Blog tour: Unspoken (Woodlands, #2) by Jen Frederick
Unspoken (Woodlands, #2) by Jen Frederick
New Adult Contemporary Romance
eBook, 260 pages
Release date: Sept. 12, 2013 by Pear Tree LLC
Whore. Slut. Typhoid Mary.
I've been called all these at Central College. One drunken night, one act of irresponsible behavior, and my reputation was ruined. Guys labeled me as easy and girls shied away. To cope, I stayed away from Central social life and away from Central men, so why is it that my new biology lab partner is so irresistible to me?
He's everything I shouldn't want. A former Marine involved in illegal fighting with a quick trigger temper and an easy smile for all the women. His fists aren't the danger to me, though, it's his charm. He's sliding his way into my heart and I'm afraid that he's going to be the one to break me.
Impulsive. Unthinking. Hot tempered.
I allow instinct to rule my behavior. If it feels good, do it, has been my motto because if I spend too much time thinking, I'll begin to remember exactly where I came from. At Central College, I've got fighting and I've got women and I thought I was satisfied until I met her.
She's everything I didn't realize I wanted and the more time I spend with her, the more I want her. But she's been hurt too much in the past and I don't want to be the one to break her. I know I should walk away, but I just can't.
Undeclared (Woodlands #1) by Jen Frederick
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Kindle Edition, 260 pages
Published April 28th 2013 by Jen Frederick
For four years, Grace Sullivan wrote to a Marine she never met, and fell in love. But when his deployment ended, so did the letters. Ever since that day, Grace has been coasting, academically and emotionally. The one thing she’s decided? No way is Noah Jackson — or any man — ever going to break her heart again.
Noah has always known exactly what he wants out of life. Success. Stability. Control. That’s why he joined the Marines and that’s why he’s fighting his way — literally — through college. Now that he’s got the rest of his life on track, he has one last conquest: Grace Sullivan. But since he was the one who stopped writing, he knows that winning her back will be his biggest battle yet.
About the Author
Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She's been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com.
Author Social Media Links:
I remember my kids having pen pals in middle and elementary school as projects which provided an enriching experience. Imagine writing to someone throughout high school and falling for the guy. In Grace's case in Undeclared, the guy was Noah and he was a Marine. Falling for someone through their letters has a certain amount of romance so I was glad to see the inclusion of letters. I was also glad to see dual pov's. The fact that these two first form a bond of friendship with trust being at the heart of it (being a soldier, Noah depended upon her letters andmpackages as a reminder of the outside world) was extremely important to the reality factor at play here. It worked. When Noah is released from service, he goes away to get his act together, while Grace grows up.
Grace moves on to college, is a sophomore, she's an artist but isn't sure what she wants. While apart, Noah tries to adjust to life as a civilian. It isn't an easy adjustment and he uses MMA fighting as a way to vent his anger. He knows what he wants and its Grace. What she wants is a clear head, dull of decisions, and not so much of her undeclared status. No matter what point they are in their lives, they both need to discover who they are and what they want in life. Reconnecting is important so they do meet and a relationship ensues. While I enjoyed watching the characters grow and change and fall for each other, I did expect a bit more depth of character. Parts of the story did feel rushed and really needed to develop more to believe it.
In Unspoken, the focus shifts to other characters. Noah and Grace are mentioned but this is Bo and AnnMarie's story. Bo is Noah's friend, ex-Marine, MMA fighter too. AnnMarie is in college and she is a strong gal dealing with the label of slut she's been given from a mistake she made sleeping with a jerk. I can't believe woman have to deal with this double standard today, especially on a college campus where the social life and activities are expected. She also has to live with a loser lacrosse player bullying her around campus. Bo and AnnMarie meet in Bio class, which was so cute when their 'chemistry' becomes apparent. Again, I enjoyed seeing these two become a couple but there were some rushed parts and a few plot points which seemed contrived.
Jen Frederick does a good job portraying college life in both books in her Woodlands series. Her love scenes are steamy, her male characters respectable and nice, her women strong and admirable. I liked meeting and learning about her couples in Undeclared and Unspoken.
Rating: 3
Cover comment:
I like them and find the b&w photography dramatic, especially with the pop of pink.
Book source:
I received both books in return for my honest review during a blog tour.
Giveaway:
(1) iPad mini for US/Canada or Apple Gift Card in the amount of an iPad Mini for International winner, and (5) Print copies of Unspoken with dog tags - International.
Sounds like a hot read!
ReplyDeletelooks amazing
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