Saturday, March 28, 2015

Book Tour for Looking for Love by Ashelyn Drake (Review & GIVEAWAY)


As a fan of the NA genre I'm excited to introduce you to this fun and flirty read with emotional depth, Looking for Love by Ashelyn Drake, the final installment in the Campus Crush series.  Keep reading to get a taste of this book, along with my impressions of it.  Make sure to fill out the form too for the chance to win a signed copy of the first book in this series.


Mike Hannigan is looking for love in all the wrong places. Maybe that’s because having his heart torn to shreds by who he thought was the perfect girl left some emotional scarring. But that’s about to change.
Summer Patterson isn’t like anyone Mike’s dated before, and he can’t help but be intrigued by her. Now if only he could keep his foot out of his mouth long enough to win her over. But when a secret involving Summer brings Mike’s past crashing back to the present, he’ll need some backup from his best friend and wingwoman, Mindy, to sort out the mess.
Will Mike find love before he leaves Timberland College for good?

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As the last book in the Campus Crush series, there's a sense of finality for an eclectic group of college students in this fun and flirty story teeming with sexual tension.  Mike's a rare college boy in that his best friend is a girl, but unfortunately a cheating ex has left him a player flitting from one girl to the next.  He doesn't want to get hurt again and keeps his heart hidden to keep from falling into that abyss of pain that this time he might not crawl out of.  Meeting the unique and outspoken Summer has him rethinking his plans as she tests him at every turn in a relationship that has both of their emotional barriers coming down while amping up the sexual tension of waiting for sex.

This is a fast-paced story with delightfully witty banter between Mike and his friend Mindy who hold nothing back between them.  Mindy forces Mike to be honest with himself and to put his fears behind him.  Through this Mike can appreciate the uniqueness of Summer and take the time to truly know her before taking it to the next level.  The two of them are like a brother and sister, supporting and watching each other's backs, and I adored their bond.  Mike's a truly stand-up guy who may look like a player but isn't on a deeper level.  He's sweet with the tendency to talk dirty which brought a smile to my face and had him endearing himself to me completely.  As the story progresses he shows Summer through words and deeds his growing commitment.

While Mike delighted me, I found Summer frustrating.  I felt that she led Mike on early in the story, testing him after she'd been previously hurt.  She seemed a bit naive too and oblivious to the secrets in her own family that affected Mike as well.  I felt that she was a sheltered soul and it wasn't until meeting Mike that she really started living as his friends became hers where none were seen before.  She was a kindhearted soul but tended to jump to conclusions with issues of fidelity as she placed a high value on the act of sex.  Their interactions were sweet and full of him trying to shock her with his dirty talking which kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for what would happen between them next.

Overall this was a fun story full of sexual tension as sexual interludes were off the table for Summer and Mike.  Their banter was flirty and full of sexual innuendos which added up to lots of playfulness.  Though this book is part of a series it can definitely be read on its own.  Characters from previous books do show up but it's more for nostalgia purposes.  For me though, the highlight was Mike and his sweet and saucy nature that had me gobbling up every scene he was in.  Ultimately this was a delightful addition to the series with a slightly bumpy journey to HFN and a heartwarming conclusion.

My rating for this is B.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult contemporary romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She also writes speculative fiction under the name Kelly Hashway. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

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