ABOUT THE BOOK
Adriana “Ade” Blankin is doing everything she can to survive her first year in chemical engineering—including keeping a very big secret. Her father, once the beloved men’s hockey coach at her university, was arrested by the FBI and fired in disgrace for his role in a high-profile athletic scandal. Now, Ade is determined to fly under the radar, even if it means hiding who she really is.
But secrets have a price.
Sleepless, anxious, and watching her GPA spiral toward disaster, Ade is desperate for a solution. When she stumbles across a study on the so-called sleep-inducing, anti-anxiety hormones released during sex, she starts to wonder if science might have the answer. If sex can improve her sleep, all she needs is the right guy to make it happen.
Enter Dallas Reynolds: campus playboy, dorm-room legend, and the last person someone like Ade should get involved with. But where others see a player, Ade sees a possible solution.
Their chemistry is undeniable, but nothing in Ade’s life is ever simple. Her secret identity collides with Dallas’s carefully guarded past, revealing shocking truths neither of them saw coming. What began as an experiment soon spirals into something far messier, and far more real.
MY REVIEW
I picked up this book, which immediately caught my eye for its intriguing premise about a STEM student embroiled in a whirlwind of love and secrets. It promised a classic “student vs. player” trope and a hidden identity that I couldn’t resist. But it was a bit of a mixed bag at first.
When I first dove into this story, I had to admit, it was a struggle knowing the characters were in college, but it read more like high school. However, as I pushed a little deeper into the story, the characters surprised me, and I found myself rooting for young love and a happy ending.
At first, Ade’s fascination with Dallas felt more like a plot device than a genuine interest. She wanted to use him, which is a shallow move, Ade. But as much as I cringed, the story took a turn for the better. When Ade finally opened up about her secret, her emotional strain added a layer that I didn’t expect. It was refreshing to see her maturity shine, especially when she stepped up to help Dallas reclaim his life amidst the chaos.
Dallas is more of an enigma. We see everything through Ade’s eyes, which makes him all the more interesting. He comes across as kind and respectful, but lurking beneath the surface is a secret that could topple their budding relationship. The tension kept me on my toes, and I was rooting for them every step of the way.
When the big reveal finally happened, I couldn’t help but appreciate how well everything panned out. The writing may have had its hiccups early on, but, oh boy, did it redeem itself. The twists and resolutions were both surprising and satisfying.
Overall, I’m glad I stuck with it. If you enjoy stories that mix young love with a dash of mystery, this one’s definitely worth a read. Sure, it’s got its ups and downs, but who doesn’t love a happy ending against all odds?
Thank you to Ms. Farella for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leanne Farella lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her extreme do-it-yourselfer husband and two adventurous kids. She has always been a writer—from entering writing contests as a youth, keeping a diary, to becoming a persuasive writer as an intellectual property lawyer. But fiction writing is her true passion. It allows her to give the heroines in her head the love stories they deserve.
