Just A Little Crush by Renita Pizzitola

Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Good girls stay away from Ryder Briggs . . . or, at least, they try to. In Renita Pizzitola’s emotional novel of heartache and seduction, one college freshman just can’t get enough.

Brinley Dawson doesn’t drink, she studies—and despite the accusations of her alcoholic mother, she’s still a virgin. But if Brinley’s life is so put together, why is she freaking out to be going to college with the gorgeous, green-eyed jerk she kissed on a stupid dare in high school? Ryder Briggs can have any girl he wants . . . and the rumors say that he does. So why, after publicly embarrassing Brinley four years ago, is he suddenly acting like he’s interested?

Ryder never forgot Brinley. In fact, those perfect seven minutes permanently raised the bar for what a kiss could be. The truth is, Ryder doesn’t dare get too close to anyone. He knows how that worked out for his parents. But when his roommate takes a shot at Brinley, Ryder can’t contain his jealousy. Now he must do the hardest thing he’s ever done: forget about sex and convince Brinley his feelings are real.

Brinley isn’t sure whether she believes Ryder, but for the first time, her body isn’t playing by the rules. Then she discovers that she’s an unwilling part of a cruel game, humiliating her all over again—and Ryder might be to blame. Has Brinley’s little crush turned into a huge mistake . . . or has she found the one guy worth trusting with her heart?

Review: *I was given an ARC for an honest review*

This book was a classic New Adult book, and frankly, I like it. I like what I like and sometimes I just want to read what I like ... You got me?!?!?! Good! I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of other new adult books that I have read before, in the fact that it has the same layout. Good girl, deceptively bad boy, both have issues, college, and a past. But I like the way this was written. I liked the characters and the lack of extreme situations. I love the side characters. I just really loved this book. It flowed really easy for me and I read it in less than a day.

So the characters ... both Ryder and Brinley didn't really play any games about their feelings. Well maybe Ryder a little bit, but c'mon, there had to be some give and take. Brinley was just very accepting of what she wanted and I liked that. She was very mature about a relationship. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and she was willing to take that chance. I always find books with females who are open to the possibility of love much more enjoyable. The story then becomes solely focused on the building of the relationship between characters. I tend to fall more in love with those characters and their story. I also enjoyed the reprieve from an overly tragic story. Don't get me wrong, I love a story when characters have a tragic past they overcome, but I was in a place when reading this that I just needed a break, and this book gave it to me. Brinley had issues with her mom, but they weren't this HUGE dark cloud hanging over her head. We really got to know her and see her grow without the constant reminder that she is damaged. In fact, it only added to her maturity and made her more relatable. 

The same with Ryder. He had some upsets in his past, but nothing horrifying. Just something that made an impact. He was a sexy character. He was forward ... I mean he did not play coy or anything. He kissed Brinley right there in the coffee shop and I was all about that. SEXY!! And that lip ring ... I mean really ... I wanted to nibble on it a little bit half way through the book. 

The story flowed well and focused on the building of their relationship. There were obstacles they overcame and learned more about each other. Of course the last event was the worst, but it moved along well and I like the way they played out. I also loved the side characters. I enjoyed watching Mason and Brinley's friendship. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I enjoyed the struggle throughout. It just gave another bonus to the plot of the book. And then there was Fallon .... At first Fallon was a bit alarming, but by the third comment I was laughing hysterically. She is hilarious and needs a book of her own. Goodness she was hilarious. I'm very much hoping to see some more spin off books from this author. It was an enjoyable read. It was classic new adult in all the right ways. 

This book releases October 21st so go pre-order a copy and enjoy!! At least at it to your TBR list!!

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