Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Off the Bench by Alley Ciz {a review}

 

Calling all U of J fans! Today is the day you have been waiting for. Off the Bench by Alley Ciz is NOW AVAILABLE! Run to Amazon and grab this book. It was SO GOOD.

Quinn has had her eyes on CK for quite a while now, but he pays her no attention. It's frustrating. No matter how much she flirts with him, he doesn't seem to be interested. It's even worse now that they both living in the same place with their friends. They see each other constantly. CK is only interested in friendship. Or is he? CK struggles with thoughts of his past that keep popping up in his mind. Once a nerd always a nerd, and the athletes are beyond his level. They could never be friends with him. Athletes always want something from him. Except with this group who has adopted him. They seem genuine. Yet that nagging voice keeps popping up that he isn't worthy of a relationship with them. Especially not with Quinn. He's doing a great job of keeping his distance. That is until he mentions a dating app that he's on. Suddenly Quinn is taking him under her wing, and has agreed to be his dating coach. Can this work out? Can she coach him through his awkward dating skills? Can he manage a relationship with someone? What about Quinn, can she handle seeing CK date someone else? Will she ever confess her feelings?

This was my first UofJ book, but dang if I'm not going back to read Kay and Mason's trilogy! Those two seem intense. Plus I am really enjoying this cast of characters. Then there's the fact that Savvy and Carter both made appearances. Carter's little side story has me curious as to when that book will be written. That is going to be explosive. Back to CK and Quinn though. This book is opposites attract. It's forced proximity. CK is absolutely adorkable! I want to know more about this video game he's creating too! I loved these two. Quinn is a strong, outspoken woman, who isn't afraid to go after what she wants. Obviously CK is a bit of an exception for that, until it's not. Quinn isn't going to let her mother's thoughts hold her back. She's getting her education, and not the MRS degree her mother thinks she should get. Throughout this book I loved seeing CK bloom. He was finding himself, and some of that was with Quinn's pushing of his boundaries. When the big dramatic moment happened, my heart sank a bit. These two had just found their way to each other, and now it was up in flames. But it was because of this that CK really stepped up. He trusted his friends, and followed his heart. Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

From the characters, to the setting, to the storyline, this book had my complete attention. I didn't want to set it down, but being sick doesn't always allow me to push through. Thankfully that virus is just about gone, so that helps.

If you are a fan of college romances that feature the opposites attract, friends to lovers, and/or forced proximity tropes, then please go grab this one. This could also be considered a sports romance too as Quinn is a very skilled cheerleader.

I want more of this setting, and the characters! Alley Ciz has created a very strong group of friends, and oh how I wish I could meet them all.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Off the Bench. I hope you'll consider giving this new release a read. If you have KU it is included with your subscription!
Laura

@UofJ411: What’s happening here?
#TheyDoSayOppositesAttract #WhereAreAllThePost-its

On a scale of one to ten, Quinn Thompson is a fifteen.

Gorgeous. Fiery. A cheerleader so far out of my league it’s embarrassing that I even fantasize about her.

I need to find a way to shut down the dirty thoughts she inspires before it’s too late.

If I don’t, this whole new life of mine is at risk.

Easier said than done when temptation lives right down the hall.

For such a smart guy, CK can be surprisingly clueless.

Sweet. Shy. The star of all my naughty nerd fantasies, but utterly blind to my flirtations. 

Giving in to his plea to be his love coach may seem drastic, but I’m desperate for the chance to come off the bench.

Too bad the friend zone was a hell of a lot safer for my heart.


Add Quinn & CK's story to your Goodreads TBR!


Meet Alley
Alley Ciz is an internationally bestselling indie author of sassy heroines and the alpha men that fall on their knees for them. She is a romance junkie whose love for books turned into her telling the stories of the crazies who live in her head…even if they don’t know how to stay in their lane.

This Potterhead can typically be found in the wild wearing a funny T-shirt, connected to an IV drip of coffee, stuffing her face with pizza and tacos, chasing behind her 3 minis, all while her 95lb yellow lab—the best behaved child—watches on in amusement.

Where to find Alley

Facebook | Facebook Group | Goodreads | Newsletter | Instagram | Pinterest | Website | YouTube | Amazon | BookBub | TikTok


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Thank you to Alley Ciz, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with a review copy of Off the Bench.