In fact, Avery discovers, Bennett's a virgin. Not because of lack of opportunity, but because he "swore to myself I would never have casual sex and knock a girl up" (again due to past family issues). Bennett, an artist, wants to be in love before he has sex.
The two fall into a friendship, and gradually into a romance. The question then becomes: who will give in first? Will Bennett break his casual sex rule? Will Avery show any of her vulnerabilities to Bennett?
Nursing student Avery enjoys sex, but never demands anything more from it than a quick release of sexual frustration. Her mother's line of seriously bad boyfriends (as well as her mother's over-reliance on men, and her self-delusion about the power of love), have taught Avery that "If you remained in charge of your life, they [guys] couldn't mess with your head or put their hands on you without your permission.... Love was only a ridiculous fairy tale that was never satisfying, warm, or safe." Avery uses sex to exercise power, to feel control. Not to get all sentimental over a guy.
Avery usually has no trouble finding boys to scratch her sexual itch, but at a party, she's abruptly turned down by a guy she's drawn to. When said guy moves into her apartment building, and he ends up scaring off an intruder about to break into her apartment, Avery's both angry at her damsel-in-distress reaction (not unsurprising, given her past experiences) and at the guy's announcement that unlike Avery, he's a "commitment kind of guy." In fact, Avery discovers, Bennett's a virgin. Not because of lack of opportunity, but because he "swore to myself I would never have casual sex and knock a girl up" (again due to past family issues). Bennett, an artist, wants to be in love before he has sex.
The two fall into a friendship, and gradually into a romance. The question then becomes: who will give in first? Will Bennett break his casual sex rule? Will Avery show any of her vulnerabilities to Bennett?
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 Stars
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is actually really hard for me to review because there were things about it that I LOVED! I was really hooked on the story and read it in no time flat and put the book down feeling all happy inside. So, why the 3.5 star rating instead of a loved-it sort of rating? Well, there were just some things that bothered me - that I couldn't ever quite get out of the back of my mind. Read on to find out what.
The negatives:
Bennett's virginity.
Okay, here's the thing. I was really kind of excited to read a book that turned the stereotypes around and gave us a virginal guy (who's totally hot) and a player girl. And when I found out Bennett's reasons for being a virgin, I could totally respect him and found it believable - he wanted to wait for love and for commitment because he'd seen how casual sex had adversely affected his family and he didn't want to do that.to himself or to a girl he cared about. Totally sweet and amazing, right? He didn't want that intimacy without love and at least some type of commitment. Except, once it came down to it, Bennett's definition of sex turned out to be a bit narrow in my opinion. Apparently, everything except actual intercourse was pretty much fine. At first I just wanted to be aggravated at Avery for pushing him into something he didn't really totally want (well, he wanted it, but he didn't want to want it, if you know what I mean). But then we find out that this isn't the first time he's crossed these lines anyway, and I kind of lost a tiny bit of respect for him. Speaking of Avery's pushing - I have to think that if the roles were reversed back to the normal stereotype and Avery was the guy pushing the virginal girl into more than she wanted or was ready for, we'd be hating on him. It's kind of sad that it seems more okay the other way. For a book about a virgin, there was a lot of sex and I just wish that if Lee was going to give her main character these ideals, she would have had him stick to them a bit more. The sexual tension was there - we didn't need them to act on it to the extent that they did to keep us interested (at least I didn't). Plus, I expected some sort of declaration of love and commitment before Avery and Bennett did actually do the deed - but it didn't really work that way. Yes, we knew from being in Avery's head that she was pretty much there and we definitely knew that Bennett loved Avery, but the actual words weren't spoken and no promises were made. It felt like, once again, Bennett's ideals were kind of left behind in the moment, which disappointed me.
What I LOVED:
The romance.
The parts of this book that didn't have to do with sex, I loved. I adored Bennett and Avery together and there were some incredibly romantic moments that made me melt, especially the scenes that had to do with Bennett's art, his love of poetry or the meaning of his tattoos. And there were some super sexy moments that happened outside of the bedroom that I loved too (the chemistry between these two was off the charts!) I loved the connection that Avery and Bennett had with each other and it broke my heart when Avery couldn't work her issues out enough for them to be together. I couldn't put this book down because I needed these two to get together - it was killing me! Bennet was such an amazing person in so many ways - the way he loved his family, his artistic spirit, the way he cared enough to get to know Avery even when she made it really difficult - honestly he's one of my favorite book boyfriends (if he'd just stuck to his ideals a bit more he would have definitely ranked right up there at the top of the list).
Mrs. Jackson.
Mrs. Jackson is a sweet surrogate grandmother figure that plays a really pivotal role in Avery's life and really gets her to re-evaluate her choices. I loved her!! She was a spitfire and full of wisdom and just an incredible voice of reason in Avery's crazy world. Scenes with Mrs. Jackson were both funny and touching.
How the past molds our present. I loved the fact that Avery and Bennett came from very similar backgrounds and yet their responses to their environments were polar opposites. This is so true in life. Even though they chose different paths, Avery and Bennett could both understand where the other was coming from because they had a connection based on their pasts. This made their relationship that much stronger.
So, in the end, I do really recommend this book. Even though it's not perfect, it was a fantastic read and it pulled me through every emotion imaginable. I struggled with my rating of this one, but in the end decided on 3.5/5 stars.
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book is actually really hard for me to review because there were things about it that I LOVED! I was really hooked on the story and read it in no time flat and put the book down feeling all happy inside. So, why the 3.5 star rating instead of a loved-it sort of rating? Well, there were just some things that bothered me - that I couldn't ever quite get out of the back of my mind. Read on to find out what.
The negatives:
Bennett's virginity.
Okay, here's the thing. I was really kind of excited to read a book that turned the stereotypes around and gave us a virginal guy (who's totally hot) and a player girl. And when I found out Bennett's reasons for being a virgin, I could totally respect him and found it believable - he wanted to wait for love and for commitment because he'd seen how casual sex had adversely affected his family and he didn't want to do that.to himself or to a girl he cared about. Totally sweet and amazing, right? He didn't want that intimacy without love and at least some type of commitment. Except, once it came down to it, Bennett's definition of sex turned out to be a bit narrow in my opinion. Apparently, everything except actual intercourse was pretty much fine. At first I just wanted to be aggravated at Avery for pushing him into something he didn't really totally want (well, he wanted it, but he didn't want to want it, if you know what I mean). But then we find out that this isn't the first time he's crossed these lines anyway, and I kind of lost a tiny bit of respect for him. Speaking of Avery's pushing - I have to think that if the roles were reversed back to the normal stereotype and Avery was the guy pushing the virginal girl into more than she wanted or was ready for, we'd be hating on him. It's kind of sad that it seems more okay the other way. For a book about a virgin, there was a lot of sex and I just wish that if Lee was going to give her main character these ideals, she would have had him stick to them a bit more. The sexual tension was there - we didn't need them to act on it to the extent that they did to keep us interested (at least I didn't). Plus, I expected some sort of declaration of love and commitment before Avery and Bennett did actually do the deed - but it didn't really work that way. Yes, we knew from being in Avery's head that she was pretty much there and we definitely knew that Bennett loved Avery, but the actual words weren't spoken and no promises were made. It felt like, once again, Bennett's ideals were kind of left behind in the moment, which disappointed me.
What I LOVED:
The romance.
The parts of this book that didn't have to do with sex, I loved. I adored Bennett and Avery together and there were some incredibly romantic moments that made me melt, especially the scenes that had to do with Bennett's art, his love of poetry or the meaning of his tattoos. And there were some super sexy moments that happened outside of the bedroom that I loved too (the chemistry between these two was off the charts!) I loved the connection that Avery and Bennett had with each other and it broke my heart when Avery couldn't work her issues out enough for them to be together. I couldn't put this book down because I needed these two to get together - it was killing me! Bennet was such an amazing person in so many ways - the way he loved his family, his artistic spirit, the way he cared enough to get to know Avery even when she made it really difficult - honestly he's one of my favorite book boyfriends (if he'd just stuck to his ideals a bit more he would have definitely ranked right up there at the top of the list).
Mrs. Jackson.
Mrs. Jackson is a sweet surrogate grandmother figure that plays a really pivotal role in Avery's life and really gets her to re-evaluate her choices. I loved her!! She was a spitfire and full of wisdom and just an incredible voice of reason in Avery's crazy world. Scenes with Mrs. Jackson were both funny and touching.
How the past molds our present. I loved the fact that Avery and Bennett came from very similar backgrounds and yet their responses to their environments were polar opposites. This is so true in life. Even though they chose different paths, Avery and Bennett could both understand where the other was coming from because they had a connection based on their pasts. This made their relationship that much stronger.
So, in the end, I do really recommend this book. Even though it's not perfect, it was a fantastic read and it pulled me through every emotion imaginable. I struggled with my rating of this one, but in the end decided on 3.5/5 stars.
caseroo7's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
All of You is the first book ins Christina Lee's Between Breaths series, and I absolutely loved it. This story had me from the first word, and I could not put it down. I loved the writing style, I loved the characters, and I loved that this story was different from everything else out there. This is one of the best new adult books that I have read to date, and I can't wait to read more from Christina Lee.
Avery Michaels doesn't do boyfriends. She is a nursing student with a painful past, and when she has an itch that needs scratching she goes out and gets what she wants for one night only. When she meets her super hot new neighbor, she instantly wants him for a night. But Bennett doesn't react like most guys do, and he only does commitment. When Avery finds out that Bennett not only doesn't do casual, but that he is also a virgin she is shocked. Because of their differences, Bennett and Avery try to become friends and keep things platonic. But the more they hang out, the more their attraction and feelings grow. Can Bennett convince Avery give a relationship a chance and see where things go? Or will Avery's past be too painful for her to give her trust to Bennett?
I really loved Bennett! He was a super hot tattooed virgin, and I loved how different his character was. He was super sweet and kind, and he was also really loyal and protective. He looked out for Avery and his family and made it a point to take care of his mom even when she made things difficult for him. I loved that he was an artist and that he had so much depth to him. Avery was great too. She was vulnerable and had been hurt before, but she was determined and smart. She was really great at her job, and I loved her friendship with Mrs. Jackson at the nursing home. She was also really supportive with Bennett about his being a virgin, even if she didn't really understand at first. I thought that Bennett and Avery had a lot of chemistry from the very start, and you could feel the attraction between them. But they had so much in common even with their differences. They were able to understand each other so well because of their family situations. I liked the way they got to know each other, and I thought that the game they played was so cute! I loved seeing their questions and responses, and it was definitely one of my favorite things about this book. You could really see the connection forming between them and it made their relationship so real and believable.
Overall, I really loved everything about this book. I honestly can't think of a single thing to complain about and I really just thoroughly enjoyed this story. I really liked Bennett and Avery, and I liked the secondary characters as well. Avery's friends got on my nerves at times, and I thought that they acted pretty immature a few times but I could see that they were just trying to be friends and a lot of it was just due to their age. I would definitely recommend this book to NA fans though, and I think that it was one of those books that people can easily relate to and become invested in. Bennett was definitely worth the read, and I really can't say enough how much I absolutely loved his character. I can't wait to read more from Christina Lee in the future and see what she has in store for Avery's friend Ella next in Before You Break.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
All of You is the first book ins Christina Lee's Between Breaths series, and I absolutely loved it. This story had me from the first word, and I could not put it down. I loved the writing style, I loved the characters, and I loved that this story was different from everything else out there. This is one of the best new adult books that I have read to date, and I can't wait to read more from Christina Lee.
Avery Michaels doesn't do boyfriends. She is a nursing student with a painful past, and when she has an itch that needs scratching she goes out and gets what she wants for one night only. When she meets her super hot new neighbor, she instantly wants him for a night. But Bennett doesn't react like most guys do, and he only does commitment. When Avery finds out that Bennett not only doesn't do casual, but that he is also a virgin she is shocked. Because of their differences, Bennett and Avery try to become friends and keep things platonic. But the more they hang out, the more their attraction and feelings grow. Can Bennett convince Avery give a relationship a chance and see where things go? Or will Avery's past be too painful for her to give her trust to Bennett?
I really loved Bennett! He was a super hot tattooed virgin, and I loved how different his character was. He was super sweet and kind, and he was also really loyal and protective. He looked out for Avery and his family and made it a point to take care of his mom even when she made things difficult for him. I loved that he was an artist and that he had so much depth to him. Avery was great too. She was vulnerable and had been hurt before, but she was determined and smart. She was really great at her job, and I loved her friendship with Mrs. Jackson at the nursing home. She was also really supportive with Bennett about his being a virgin, even if she didn't really understand at first. I thought that Bennett and Avery had a lot of chemistry from the very start, and you could feel the attraction between them. But they had so much in common even with their differences. They were able to understand each other so well because of their family situations. I liked the way they got to know each other, and I thought that the game they played was so cute! I loved seeing their questions and responses, and it was definitely one of my favorite things about this book. You could really see the connection forming between them and it made their relationship so real and believable.
Overall, I really loved everything about this book. I honestly can't think of a single thing to complain about and I really just thoroughly enjoyed this story. I really liked Bennett and Avery, and I liked the secondary characters as well. Avery's friends got on my nerves at times, and I thought that they acted pretty immature a few times but I could see that they were just trying to be friends and a lot of it was just due to their age. I would definitely recommend this book to NA fans though, and I think that it was one of those books that people can easily relate to and become invested in. Bennett was definitely worth the read, and I really can't say enough how much I absolutely loved his character. I can't wait to read more from Christina Lee in the future and see what she has in store for Avery's friend Ella next in Before You Break.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
kate_and_books's review against another edition
4.0
The hourglass freezes in moments of bliss. He spun and pulled me to my feet. Cupping my cheeks, he gazed into my eyes. "The very concept of time is a demand. That you own it, savor it, mean it. Before you waste it or it wastes you....
So I read the blurb of this book and thought wow this is different. Now you wonder why? Well it's unusual for a 18-20 year old to man to be a virgin. Bennett is hot and knows exactly what he wants due to certain circumstances in life he has decided to certain ideals in his life which are admirable. We see why later in the book.
Avery likes to hook up doesn't really matter with whom. She also has certain ideals that she has tried to stick to but it doesn't make her feel any better not really, deep down. One night she tries to hook up with Bennett and well it doesn't work out that well.
The next day Bennett moves into the same apartment complex as Avery. They get to know one another and Avery realizes that in the end what you want is alright and that having these emotions are normal.
So I read the blurb of this book and thought wow this is different. Now you wonder why? Well it's unusual for a 18-20 year old to man to be a virgin. Bennett is hot and knows exactly what he wants due to certain circumstances in life he has decided to certain ideals in his life which are admirable. We see why later in the book.
Avery likes to hook up doesn't really matter with whom. She also has certain ideals that she has tried to stick to but it doesn't make her feel any better not really, deep down. One night she tries to hook up with Bennett and well it doesn't work out that well.
The next day Bennett moves into the same apartment complex as Avery. They get to know one another and Avery realizes that in the end what you want is alright and that having these emotions are normal.
kristid's review against another edition
3.0
was fun to read. didn't really connect with the characters.
Avery's relationship with her girlfriends sort of grated on me. Totally understand calling your friends "bitch" in an endearing way, but not during a serious situation. It got old. I just wanted them to have just ONE normal conversation. With no name calling or ass mentions.
This next line could be spoilery...... I liked that Bennett was a virgin, don't get a lot with the guys, but he totally gave it up to Avery way to fast after waiting forever to be "in love." I guess i didn't feel like they were in love.
but yeah... i had fun reading it and i'd read more from the author in the future.
Avery's relationship with her girlfriends sort of grated on me. Totally understand calling your friends "bitch" in an endearing way, but not during a serious situation. It got old. I just wanted them to have just ONE normal conversation. With no name calling or ass mentions.
This next line could be spoilery...... I liked that Bennett was a virgin, don't get a lot with the guys, but he totally gave it up to Avery way to fast after waiting forever to be "in love." I guess i didn't feel like they were in love.
but yeah... i had fun reading it and i'd read more from the author in the future.
gayle78's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy this book. The thing that I thought was funny is that my sons name is Avery Michael :D
yesididbringabook's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
I have a feeling Christina Lee is an author to watch. This book wasn't drop-everything-and-read-it-know-fantastic, but it showed potential. Avery and Bennett's story was different. Bennett wasn't the usual growling alpha hero, but he packed quite the punch of attractiveness.
Definitely buy as an ebook. This is a share with all of your friends kinda book.
I have a feeling Christina Lee is an author to watch. This book wasn't drop-everything-and-read-it-know-fantastic, but it showed potential. Avery and Bennett's story was different. Bennett wasn't the usual growling alpha hero, but he packed quite the punch of attractiveness.
Definitely buy as an ebook. This is a share with all of your friends kinda book.
jessica_barton's review against another edition
5.0
this book is definitely one of my favorites! some books just captivate you from the beginning, and this was for sure one of those. it's just something about the author's writing style that I love. the perfect amount of inner and outer dialogue. well developed characters. strong female lead.
averie loves to hook up with random guys at parties since she had an awful experience when she was 16. if she can't find a random guy, she just calls Rob. she doesn't love, doesn't stay. just hooks up.
Bennett is a hottie fo SHO! she tries to catch his attention the first night she meets him, but he shrugs her off. she hears him say he is moving the next day... guess where he moves to?
that's all I want to say... PLEASE read this book!
averie loves to hook up with random guys at parties since she had an awful experience when she was 16. if she can't find a random guy, she just calls Rob. she doesn't love, doesn't stay. just hooks up.
Bennett is a hottie fo SHO! she tries to catch his attention the first night she meets him, but he shrugs her off. she hears him say he is moving the next day... guess where he moves to?
that's all I want to say... PLEASE read this book!