Reviewed by whisperingchapters on
Before I left for a life of theorems, dusty old libraries, and crushing expectations that threatened to swallow me whole, I'd make this a year I'd never forget ... This was going to be the year of perfect firsts.
Persephone a.k.a. Seph is a math genius. She started taking college classes very early on in life which is why with only 19, she's one to two years away from entering the PhD program, possibly less since her father is hell-bent on her going to Harvard and not continuing at Fulton. Seph has always followed the rules and accepted everything her father threw at her. She's realized she's never really did something truly for herself to step out there into the world. She doesn't even have friends! Seph realizes that she'll need to start doing things out of ordinary for her and soon so she makes a list of firsts. And she may have to go to certain lengths to achieve them.
I was tired of being nice and quiet and small. I was tired of being me, and the only way to change that was to stop being afraid of what I wanted.
Honestly, what's not to like about this book? Here was have Seph trying to live life and she puts out an ad tackle a first: have sex. The interesting part is she wants to conduct interviews with the guys who respond to the ad and she has flashcards and everything. When Reece steps into the coffee house, he's looking for someone well dressed and he sees Seph. He confuses her for an advisor and sits down with her, antsy to get the meeting over with. It's when Seph asks a question that he realizes Seph is someone else entirely and he's shocked over what she's doing.
Reece's reaction to Seph had me LOL'ing! Even I couldn't believe the stuff that'd come out Seph's mouth. She's so naive, awkward, funny! Reece is taken by her and he agrees to help her out with her list, but his condition is no sex. The two embark on an adventure of firsts for Seph and she's freaking awesome. Even Reece's friends thinks she's badass and cool.
With the way she lit up when she saw me, I couldn't have stopped the smile from spreading across my face if you'd held a gun to my head. Stepping out onto the field with thousands of people cheering for me didn't come close to how she'd just made me feel--and that meant trouble.
I loved watching Seph grow and become more sure of herself, outgoing, comfortable in who she is. It was beyond entertaining and hilarious so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about these new experiences and firsts for her! She's such a cool woman and I wish she was my friend. Reece was absolutely wonderful with her and I was rooting for them so much!! And not only did I fall for these two, but I also fell super hard for the secondary characters and my hands are itching for their books! I cannot wait for more in this Fulton U world.
I'd give her the other firsts, as many as I could, because if I gave her too much, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from never wanting to stop.
Something else I liked about this novel was the fact that even though it is light and fun, it handles a few serious topics that I think were handled very gracefully, without calling too much attention or making it a focus. (Trigger warning: There's some super mild physical grabbing that's not consented.) And something I found completely endearing was Reece's family and the major contrast it makes with Seph's family. Where Seph's dad is all business and strictness, Reece's family is goofy and loving. Their involvement in Reece's life isn't shown much but the few times they show up, had my heart melting and I even shed a few tears in one part.
I've missed reading a great New Adult sports romance so much and this book filled me up inside and gave me all the excitement! It's such a fantastic novel with a great story-line and fantastic characters. If you're up for an NA sports romance with an awkward yet funny heroine and a football player who's ready to tackle everything thrown at him, with a group of friends that will also have you LOL'ing, then this one is so for you!
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 May, 2019: Finished reading
- 4 May, 2019: Reviewed