Marie Coulson

I absolutely adored this book! It was part sweet, part sassy, part sexy and part heartbreaking. It is the perfect combination of all of the things that make a good story that you don't want to see end!
Charlene's life has been turned upside down. Dumped. Overweight. Alone. She has the support of her friends. What else does a girl need? Oh yeah, she needs laid!
So the mission begins for her to turn her life around. Not only does she vow to lose the extra weight, but she joins an online dating site. Now the fun begins. Mishaps and horrible dates... What else would you expect?
In her quest, Charlene seems to not see what is right in front of her face like everyone else does. Her best friend has pined after her forever. She has relied on him to be her rock, her go-to person in time of need. He wants more, but she can't seem to get the point.
I loved these characters. They all had the right qualities that keep them as a close-knit group. They all pull together when things get tough. They pull no punches with one another. Always the direct, yet support bunch they are.
There are a lot of laughs to be had in this book. I found myself wrapped up in the story. I was sad to see it "end" and cannot wait for the next book to come out!… (mais)

I was surprised that I liked this novella as much as I did, considering that I do not like Ollie. I still think he needs to get over himself and just move on. He is back home with his mom and little brother trying to become a family with them, but he cannot escape the call of his friends at school. Drinking isn’t helping him get Layla out of his head. Having sex with every female that crosses his path isn’t helping get her out of his head. It should, shouldn’t it? After-all, she made her choice, and it wasn’t him. This novella is Ollie trying to move on with his life at the most depressing time of the year while trying to still hold on at the same time. It was a nice little treat and follow-up of Bound Together… (mais)

Meet Layla, a shy inexperienced 19 year old woman. She is away from her father for the first time to get her college education. She is beautiful, ambitious and driven. Her focus is on school. She isn’t prepared for a relationship, let alone to fall in love.

Meet Ollie. He lives across the hall from Layla and her roommate. He is the typical band member and student. He instantly falls for Layla her first day on campus. Even though he worships the ground she walks on, he is willing to sit back and be in the friend zone.

Meet Jared. Rich. Handsome. Successful. Business extraordinaire. He has his eye on Layla, and nothing will stop him from having her no matter what.

Enter drama, drama, drama. Layla is in a tug-o-war with her heart, her head, the man who has her skin on fire, and her new best friend. She has never had someone like Jared. He is willing to give her the world. She is not ready to accept it, even though she loves him. Throw in Ollie and his love for her and his jealous hatred for Jared. He will not stand by and watch her make a life with someone other than him.

I liked and disliked this book. The writing style in some places was rushed and too wordy; not enough description and too many fast-paced facts. I think parts of the book seemed rushed; I know, the book is long, but still rushed at some points. I felt a lot of the emotions the characters felt. I was drawn into their drama, love, and loss.

I will say that I am team Jared. I am not particularly fond of him, but I cannot stand Ollie. He is a whiny, jealous cry baby.… (mais)

3.75 stars

What to say about this book... I was reeled in in "Bound Together". Needless to say I was awaiting this book to come out. I just had to see where it went.
In all honesty, it went downhill for me. Part of wanting to continue reading a series is the characters. To say that Layla leaves a bad taste in my mouth is an understatement. Yeah yeah. We aren't necessarily supposed to like her at this point; at least I wouldn't hope we are supposed to like her. But my dislike for this character had me turned off from this book. She just got worse and worse as the book went on.
And Jared... I don't care for him. A lot seem to think he was more likable in this book than the first. I am not in agreeance with them. I was all for him after the first book... But as this book went on, I was questioning why I didn't care for Ollie in the first book. Jared's controlling tendencies are not cute. They are very close to being a deal breaker for me.
Now to Ollie... like I mentioned, I didn't care for him in the first book. I thought he was whiny. But after this book, I think it was just the wanting the bad boy to win. I don't have the same opinion of him after this part of the story. He is sweet. His heart won't let Layla go.
I cannot say that I am "Team Jared" or Team Ollie". I can say that I am not "Team Layla". I hope in the third book they both walk away from her leaving her alone with her self-centered self!
I am not sure if I will read the next book... the only reason being Layla. I just can't get past my distaste for her character. I had a hard time finishing the book. If she were real and standing in front of me, I would punch her in the face a few times.
The book is full of drama. Back and forth (on Layla's part). A few chuckles. It is well written. For many, it will be an easy read; one that may be hard to put down.… (mais)