From Cindy Miles, bestselling new adult author of STUPID GIRL, comes the next installment of her blockbuster Stupid in Love series – STUPID BOY.
Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze--more than ever before.
Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas--she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and--unbeknownst their “mark”--secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.
But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.
My review
I absolutely loved Cindy Miles' first book "Stupid Girl." I was excited when I found out we would get another book in the series and this time around the book would be about Brax's foster brother Kane. Harper runs into Kane not knowing who he is, but it isn't long until she finds out:
Kane McCarthy. Mysteriously quiet and attractive. Street kid. Foster kid. From Boston. And he was here to run bets during football season. Not much to know about a person, and what there was to know was pretty shady and a little frightening. But by the time my last class finished for the day, he’d entered my mind at least a dozen or more times. Slightly frustrating when trying to concentrate on the notes Professor Sizemore was giving on the Ming Dynasty. That quiet, slightly accented voice and those dark smoky eyes kept interrupting my thoughts. Disruptive, to say the very least. Then there was that crooked smile—
Harper instantly feels an attraction to Kane and he becomes her target in a quest to make over a bad boy. Unfortunately for her, the more she gets to know Kane, the more she likes him and realizes there is more to him than just running numbers and coming across as a bad ass. He is actually a very sweet and thoughtful guy who is holding on to secret that not even Brax knows.
Harper is also holding on to her own secrets. She suffered a great loss as a young child and was thrust into the arms of a crazy lady who held her mentally hostage for almost her whole life. My heart broke multiples times for her while reading this book.
The connection that Harper and Kane share is so strong and he can see right through the persona she has made for herself. From the moment they meet, he challenges her to take risks and be the person she truly is. She accepts those challenges and slowly starts to come out of her shell.
God I loved Kane. While I am a sucker for a guy with a Boston accent, it was Kane's actions that made me love him. He continually shocked Harper with his kind gestures and insightful words. She just assumed the worst with him and every time she saw another side to Kane, she let him see the side of her that she spent so many years hiding. Kane is also a very observant guy and noticed the little things that helped him uncover the real Harper. And don't even get me started on how sweet he was when it was just the two of them:
I looked at her then; so soft in the candlelight. Her mouth swollen from kissing, and her eyes damp. “I can’t stop staring at you,”she said in that soft voice, and her fingers dragged over the ridges of my stomach. “With my eyes or my hands.”
If a girl could make a guy’s heart melt, she just did. I pushed her hair over her shoulder. “So there you are, ”I murmured.
She tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
I traced her lips with my thumb. “I’ve been looking for you my whole life.”
See what I mean?
I also loved Harper's friend Murphy. She was the perfect friend for Harper. She was everything that Harper couldn't let herself be. Harper wasn't a cold person, but she held back a lot and Murphy sensed that in her. She never gave up on her friendship with Harper while trying to bring out a more relaxed Harper. Plus she was hilarious and I love a good sassy best friend!
This book is a wonderful follow up to "Stupid Girl" and I can't wait to see what the author will bring us with "Stupid Love.
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Love your review. This book is on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I hope you enjoy the book when you eventually read it!
DeleteGreat review, Kimberly! I love how character driven this sounds, and I like it when a book has more than just romance as far as relationships go. Great friendships can really add a lot of substance to a characters and a book overall.
ReplyDelete