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A review by kimberlyfaye_reads
Unethical by Jennifer Blackwood
3.0
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I'm a sucker for a second chance story and, while Unethical might have been a bit angstier than I typically like my books, it was a good, quick read.
Payton is trying her best to move on from some pretty bad stuff in her past. Her dad is in prison, about to stand trial for helping her mother commit suicide while she was dying from cancer. She ran away from home after graduation and left everyone behind. Including Blake, the love of her life. He wasn't there when she needed him most, so she cut all ties and left him. Now she finds herself face-to-face with him at Drexler University, where they're both in med school. Can the old flame be reunited or has it been too long? Will her father's indiscretion keep her from her lifelong dream of med school? Will she ever repair her relationship with her dad? So many questions. So much drama.
I hate to admit, I never fully connected with the characters in this book. It wasn't that either of them were unlikable, but more that I had a difficult time relating to them as they made one bad decision after another, sometimes with what seemed like the intent of hurting one another. Payton was dealing with a lot, but she didn't make things any easier on herself. It was obvious she still loved Blake, yet she was pushing him away and dating one of his frat brothers (who was a real jerk). Blake kept his feelings for Payton hidden pretty well as he dated her roommate. That was all a bit much for me to deal with. Wanting to move on is one thing. Doing it with someone who you know will hurt the other person is cold. Don't get me wrong. It's not all bad. Payton and Blake can be quite sweet together when they let themselves.
One thing I really did enjoy about the book was the friendship between Payton and her roommate, Jules. With so many "girlfriends behaving badly" instances in books, I always applaud an author for showing true friendship. With the complications of Payton's past – both with her family and with Blake – it would have been easy to go down the frenemies path with Payton and Jules. Jules is a complicated character who is going through a lot herself during the course of Unethical. If this is the start of a standalone series, I hope the next book is about her. I'd love to know more about her.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for a second chance story and, while Unethical might have been a bit angstier than I typically like my books, it was a good, quick read.
Payton is trying her best to move on from some pretty bad stuff in her past. Her dad is in prison, about to stand trial for helping her mother commit suicide while she was dying from cancer. She ran away from home after graduation and left everyone behind. Including Blake, the love of her life. He wasn't there when she needed him most, so she cut all ties and left him. Now she finds herself face-to-face with him at Drexler University, where they're both in med school. Can the old flame be reunited or has it been too long? Will her father's indiscretion keep her from her lifelong dream of med school? Will she ever repair her relationship with her dad? So many questions. So much drama.
I hate to admit, I never fully connected with the characters in this book. It wasn't that either of them were unlikable, but more that I had a difficult time relating to them as they made one bad decision after another, sometimes with what seemed like the intent of hurting one another. Payton was dealing with a lot, but she didn't make things any easier on herself. It was obvious she still loved Blake, yet she was pushing him away and dating one of his frat brothers (who was a real jerk). Blake kept his feelings for Payton hidden pretty well as he dated her roommate. That was all a bit much for me to deal with. Wanting to move on is one thing. Doing it with someone who you know will hurt the other person is cold. Don't get me wrong. It's not all bad. Payton and Blake can be quite sweet together when they let themselves.
One thing I really did enjoy about the book was the friendship between Payton and her roommate, Jules. With so many "girlfriends behaving badly" instances in books, I always applaud an author for showing true friendship. With the complications of Payton's past – both with her family and with Blake – it would have been easy to go down the frenemies path with Payton and Jules. Jules is a complicated character who is going through a lot herself during the course of Unethical. If this is the start of a standalone series, I hope the next book is about her. I'd love to know more about her.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.