Off Campus

Title: Off Campus

Author: Amy Jo Cousins

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publishers URL: https://www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN: 9781619223936

Genre: {M/M}, Contemporary, Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymph Reviewer: Critter Nymph

ARC: To be published Dec. 30, 2014

Tom went from being the golden boy everyone wanted to be with to homeless with no real friends, almost overnight.   Now that he’s at the point where his life is turning around, he isn’t going to let anything stand in his way.  Not even a horny roommate.

Off Campus is the first book in a new series, Bend or Break, by author Amy Jo Cousins. This isn’t the usual campus story as both main characters have been in school for some time and just happened to meet for the first time when they are assigned to the same room in off campus housing.  From the start it was easy for me to like Tom.  He is a young man who carries the actions of his father heavily on his shoulders.  Through no fault of his own, Tom finds himself homeless and struggling to make things work.  While I feel bad for him, it is easy to see that it is making him a stronger man.  Reese, on the other hand, comes across as a bit of an ass from the very beginning.  The lengths he goes to in order to get Tom to move out will make you shake your head.  It is only as I came to know the character that I started to understand why he behaves the way he does.  The reasons behind Reese’s actions may be difficult for some readers. 

The author spends quite a bit of time bringing these two together.  At times I wondered if they would ever get together, yet once the two start opening up, their relationship moves fast.  This does not mean that everything becomes hunky dory between them.  The relationship between Tom and Reese has many ups and downs.  More than once I thought this story would end on a bad note. 

For me Off Campus started on a slow note, and it took a while to warm up to one of the main characters, I also found myself enjoying the story.  I am curious to see what the author has planned for a follow up and look forward to the next book.