Redesigned by Denis Grover Swank ♥♥♥.8

I almost didn’t read Redesigned by Denise Grover Swank because I didn’t really enjoy the first book, After Math, very much. But when deciding what to read next, I accidentally clicked on it, and I decided to give it a chance. And I’m glad I did. Redesigned was much better than After Math; we get a much fuller story in Redesigned.

In Redesigned we get Caroline’s story (we meet her in books one). She keeps everything about her life growing up to herself, hoping no one she grew up poor in a trailer park. And she plans on using part of her senior year to find a suitable (rich) prospective husband. But that’s hard to do when she has feeling for Reed, a math graduate student who plans on becoming a professor. But like Caroline, he’s hiding parts of his past too.

These characters are stubborn, strong-willed people who don’t know what to do with their feelings for each other. Watching them fight, forced together, and figure out what they want from each other and how to trust each other was a beautiful story. And while the moment where Caroline is thrust into adulthood is a bit heavy handed, I thought it was a good way to tie things up.

I enjoyed this story and the characters. It probably would have been four ♥s if some of the sex scenes weren’t a bit too much for me (although maybe it’s just the right type for you). Either way, I’m looking forward to the next book, Business as Usual, now. 

Denise Grover Swank on Goodreads

After Math by Denise Grover Swank ♥♥

I’m having some mixed feelings about After Math Denise Grover Swank. From the first page I was skeptical. The story started almost exactly the same way as Wait for You by J. Lynn. So, I couldn’t continue reading until I figured out why it felt so familiar. The story lines are even pretty similar (shy girls and popular player fall for each other). After I figured that out, there was something else that felt familiar. The tutor storyline threw me off in that is was fairly similar to Easy by Tammara Webber. The guy in After Math, Tucker, even has a secret like Lucas in Easy.

But After Math is the story of Scarlett, a shy, anxious math major who is forced unto tutoring womanizing, star soccer player, Tucker. They fall for each other, but Tucker’s secrets and past pull them apart. They have to decide if they will allow their pasts to keep them apart.

I was able to get past the similarities to two of my favorite books, but in the end, I didn’t really enjoy the story. Tucker would switch from being fairly nice and sleep to furious, and what seemed like boarder line violent. And Scarlett is so enthralled she looks past it, always saying she’s not worried about herself physically. Although, that obviously means the thought crosses her mind that she may need to worry. Then, in the end, Tucker seems normal and sweet again. The book should have dealt with his anger issues in some way.

I’m not sure I’ll be reading any more of this series (unfortunately, I bought the second book when I bought the first). But maybe the rest will be less familiar and won’t have boys who feel as if they fall on the wrong side of dangerous. 

Denise Grover Swank on Goodreads