Finding Her Own Way • Easy

Easy by Tammara Webber
Series: Contours of the Heart #1
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: May 25, 2012
Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book(Recs from Olivia & Ginger!)

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

It isn't often that I find the time or inclination to actually read through a whole book in one sitting these days. But on one lazy Sunday morning, I found myself flipping (or more actually swiping, since I was on my iPad) through the pages of EASY - and ended up completely absorbed in the story TAMMARA WEBBER wrote. It's easy (ha, see what I did there!) to get into this story; it's even easier to fall completely, head over heels in love with it. And if it isn't obvious yet, that is exactly what I did.

Oh, this character! It was easy for me to relate to Jacqueline, even though I had never been in her situation before. The book begins with her in a very vulnerable place - she's heartbroken, uncomfortable, basically friendless (except for her amazing room mate) and completely unsure of her life. It wasn't very hard at all to empathize with her situation. I was definitely rooting for her to gain control of her life back and was happy to watch as she transformed completely throughout the course of the book. You guys know I adore great characters - and Jacqueline's a good one!

Oh, this romance! Obviously, this book features romance quite heavily, based on the front cover. I do love how it is done though - slow and steady, with lots of tension tossed in there. Half the reason I was constantly swooning or sighing while reading this book was because it was just such a slow burn - I kept feeling impatient and wanting them to get it on, while at the same time, feeling even more excited for them because of the hesitation and the slow speed at which things progressed. I thought the romance was believable, heartfelt and incredibly sincere. These are two broken people, both haunted by their own personal demons, coming together to find that their relationship is something new, wonderful, unlike anything they've had before and surprisingly easy.

Oh, this story! Seriously though, EASY has a great story. It's not just about the slow burn romance; it's also about Jacqueline learning to find her own two feet when it comes to her life. There is also a big issue that's tackled in the book, and I love that TAMMARA WEBBER chose to spotlight it. It's well-done and very realistic, and I took away a lesson or two from the book about how to avoid it or help others who are going through it. There was quite the bit of drama when it came to the issue, and a few other things, but I didn't mind because I thought it fit in quite well with the story.

All in all, it was a treat to read EASY. There's a wonderful cast of characters (and I will definitely have to give a special shout out to Jacqueline's room mate and her economics classmate) that I instantly felt at home with. There's a boy that you will fall in love with - for his protectiveness, for his vulnerability, for his intelligence, for his affection. There's a slow-burning romance that left my toes tingling and my heart thumping, eliciting constant sighing. There's a story of personal transformation and female empowerment. All these things made it easy (I really can't help myself) to read EASY. It certainly sets the bar for any future new adult titles that I'm going to be reading!