Book Review: Tease by Sophie Jordan

Title: Tease
Series: The Ivy Chronicles, Book 2
Author: Sophie Jordan
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by publisher
Published: May 27, 2014 by William Morrow

What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?

A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:

Never let them see the real you.
Never fall in love.
Always leave them begging for more.

Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed—he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control—a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . .

Reviewed By: Monica

In a Nutshell: A decent follow up to the first novel in The Ivy Chronicles but is starting to follow a disturbing pattern.

The Set Up: Emerson, known party girl and for all intents and purposes pick-up artist, meets Shaw, bad boy and former Marine just home from military service. The dynamics of an actual relationship are too much for Emerson's controlled world and Shaw won't take anything less than Emerson's whole heart.

Why I Read This Book: The first novel in The Ivy Chronicles held my interest well and steamed up the pages. I figured the second would do the same thing.

What I Liked: I enjoyed reading about a character who seemed real. Emerson has something about her that draws people, boys (as she puts it), as well as the reader. The character's are the shining jewel in this novel and it's hard to forget them once you've started to read. I loved the dynamic of the friends who play the main characters. They seem like all around college students and fit well into the role of the new adult genre.

The second best part of this novel are the sensual scenes. Ms. Jordan is an excellent writer and does a great job at her sex scenes, both the beginning slower ones and the full all the way scenes. Her level of detail rivals most adult romance novels. She holds nothing back and it's a pleasant change from some closed door love scenes in other new adult novels. Adult is still adult.

What I Didn't Like: There is a main plot point for Emerson, the reason why she is the control freak and person she becomes in Tease. The book hints at it in the beginning and it becomes sort of obvious as you progress. This event is a large concept in the first novel, Foreplay, as well. I don't like the pattern Ms. Jordan is creating.

Overall Impression: A well-written second novel in a trilogy (which is hard to come by let's be honest) and a steamy ride that should lead to a satisfying conclusion to a series.

 

Reviewer’s Rating:

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