Review – Unspoken by Jen Frederick

Publisher: Self Published
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley

Whore. Slut. Typhoid Mary.

I’ve been called all these at Central College. One drunken night, one act of irresponsible behavior, and my reputation was ruined. Guys labeled me as easy and girls shied away. To cope, I stayed away from Central social life and away from Central men, so why is it that my new biology lab partner is so irresistible to me?

He’s everything I shouldn’t want. A former Marine involved in illegal fighting with a quick trigger temper and an easy smile for all the women. His fists aren’t the danger to me, though, it’s his charm. He’s sliding his way into my heart and I’m afraid that he’s going to be the one to break me.

Impulsive. Unthinking. Hot tempered.

I allow instinct to rule my behavior. If it feels good, do it, has been my motto because if I spend too much time thinking, I’ll begin to remember exactly where I came from. At Central College, I’ve got fighting and I’ve got women and I thought I was satisfied until I met her.

She’s everything I didn’t realize I wanted and the more time I spend with her, the more I want her. But she’s been hurt too much in the past and I don’t want to be the one to break her. I know I should walk away, but I just can’t.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I really enjoyed the first book in Frederick’s self published new adult series, so when I saw that Bo was going to get his chance at a leading lady, I was excited to see where the story would go.

AM (interesting nickname, huh?) made a stupid mistake her freshman year of college, and has been paying for it ever since. She has been made fun of, ridiculed, and driven off campus by the rumors and innuendo. But she refuses to let them run her out of her school, so she keeps her head down and goes through the motions.

Bo is a fighter that likes to get hit. He needs to get hit. But being around AM seems to tone it down a bit. So despite the fact that AM runs from him constantly, Bo jumps at the chance to force them to spend time together. But as things get deeper between them, Bo worries that his need for violence might end up destroying what little confidence AM has left, despite the fact he knows he would never hurt her.

I adored Bo. He was so tortured and broody, and yet he was also super sexy and so obviously cared about AM more than he thought possible. Not only was he willing and ready to fight anyone and everyone over her reputation, he also worried about what his fighting streaks would do to her fragile emotions. It was obvious to Bo that AM had a lot to deal with, and he was so careful not to pile anything else on top of her. All he wanted was to help with her burden, and I loved him for it.

I thought the slut-shaming that AM had to go through was beyond ridiculous. The college campus is supposedly super small, so my college experiences are WAY different (I went to a state school), but I still thought it was a little far fetched to think that she would be treated that way. However, while I found the situation a little out there, I thought AM’s reaction to it was perfect. It was the right amount of shame and disappointment and balls. AM held her head up high whenever she was on campus, and did everything she could to keep herself out of the spotlight. I thought her character was unbelievably strong for living with that for years.

The romance between Bo and AM was great as well. I loved the way that Bo pursued her in a way that was obvious, and yet at the same time he was a little coy with it all. He made sure that AM knew he wanted her, that she knew what his intentions were, all while keeping her close as a friend and making sure he was able to worm his way into her life bit by bit. It was so sweet and fun to read.

I loved a lot of the secondary characters in this story, and can’t wait to see who is up next. Between Bo’s fun and playful roommates to the different girlfriends and their friends, this is a strong cast of guys and gals, and I hope we get to see each and everyone one of them get their own HEA.

All in all I really enjoyed the second Woodlands book by Frederick. I think she has a wonderful voice within the New Adult genre, and has found a wonderful balance between the innocence and maturity of that age group. I’m looking forward to more from this series!
I give Unspoken a B+

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