Review ~ "Wait for You" by J. Lynn

Title: "Wait for You"
Series: Wait for You, #1
Author: J. Lynn 

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Published: September 3, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
 
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Some things are worth waiting for. Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago--an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe--please God--make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn't need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself. Some things are worth experiencing. Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that's just so... so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed. Some things should never be kept quiet. But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she's has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her? And some things are worth fighting for.

I've loved pretty much everything that JLA has written, and I've never been a huge fan of contemporary and I've never read any NA before, so I decided that her work as J. Lynn would be a perfect way to start the genre. And let me just say that I am so happy that I gave this genre a chance!

After moving thousands of miles away from home, Avery is hoping to start a new life for herself. All she wants to do is go to her classes and maybe make a couple of friends, and that's it. But then she meets Cam, and he makes her think about changing her plans. He makes her feel things she didn't think she'd ever be able to feel. And she likes that. However, things from her past keep threatening to resurface, and she worries that it could ruin her new life and must decide whether or not to face it.

From the beginning we know that something has happened to Avery. Even though nothing is explicitly said, she keeps referencing something and her behaviors alone suggest that not everything is OK. She's very closed off from people, even the friends that she makes. They really don't know that much about her. All they know is that she moved all the way to West Virginia from Texas, away from her parents that she's not close to.

And then we have Cam, whom Avery meets by plowing into him from behind while running late to class. They only say a few words to each other, and then she runs away and skips class. She doesn't run away because he's mean, which he isn't, but Avery doesn't know how to react. However, things are awkward later because when Avery's walking to her car, they run into each other again. And then again when she's walking up to her apartment. They don't quite get along at first, as Cam is very loud, outgoing, and persistent, but Avery soon starts to tolerate him.

I loved watching the chemistry between them! I was so happy that it wasn't instalove. Sure, there was insta-attraction, but it's not like Avery was obsessed with Cam from the very beginning. I thought that it was great that Cam stuck with Avery during the entire book. Even though there were rough patches, he still cared about her deeply.

However, one thing that I didn't like was how Cam is so similar to other male love interests that JLA has written. They tend to be quite similar when it comes to their personalities and their descriptions. They're almost all the same.

Avery
I felt like I could relate to her quite a bit. Even though I haven't gone through the same things as her, I have had a similar experience, so I could understand everything that she was going through during the book. Especially with being able to open up to people and letting them in.

Cam
As I said before, he's quite similar to other love interests that JLA has made. But I did like that he was so caring and protective of Avery. He redeemed himself there.
 
Overall, this was a great first NA book for me! Was it perfect? No. But do I think that I'll find a contemporary book that I'm going to gush and fangirl over like I do with fantasy or paranormal books? Likely no. Just my personal taste. However, I do plan to continue this series and see how things go from there!