Review of Undecided by Julianna Keyes

I just finished reading this book a couple of hours ago and I seriously had NO idea I would love it this much! Yes! I LOVED IT A LOT. There are many reasons behind it which I will get to in a bit, but I just want to say that I seriously thought this was like a love triangle thing. I guess it's because of the book cover, with there being three pairs of legs on there.

Anyway, let me "officialy" get onto my review.

Title: Undecided

Author: Julianna Keyes

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Published by: Self-Published

Source: Copy Given by Tour Organizer

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29247999-undecided

SYNOPSIS:

Nora Kincaid has one goal for her second year of college: be invisible. Last year’s all-party-no-study strategy resulted in three failed classes and two criminal charges, and if she messes up again she’ll lose her scholarship. But there’s one problem with her plan for invisibility, and his name is Crosbie Lucas: infamous party king, general hellraiser…and her new roommate’s best friend.

Crosbie’s reckless reputation and well-known sexcapades aren’t part of Nora’s studious new strategy, but as she’s quickly learning, her new plan is also really boring. When Crosbie’s unexpected gestures of friendship pull her head out of her books long enough to see past his cocky veneer, she’s surprised to find a flawed and funny guy beneath it all. The muscles don’t hurt, either.

But as Nora starts to fall for Crosbie, the weight of one of last year’s bad decisions grows even heavier. Because three failing grades and two misdemeanors are nothing compared to the one big secret she’s hiding…

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/03/undecided-by-julianna-keyes.html

PURCHASE LINKS:

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

Nora is either really hot or really cold; she's an all or nothing girl and this causes her more trouble than it should. She went from dull and boring to wild and careless, then back to dull and boring in a span of one year, and now she's trying to find the common ground between the two, hopefully with the man who makes her happy. That is if her secrets don't destroy a great and happy relationship.

Crosbie is, quite often, the guy some people would sweeten up to get to Kellan. Most people don't really see him for who he is and what he has to offer that he started doubting people's intentions. He's a wonderful guy who's considerate, respectful, and sweet. And with Nora, he wants to be all that and much more ... if only there were no lies between them.

Kellan is the guy who everybody loves; every girl wants him, every guy wants to be him. But for a popular guy who has A LOT of conquests under his belt, he's a great guy! He's not a jerk, he's a wonderful roommate, the best friend any guy can ever ask for, and he's so sensitive and caring! He's the kind of guy you want to marry ... if only he didn't enjoy being with different women all the time. However, all that partying and laid-back attitude backfired and resulted to him rethinking his life and what he wants to do moving forward.

REVIEW:

Let me clarify, this is still not a love triangle. I just felt the need to introduce Kellan to you guys because he's such an important character in this book.

Undecided is without a doubt one of the best books I've read so far this year. Juliann Keyes managed to write a book that was intriguing, exciting, romantic, absolutely humorous, and dramatic. She managed to pull the story off without having to go to such extremes with her scenarios; she just placed a bunch of relatable characters in different scenarios that can really happen in one's life.

The ridiculously funny banter between the characters, especially Nora and Crosbie, really made me appreciate the kind of humor the author had and made the book so much more interesting. I can't close my e-reader simply because I want more of their exchanges that can go from funny to sexy to romantic in a matter of minutes. I can't recall a part in the entire book that I was like, "This is boring" or "This scene is unnecessary." Every chapter, every scene in the story added to the value of the book as a whole, and I appreciate that as I'm sure other readers will too.

Nora is someone I can relate to; I'm familiar with the need to be seen and to be treated like someone special. I was like that because I was also treated somewhat badly in high school. If Nora was told to be boring and stiff, I was bullied for "being ugly". So wanting to look better and playing up our sexuality is something we have in common. But I liked her more when she started seeing the whole partying thing from an outsider's perspective; when she realized that it's really not as fun as she initially felt (because she was deprived of that). She was trying to found the middle ground between the fun life and the straight life, and her relationship with Crosbie, especially their sexual relationship, is a testament to how much she's succeeding in doing so.

Let me also applaud the friendship between Kellan and Crosbie; bromance goals all the way. For the hottest guys on campus, they were totally in touch with their emotions and dare I say their femininity? There were no antagonists or people out to ruin the relationship between Nora and Crosbie, which was great because there was no one else responsible for everything that happens--both good and bad--in their lives but them, and all the choices they made.

SUMMARY:

Like I said earlier, Undecided is one of the best books I've read so far this year. It has all the necessary "ingredients" a great book must possess, and Julianna really knocked this one out of the part. I look forward to reading her other works, and I strongly recommend to everyone reading this review to go pick up a copy of this. You will NOT regret the purchase one bit.

RATING:

EXCERPT:

“Want to see a movie?” Crosbie asks as we drive closer.

I squint at the list of shows. It’s an enormous multiplex and the parking lot is packed. He inches past the front so we can see what’s playing.

“Kill Glory 3 is out? I thought it wasn’t coming until December.”

Crosbie laughs uncomfortably when I name the latest installment of the popular horror franchise. “What else is playing?”

I look at him. “You don’t like scary movies?”

He purses his lips. “I like them fine.”

My jaw drops. “You’re afraid.”

“Am not.”

“Maybe Toy Story 6 is playing.”

“The Toy Story franchise is classic.”

“Okay, fine.” I crane my neck to try to see some more names. “There’s Tanker Race 2, Soda Shoppe Gals, Operation—I think that’s based on the board game—and that documentary about seals. Anything you’re dying to see?”

He finds parking at the end of a row and unbuckles his seatbelt. “Lady’s choice.”

“Kill Glory 3.”

“Never mind, you can’t choose.”

“Have you seen the first two? They’re excellent. It’s about this death angel named Glory who keeps returning to earth to try to get revenge—”

“I saw five minutes of the first one, and that was enough.”

“So…Soda Shoppe Gals?"

He tips his head to peer out the windshield at the start times. We’ve got half an hour until the next showings. “We can see Kill Glory 3,” he says reluctantly, reaching over to tug me in by the collar. “But let’s make out for a bit first.”

“Make out?” I feign offense. “You haven’t even bought me popcorn.”

“Can I just give you the ten dollars?”

We’re laughing when our lips meet, teeth bumping until we get serious. Crosbie displays none of the urgency I’m feeling, kissing me leisurely, exploring, learning. Again, it’s a surprise. He’s got one hand curled against my neck while the other rests against the back of the seat. If I’d ever given any thought to making out in a car with Crosbie Lucas, I’d have pictured him sticking his hand up my shirt—or down my pants—in the first thirty seconds. But that doesn’t appear to be the plan for tonight, and I quash the tiny part of me that’s disappointed and tell myself to just enjoy the moment. I’ve actually never done this before. I had zero boyfriends in high school, and I don’t think any of the guys I kissed last year even had a car. At least, I never bothered to learn enough about them to find out if they did.

Teenagers walk by and holler “Get a room!” breaking us apart. We’re both breathing hard, the windows only starting to steam up, advertising our activities without actually obscuring them.

“Hi,” Crosbie says.

I can’t help but smile. “Hi.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julianna Keyes is a Canadian writer who has lived on both coasts and several places in between. She’s been skydiving, bungee jumping and white water rafting, but nothing thrills—or terrifies—her as much as the blank page. She loves Chinese food, foreign languages, baseball and television, though not necessarily in that order, and writes sizzling stories with strong characters, plenty of conflict, and lots of making up.

In addition to Undecided, she is the author of four contemporary romances: Just Once, the story of a world weary socialite and a stubborn ranch foreman; Going the Distance, a love story set in China between a kindergarten ESL teacher and a former army interrogator; Time Served, the tale of an ambitious young lawyer whose perfect world is jeopardized when she reunites with her ex-con ex-boyfriend; and In Her Defense, in which a ruthless young lawyer realizes there’s more to life than being the best…right?

For more details on these and any upcoming books, visit her online at http://juliannakeyes.com, or sign up for her free newsletter at http://juliannakeyes.com/newsletter.html.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://juliannakeyes.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliannakeyesauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JuliannaKeyes

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7254943.Julianna_Keyes

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