The Fifteenth Minute (The Ivy Years #5) by Sarina Bowen

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Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks.

She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky — the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.

But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel "DJ" Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. There's something haunting his dark eyes and she needs to know more.

DJ's genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.

Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can't get close to Lianne, and he can't tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

In this fifth installment we have DJ who’s in the midst of a scandal at school, accused of something that he claims had never happened. Until the situation is resolved, he has been counseled to keep a low profile. Lianne, world-famous movie star, enrolled at Harkness so she can experience normalcy. Unfortunately, her fame brings some notoriety causing her presence to become more of a spectacle on campus and in classes. Therefore, she’s forced to keep under the radar. These two from very different worlds are introduced to through their mutual hockey friends and find common ground in their awesome taste for cheesy 90’s music and a disdain for fake people. Mutual attraction aside, they find an easy-going rhythm with each other that makes this dreadful school year so much better.

A couple of the things I enjoy about this series is Bowen’s penchant for whimsical chapter titles that will make you smile while also addressing some serious themes. I did like the approach she chose to come at DJ's predicament from his angle – being the accused rather than the accuser. He agonizes over how far he wants to fight the allegations against him. I got the impression that he’s rather naïve about his situation because he can’t accept that he has to be always on the defensive. To make things more complicated, he’s unsure about how much he should confide in Lianne. She, in the meanwhile, has ambitions of her own for her dual lives. Career-wise, she wants to achieve artistic independence. On a personal level, Lianne wants to feel more grounded and a part of the fabric of college life. Side by side they encourage each other to push through their boundaries.

The Fifteenth Minute continues with the fun, mishaps and missteps of growing up, owning mistakes and taking on the challenges that pop up along the way to adulthood. As per usual, you can expect hysterical banter, embarrassing, laugh-out-loud moments and googly eyes leading to passionate interludes. Who doesn’t love those?

~ Bel

The Shameless Hour (The Ivy Years #4) by Sarina Bowen

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The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.

Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity stunt, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

Bella doesn’t want Rafe's help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can't be extinguished.

So I’m making my way through the Ivy Years series in anticipation of The Fifteenth Minute coming out soon (I’m weird like that – I have to read a series in order) and The Shameless Hour absolutely stops me in my tracks. Not what I expected, possibly because I didn’t read the synopsis carefully but I consider Sarina Bowen a superhero for trying to tackle the very controversial subject of slut-shaming and female empowerment.

Bella is a modern young woman who knows her mind. She sees herself as a feminist with the self-confidence that a lot of other women would envy. And envy her they do. It's no secret that Bella enjoys sex and the company of men. But that’s not all there is to her.  She’s also the hockey team manager for the Harkness men’s team who's very adept and successful at her job which she loves, and is well-respected by the team. However, that coupled with her penchant for hook-ups have earned her a reputation. No matter, she always shrugs off those nasty whispers or looks from other people, especially other women. She has more important things to worry about, mainly what she intends to do after graduation. That's the only area in her life currently with a big question mark. 

Rafe is the good boy any parent wants to see their daughter bring home. His single mother raised him to have a healthy respect for women and he believes in relationships. He’s completely blindsided by his girlfriend on his birthday and the relationship he once thought was rock solid, has crumbled instantly. Bella runs into him at their dorm that night and while commiserating over their respective broken hearts, they wind up hooking up. This is not Rafe’s thing and now he’s plagued with guilt while she sees it as no big deal. Unfortunately a lack of communication leads to some misunderstanding between them, thereby some seriously bad decision-making on both their parts. Later, Bella finds herself in a compromising position with only Rafe there to witness the aftermath.

While The Shameless Hour is well done, I struggled with it. A lot had to do with my personal upbringing. In short, I grew up being told that a woman should behave and dress a certain way in order to convey an appropriate message about herself. So that's what I've always kept in mind. A guy getting lucky is a stud yet a woman who enjoys sex is considered a slut. That double-standard is waning (thankfully), though I still find it hard to reconcile with what has been instilled in me. Harder yet is how as a parent I address this with my own kids. I appreciate that this book made me think about what female empowerment means today. Any time I felt myself being judgey, I’d tell myself to quit it.

The Shameless Hour is gritty and Bowen herself has said that it was hard to write. I can imagine. There were parts where it was like reading it with one eye open because I was so weary of what was happening. But there are also several moments that counterbalance the tough subject matter. When Rafe and Bella flirt with each other, it’s fun. When Rafe turns up his Latin charm, things get downright sexy. But the real hero is Bella. A few good friends in her corner and the love of a man who admires her, she rises above all the crap that’s been heaped on her. She doesn't care to prove herself to anyone, only to declare that she’s not one to be messed with. I encourage you to read this book. It’ll give you plenty to think about and discuss.

~ Bel

The Year We Fell Down - FREE!!!

Have you heard yet? The Year We Fell Down, book 1 in The Ivy Years series by Sarina Bowen is FREE for a limited time!  You can't beat that!  If you've been eyeing this book, now is the time. You don't want to miss this!  

Links are below:

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That's What HE Said Thursday #46

Image courtesy of Kei at The Lovely Pages Review

That's What HE Said is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful ladies at Chapter Break. It's a chance for us to spotlight and gush over a quote from our current book crush to the object of his desire. We like to pretend he's speaking to us ;)

What better way to celebrate our book boyfriends?

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Reading binges - you've got to love those when they happen because nothing can get you to break away from a series that has its hooks in you. That's how I've been with Sarina Bowen's The Ivy Years. In preparation for the upcoming The Fifteenth Minute (which I'm reading right now), I decided that I finally had to read books 2 through 4.

Today's quote comes from book 4, The Shameless Hour. It's a gritty read compared to the others but that's balanced by some very lovely, tender and sexy moments, too. (I'll have a review shortly.) Get ready to fan yourselves!  ~ Bel

  

"You", he whispered, pausing to touch his tongue to my earlobe, "will always be the sexiest girl I have ever known."

~ Rafe to Bella

The Shameless Hour (The Ivy Years #4)

by Sarina Bowen