Author: Sarina Bowen
Released on:
Source: Purchased
Links: Goodreads ~ Amazon
Synopsis:
The girl who's had everyone meets the boy who has no one.
For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men's hockey team, sex is a second language. She's used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don't (often) bother her. So she can't understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there's something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.
Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor--but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright nasty fraternity stunt, it's Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.
Bella doesn't want Rafe's help, and she's through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can't be extinguished.
My Review:
The Shameless Hour was an awesome addition the the Ivy Years series. I loved both Bella and Rafe and enjoyed their journey together.
Bella was definitely NOT your typical heroine and I loved her all the more for it. She was balls to the wall herself and if you didn't like it, tough luck. Bella is a-ok with her sexuality and doesn't mind (to much) what other people think about it. But she, herself, starts questioning things when Rafe shys away from her after their hookup.
Rafe was raised in a strict Catholic home and its affected his feelings about sex. It hasn't stifled him in the aspect that he think Sex is bad or wrong, but he has his notions about how/when it should happen. That all goes to the wayside when he unexpectedly ends up alone with Bella, a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. He's not exactly embarassed by what happened, but it does bother him.
As Rafe struggles to deal with his own feelings on the "incident" and Bella attempts to understand what the big deal is, the two sort of avoid each other. That is until something else happens to Bella and Rafe stumbles upon her and offers his help.
I loved that this book brought SO many things to the plate. There was your unusual virgin hero hooking up with the girl who makes no secret she loves sex. There was a serious friendship turned more vibe, even though it was underscored a little. There was a bit of scandal, what college campus doesn't have a little scandal, right?! And above all else, there was a bottom line moral to the story.
Rafe and his 100% standing up for Bella and doing what he could for her, while dealign with his own uncomfortableness and trying to make her understand she wasn't alone or in the wrong was wonderful. I really loved the way Bowen handled everything that happened to Bella and how she brought pretty much the whole team together in support of her.
I loved getting to know some newer characters and following up with those from the previous books. It's always a wonderful thing in a series like this when you can catch glimpses of those past couples and see they still have it and they enjoy their friends finding their HEA.
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