Absolute Lovers: SJ Hooks

Blurb:

Professor Stephen Worthington has been schooled in the bedroom by free-spirited student Julia Wilde. But what started as a casual arrangement has turned into so much more—at least for Stephen.

Head over heels, Stephen is tired of being just “sex buddies.” Julia’s resisting, but her blithe attitude towards keeping it casual may just be a front. Can he prove to her that their amazing sexual chemistry can mix with romance and ultimately win her heart?

Review: 3.5 Stars

I really loved Absolute Beginners.  I raved all about it here and was really looking forward to the sequel, Absolute Lovers.  When I received an ARC, I jumped to read it.  Was it a good read?  Yes.  Did I enjoy it as much as the first book?  No.

I still loved Stephen.  He's sweet, endearing, loyal and sexy (when he shows his confidence in the bedroom).  He never wavered in his adoration for Julia and proved himself to be a standup guy again and again.  I also liked that we got to learn more about Julia's past and what makes her tic.

For me, this book had some pretty big shoes to fill to compete with Absolute Beginners.  There is something about the initial transformation, in any book, that draws me in.  Watching Stephen come out of his shell is a big part of why I liked that book so much.  So, where does the next book go from there?  How do you keep that momentum going?

I think the author tried to keep the momentum going by making the transformation become a shift in their relationship from sex buddies to lovers.  I don't know if I just have less interest in the man's perspective in chasing his love interest (as opposed to the female perspective) or if the chase didn't do very much for me in this book.  I found Stephen's internal dialogue over the top in terms of his love for Julia.  Also, there wasn't as much steaminess in this book.  Is it just less interesting to read about being making love vs. discovering each other's bodies and the newness of that pairing?  That's probably part of it.  I also think there was just less detail in this book; fewer descriptions about positions, oral, booty calls...all that fun stuff.  Also, as a side note, I found the one chapter from Julia's POV to be a bit random since the rest of both books are entirely from Stephen's perspective.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.