Synopsis
Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.
Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.
What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?
Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.
And it might just be getting a little too real.
Thoughts
Book two in the Campus Diaries Series had a very different feel than book one, The Graham Effect. This one was quite heavy, though interesting and well-written, in typical Elle Kennedy fashion.
Diana and Shane are both blundering their way through early adulthood. While I found them to be frustrating characters, I think it’s important that stories like this are written to help empower people going through some of these situations. I think my younger self could have looked to Diana for inspiration as I navigated some harrowing personal experiences.
In the end, Diana and Shane had a unique romance and great chemistry. They each supported the other through the most difficult moments of their young lives. I enjoyed seeing some personal growth exhibited in both of them by the end of the book.
Trigger Warnings + Adult Content: terminal illness, death, grief, anxiety, domestic violence, emotional abuse, stalking, dom/sub, exhibitionism