- IOU (21 Rumors)

IOU - 21 Rumors #1 - ReviewCouple: Ainsley James & maverick LexingtonAuthor: Kristy MarieTropes: enemy to lovers, dark romance, forced proximity, roommate romance, college romanceReview: A hilariously good time read! IOU will make you think twice about playing cards and taking out favors. This book is a DUAL POV!Ainsley James is down on her luck. After she finds her soon to be ex cheating with her best friend she loses it. Afterwards she finds herself on the doorstep of Maverick Lexington after someone calls her out for sleeping her car.Maverick Lexington is known around campus for doling out favors. When Ainsley winds up on his doorstep he reluctantly tales her in after she agrees to take an IOU. Little does he know that his new roomie is about to rack up so many that she has no intention of every paying him back.Both of them are stubborn and refuse to bend the knee to the other. The tension between them grows until one night it bursts and they are forced to recognize the feelings that have grown. While inside their bubble it appears to be going good, outside Ainsley’s ex wants payback for the revenge Maverick exacted on him for hurting Ainsley.As they learn more about one another, they begin to fall fast and hard but their trust is rocked when ulterior motives are brought to light. I enjoyed the strife and conflict this brought since we got to read it from Maverick’s POV. His grand plan to win Ainsley back is romantic and adorable.I loved reading the evolution of these two. Both have been burned in different ways but they come together to become better as they heal one another. Ainsley is comically awkward and trouble prone and Maverick is a dark knight ready to step in to save her.Rating: 10/10, this is a book that makes you laugh and yell but you always come back to!

It's been awhile since I've enjoyed a college romance this much, but Marie did such a great job of making these characters relatable... even if the storyline is a little unusual! I've been loving Marie's lighthearted romances recently, so I decided to check out the one that always puzzled me: IOU. Yeah, the storyline is kinda weird. I don't think it'll really make sense until you dig in, but that was all part of the fun. It felt fresh and different, with an easygoing, playful vibe. Once things get going (it takes WAY too long for our couple to officially meet), I had no trouble bingeing this. The characters were both likable, their chemistry was apparant, and the forced proximity/roommates storyline was a major win. I also wanted to see what secrets this unusual hero was keeping, and that made the story all the more devourable. It's not the BEST book that I've read from Marie, but I had a whole lot of fun checking it out.The story follows Ainsley, a college student who needs a place to stay. After discovering that her boyfriend was cheating with her roommate, Ainsley is desperate for a new place... but the fire she started during the breakup means that no one will give her a room. Out of options, Ainsley enlists the help of the mysterious, intimidating guy on campus who is known for dealing in favors. Ainsley really isn't sure what Maverick does exactly, but she does know that she can make a request and he'll honor it in exchange for an unspecified favor down the road. The only problem? Since no one will take Ainsley, Maverick is stuck giving her a room himself - and that is definitely an issue. Not only is Mav attracted to the hot mess of a girl, but letting her get close could cause the house of cards he's built to come crashing down.College romances haven't been resonating with me recently, but this was so unusual that it worked from the start. There's not a ton of drama, and the light, sexy vibe made it easy to binge. I do wish that Mav and Ainsley had met sooner, but once the initial setup was done, this read a lot better. I've definitely never read a book with a plot even close to this one, which is always a bonus. And I love a good roommates romance, especially if it's against their will, lol. There was just enough friction to keep things interesting, and I was genuinely curious about what was going on with Mav. I liked it a whole lot, other than a couple of minor issues (and someone probably should've told Marie ahead of time that "spirit animal" is not an acceptable term to use). This also acts as a series starter to three loosely-connected books. I've read (and loved) The Closer, and had no problem enjoying it out of order. Overall, it's a fun and sexy college romance with an intriguing twist.Audio note: The audio was good! It's dual narration, with Jacob Morgan - who is always great to listen to. The story lends itself perfectly to the format, and the runtime (just over 8 hours), is ideal for bingeing in one day. It's light and low angst with a little bit of heat, so this makes a solid workday listen for the most part. The slow burn romance worked well in audio, and the narration upped the playfulness. I've got no complaints about the audio.

I own you one Kristy Marie!I thought my favourite couple was Cade and Beck but I’m also a very moody person and every time the author writes something new,I’m falling in love again with the new couple.What I loved most in this story is the real-life health issues and raw feelings that many times we take for granted day by day and also the indifference to what’s happening around us has reached a high limit but somehow, when someone you least expect, gets in your life at the right time and moment, everything can change.Maverick and Ainsley love story is not what you expect but it’s a love that I’ll definitely remember.

I’m a bit of an avid kindle reader..jumping from one to next. I get caught in series, then rung out by it, so need something slightly different! This was where I came into this book. I loved its honesty actually - two people coming at life the best they could. An easy read with enough intrigue to keep me interested. I certainly imagined what being around people like Boss or Maverick could have affected my life choices!!! Loved the love story with balls!!!

I liked this story, I loved Ainsley, she was unique. A breath of fresh air, from all the female heroines in romance books that all the same, predictable and docile female heroine. Ainsley was fiery and didn't let Mav intimidate her or make her submissive.I also liked Mav, he was grmpy, sexy and sarcastic which made him even sexier.The plot was intriguing and I didn't get bored at all.

This is my first book by this author, and I'M IN LOVE!I think that the story is well written, with dual POV, which I really enjoy, since it gives insight into more than just the main character. And especially in this story it was delicious to experience Maverick's thoughts.I only wished it was longer, since I'm not ready to let the characters go already!!

Loved it!This book is funny and sweet and a little spicy with fantastic characters including a very hot water drinking nerd!!Read it!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️