The Score (Off-Campus #3) by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Score
Series: Off-Campus #3
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: January 11, 2016

Summary from Goodreads:
He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over
Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

Review

I have been loving the Off-Campus series so I was thrilled when I finally got The Score.  I love the setup of the series; that while they are all stand-alone the book takes place in the same setting with a familiar cast of characters.

It is hard for me to pinpoint my exact reasons that this was only three stars for me instead of the 4-5 of the first two books.  Basically I felt like this one had a lot more sex scenes which ended up outweighing some of the other elements in the story.  Though if you are looking for a steamier read, this one has plenty of steaminess! I liked Dean as a character as aside from his semi-cliche trope of player until he finds the right girl.  Aside from that I loved that he had a good heart and was a smart guy.  The Twilight jokes between Dean and his friend are fantastic as well.  I just did not connect really with Allie which impacted my overall rating.

All that being said, The Score was still an entertaining read, probably the most sex heavy in the series thus far.  The ending though, the author for sure drops a bomb and walks away, leaving you shocked and wanting the next book. 
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Two Summers by Aimee Friedman

Title: Two Summers
Author: Aimee Friedman
Publisher: Point
Release Date: April 26th 2016
Source: Audio-book from Scholastic Audio. Thank you Scholastic!  

Summary from Goodreads:
ONE SUMMER in the French countryside, among sun-kissed fields of lavender . . .

ANOTHER SUMMER in upstate New York, along familiar roads that lead to surprises . . .

When Summer Everett makes a split-second decision, her summer divides into two parallel worlds. In one, she travels to France, where she’s dreamed of going: a land of chocolate croissants, handsome boys, and art museums. In the other, she remains home, in her ordinary suburb, where she expects her ordinary life to continue — but nothing is as it seems.

In both summers, she will fall in love and discover new sides of herself. What may break her, though, is a terrible family secret, one she can't hide from anywhere. In the end, it may just be the truth she needs the most.

From New York Times bestselling author Aimee Friedman comes an irresistible, inventive novel that takes readers around the world and back again, and asks us what matters more: the journey or the destination.

Review

Two Summer was not the light summer vacation read I was expecting.  Two Summers is really about a young girl experiencing two different journeys  to get to the same place.  These journeys are not easy journeys either.  Summer lives with her mother who is divorced in New York but has plans to visit her father in France for the summer.

The story alternates between the two different journeys.  There are family secrets, new friendships, changed relationships, new loves, and ultimately new experiences.  Two Summers offers the reader a deeper look into one girl's life and how while the journey matters sometimes the destination is the same.

While I did enjoy the audio narration, plot pacing, and the character development, Two Summers was heavier than I was looking for in a summer read.

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