Easy (Contours of the Heart, 1)

Wow. Easy has completely blown me away. I had seen this book around a lot in the blog-o-sphere and everyone seemed to be raving about just how great it was. Many of you may know that recently, I've really been getting into the New Adult genre reading books like Dublin Street, Beautiful Disaster and The Edge of Never. I decided that I absolutely had to read Easy and the only thing that I'm disappointed in is that I didn't start it sooner. Easy tells the story of Jacqueline. Her boyfriend, whom she followed to college, calls her the Jackie to his Kennedy. At a party at Kennedy's frat house one night, Jacqueline is attacked by someone she considers a friend. On the verge of being raped, she is saved by a dark stranger whom she never expects to see again. This book was simply amazing and I loved every minute of the time I spent reading it. I felt bad for my boyfriend... he would want to go out to dinner or watch a movie and for two days when I got home from work, all I could do was read this book! The best part of Easy was the characters. All of them! I absolutely LOVED Jacqueline. Her growth in this story was not only interesting to read, but she taught the readers how to become strong and independent women, but more on that later. Lucas... I don't know where to start. His story is not only tragic, but heartwarming. This dark and dreamy tattooed guy will melt your heart and make you fall in love all in one breath. Lucas. The theme in Easy also sets it apart from other books in this genre. Rape. That's a hard topic to tackle when we're talking about young women readers. With popular books like Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You, it seems like the common theme in romance is BDSM. Relationships where people with abuse in their backgrounds pursue relationships in which they abuse and dominate their sexual partners. Now reading books like Fifty Shades and keeping them in the fictional part of your brain while still remaining a strong and smart young woman was something that I was able to do. While I liked reading those books, I still understood that I would never been in a relationship where I was "punished" or touched in any way that was not affectionate and loving. But for some younger readers, it may seem like the norm to pursue these relationships filled with sexual violence. Webber took a different approach and took the subject of rape in a college atmosphere and fleshed it out. When Jacqueline was attacked, it wasn't by a random stranger in the park, it was someone that she knew and was comfortable with at a party where drinking was involved. After she was attacked and finally told her best friend, her friend signed them up for self defense courses and she learned how to try and defend herself. When someone else was raped on campus, not many people believed her and a lot of people tried to guilt her into not reporting her attack. These are all very real, very hard things that happen in reality and Webber did a great job in bringing this story out to teach her readers that rape is never okay nor is it something that you keep a secret. That you always need to keep your guard up because the bad guy, is not just a scary man in a mask but it may be the boy who hands you a drink at a party or your boyfriend's best friend. Hot topic aside, Webber did a great job in creating a story and characters that were easy to fall in love with and hard to forget. If you read one contemporary romance this year, it better be Easy. 10 out of 10 Happy Reading :)

Originally reviewed at [...] 4.5/5 Stars Ok, so to give a bit more detail about the plot in Easy, Jacqueline, who has recently been unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, is slowly emerging from her post breakup slump and trying to move forward. She's ditched the last 2 weeks of a class she shared with her ex, and missed her midterm. Determined not to fail the class, Jacqueline has plans to talk to her instructor and get back on track. But before she can do this, Jacqueline is assaulted and nearly raped as she leaves a frat party. Her attacker, a friend and frat brother of her ex, is stopped at the last moment by a mysterious stranger who tries to convince Jacqueline to report the incident to the police. Refusing, Jacqueline insists she is all right and that she just wants to go home and forget the whole thing ever happened. So this story basically details 1) Jacqueline trying to deal with the break up from her boyfriend and move on with her life and 2) Jacqueline dealing with the attempted rape and sexual assault at the hands of her ex's frat brother. There are many things I loved about Easy but I think it's the authenticity of the characters that I found most impressive. From page one, and the shocking opening scene, Jacqueline's actions and voice felt very real. Aside from the attempted assault and rape, which is something I have thankfully never experienced, I found the MC Jacqueline to be accessible and easy to relate to. I don't know about you guys, but I have been through some bad break ups. And I know all about those feelings of loss and hopelessness that Jacqueline has been dealing with since her longtime high school boyfriend Kennedy, whom she followed to college a year earlier, abruptly ended their relationship. I've experienced those feelings of wondering where to go from here and trying to figure out who you are if you aren't part of a couple anymore. I really loved watching Jacqueline start out as this lost, heartbroken girl, who suffered a horrific attack on top of everything, and emerge as a young woman determined to move forward and seek out a life beyond the confines of a damaged romantic relationship. But there are other fantastic characters in Easy. The character of Lucas, the boy who rescued Jacqueline the night she was attacked is obviously one of them. Lucas comes off as very mysterious in the beginning. He's tattooed and pierced and rides a motorcycle so automatically I assumed he was of the bad boy persuasion. But looks can be deceiving and it was awesome to learn who he really was as the story progressed. Two characters that I really enjoyed more than I originally expected were Benji, Jacqueline's classmate and her roommate Erin. Both provided ample comic relief but Erin turned out to be this amazing force in Jacqueline's life. She stood by her friend through the break up but was also adamant about getting Jacqueline back out there and not letting her wallow for too long. And when Erin finds out about Jacqueline's assault she transforms into this awesome champion of women! She enrolls Jacqueline and herself in a self defense class and she stands up to the fraternity system when it appears that the college isn't going to get involved after another girl is attacked. Erin ROCKS. Shoot, she even dumps her OWN boyfriend when he is less than sympathetic and doesn't defend Jacqueline or her allegations. Erin definitely ranks high on my list of best book BFF's. There are some great elements at play in Easy, and the romantic element is definitely one of them. And yeah, it would seem like from the summary above that there is a major love triangle (GROAN) going on. But really there isn't, and that is made apparent before even the half way point of the book. So you can see from the little disclaimer at the end of the summary that Easy is definitely written for the more mature end of the YA spectrum. Lucas and Jacqueline have AMAZING chemistry, and yes, there are sexual situations. Here is what Dear Author had to say, and it sums it up better than I could: "In college terms, everything up to third base is described in some detail but the home plate is fade to black." Yes, Jacqueline and Lucas do go there, and yes, it is HOT and steamy (in case you were wondering:) But it's also written well and, even better, I found their relationship to be very sex positive. It develops gradually and in a healthy way. There was no guilt, no pressure, both Jacqueline and Lucas thought it through and were responsible and mature about it. And after her dysfunctional relationship with Kennedy, it made my heart all sorts of happy to watch her and Lucas get it right. In my opinion this is the way to approach sex in a YA novel, it sends a positive message: that when you are ready, when you are mature enough to handle the responsibility, a healthy sexual relationship is a good thing. I hope that makes sense...Anyway, I appreciate the way it was written and I'd like to see more of this is YA and New Adult fiction. It could have been easy (no pun intended) to let this book turn into a flowery romance with a damsel in distress protagonist being rescued by the big, strong hero, yet Easy doesn't fall into this category. Whether it is Jacqueline taking back control of her life and getting her act together following her break up with Kennedy; or Erin and Jacqueline enrolling in a self defense class; or Jacqueline finally coming forward and reporting her assault; or Erin's sorority standing their ground and not tolerating any B.S. when another girl is attacked, Easy is full of tons of GIRL POWER moments which I LOVE. Thank you Tammara Webber for this. It is SO important for women, young and old, to always value themselves, know their worth and stand up for themselves and each other. As Erin famously puts it: "Sisters in solidarity and all that sh?t." Aside from the obvious message that you should always report a sexual assault, I would love to see young woman read this book and walk away from it with the message, that no! you don't have to change who you are for a guy, and no, you don't have to mold your life around his to be happy. But if you lose sight of that, you can get back up on your feet, learn from it and move forward, wiser. I loved this book. I found it to be not only romantic and sexy as HELL but very empowering as well. I think it has a really positive, uplifting message written into the text. If you are a fan of contemporaries, a fan of romance, a fan of strong friendships, a fan of humorous dialogue, a fan of New Adult or college settings, and like books that send messages of "sisters in solidarity and all that sh?t" (LOVE:) I really think you will enjoy Easy. Don't just sit there, go pick it up and see for yourself.

A Masterpiece... I tried my best, beautiful people. And I hope that I made a good-enough review. Forgive me if I didn't. ~~~~My lips were sensitive and tingly. Touching them brought rushes of gooey memories-his hands, and what they'd done in concert with his mouth-the crazy-making kisses, and the few words he'd spoken. You're so beautiful.~~~~ Note-This is a matureYA book. I wish I could tell you exactly how this book will make you feel. I wish I had words beautiful enough to describe it. I wish I knew more english words than I know now to detail just how the writing of the story got to me. I wish I could warn you of the many times my heart felt squeezed so tight I thought it might explode. I wish I had written down all my favorite passages but that would mean writing down the whole book again. I wish I could sit here and pretend to be able to sell you the book I think every single person out there needs to have. I wish upon the stars that I could be wherever Tammara Webber is and be able to thank her personally for writing this book. I wish all of you could have watched my expressions for the whole time it took me to read this book. But besides wishing... I hope I hope that all of whom read this gets if just a little, touched and encouraged to buy and read it. I hope you can get to love it. I hope you can get to connect in ANY way. I hope you smile. I hope you speak up. I hope you tear up. I hope... I hope... I hope... ~~~~"I want to see your tattoos."~~~~ When I opened the eBook on my kindle for PC... I didn't expect that this book would instantly make it to my 2012 favorite reads. But not only did it made it to the 2012Fave list it's now on my favorite reads EVER. Jacqueline-I refuse to call her the other name-is an incredible character, scratch that, it's an AMAZING and the perfect main character for 'Easy', I cannot believe how a relate-able character she was during my reading, whether you relate to her case with -Buck- or her relationship with her family or her relationship with Erin or Maggie or her relationship with -K- or her relationship with 'L1' or 'L2' there are lots of moments, lots of times, lots of scenes where any girl can relate to her... I love her, I simply simply love her. And most of all, she was real. I could always picture her. Tammara's writing made me live each and every single second of the book as if I was the main character and not her. I got to hate the people Jacqueline hated, I got to fall in love with the man she falls in love with, I got to have 2 amazing best friends, I got to experience horrific moments but also moments so sweet and intense that I had to take little breaks in order to get my breathing return to normal and reduce the flush on my cheeks, I got to fight with her, I got to laugh out loud and receive weary looks from my family because of it, I got to attend parties-something I'm not really inclined to while IRL- I got to be playful, to learn a few self-defense kicks... Oh my cloud! I got to do EVERYTHING she did. And that wouldn't have been possible if not for Tammara's incredible-amazing-beautiful-genius writing. ~~~~"Well, hacking up a lung out in public isn't all that attractive-just sayin'."~~~~ While, as I said before, I wish a lot of things-one of them being able to write a good enough review, a review that could give you even a hint as to what this book is about-I simply cannot make myself describe it nor resume it. Diving into this story head first with little idea as to what it's about is one of the best things that could have happened to me. So, I plead to you. Please read this book. Because I can assure you won't regret it and you will be going back to read it all over again once you finish it. And afterwards... you WILL see... *That you HAVE to speak up. NEED to speak up. *That you're not alone-never, I will never get tired of saying this, NEVER ALONE! *That it's amazing when you find out how strong we women can be. *That you CAN and WILL get over it. *That time passes and the past passes... *That it's NOT your fault. -And because I'm a hopeless romantic I couldn't miss telling you... *That love can heal even the most horrible wounds. It might leave scars but those are way better than an open bleeding wound. ~~~~"What kind of university employee would I be, to encourage you to skip class the last week of the semester?"~~~~ MY WEAKNESSES As is expected of Tammara, the 2 weaknesses I have were completely exploited in this book. The cover goes AMAZINGLY well with the story & with both main characters :D And... The TITTLE! Oh my clouds!!!! The tittle is PERFECT it's such a contradiction yet so fitting for the story I'm not going to even PRETEND to explain it, I'll let the book do that for you. Though beware because it's IN the book as much as it is ON it. I give this book 10/5 Special rating on ---BookPics---

Wow, Tammara Webber must have been reading my mind b/c this story was tailor-made for me!!! Easy was this delicious recipe of all the things that make a contemporary romance story really reach perfection. A hot, mysterious knight in shining armor, a damzel in distress who finds her own strength, and of course plenty of jealousy, danger, romance, chemistry, and unexpected twists to keep me on the edge of my seat from page one!! I loved every minute I spent with these characters!!! Jacqueline's character was very easy to relate to; she's just the average girl, devoted to her guy and willing to change her plans so that she can be with him when they go to college. She sacrifices her own opportunities to follow Kennedy, the self-centered asshat who decides he wants to 'sow his oats' instead of staying committed to her. I loved there's not a lot of time wasted on Jacqueline and Kennedy's breakup, instead it's more about her life without him. The story starts out with a life-changing moment for her, which was her attack at her truck by a classmate one night. In swoops her knight in shining armor, Lucas, the tattoo-covered, lip-pierced hottie. I'm a total sucker for the hot guys that swoop in and save the day, so Lucas pretty much tattooed himself right on my heart at that moment!!! I loved that he and Jacqueline have that shared 'moment' (though terrifying), because when she discovered him in her class it made her interest in him believable and completely expected IMO!!! And their romance was sweet and subtle, so I felt like I was really falling for Lucas right along with Jacqueline. And Landon...yeah, when Landon becomes her over-email tutor I was just eating up all of the cute messages they shared (the book blurb pretty much points out the secret behind Landon and Lucas, but I won't give it away just in case it's not as obvious to others that read it). Landon is the book-smart, witty, patient guy to Lucas' sexy, care-free bad-boy. Jacqueline can't help but be drawn to both of them, as they both represent something she's never had before from Kennedy. I loved both of them, too, and when the secret was 'revealed', I was relieved that Jacqueline could finally put her mixed up feelings behind her. L was just what she needs in every way, and the chemistry between them was just off the charts...talk about sexual tension!!! Whew!! There was plenty of drama throughout their romance, between the bouts of jealousy on both ends and the presence of her attacker keeping her constantly on edge. It was so hard to break away from this story because I was just so anxious for the barriers to fall down and Jacqueline and L to just give in to their feelings. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I loved the thrill!! There was a great message in this book about the importance of speaking up about sexual assaults, and the plot twists with Buck's heartless attacks were terrifying and sickening. He really is just the scum of the earth, and I loved that Webber showed the strength of victims through something like this. Between L's horrifying, gut-wrenching past and Jacqueline's attacks, the victims in this story are shown taking charge of their own lives and getting past the violence. Jacqueline starts out believing she made a huge mistake following Kennedy to his dreams, but it turns out she was exactly where she needed to be because she's the answer and healing balm to L's never-ending torment. She gives him the hope and reassurance he's always needed and could never find, and it was so beautiful to watch him finally have that. He truly went through such hell, it crushed me to read what he suffered through, and it brought tears to my eyes when what Jacqueline goes through makes him realize that he has to forgive himself. It's really just an amazing message, an unforgettable story, and a romance that melts your heart!!!

I would start by stating that I do not normally read teenage/early twenty-something romance novels. So this is one reason why it is particularly poignant that I found this work by Tammara Webber so engaging. The storyline quite simply garnered my attention in a manner that I had not expected. I found myself genuinely wanting to read through to the end to discover what would become of the main protagonist, Jacqueline. Images of violence and rape/attempted rape, and murder (even that, shocking though it is, fits with the story) are rather unsavory but nevertheless addressed in a frank, open and realistic manner that will resonate with many people who have been subjected to such forms of attack. The truth is that violence, so often portrayed as glamorous and exciting in culture and entertainment, is nothing of the sort. It is refreshing to see a more realistic impression of its nauseating and frightening or even terrifying brutishness and ugliness. The author has utilized intelligent and succinct language which is well expressed and written (with excellent usage of spelling and grammar), but yet the narrative maintains an air of realism throughout – one feels that the unfolding story is being expressed verbally through the eyes of a young woman in her early twenties. It is not at all esoteric or intelligible only to those with higher learning, but comes across most realistically as the natural way that young people on college campuses speak (and e-mail and text) in the early 21st century. Some verbiage is very frank and colorful, peppered frequently with (often crude) sexual references and imagery of the type frequently espoused by teenagers and early twenty-somethings, but yet it all fits and comes across to the reader fluidly, fluently, and naturally, as a part of life that most of us see. It seems neither out of place nor excessive. Some other books I have read rather overdo this aspect, but I felt that the author pitched it just right for the subject matter at hand. As a man I do not at all relate to the concept of the swoon-worthy male, but nevertheless I had little trouble entering the primary character’s mind and feeling a certain connection as her descriptions of her thoughts and feelings on this issue concerning the men in her life come through over and again. I do however relate to the concept of having been subjected to bullying and even violent attack (in my early to mid-teens), and also having witnessed such attacks being perpetrated against others. I can entirely appreciate the associated feelings of terror, powerlessness, and outrage. I too reacted to this (eventually) by becoming a student of martial arts, but also (just as described by characters in the story) did not at first believe enough in myself that I personally would possess sufficient power or ability to realistically pull off various defensive maneuvers and techniques in an effective manner. Especially when pitted against an attacker of superior strength and weight. But this did change over time, and I am now a stronger and more self-assured, tranquil, and peaceful person because of it (just like the main protagonist in the story). I did find the descriptions of the women’s self-defense training (having participated as an assistant trainer in such scenarios) particularly realistic. Could it be that the author has direct experience of this? I especially liked the emphasis not on fighting but on avoiding a fight where possible through judicious use of removal of oneself from potentially dangerous situations, or via shouting suddenly and firmly at a potential attacker, which so often (although unfortunately, not entirely always) works in real life. Especially when dealing with those lacking determination, courage, or conviction, as with most bullies and opportunistic thugs of all stripes. But a non-violent solution to a potentially explosive situation is nearly always the best outcome, if possible. I experienced a very warm and pleasant feeling to arrive at the final happy conclusion, especially after so much uncertainty, heartache, ugliness, and plain unpleasantness. Perhaps because Jacqueline’s earlier life experiences in many ways mirror my own .. Excellent, well-written work.

Rating: 4 The Low Down: Having dated the same guy since she was a junior in high school, and even deciding on a different college to be able to stay with him, Jacqueline Wallace is floored when Kennedy tells her that he's been wanting to be with other girls. After their breakup, she just can't face him in the one class they have together - microeconomics. Ironically, she only took the class so she'd understand a little of his major. Now she may fail the class because she can't bring herself to go. Mad with herself that her roommate, Erin, talked her into attending a Halloween costume party at the frat that Kennedy is in, she decides to leave early and go back to her dorm. What she didn't count on was being followed to her truck and attacked. Seconds from being raped, her savior, a guy with tattoos and a pierced lip, asks if she's OK and if she needs an ambulance. Just as he's about to call the police, she insists she's fine and just wants to go home. He's not happy about it, but he complies with her wishes. She also makes the decision that she isn't going to tell anyone what happened. Heading back to microecon after a two-week absence, she changes seats to be away from Kennedy. Plus she notices her rescuer, Lucas, is in her class. The slacker-type, he sits at the back of the classroom, drawing in his notebook, not paying a bit of attention to the lecture. After class, she bursts into tears in the office of Professor Heller, telling him about the break-up and that's why she has missed not only class but the midterm as well. Much to her surprise, he sympathizes with her plight. To make up her missed classes and the midterm, she must work with the class tutor and do a side project. She readily agrees. Communicating with the tutor, Landon, via email, she finds him to be helpful, sympathetic, engaging and sweet. Though she is unable attend the tutoring sessions, he agrees to help her via email. She feels a certain amount of freedom in their exchanges, since they can't see each other face-to-face. But she also sees Lucas everywhere, including her self-defense class that he helps to teach. She is drawn to him, and while she feels he likes her, too, there is a certain reluctance present as well. And when she goes behind his back to find out his secret, she does't know what to do. But when Kennedy starts to show interest in her again and her attacker makes sure she know he isn't finished with her, Jacqueline realizes that she has to figure out how to take care of herself, her heart and her future. Herself. Best Thang `Bout It: The story itself doesn't hit one false note. The characters, including the secondary ones, are well-developed and real. There is no melodrama or stereotypical behavior, and Lucas' mysterious demeanor is well-founded, true and not over-the-top dramatic. If any of the attitudes, reactions or outcomes were presented as being histrionic or hammy, the story would have come off as cartoonish and false. Happily, they were not and did not. I'm Cranky Because: It had to end. To Read or Not To Read: Absolutely yes. It is engaging and real. Easy by Tammara Webber was published October 9, 2012 by Berkley Trade. Genre: New Adult Fiction Contemporary Romance You Might Want to Know: Due to the New Adult label, this book is intended for more mature readers. It contains descriptions of drinking, sexual activity and violence. Amazon.com recommends for ages 18+.

I sat and read "Easy" in an afternoon and loved it mostly. Two college students are fated to meet and share a special connection. Lucas saves Jacqueline from a near-rape from a drunken frat boy after a party. Such an introduction obviously would bond two people together from the get-go. Each interaction they share brings them closer and closer together. Lucas is suddenly everywhere in Jackie's life... he's her self-defense instructor, her tutor, her protector, her lover, her barista at the coffee shop, etc etc. Jackie is coming of age and figuring her life out. She followed a boyfriend to a college she didn't want to go to and was later dumped by him, putting her into a position to re-evaluate her life. Lucas comes along at that moment and is the perfect guy to help her sort it out. I really did enjoy the book and the characters. I liked that Jackie is a musician and tutors children. I found her to be a strong and very normal college student. I liked Lucas, of couse, as he's written to reflect the perfect male. Gentlemanly, swarthy, protective, intelligent, beautiful, sexy... but still vulnerable. I gave this book three stars though because it didn't work as a first person perspective piece to me. I feel like the author did herself a disservice by telling this novel in such a way. This is a romance and the two characters are the hero and the heroine (yes with some small side characters, but still) and this novel is only told from Jackie's POV. We're missing EVERYTHING that Lucas is thinking and he's, by far, the most interesting character. I just don't think romances make sense from 1st person. It always feels unbalanced to me and like half the novel is missing. It's a cop-out, frankly. So Lucas is this perfect, cookie cutter representation of Perfect Male but we don't get into his head or see what he's feeling. So he became a caricature. Further, apart from the huge missing character from the story, we don't get enough of Jackie either. If all we're given is her thoughts than I want more from her than what I was given. Like we're told she's a musician through her random thoughts but we don't FEEL it. Not once does she play and describe her passion for music to the reader. It's always a side thought "I have rehearsal Tuesday" or what-not. And the author simply forgets to fill us in all the time on what Jackie is thinking (again, she's all we got, so better fill us in here). For example, when she and Lucas are forced to quit seeing each other she doesn't react AT ALL to that. When she and Kennedy break up, we get sensations of blood rushing in her ears and dizziness and tears... but when it's Lucas it's just NOTHING. Other times were the same. Like Buck attacking her in the stairwell... I just didn't feel the emotion coming from her. This novel should definitely be a 5 star novel but only if the other half was written and the hero and heroine fleshed out more.

I've been on an obsessive chiclit reading kick of late. I just can't get enough of these touching, emotional love stories. I read Easy pretty early on in this genre binge, and adored it. One might even say it was what sparked my chiclit kick. While I've read a lot of books in the same genre since, I still feel Easy is one of the best I've read. What makes it so great? It had the holy grail of male protagonists for me. Lucas is a geek, with all the trappings of a bad boy, but none of the terribly cliché temper issues, or ridiculously alpha behavior. And by ridiculously alpha, I mean the type of behavior that would earn a guy a good boot in the ass from me if I ever ran into him in real life. I find it sexy, yes, and this kind of male protagonist does appeal to me in fiction, but sometimes I have a hard time suspending disbelief (and my urge to punch the guy right in the mouth). Lucas is more my speed. He's protective, ridiculously smart, academically accomplished, and yet still dark and edgy. He's not perfect, which I appreciate. He has real issues, and those issues hurt the heroine more than once, but they feel realistic and genuine and the root cause of all his hang-ups is guaranteed to break your heart. Basically Lucas got all the good parts of an alpha character without the douche factor. The heroine isn't half bad either. I made it through the entire novel without wanting to smack either of the protagonists once, and that's quite a feat with this kind of story. In the first chapter of the novel, Jacqueline's long term boyfriend breaks up with her, and she barely escapes becoming the victim of a violent crime. Yet she doesn't adopt a victim mindset. She doesn't spend the story whining or complaining, or looking for a man to save her. She takes charge of her life, takes defense classes, and builds a future for herself. She has issues, yes, but she is strong, confident, and I loved her character. The chemistry between Jacqueline and Lucas is ridiculously hot. Easy doesn't have a ton of blatant sex, but it has some of the most sensual scenes I've seen in any book. Another thing that makes Easy so fantastic is the romantic suspense. I've read a lot of chiclit books where we see both sides of the romantic story through shifting POVs between the hero and heroine. While this type of storytelling has its place, I am not a fan. For me, it detracts from the nail biting uncertainty and anticipation of a great romance. I like that doubt, that tension you feel wondering if the hero and heroine will end up together. For me romantic suspense is just as compelling as plot suspense, and Easy has that in spades. It's told from Jacqueline's POV only, and through her eyes Lucas is as enigmatic as he is delicious. I was never really sure of his motivations until the very end, and, as such, I felt every high and low of his relationship with Jacqueline. I shared her feelings of doubt and her concerns. Better yet, Easy manages to pull off suspense that doesn't even once feel contrived or forced. The hero and heroine act in ways that make sense for their characters. You don't always know the reasons for their actions, but there are logical reasons behind their actions. Thus you are spared the frustration of dealing with characters you want to smack of acting so stupid. This story keeps you guessing up until the last chapter, and the romantic buildup is intense, and guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. I'd give this book 6 stars if I could. It's an amazing, heartwarming novel, that presents a heartbreaking sweet romance without resorting to cheap tricks like love triangles or unnecessary drama to bolster up the story. Instead it's a tale about two genuine, good people, both broken in their own ways, finding love, understanding, and acceptance in each other. I loved this story and deffinitely recomend it to anyone that enjoys mature YA romances.

Loved the story, can't believe how the story line just kept rolling along. Could not stop reading had to see what happens.thanks again for this story

Easy is an emotionally deep story and very realistic in nature. In the beginning of the book Jacqueline is almost raped and saved by Lucas. Although, this subject matter is dark and intense, the story will not get bogged down with too much angst. The main focus is the romance between Jacqueline and Lucas. And what a romance! Their chemistry felt very real. If you like your hero with tats, piercing and motorcycle, you'll love Lucas. The story has quite a few twists and you will not be able to put it dowh. I am so glad I took the chance on this one, I highly recommend it.

Tammara Webber is a very young lady (which astonished me) writing books for young adults, she is probably better known for her trilogy "between the lines". Easy is a book which I simply lived. It isn't really the story, but rather the characters and the writing itself which keeps the reader caught. But let me tell you more. Jacqueline/Jackie is in her first college year. She has been accepted as music student at Julliard's but after 3 years with her boyfriend Kennedy (who wants to study politics) she follows him to his university. After some weeks however he breaks up with her wanting to give in to his needs and desire of other women. This destroys her and she is not even able to follow class for 2 full weeks. After a party, she attended only to be the non drinking driver for her best friend, on the way to her car she nearly gets raped by a frat brother of her ex and is finally saved by a young handsome but dangerous looking guy. This is where the story starts. She comes back to her economics class, a class she shares with him, missed 2 weeks and a midterm. Her teacher gives her one chance, a paper she is not allowed to fail and the possibility to get help from a senior student as tutor: Landon Maxfield. As both are too busy their contact is by mail only and this is sweet and flirtatious. Then there is this other guy the one who saved her: Lukas. He attends the same economics class then her and spends his time drawing or looking at her. Jacqueline is strangely attracted to both, one model student intelligent und nice, the other the savage lazy in class bad boy of sorts. Finding out the connection between the two is very surprising. The entire story is great, just great. It is a sweet love story with a sweet bad boy who isn't that bad and a sensible intelligent girl. I had a hard time for the review at first because I loved the book but couldn't really tell why. I think it is due to the great writing; Mrs. Webber gives a lot attention to the small details and creates great believable characters with plenty of depth. The story is not a swallow love story but treats subjects such as rape and near rape, choices in life and their implication, lies and deceit and so much more; therefore the story is not always easy. I also enjoyed a lot the secondary characters... discover them as well. I wasn't surprised by the identity twist in the story but I don't think it is of great importance. I loved the book and immediately recommended it to by best friend. So I hope you will enjoy the read as much as I did.

Although, I love this book (I really, really do!!) it’s not perfect and I’m not so blinded by my love for it that I cannot see this. Honestly, it’s not much of a surprise that Lucas and Landon are the same person, from a readers perspective it’s pretty damn obvious straight off the bat. But I don’t think this matters – what matters are the two sides of the guy that we can love. Lucas is a bad boy, rebellious and yummy in the eyes of Jacqueline, whereas Landon holds all the qualities that are needed for a long term happy relationship. Basically Lucas/Landon represents my perfect man, he’s complex and intriguing, troubled and smart, loyal and deep (not that I want to have my cake and eat it or anything!), he’s like the bad-boy you dated in high school but all grown up and mature. And most importantly in my opinion he is obtainable - we don't know about Lucas' past but he doesn't appear to be a player or incapable of commitment, which is a story line used by so many. There's also a lot of mystery surrounding Lucas that the reader and Jacqueline never uncover in Easy , yes the big secret of his past (aka: The Event) is revealed, but after finishing the book I still felt like I didn't really know Lucas. Lucas' character, and the story, is realistic in the way that by the end of the book we still don't know that much about him and that reflects the amount of time Jacqueline has been in a relationship with Lucas and how long they have known each other. Its nice that Easy is realistic in this way. However, I was left craving for more, which explains Breakable! There are other great things about Easy other than The Guy, like the way that it deals with the subject of rape outside of the normal parameters of a typical romance novel. I especially think that the scene where Jacqueline and Mindi testify to the sorority about the rape is an extremely important part that reflects, unfortunately, broader issues regarding rape, sexual abuse and harassment. It is also particularly strong because it is women asking the questions and justifying the rape, which sadly again reflects reality. This is not to say that rape only effects women, because it doesn't, and it certainly isn't a female only problem (as represented by the male characters in this story). The president of the sorority, Katie's, speech holds a really powerful message it in: there is no justification or excuse for rape and, questions of virginity or being in a relationship with that person, are completely and utterly mute points. I admire Tammara's ability to incorporate a rape story line into a contemporary romance novel with skill and tact that fits the readership so seamlessly. I've also noticed throughout writing this review that I haven't really mentioned Jacqueline, the main character, which would be sort of surprising had I have not already come to terms with the fact that although I love Easy I don't really connect to Jacqueline as a character. There is nothing wrong with her, in fact she gets brownie points from me for NOT being an annoying main character falling in love, her actions are rational and she is realistic, which is perhaps the point. I would go as far as to say she is one of the most realistic female main characters I have read, and in someways this is the problem/brilliance as it makes her seem kind of passive, she doesn't really have any problems to overcome or growing to do and she is fairly well rounded and normal - she is an "every-women" for lack of a better term. Overall, it made connecting with the story easier and it emphasized the relationship with Lucas which is really what the book felt like it was about.

This book is fantastic. 10/10 recommend. It’s got a little of everything, I lucked out finding this one. Sucked me in