Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Rating: 4 stars
Pub Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: self-published, but the series was bought by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
Format/Source: paperback, borrowed from library
Status: first book in the Wait for You companion series

Summary:

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Review:

Wait for You was my second JLA/J Lynn novel after Frigid. I got hooked on Jennifer's characters' realism, their playful banter, and, of course, their crazy chemistry. More than anything, the characters are what makes her stories so incredible. In Wait for You, we're introduced to Avery, a college freshman looking for a fresh, anonymous start in a new town, and Cam, a flirty junior also trying to move on from the ghosts of his own past. I think the coolest thing is that Avery and Cam have a legitimate friendship. They do feel an instant attraction, but there's no insta-love for you purists out there. The progression of their relationship from strangers to classmates/partners to friends to more-than-friends is really natural and takes place over the course of many months. I love when characters build their relationship on a solid foundation of friendship because it allows the characters to have a deeper connection. You can learn so much about someone when you're friends first. Then again, part of the challenges presented to Avery and Cam is the fact that they both have past demons that continue to plague them, and when those demons come out, things get really dicey.

I really like Avery as our protagonist. There are lots of hints to her past so even though you don't get specifics until further on, it's clear Avery has suffered from several traumatic events (and there are plenty of hints as to what those are), and I find her to be a sympathatic character. I think a lot of readers like to criticize characters similar to Avery because they are so closed off, but I think 1. she has legitimate reasons to maintain that wall, and 2. her reactions lead me to believe that Avery would like to overcome her insecurities. I find characters looking for a sort of redemption to be very admirable*. At any time, Avery totally has the power to shut Cam down, and she does utilize that power a couple times; however, I like that more times than that, Avery is open to taking some chances. Basically, she does say a very loud NO on occasion, but she more often says a quiet yes. Avery also possesses a great self-awareness where she can tell when she's made a mistake, and, most importantly, she always attempts to rectify those mistakes.

*I would like to clarify that when I say Avery is looking for redemption, I am talking about her walls. I am not at all saying she's in the wrong for what occured in her past. However, Avery thinks she's in the wrong so it's like she's seeking atonement or forgiveness from herself. The fact that she tries to move on is what I find admirable.

Cam is a romance hero worthy of any girl's daydreams. I hear a lot of fangirly musing about Cam and his eggs and his baking and his abs and blah blah blah, and yes, those things are all great. If I could find a guy who looks as good as Cam, loves sports like he does (especially soccer), AND cooked me food on a regular basis, I would keep him forever, but Cam is so much more than that. Like Avery, Cam seeks redemption from a haunting past event, and yeah, it's a doozy, even though Cam is the kind of guy with his heart in the right place. You really can tell a lot about a guy based on his interaction with his family, and we do get that view behind the curtain. Cam's a loving son and a protective brother. He's also a good friend, both to his boys and to Avery. It's more evident in Cam's story Trust in Me, but I love how patient he is with Avery. He's a guy who is openly attracted to a girl, but he lets things progress at a pace she's comfortable. Cam only forces friendship, never pushes for anything more. In fact, Cam is very careful never to force things on Avery that she doesn't want, and that is not only a trait I respect, but I find it really, really attractive. Basically, Cam is a Good Guy. Those are pretty rare these days, and I think he steps up to that plate really well.

For months, I've had recommendations to finally read Jennifer's books, and I'm really glad I finally listened to that advice. Wait For You is a fine example of how much depth and characterization a new adult romance novel can contain. Cam and Avery's romance was shiver-inducing, but I never felt like the sexy times were the focus of the novel. This was no PWP. Jennifer never presented romantic scenes to the detriment of the plot or the characters. Rather, the characters and their merging lives were the focus of the story, and the romanctic moments was utlized to rehance and enrich it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wait for You and Trust in Me, which I gave 3.5 stars for the sole reason that I felt they could have been merged into one book instead of two separate stories, and I feel very satisfied with the conclusion of Avery and Cam's tale. I think Jennifer set up the basis for a really solid companion romance series, and I can't wait for Be With Me, which is Cam's sister Teresa's story.

Recommended for: Romance-aholics, new adult newbies and lovers alike

Not recommended for: Anyone who is squeamish about subjects like sexual assault or cutting.

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About the Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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