Title: Love Lessons
Series: Love Lessons, #1
Author: Heidi Cullinan
Genre: Contemporary/College Days/Disney Fetish
Length: Novel (379 Pages)
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (October 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: Love doesn’t come with a syllabus.
Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.
Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.
Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his worldview.
As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.
Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds.
Product Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/love-lessons-p-73022.html
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: This is a perfect happily ever after, not too much angst and suffering, which is surprising for this author. Normally her writing is super edgy, angsty, dark and highly kinky. But it’s pleasant to know her repertoire goes beyond those tasty nuggets into the super sweet, awe shucks, twu-wuv wins out happily ever after. This series is all about discovering yourself, finding help and love in others, creating a community when going off to college, and starting your life. Sweet, fresh outta the closet freshman virgin is stuck rooming with the tomcat of campus and due to Kelley’s morals and Walter’s fear of commitment and abandonment, they steer clear until the sparks can’t be avoided. It’s so damn precious, and a fun loveable read.
Yes, there are plenty of dysfunctional families, but compare to so many in this genre, a little manic depression almost seems mild, almost. But I feel there is a strong personal connection with the mother’s mental illness to the author’s experience here, it’s authentic, and I feel Walter’s guilt and pain.
My favorite part of this story has to be when the sweet apple cheeked virgin seduces the campus man-whore and knocks his socks off! Yep, Kelley’s a virgin, but he knows what he wants and he knows he has Walter by the balls and the heart.
Okay I have another favorite part. The college advisor, aka the prof everyone talks to, is a focus in each of these books. It’s important to believe there are still great professors like this out there. That part of the job is guiding, and supporting your students, not just spewing a lecture, marking down grades and grabbing a paycheck. Everyone has a fond memory of a prof that helped them, inspired them, and mothered them a bit in the right direction, or at least I hope so.
The writing is always smooth with this author, she has good editors, and the woman knows how to pull you in. Yes, there were some areas that my cynical heart wanted to grumble at, but like the Disney movies Kelley is so fond of, you can’t help but like the sweeping romantic gestures and the fact that the boy gets the boy in the end!
Sweet, romantic read, highly recommended to recharge your feel good batteries.