Book Review – Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy
Easy to love. Easy to recommend. Easy to want more. But best of all, EASY to review, because there are no questions as to how much I enjoyed it. From start to finish, I didn’t want to put it down, and I especially didn’t want it to end. Quite realistic (okay maybe an extra dose of drama, but hey, it was awesome!), and the characters (well most of them) were people that I would have wanted to know in real life.

I received recommendations for it shortly after it’s release, and a few times, it was mentioned as having that “Beautiful Disaster” feel to it. It was already on my TBR list, but that little tidbit cinched it for me. There was no reason to delay this, since THIS was what I was in the mood for. Sure enough, it was almost everything I was hoping it would be (*almost* only because I would have wanted just a bit more one on one Lucas time… and come on. Do you blame me? You’ll get me, once you read it). LOL!! I know, I know… there’s more to the story then just the Lucas angle, but that was obviously my favorite part.

And once I mentioned it was my “currently reading” on my Facebook page, the love for it spread like wildfire. This book was exactly up our alley. In fact, I stayed up until near 5am reading it, I just couldn’t let it go.

Maryse’s Book Blog: Okay I’m biting!! This book has just been released, it’s been mentioned to me three times today by three different people (including my trust-y book-bud), and two times, “Travis” (yeah, you know which Travis) has been whispered. I. AM. ON. IT!! (plus I enjoyed another series by this author last year, so I’m starting right now.)

Elizabeth: ‎*Easy* is gorgeous and romantic and gut-clenching and amazing! You will LOVE it ;)!! (Yep, I was lucky enough to get an early copy from the author, and it blew me away!) Tammara Webber rocks New Adult!! ♥!!

Maryse’s Book Blog: Eeeep! So excited! I napped my evening away so I should be good to stay up late for this one.  Already a plus! College based.

Missy: Just finished it. Loved it. Really good. I was going to suggest it to you. I am glad you are ready it!

Kristin: Just finished it…really good! I can see a book 2 in the future!

Maryse’s Book Blog: I heart Lucas… *whoo* his bad-boyedness is nice and intense.  Yes that’s right. It’s 3:30am and I’m still reading…

Maryse’s Book Blog: Okay… 4:30am… As much as I don’t want to stop reading, I must… Still have 40% left to go, and I’m already anxious for wake up time to get back to it.

Melissa: Stayed up too late but finished it! I was so sad when I got to the end, I was wanting more! I hope there is a second book 🙂

Amber: I bought it based on your recommend and you’re right: fantastic read!

Valerie: Read it in a day. Great read!

Debra: Just finished it and loved it! I will be marking this one to give my daughter in a few years. Such a great YA love story!

Gitte: I started it today…I am loving it!!! ;0)

Brandi: Such a good book!

Kasey: I started reading easy last night and I’m already hooked! (:

Yanira: this book is SO SO SO good. I loved Lucas, one of my fave characters this year! Congrats Tammara Webber you did an awesome job with Lucas, the air of mystery in the beginning and then his story…he’s got everything we love!

Gledis: Loved,loved,loved easy!! i totally missed this last months reading stuff like that without the unnecessary (thoughtless) drama !

Marcia: Almost done with Easy and couldn’t agree with u more on adding to that list. Sooo good 🙂

Kristina: Wonderful story. Loved every minute of it.

The Forever Girl: You guys are bad news for my husband’s wallet.

Rebecca: Omg, Easy was soooo good, I stayed up a whole night reading it and it was worth it!!!! Thank you again, Maryse for another great recommendation! I think it finally got me out of my reading slump after The Opportunist!

Lise: Finished last night and Loved it!

By the way. I’m going to make a point of saying that Lucas really isn’t much like Travis (other then having that bad-ass, dreamy & coveted by all girls, tattooed (and pierced), tortured soul, brooding, protector-y thing going on). Hehe. Well come to think of it, that’s a lot of what attracted me to Travis, so yes, in that respect, Lucas and Travis have similarities.

Lucas is more reserved. More… self-sacrificing, if you will. I suppose, not as “in your face”, as Travis might be towards the one he wants and towards those that are in her entourage. Lucas is more of a side-line, “I’ll jump in if you need me, but don’t mind me, while I stare at you from a far.” ya know?

BUT!!! That whole “Beautiful Disaster” feel? YES. Right on with that example. The college experience, best friends who will support each other no matter what, typical “college romance” issues and heartbreaks, along with that intense attraction to someone new that lures us in and has the reader aching for more. Oh and a college boy villain or two. And while this might sort of be considered “YA” hrmmm… I dunno. Definitely older YA (or “new adult”), as it doesn’t shy away from the whole college experience. Parties, drinking, and even a few very intimate scenes. Done tastefully, but still a part of the story.

So what’s it about?

Jacqueline follows her handsome, rich, successful “up and coming politician”, high school boyfriend to the college of his choice. Despite Jackie being a talented bass player the likes of “Juliard” she can’t imagine being away from him. *sigh* Yep. You can imagine where this is going. Because once Kennedy discovers all of the sorority girls, he decides to cut “Jackie” loose, just a  couple of months into their first semester.

Over the past three years, we’d become each other’s habit. And thought he’d broken his habit of me when he walked away, I’d not broken my habit of him. I was still tethering him to my present, to my future. The truth was, he now belonged only to my past, and it was time I began to accept it, as much as it hurt to do so.

Dejected and heartbroken, Jacqueline’s roommate convinces her to go to a college frat party, but after seeing her ex with another girl, she leaves, alone. In the dark, on her way to her vehicle, she is attacked and nearly raped by her ex’s drunk best friend.

Struggling uselessly, I couldn’t believe that this guy I’d known for a over a year, who’d not once treated me with disrespect the entire time I’d dated Kennedy. was attacking me in my own truck at the back of the frat house parking lot.

But Jacqueline is saved because someone jumps in and beats the guy down, and escorts her home. Lucas. *sigh*

And shortly thereafter, she realizes Lucas is in her Economics class. Brooding at her from the back of the room, their connection truly begins.

Erin grinned at me. “It proves you’re ready for a long-overdue Bad Boy phase”

“Ooohhh,” Maggie sighed.

YAY!!! I book written after my own heart!!! And the hero is too. But Lucas is an enigma… to all of us. Hot and cold. Caring or indifferent. But always intense. *sigh* (yeah yeah… I know. I’m so predictable). LOL!!

I mentally sorted through everything I knew about him. He’d saved me from Buck’s attack, which I hadn’t told anyone about. He’d beaten the crap out of Buck, which I likewise hadn’t told anyone. He’d stared at me all through economics on Wednesday, and then ignored me completely on Friday, which I hadn’t told anyone. He worked at Starbucks, And he kept asking me if I was okay… but he hadn’t asked me that tonight.

His bad-boy persona has Jackie second guessing her intense attraction to him. But looks can be deceiving and as the book progresses, Lucas’s past and who he is today, come to light. Good? Bad? All I can say is, he is PERFECT with a capital P-E-R-F-E-C-T! Oops! Did I just give too much away? Nahhhh… you’ll see. Y’all knew I would absolutely adore him (so of course I would say he is perfect!), but there is imperfection in his perfection, or… perfection in his imperfection? Well, anyway… uncovering the details is half the fun.

Eyes blazing, he looked down at me. “Jacqueline?”

I blinked. “Yes?”

“The night we met – I’m not like that guy.” His jaw was rigid.

“I know tha-” he placed a finger over my lips, his expression softening.

“So I don’t want you to feel pressured. Or overpowered. But I do, absolutely, want to kiss you right now. Badly.”

Yep. My breath just hitched. *swoon*

And as Jacqueline gets to know Lucas, even more importantly she gets to know herself along the way.

Oh. And there is also Landon. Whoops!? Did I forget to mention him? He is unforgettable. No worries. You’ll have fun discovering them both. 😉

So that’s it, friends. I HIGHLY recommend this for an enthralling, sigh-inducing, emotional read.

4.5 stars!!! (5 if there had been more of that Lucas intensity).