Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Title: Easy

Author: Tammara Webber

Published: May 24, 2012

Pages: 318

Source: purchased

Good to know: suitable for a mature YA audience

Amazon Summary: When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex's frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she's still the same intelligent girl she's always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There's just one problem--their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees--hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they've hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

**REVIEW**

'Easy' was one of those books appearing in the right moment, at the right time. I have to say I probably wouldn't have picked this one up if it hadn't been for the fact that I really wanted to read something (and failed to find anything else) and 'Easy' sounded like an okay contemporary romance.

This is one of the few college-aged romance novels I've read and I'm again astonished by how intensified they seem to be compared to high school novels - with an age gap of only a year or two I mean, or maybe it's just a coincidence.

I was surprised to find that sexual abuse was a big part of the storyline since I was misled by the synopsis to believe that the story centered around a love-triangle/square.

I can't quite make up my mind about 'Easy' and how I felt about it. Heavy issues are brought up and dealt with parallel to a lustful yet uncertain relationship growing between the hero and heroine.

I had no direct problem with the plot or the writing or anything like that but something did irked me about 'Easy' and it most likely comes from a subjective place, based on my own personal taste, so don't mind me. I just couldn't connect with the story or the protagonist, it lacked good emotional journey and character-development.

The two characters I did like was Jacqueline's best friend and her desk neighbor, Benji. Then there's Lucas who had an exceptional advantage of winning you over but I just found him to be too... good. There was so much going on with his character while the rest of them, including the protagonist, were underwhelming in comparison.

I liked the little twist with his character even though it totally perfected him and found the backstory about his family to be so horrifying I questioned if it really was necessary taking it to those lengths. Other than that I did think he was all that - protective, sweet, and respectful. And really, authors need to stop playing the "tattoo" card (wink.)

I wish I'd loved this book as much as the many five-star reviews but I'm guessing this just wasn't my cup of tea. I liked it a fair amount, though, and could've really liked it had I gotten more attached and emotionally-involved with the characters.

(3/5)