The Boys Series

Book reviews

10 Aug

Written By Anzhelika Li

That time when a cover doesn’t live up to your expectations…

⭐⭐

1. BAD BOYS BREAK HEARTS by Micalea Smeltzer

SYNOPSIS

Mascen Wade, star pitcher of the Aldridge University baseball team, is a lot of things. Rich. Hotter than sin. The campus’s reigning bad boy.

We knew each other once upon a time, but even if I’m named after a princess, it doesn’t mean my life is a fairytale.

My plan is to keep my head down, get my degree, and leave this town. But the moment Mascen Wade recognizes me all my carefully laid plans come crumbling down. He’s decided he wants to make my life a living hell. But I’m not so easy to push around and won’t put up with his bully playground antics. Too bad for me I’ve never been able to resist him.

BOOK REVIEW

I’d never read anything from Micalea Smeltzer before but as soon as I saw the cover of Bad Boys Break Hearts, I instantly knew I wanted to give it a try. It was clearly one of those times when the cover sold the book to me, and the synopsis sounded like something I’d really enjoy too. However, it turned out to be a huge let-down. Not that the book was necessarily bad, but it wasn’t good either. Just meh…

I didn’t get the purpose of the crafted plot, and the pacing was weird. It took forever for anything to happen. It seemed like the time was dragging. I was making myself keep reading in a desperate hope to witness some sort of improvement. Unluckily so.

There wasn’t any action or suspense in the story, which was confusing because the main focus was clearly not romance! As for the main conflicts, they just came and went like that. No impact whatsoever.

The hate-to-love relationship between the main characters was lackluster, and even the sexual chemistry was practically non-existent and seriously getting on my last nerves.

Now, what can I say about Rory and Mascen… Unfortunately, nothing constructive simply because there was nothing memorable about either of the two. It honestly felt like they were just a quick draft of what was expected to be unique and loveable. Which they were objectively not. Both Rory and Mascen felt inadequate trying to deal with the problems of their own, while the relationship between them turned out to be a random event to drive the dead plot.

I guess, in conclusion, only the cover of Bad Boys Break Hearts gets my sincere praise. All other pages of the book should go through a shredder.

2. NICE GUYS DON’T WIN by Micalea Smeltzer

SYNOPSIS

When I agreed to be his roommate, I had no way of knowing that Cole Anderson was one of my father’s star players.

Having transferred to Aldridge University for my junior year, I wasn’t familiar with anyone on campus.

If there’s one rule I’ve always been supposed to follow it’s don’t date a basketball player.

Cole is different, though, and I don’t want to stay away. But when he finds out I’m the coach’s daughter I might not have any say in the matter.

3. REAL PLAYERS NEVER LOSE by Micalea Smeltzer

SYNOPSIS

I’ve heard the whispers on campus of what a player Teddy McCallister is. Most girls on campus are vying to be the one, but guys like him don’t settle down.

When he overhears that my tuition has been pulled and I’m going to basically be a college reject he makes me an offer I can’t refuse.

Be his fake girlfriend until graduation so he can get his inheritance.

It seems simple enough. I need the money and he needs someone to make him look committed.

If one thing is certain, it’s that I won’t be falling for him. But no one warned me about what happens when my fake boyfriend starts to fall for me.

4. GOOD GUYS DON’T LIE by Micalea Smeltzer

SYNOPSIS

I’ve been nothing but a failure to my parents my entire life. I know I’ll never live up to their level of perfection, but it doesn’t matter. Especially, when I’m about to fail the same class twice. It seems like I’m doomed until my professor tells me he knows the perfect guy to tutor me—if he’ll agree.

Cree Madison is the star player on the hockey team, bound for NHL superstardom, and my last hope. I’m willing to do almost anything for his help.

When I meet up with him, his eyes light up and he says, “I’ve been looking for you”. Only I don’t know him, and I’ve never met him before now.

I’m willing to pretend to be whoever he wants me to be if it means I pass this class. But lies have a way of getting out of hand and neither one of us is prepared for the fallout when everything comes to light.

Broken boys cant love by Micaela Smeltzer

5. BROKEN BOYS CAN’T LOVE by Micalea Smeltzer

SYNOPSIS

Off-limits. That’s what Jude is to me.

My older brother doesn’t trust me with his player of a best friend. Which is totally fine, because I’m not interested.

As Jude and I reluctantly become friends, I start to see that there’s more to him than others notice. But I still won’t go there, not when I have a crush on someone else. But Jude’s the perfect person to help show me the ropes when it comes to the opposite sex, besides it’s not like he’ll get attached to me.

Except he does. And the thing about broken boys? They’re way too easy to fall for.

6. RULE BREAKERS FALL HARDEST by Micalea Smeltzer

SYNOPSIS

Once upon a time, Daire Hendricks was my childhood crush. He was always there, saving me from his annoying brothers. He was my rock, my safe place from my overbearing family. Until he wasn’t.

Imagine my annoyance when we end up at the same university and I have to see his smug, too-handsome-for-his-own-good face all over campus. Every time we cross paths, we spew hateful words at each other, so imagine my surprise when he seeks me out and utters the most surprising question. ‘Marry me?’

He needs my help, and his solution is marriage. It’s a pretty big ask, but somehow, I find myself saying yes. We might hate each other now, but the benefits of this arrangement are worth it. But what neither of us expects, is when playing house starts to feel a little too real.

Falling for each other was never part of the plan, but you know what they say about the best laid plans? They often go awry.