Wait for You: A College Romance Novel with Secrets, Love, and Danger

"I want to be here with you, Avery. You don't have to worry about impressing me or wowing me. You've already done that." ***SPOILERS*** After reading this book all I want is a pet turtle...and some of Cam's cookies *wink wink* THE GOOD: The story: This story was so addictive, I just couldn't put it down. I got so invested in their story. The main storyline follows Avery and her relationship with Cam. They get to know each other as partners in Astronomy class, and they also live across the hall from each other. The book spans almost an entire year, which I felt made the story much more believable. All the progress that Avery makes personally & in her relationship with Cam is realistic because it doesn't just happen in matter of weeks. She doesn't just suddenly become this confident person & declare her love for Cam, she has setbacks along the way and has to work hard to make the changes in her life she wants to make. The characters: Cam...well what can I say, he is absolutely amazing *squeal*. He's funny, confident and really cares about Avery. I want to say that he's protective of her, but that just gives me images of him following her & watching her sleep (which he doesn't do). He can see that she is dealing with something & he just wants to help her through that. He's so patient & understanding, which is so adorable. Avery was interesting, because on the outside she is very reserved, especially around Cam when she first meets him. But in her narration she has such a vibrant personality. I think this really shows how much her past still effects her socially. She doesn't really trust anyone to show them her true personality. But throughout the story we see her grow and become more confident - eventually letting Cam in to see the real Avery. The romance: Avery & Cam's relationship was written beautifully. It began as a friendship & as they grew closer, Cam suggests he wants more than just friendship. At first Avery thinks he's just joking, but gradually he breaks down her walls and their romance develops. They actually spend a lot of time together, just talking & getting to know each other properly (with a little bit of flirting perhaps...) I loved how realistic the romance between them is, Cam's aware that she's never been in a relationship before and never tries to push her into something she's not ready for. But as he starts to realise that she's hiding something from him, he does get upset that she can't trust him enough to tell him. That's such a realistic response, he was open with her and shared his secret, so of course he would expect the same in return. Their love scenes were also beautiful, and thanks Lynn for not suddenly turning Avery into a sex goddess. She was nervous & I loved how Cam was so gentle & spoke so sweetly with lines like "May, I?" and "Is this okay?" - is was so sweet and tender. The Writing: After reading Armentrout's book Obsidian I felt she had a very distinct writing voice, and it was definitely evident in this book too. There is a sarcastic humour throughout all the character's dialogue & narrator's thoughts, which I really enjoyed. It's unique and gives the characters such strong personalities. The playful banter, especially between Avery & Cam was hilarious. "I'm beginning to think cookies is a code word for something else." "Maybe it is."...."And just think about it. If cookie was a code word, whatever it symbolised, it's been in your mouth, sweetheart"... I love when a book can make me laugh out loud (a little embarrassing when someone catches me grinning like an idiot, but hey, it happens). THE BAD: I suppose there were a few grammar & spelling mistakes, but nothing that really bothered me. This is certainly one of the best self published books. FINAL WORD: Overall this was a really great read. It tackles the very serious & heavy topic of sexual assault but Lynn manages to effectively add some laughter & comedy to lift the story. Dramatic, touching and a beautifully entertaining read! I am absolutely dying to read the next book! CONTENT: Sexuality: strong / descriptive sex scenes Violence: medium / flashbacks of a sexual assault and a bashing Language: medium / regular use of f word Drugs & alcohol: medium / underage drinking at parties, main character gets drunk Other: ***spoiler***>>>>Avery has a scar on her wrist from an attempted suicide***end spoiler***

4.25-4.5 Stars “Go out with me,” he asked, running a hand through his wet hair, pushing it back from his face. “No,” I whispered. And then the dimple appeared in his cheek, and I let out the breath I was holding. He started up the steps. “There’s always tomorrow.” I followed him. “Tomorrow’s not going to change anything.” “We’ll see.” “There’s nothing to see. You’re wasting your time.” “When it concerns you, it’s never a waste of my time,” he replied. Le Sigh. The very first thing I have to say is that I FREAKING LOVE CAMERON! Ok, there I said it. Sorry folks, but I had to get that out first. Cam has joined my elite ultimate book boyfriend shelf. He made this story awesome. Okay, now that I have that out of my system, onto my review :) “If a cookie was a code word, whatever it symbolizes, it’s been in your mouth, sweetheart.” ~ Cam Fine. I confess. Cam never really left my system. LOL. I love him too much to not repeat some of his memorable lines. Seriously. The guy can get underneath your skin like no other. He’s beyond swoon-worthy with his adorable dimple, his sexy smirk, his tattoo, his abs, his ability to cook eggs and his pet tortoise, Raphael: He was just simply freaking adorable! **sigh** Anyway… **giggle** He first met Avery when she accidently ran into him on her way to their Astronomy class. It also turned out that he lived down the hall in the same apartment building as she. It seemed like Avery couldn’t shake this guy loose, but then again why would you want to. But then again, Avery is a whole new level of messed up. Avery. OMG. There were times where I wanted to slap her. I’m telling ya’ll right now: You need all the patience in the world to deal with Avery. Seriously. What is up with these heroines I’ve been reading lately? My palms have been twitching a lot lately. Sheesh! I know, I know, she has issues, like huge, massive ones. She’s attending college far, far away from home because she is running away from her past; life in her hometown has simply become unbearable. After an incident at a Halloween party when she was fourteen has left her with no friends, and an unsupportive family. No wonder she’s one hot mess. Then along comes Cam and slowly, like really, really slowly her life begins to shift for the better. “I’m serious about you, Avery. If you want me for real, you have me.” Closing my eyes, I placed my hands on his chest. “I want you for real.” I LOVE Jennifer Armentrout’s style: She’s able to create memorable characters and her execution of telling a story is near flawless. Though there were definite fun times and laughter in this story, which is classic Armentrout style, there were some very mature subject matters that were dealt here. I would like to dive into them, but alas, I cannot do that without giving out spoilers. Though I was expecting more of an adult novel, this read more like a New Adult/Mature YA book: Yes, there were smexy scenes, but not as much as they were in her previous J. Lynn books. I must confess, the first 70% of the book, you were left in an unending state of unsatisfied bliss. LOL. In other words: Sexually frustrated! Not to mention the emotional toll the story took: I was spent. No seriously, this book will do that to you. Sexual frustration aside, the first 55-60% was awesome. Cam was awesome. He made this book. The middle part, like 60-70% in, I started to become depressed and the book just took on a whole new gloomy path. After the 70% mark, it started to pick up again. It seemed like ages for my emotional heart to beat again. This was definitely one roller coaster ride of a story, but overall, I really and truly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it. Just remember to pack a freak load of patience; cuz Avery’s character will drive you insane. lol

Favorite Quote(s): The sheer control it took to not quote the whole book…the pages are almost all yellow on my kindle app! “He popped his chin on his first, and I focused on my plate. The bastard looked too adorable and cute. ‘So, Avery Morangsten, I’m all yours.” “‘Yeah, I normally have class right now,’ he said, eyes a startling azure in the sun. ‘But I wanted to see you.’” “Everything was okay. Maybe not perfect, but life wasn’t meant to be perfect. It was messy and sometimes a disaster, but there was beauty in the messiness and there could be peace in the disaster.” Favorite Character: Cam. He’s a cutie pie! First Line: “There were two things in life that scared the ever-loving crap out of me.” My Musings: To be honest, the reason that I picked up this novel was because it was written by Jennifer Armentrout. Shallow, I know, but I have loved every single one of the books she has written, and therefore, she was moved to my ‘automatically buy’ list. And so on an early morning in first period at school when I got the email that this book had released early, I one-clicked it. In the middle of class. But then my life decided to get busy, and I haven’t been able to fit in this book until now. But I am oh-so-glad that I did. Wait For You is about a girl named Avery and a boy named Cameron. Avery went to school far away from her home so that she could escape something that had happened to her in the past. Something that her parents tried to help cover up. So the first day of class, everything goes wrong, and Avery ends up scrambling to get to class on time. And she runs into Cam. Literally. Avery was definitely not my favorite JLA character in the world. Honestly, I much prefer Katy with Alex coming in as a close second. But anyways. Avery was okay, but sometimes it was hard to relate because she was so weird about the things that she was hiding. I just couldn’t connect to her as much as I would have liked. But she definitely got better near the end, as they all do. After learning to let go of the past and such, she became a much more likable character. “Cam was charming, nice, sweet, and funny. He was the kind of guy you wanted to bring home and show off—the kind of guy that was never single for too long and the one you fell head over in heels in love with.” I loved Cam. Cam definitely beat Aiden out of his number 2 JLA boy spot. Unlike Avery, I instantly fell in love with Cam. He was fun and laid back, and he was always making me smile. He was adorable and persistent. He didn’t change much over the novel, but that’s okay because there wasn’t much bad about him. He was completely adorable and I want him all to myself. Seriously. The guy is swoon personified. “‘It’s okay.’ His grin turned cocky. ‘I’m a lot to handle, but I can assure you, you’ll have fun handling me.’” “’Goodnight, Avery.’ And then he kissed me—kissed me like he’d had right before he left the night of our date. Kissed me like he was a man starving for oxygen and I was the only air he needed to breathe.” I liked the romance in this novel. It was slow to develop because Avery was apprehensive about it. I liked Cam’s determination in getting Avery to go out with him. I would love a boy to ask me out every other day! Their relationship did feel real to me. Their emotional ties were very strong due to the friendship that they had pre-relationship. The thing that I didn’t like was that it quickly became very physical. It was like, sex, sex, sex. Sex before classes, sex at Avery’s, sex at Cam’s. And it happened so fast I almost got backlash. That aspect wasn’t very realistic in my eyes, seeing as what Avery was struggling to come to terms with. But before all of that, it was absolutely adorable. The writing, of course, was phenomenal as always. JLA has a gift for writing in a breezy, relatable manner. The writing was easy to get into and the plot flowed seamlessly. Wait for You was a sweet, romantic novel that you should definitely give a try.

Five Star and Two Star Review Five Stars: Excellent chemistry, original hero, strong storytelling. The good stuff in "Wait For You" by J. Lynn is really great. I enjoyed Avery, our heroine, who is starting a new life in a small college far from home. Her aim is to finally escape her hellish high school experiences, her cold family and an entire town that has turned against her. She hopes to find some normalcy and acceptance in a new place far from home. She achieves that in baby steps as she makes some good friends, manages to attend a party or two and, of course, befriends our hero Cam, her neighbor from down the hall. Considering the extent of Avery's torture and history, her original reluctance to get involved with Cam is understandable and even responsible. Cam, of course, is wonderful… funny, silly, sweet but with a very serious side that comes to attention when needed. He was a refreshing hero in a world full of clichés. I enjoyed his playful demeanor. The chemistry between the two was fairly scorching and I enjoyed their banter and bed play. They had some of the best chemistry I’ve read in a new adult romance in some time. If you like tortured/abused heroes and heroines, second chance at life, new beginnings and learning to love romances, this one is for you! Despite any flaws, it’s a very solid read. Loved the holiday scenes with family involved... maybe some of the best I've read. Two Stars: Overdone resistance, forgotten plot points, some typos. When it comes to push and pull romances there’s always a point at which it becomes exasperating or unbearable to tolerate two characters who resist their romance. There’s a point to which it makes sense, is understandable and can add some good tension to a romance. In this particular romance, Avery turns to Cam at just when she should (YAY!!) BUT then withholds her secret information far too long. At the point that Cam lost faith in her (also refreshing) I had too. Her reluctance to be honest had turned from tortured heroine to plain old liar. There is soul opening opportunity for her to come around and she fails to live up to my expectations. I didn’t feel as though she deserved Cam ultimately. Boo. Lucky girl on that one. There was also a minor stalker/mystery/threat introduced to the story that I think could have improved the book to a solid four star as there was so much opportunity to explore it and add some proper tension and excitement. But it was mostly forgotten throughout and then glazed over at the end. Meh. What for sure puts this in a two to three star category is the amount of typos. Yikes. Periods where there should have been question marks or just word choice error. Of course, every time that happens you’re yanked out of the fantasy and the pleasure just plummets a little. A couple I remember off the top of my head: “He had me a sweetheart.” Maybe should have been “He had me AT sweetheart.” When comforting her: “You okay.” Should have been “You’re okay.” I think I encountered about half a dozen overall. Overall: This averages out to a three star on my shelf - which comes to keeper category and parts I'd reread. Very enjoyable chemistry and hero, somewhat blah angst/mystery/tension. It’s definitely readworthy and I will buy this author again.

Note to self: Do not start a JLA book at 10 o’clock at night because you will be up until 4AM reading it and then won’t be able to sleep afterwards because the story will still be reeling in your head. This happens every time I read a book by Jennifer Armentrout, it never fails! Jennifer has done it yet again. She has stunned the masses with her brillant writing, creative ability to take a tried and true story and weave it in her own unique way, and develop characters that we all desperately wish were real. Wait For You is easily one of my favorite books from her and any one who loves a well-written contemporary romance will devour this bad boy in one sitting. There is seriously nothing this lady can’t attempt and master with flair. Avery is a great female lead. It takes a lot of strength and courage to deal with what she had to in her past and still come out decent. She definitely had some demons she needed to face and learn to cope with better, but she was doing the best she could. She was actually a lot more outgoing and friendly than other characters who have dealt with similar situations are. I really liked how she took an issue that a lot of authors address in their novels, and spun it in her own unique way that honestly surprised me a little. And, seriously, I hated her parents so much! It’s unbelievable what they put this girl through. They kind of reminded me of Lorelai’s parents from The Gilmore Girls (i.e. uptight, snobbish, etc), only we all know that if that had happened to her, Lorelai’s parents wouldn’t have acted that revolting. You might hear that Cam rivals Aiden in the league of JLA Boys, and I have to admit, he’s come in at a deadly close 2nd. Cam is perfect and all, but Aiden has an unreachable place in my heart. Regardless, Cam is truly one of those memorable characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Why does Jen keep creating these amazing men for us to swoon over? She must know it’s not good for the real men in our lives! And those eyes! I told Jen that if it were possible, I would’ve totally had a baby with a cute white guy, just so I could get those blue eyes. You know Asians aren’t know for their diverse eye colors, now! Anyways, Cam is an excellent male lead and he is so swoon-worthy. He’s gorgeous, confident (not cocky – I love that line, circa How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days), caring, passionate, and fun. The story was more of Avery’s tale with Cam being the one who gets her to change, and I didn’t mind that at all. We got a fair amount of Cam and his background, let’s face it, Jen knows how to write a guy we will all love. What I loved most about this book, besides Cam and his swooniness, were the characters! Jacob is so freaking hilarious, I couldn’t get enough of him. Every scene he was in was delightful and he has easily become one of my favorite supporting characters. Brit was great too and I loved how much she cared for Avery. Oh, and Raphael! Easily the cutest little character ever! Jen totally made me want to get a pet turtle. Ollie and Jase added plenty of “eye candy” to the book as well. I’m seriously hoping we’ll get to know them a bit more, as I’ve heard that there will be more books from this world. Wait For You has all the makings of a swoon-worthy romance with an emotional, well-written plot. You seriously can’t go wrong with any of Jen’s books, but this one is right up there with the best of them. You’ll laugh, you’ll tear up, you’ll get angry, and then you’ll rejoice after having read such an outstanding New Adult novel that will stay with you long after you’re done with it. I’d recommend this one to the 100th degree, so make sure you grab a copy and read this one soon!

I loved Wait For You by J. Lynn. One of the things I love about Wait For You is the journey from building Avery and Cam's friendship before they have a relationship. But it has to be done right and be able to keep me interested and not boring. J. Lynn nailed it with Wait For You. Their friendship was a journey I loved reading about and her characters kept it going with cute, fun humor that never got old or boring. When Avery was a young teen, a bad incident happened to her that left her broken. She is an only child and her parents were not around much. After the bad incident she needed her family and friends the most. They all turned on her. For years she had no more friends and never dated, that is until she left home to attend college across state to start a new life. She meets Brittany, Jacob and Cam in college and forms a friendship that she has not had in a long time. I loved how she was a strong will character and really tried as much as she could to put the past behind her. I love how J. Lynn portrayed Avery's character. It was realistic, especially after what had happened to her in the past. It is not a light matter. Now Cam who is hot and well known around campus is showing interest in her. He ask her out and she declines. From there they build a friendship. Deep down inside she is interested but does not know how to handle it. Hands down Cam is the most swoon worthy hero I have read. Right from the beginning his swoon moments start and never stops. I loved how he was there wiping her tears when ever something bad has happened. The best are the Sunday breakfast times they have together. The love and patience he has for Avery is amazing. Cam has been asking Avery out for months before she finally says yes. It is fun and cute the way he would slip it in with their conversations. Cam is a sexy tattoo, charming hero with a great sense of humor and it is not cheesy, just adds so much more to his character. I love how his great personality brought Avery's fun personality out too. He makes her feel happy and alive again. The banter between them is pure fun. He is arrogant and she gives it right back at him. I loved how he has a pet turtle name Raphael. Wow! Once they become a couple they are hot together. The sex scenes are steamy and well done. I loved how he is patient with her and never pushes her any further till she is ready. The sexual tension is smoking hot. Their relationship does have a few bumps along the way, that were at times heart wrenching. The best is their characteristics never change once a couple, still cute and playful with each other. Cam has some issues from his past, that he has had to learn how to deal with it. Cam is very protective when it comes to his family and anyone he cares for. He can get jealous at times but it is not overly done. The only thing that bothered me was the constant mentioning of Cam's striking blue eyes from Avery. Other words were used too but always had to mention the eye color. Yep got it quit a few times in the beginning. Did not need the repeat. About halfway through it stopped with the mentioning of eye color and would just mention striking eyes etc. I loved the secondary characters. Jacob was a hoot and hilarious. Brittany was a good friend to Avery. I loved whenever the three of them were together added so much fun moments in the story and never took away from Avery and Cam's time. Cam's room mates are fun too. It was never boring or felt like fill ins just to make the book longer. Cam's parents and sister were great and funny. We get a little insight on something bad that has happened to his sister Teresa. Very excited Be With Me (Wait For You #2) is coming in 2013. I hope it is about Teresa. Wait For You is a great start to a promising series. Highly recommend for all New Adults fans and Adult romance fans looking for an awesome read with realistic characters that jump of the pages. Wait For You is a keeper for me when I am in the mood for a good friends to lover novel with a swoon worthy hero. Rating: 4 stars- Loved it

I read Wait For You during one of those book reading binge weeks where you go through one after the other and are up until 3 am finishing off a story, reading at any free minute you can have. I go through these times often, and I always find that a downside can be that a book that may regularly have been quite good on a regular week, becomes less impressive as its started the minute after you finish a different book, many of them blending together or being forgotten the moment its done. Yet I also find in these book reading binge weeks, I gain even more appreciation for the book or two that really stands out, the one that I am still thinking about as I move onto the next book. Wait For You definitely fell into the latter category. J.Lynn does an amazing job with this one, and the story of Avery Morgansten got the first five star rating I have given out in the last dozens of books I’ve read. It takes a lot for me to take the jump from giving a book I enjoyed a 4 star rating to giving it a 5 star one. I don’t take my five star ratings lightly, I just feel like they need to be saved for the few books that managed to illicit every reaction under the sun from me. Wait For You does that, and I can’t wait for some time to pass so I can read it all over again. So, stop reading my rambling and go read this awesome story, now, please :) Wait For You tells the story of Avery Morgansten, a former popular, still filthy rich girl from Texas who is ready to start over again at university in West Virginia. A new beginning is exactly what she needs-one far away from her unsupportive family and cruel classmates, one where she can try and move past the horrible night she endured five years ago that has defined her ever since. She knows she should make new friends, and she is quickly able to find them in the loud and ridiculous, Jacob and the spunky, loyal, Britt. Yet a hot new guy to swoon over? That was never part of her plan. But Cam, the campus hottie, is a hard one to ignore, especially when he lives across the hall. Is it as cliche as it sounds? For the most part, yes. But its predictability and commonplace plot did not at all take away from it being captivating and emotional. The thing that I loved most about their story is that while there were definite elements of instalove that you can find in most YA and NA stories, their relationship did not progress at a ridiculously fast pace (compared to most other stories). I really enjoyed Cam becoming Avery’s friend and support system before becoming her boyfriend, and time and time again he proved himself to be an amazing guy. And dear god, him with his tortoise was just about the best little addition to the story. Gave me a good laugh a few times. Cam, aside from being gorgeous and daydreamy, was able to encompass elements of being an alpha male while also being clearly very kind, intuitive and daring. Basically I want to marry him right now, please and thank you. I really appreciated how he handled Avery’s recovery process, as a few stories I read the same time as this one showcased that not all guys are as understanding and intuitive. Avery, on the other hand, was not as lovable as Cam, but that was okay with me as I generally feel that away about the main character. She could be a bit too wishy washy for my taste, wanting to have Cam around but then pushing him away when he was, and she wasn't a very fun character. All the humor and light heartedness came from just about every character other than her, but I did enjoy seeing her work through the issues of her past and really grow as a person towards the end. There was one aspect of this story I wasn’t too keen of, which was the stalking/harassment that Avery was experiencing. The way it played out was a little odd and anticlimactic. Even so, every other aspect of their story was enjoyable and well written. It brings you characters with lots of depth, a swoon worthy couple, just the right amount of suspense and drama without being overdone, and a great, genuine story of recovery. I cannot recommend this one enough!

I started this before going to bed and the next thing I knew it's 4:30 in the morning! This was my first foray into the New Adult genre and it had me absolutely and irrevocably hooked. Jennifer Armentrout, writing as J. Lynn, has writing that is witty, wonderful and oh-so-addicting. Avery is a freshman in college, trying to escape her past. She has a plan and it involves keeping her head down and getting through it day by day, by herself. Oh, but Cameron Hamilton is so not going to let her go through with that plan. Which brings me to the man with eyes "so blue they look fake". Oh, Cam. From the day Avery literally smacks into him, he keeps showing up, offering his dimpled smile and baked goodies (and trust me when I say you want his cookies). He had me grinning like an idiot at my Kindle and I'm pretty sure he just clinched the top spot on my book boyfriend list! He is sweet, fiercely loyal, funny, and beyond cocky and attempts to be the one to get Avery to open up and come to grips with her past. And honestly, who could resist? Well, Avery could. Or at least she tries to for the first part of the book. This book sucked me in and held me there and made me feel like I was back in college. The classes, the situations, the interactions - I felt like I was a part of everything and I was emotionally invested in all that they went through. I loved Avery and I rooted for her to overcome things she never should have had to experience and I rooted for her and Cam. Her two friends, Brit and Jacob are simply hilarious and had me laughing out loud. They balanced the tone of the book. They are frank and unabashed when they tease Avery, just as two best friends should be. And did I mention Cam's hot friends, Ollie and Jace? Who knew West Virginia could be hiding all these hot boys? My love for Cam goes without saying. I could gush about him for hours on end! There's something you don't find out about him until the latter half of the book and that provided another interesting facet to the story, and made me love him even more, if that's possible. My favorite secondary character (and yes, I'm calling him a secondary character), is Raphael. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a spike in tortoise pet sales after the release of this book! The relationship between Cam and Avery flowed with seamless effort and progressed at just the right pace. Everything seemed natural and real and nothing was forced. I have a big thing against insta-love and this was anything but. Things took time to develop; they text, banter and laugh and you fall in love with them. Cam will steal your heart and as Avery so very well puts it: "He had me at sweetheart." And the best part? Jennifer Armentrout has signed a three book deal with HarperCollins which means that Wait for You will be in print (publication date: Sept. 3, 2013) AND there will be two more books. Yes!!! The second book is titled Be With Me and does not yet have a publication date. It will feature Cam's sister Teresa, and Jace's story. Needless to say, it's already in my TBR list and I can't wait!