Unteachable by Leah Raeder

Unteachable

by Leah Raeder

Maise O'Malley just turned eighteen, but she's felt like a grown-up her entire life. The summer before senior year, she has plans: get into a great film school, convince her mom to go into rehab, and absolutely do not, under any circumstances, screw up her own future.

But life has a way of throwing her plans into free-fall.

When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their chemistry is immediate, intense, and short-lived. Which is exactly how she likes it: no strings. But afterward, she can't get Evan out of her head. He's taught her that a hookup can be something more. It can be an unexpected connection with someone who truly understands her. Someone who sees beyond her bravado to the scared but strong girl inside.

That someone turns out to be her new film class teacher, Mr. Evan Wilke.

Maise and Evan resolve to keep their hands off each other, but the attraction is too much to bear. Together, they're real and genuine; apart, they're just actors playing their parts for everyone else. And their masks are slipping. People start to notice. Rumors fly. When the truth comes to light in a shocking way, they may learn they were just playing parts for each other, too.

Smart, sexy, and provocative, Unteachableis about what happens when a love story goes off-script.

Reviewed by Jack on

4 of 5 stars

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I cannot accurately put into words how amazing this book was. How it took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and how invested I was in the characters, their lives, their love and Wesley! Not to mention the writing was some of the best I've seen in a long while, it flowed like silk and was just as beautiful.

For once the young woman in this book is not some weepy virgin who doesn't know anything about sex. It's the complete opposite. Maise knows her body, loves it, and uses it. She likes having sex with older men, and isn't afraid to admit it, she enjoys her body and the pleasure it can bring her.

She's drawn to Evan because he's older then her, then there is the fact that he's her teacher so there's always the air of taboo around them, that it's wrong for them to be together but feels so right. But he makes her feel safe and loved as well.

This was a crazy journey filled with so much passion. Which at times I felt was too much, too many smutty scenes which overwhelmed the character and plot development at points. They didn't do much besides have sex, even when they were in St. Louis where no one would recognize them! Why not go out on more dates!. It was clear they loved each other, and it was so nice that Evan wasn't some over powerful, domineering alpha male. When he did show his alpha side, it was so hot it made me melt.


Maise had doubts about being with her teacher, if it would really work past her senior year. There was the fear of people finding out, of both their futures being ruined. It was nice to see them worry about each other, to care about each other and not just live in the moment. Maise was always thinking about her future, as was Evan and they both wanted the other to be successful and happy.


But they both have trouble lives, Evan burying his past, and Maise trying to get away from her present, and move toward a bright future, hopefully with the one she loves so much.

Evan has a past he wanted to keep buried, but it eventually surfaced which caused a split between the two, one that I thought wasn't going to be fixed and Maise would have just moved on with her life and found someone else to love. Especially when people started to find out about the affair, and it got messy.

But the ending! Oh my! It made me so happy and giddy! I really hope there is another book about these two some day because the writing alone is beautiful.

Looking back on it I don't fully understood what kept the two together, what kept their love burning for each other besides the hot romps in the sack.

The characters in this book felt real, I wanted to know their story, I was heartbroken at the lot Maise had been given in life, living with such a horrible mother. And she saw how kind and loving mothers could be in Wesley's mom.

Maise was a very strong character, wise and mature beyond her years. Although she knew and accepted at times that she was still young, still a kid. And it was those times that she relied on Evan to get her through her troubles.

Sometimes the book seemed a little much, almost a bit unbelievable, but I managed to over look it for the story was amazing and the writing held me in a trance it was so exquisite.

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  • Started reading
  • 23 September, 2013: Finished reading
  • 23 September, 2013: Reviewed