Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

  

Synopsis for Schooled (from Goodreads):
Twenty-one-year-old Alexis Caine is so close to her dream she can taste it. And it tastes like validation and Häagen-Dazs.

In a few months the quick-talking redhead will graduate with a shiny new business degree and launch a fashion label with her best friend Ava. All the planning, dedication, and saying ‘no’ to everything – and everyone – distracting will pay off.

Then Dylan Cameron, Ava’s tall, dark and broody younger brother, returns from the East Coast to start sophomore year at Lex’s San Diego college. Lex has hardly seen him in years and given his reputation for partying and girls, that’s just fine with her.

But Dylan’s all grown up. And a night of unplanned confessions for both of them threatens to tear Lex’s carefully constructed world off its axis…

Because one sassy control freak + one prodigal son = chemistry that refuses to be ignored.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Canadian Author, Favourite New Adult Series 2016
Series: Travesty
Author: Piper Lawson
# of Books: 3 (Full Series Order Here)

There are two novellas: #2.5 Sealed & #3.5 Satisfaction

Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Drama
Heat Rating: hot
Point of View: First Person, Single (Schooled); Alternating (Stripped)
Publication Dates: June 2015 – January 2019
Source & Format: NetGalley & Author–eARC  |  Thanks so much Piper Lawson & Victory Editing!

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I love myself a forbidden romance and nothing screams “off-limits” like a younger brother falling for his older sister’s BFF. Normally, it’s the reverse: younger sister with her older brother’s BFF and while it is great to read, it is maybe a little over done. But I really enjoyed Keep Me by Faith Andrews when I read it in 2014 and the premise is very much the same.

The Plot:

Both books have a great plot though they do greatly differ.

Schooled has more of a “coming of age” vibe to it. Lex is trying to balance her life out and decide if pursuing the fashion line is really the best thing for her. It balances great with the romantic developments and I love how each element plays off of each other and really moves the story forward.

Stripped has more of a fun, adult contemporary vibe a la Wallbanger or Tangled. A bit of a silly, albeit it serious, plot line that has so many moments of hilarity. Part of that humour is because of Ava–which I discuss below–but it is also the situation at hand as well. But it also has its serious and strong character development moments as well which makes is a solid read overall.

The Characters:

I really liked both Ava and Lex. They complimented each other well and I loved watching their friendship grow. I thought Lex would be my favourite of the two because we share so many similar traits but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Ava’s humour and wit in Stripped–something I was skeptical about because I didn’t instantly connect to her character in Schooled.

Case in point with Ava:

“Sounds like the girls you know have the depth of a kiddie pool. I don’t care if you drive a Porsche, a Hyundai or a golf cart.”

As for the guys, Dylan had me swooning from the get-go. He was charming but sincere and I loved his character growth, even if he didn’t have his own POV chapters. He is definitely a new book boyfriend! Nate was also very charming and I loved his banter with Ava–it made reading their story a lot of fun.

The Romance:

Lex and Dylan’s romance is definitely more of a slow burn–and it was so worth it! I loved how their relationship developed from an emotional one to a passionate one. It made it so much easier for me to see why they would make that leap to be more than what they were.

Nate and Ava had a great connection as well. They had great banter between them and they complimented each other very well in terms of personalities and motivations. It was a lot of fun to watch them fall in love. I also liked how their relationship made them become stronger individuals as well.

–January 29, 2017– Book #2.5: Sealed

Novellas are tricky things. They need to find that right balance between character development, plot and–essentially–fan service in a shorter number of pages.

This one hits all the right notes!

I loved the character development we got here! It just added depth and a more realistic edge to the story we got in Schooled. I also loved getting Dylan’s POV as well; it just rounded out the story so well.

I laughed; I swooned and I enjoyed every minute of it! Can’t wait for the next installment in this fantastic series!

When to read it? After you read Schooled and Stripped is best.

–March 12, 2017– Book #3: Styled

This was a pairing I was super excited to see come to life! We’ve met these two throughout the series and they definitely weren’t who I would have picked for each other…but that’s the reason I’m not the author of this series 😉

I loved these two together! The slow burn romance had me hooked from the start and the sexual tension was awesome. But it was their compatibility in personalities and work ethic that had me truly on board. I like my romantic leads to have a partnership and that is exactly what these two have! They compliment each other so well and was so much fun to watch them discover that.

I also enjoyed the dramatic side of the plot as well. Not only is the romance strong, but the plot is solid from start to finish. You don’t get these moments of conflict thrown in sporadically, rather you have inklings of the drama throughout. It keeps your attention and it provides a nice balance to the romance. AND, it helps develop the romance as well. They don’t feel like mutually exclusive plot devices which is fabulous.

–February — Book #3.5: Satisfaction

The synopsis is slightly deceptive in the sense that there isn’t a whole lot of scenes regarding the “one-week deal” but I was ok with that because we get these other great scenes between our leads.

Would I have loved a full novel? You bet! I think you’ll get more out of this book if you’ve read the full novels in the series because you will see how this romance has been building since the start. A lot of things are assumed here (based on your knowledge of the previous books) but I think this novella serves as a special treat for fans of the series—or a great way for new fans to get excited about diving into this fantastic series!

Series Rating: 4.5/5

Schooled 5/5 | Stripped 4/5 | [Sealed 5/5] | Styled 5/5 | [Satisfaction 4/5]

This is THE PERFECT light new adult romance series! If you want something that isn’t smothered in tragic character pasts and is simply a fun, good time, you need to read this series!

Read if You Like: slow burn romance, “forbidden” romance, light new adult stories
Avoid if You: dislike contemporary romance, want “darker” or more “tragic” characters

• Keep Me by Faith Andrews (The Grayson Siblings Series #1)
• Wild by Sophie Jordan (The Ivy Chronicles #1)
• Redesigned by Denise Grover Swank (Off the Subject Trilogy #1)
• Wallbanger by Alice Clayton (Cocktail Series #1)
• Play Me by Katie McCoy

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