Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy

by Tammara Webber

Publisher: Berkley Trade (May 2012)
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: ebook (304 pages)
Source: Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

Summary
A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy. ~ Add on Goodreads

At A Glance
This is an adorable and meaningful book with great characters, but I do wish the main relationship was a little more developed in person than over text and email.  

The Good
Here's The Story...
After following her high school boyfriend to his college of choice, Jacqueline finds herself single, brokenhearted, and taking meaningless classes in her sophomore year. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriends' frat brother thinks this is the perfect time to make a move, with or without Jacqueline's consent. Luckily, Lucas is there to save the day. But Jacqueline is left afraid and confused and doesn't press chargers. Now her would-be-rapist is out to finish the job, but Lucas will not let that happen. With Lucas, Jacqueline finds strength she never knew she had, and a love she never thought she could find again.

An Easy Read...
Easy is one of the better contemporary romances I have read this year. I don't often read them, but on those rare occasions, it's books like Easy that keep me going back for more. This book not only dealt with real life issues, but it had an amazing love story that plucked the heart strings. When Jacqueline and Lucas are together, it's like nothing can stand in their way, not even each other.

Jacqueline...
Jacqueline is not in a good place at the beginning of the book. Her long-time boyfriend has broken up with her. Now she finds herself shunned by most of her friends and stuck in a school with a crappy music program. My heart actually hurt for her, and the sexual assault only made me that much more sad. When I really think about it, this book is somewhat dark and deals with tough issues. But that's what makes it real. And through these dark times we get to watch Jacqueline grow, strengthen, and fall in love.

Lucas...
Lucas is a little harder to get to know. He is different from other guys. He has a past that haunts him and it has turned him into a cautious loner. He's both an artist and a fighter. But when he sees Jackqueline, everything is right in the world. The depth of his love for her is beautiful.  When they are together, it's explosive. Lucas helps Jacqueline by empowering her in every way. We see her bloom into a confident woman who knows how to take care of herself all because of Lucas.

Issues...
Easy is not just a love story, it also deals with major issues. It is undeniable that some women never report their sexual assaults. It could be that the person who attacked them is someone they know, or maybe they are afraid of what people will think of them. The questions is, do we support victims enough or do we often turn a blind eye due to "extenuating circumstances?" Easy deals with these issues and does it very well. Some of it is hard to get through but don't worry, this book is not all about a bleak topic. It shows us how one can empower oneself and learn to fight back, whether it be physical or through the law.

Passion...
The writing was beautiful and flowed well. I usually don't like "issue" books but Webber doesn't preach, she writes with passion and it works for this book. She also created characters that are different. They make mistakes like we all do. They are flawed to the point that we get frustrated with them but then love them for making us feel. Easy is a book for everyone because there is enough variety in it to speak to everyone's interest.

The Bad
I knew going into this book that I was going to hate the fact that Jacqueline doesn't report her almost rape. So yeah, that frustrated the frick out of me.

But really, the biggest upset was how Jacqueline and Lucas's relationship develops or its lack of development really. Their main communication is through text, email, and short bursts of conversations through most of the book. But nothing really indepth. And their first sexual act comes about when they still barely know each other. I was confused on how they would be falling in love when they barely knew each other. They also both made some pretty immature decisions that caused more drama in their "non-relationship" than necessary. They were hot and cold for silly reasons. But, thankfully, the last 1/3 of the book really let the relationship develop in a way that made sense.

The Snuggly
What saved this book from a 3.5 star rating is the actual times Jacqueline and Lucas are together, in person. OMG. It was hot, gentle, romantic and sweet. Lucas was so caring it made me want to cry from jealousy that Jacqueline found him first.

We get a little more sex in this new adult book than you would find in a YA book. Also expect some graphic scenes having to do with sexual assault.

Final Thoughts
I am so happy I read Easy. Many people suggested it to me and when I finally read it, I understood the attraction. I may have been frustrated with some aspects, but overall it kept my attention and made me feel like love is still possible. Highly recommended.

Quotes
“Love is not the absence of logic but logic examined and recalculated heated and curved to fit inside the contours of the heart” 
~~~~~~~~~

“The night we met-I'm not like that guy." His jaw was rigid.
"I know tha-" He placed a finger over my lips, his expression softening.
"So I don't want you to feel pressured. Or overpowered. But I do, absolutely, want to kiss you right now. Badly.” 

~~~~~~~~~
“Choosing to be with you isn't a difficult decision, Jacqueline," he breathed, pulling back one final time to stare into my eyes. "It's easy. Incredibly easy.”