Photo Credits: Silke Lemcke (Pixabay), TT (pixabay), DesignDrawArtes (pixabay), Foundry (pixabay) Edited by Vaishali Title: Love You Better Author: Brit Benson Series: Better Love Book #1 Publisher: Self-Published Year of Publication: 2021 Format: EBOOK copy (kindle app) Genre/Themes: Contemporary Romance, College Romance, Friend-to-lovers, New Adult, Trauma, Assault Recovery, Self-Empowerment Review... “It means I’m going to love you better than anyone can. The only person who will ever love you better than me is yourself, but I’m going to spend all of my life trying to match you. And when your self-love falters, when you doubt yourself or us, my heart will carry yours. I’ll love you big enough for the both of us. I always have, and if you let me, I always will.” I've read some wonderfully recommendable Indie published romance, and I confirm that Brit Benson's Love You Better is affirmatively one of them. I eased into this one after reading a brief teaser excerpt of book two (which I immediately decided needed to be on my reading list) but thought I'd start at the source with Ivy and Kelley when I realised I already had the series opener locked and loaded on my kindle app. Love You Better is my Brit Benson first and moves to the bend of a beautiful, balanced, heartfelt, well-rounded college romance with the positive uplift of a long, familiar, sweetly bonded forever friendship en route to be so much more than a settled-into comforting companionship. Even after their timelines’ synced up for a second time it's been staunch friendship all the way. There's a very significant reason for that, a story that an unstoppable Ivy gets to tell as the storyline emerges. Admittedly, friends to lovers isn't my favourite trope, and although I'm genuinely compelled by the concept of a long-established, twisting, turning relationship between two people who've shared the best of their teenaged years together, binding them together like a gravitational glue through any forthcoming separation, I find myself taken more by the concept next to the fiction-made reality. Love You Better does it like its own speciality and Kelley and Ivy do it believably, charmingly, conflictingly and sweetly slice of life in only the grounded way a college romance with smart, level-headed protagonists can do it. They've had to rekindle their friendship after a separation that splintered their made plans. They've since been back in each other's lives and have no desire to disrupt the special bond that's only ever been theirs to claim now that they're snugly, safely and hard and fast in the zone of friendship. Well-balanced storytelling sections every area of life that matters for the both of them; friendships, family, college life, internships, educational pursuit and studious application, a passion for where they're heading in their lives and the laid paths put in motion for their awaiting futures. And of course, each other. This series starter felt very 'on the cusp' for what comes next, in numerous ways. There's so much love, acceptance, support and connection within their friendship group. The type of friends you know would be there for the rest to lean on whenever in need, and as such I just loved Bailey and Jesse as pivotal side characters. A bouquet of brownie points for Jesse especially, he's just a very special human in the best way. A great friend, an encouraging partner in crime, a comforting presence and a light-hearted but grounded personality to be around. I'm not sure why I have it on mind but if our hero and heroine ever decided to marry in their fictional future, I can't help envisioning Jesse being quick to jump at the chance at being a best man to Kelley as much as a bridesmaid to Ivy but it's a vision I can't efface. He has the type of energy you want to sidle up against and I had the inexhaustible urge to be the receiver of his cuddles while I hoped his silliness would permeate the story with the comical levity he seemed to impart so well. Every character, side and leading was thoughtfully materialised. The romance is very slow burn and Kelley and Ivy definitely move to the current of more than just their friendship, with time. As much of a solid ground they both have in the space of each other's lives this was a slow burner that burned realistically, and in the way it likely was meant to. And while it takes its tender time for Ivy to confront and accept her very un-friendly feelings, Kelley gets to claim the title of 'the ultimate piner’ in Love You Better. His love for Ivy was so big, so secret but also not secret, so wholesome, so long-suffering and it's easy to trust that he'd hold her hand through anything in the single space of a breath if she asked him to. He felt like family more than friend, more than just a romantic interest. Their bond felt so known, connected and effortless. Readers who have a preference for bookish heroes with sportsman energy who execute the heat as much they publicise the sweet will likely love Kelley as much as he's lovestruck for his best friend. He's Ivy-faithful, kind, caring, loving and has a modern male confidence most would bury in favour of ego-centric chauvinism. He's a student teacher who has his heart set on being a high school educator but he's also very well-rounded in personality. He presents an unbiased, non-misogynistic voice from the male perspective which sits nicely against Ivy's sexual assault storyline that discusses female solidarity, autonomy, sexual freedom and consent. It's very fair to say he's love-bitten, and when the turning point comes, he's a man with purpose on the mind who lays himself as bare as he can to hope for the dream he's been dreaming since he made a fast friend out of Ivy Rivenwood. My appreciation for Ivy was something of a slower build but I still believe she was a brilliant protagonist, trying to get through life with a bright mind, a won't-be-beaten strength and a heavy heart. Doing it with personal power supporting her steps to a future of purpose. Living life on the legal pad she's writing for herself, unwilling to become the totality of her trauma, adores her little brother like his happiness is her very own and wouldn't dare to lose the friendships that means everything to her. Her sense of pursuit was so fierce. Even if she took some time to warm up for me, she's in equal parts a complex, mature, motivated student but a fun, confident, independent woman who wants to enjoy her life while working hard for it. She over-thinks her way into or out of any given situation, and that spoke to an early life experience she was choiceless to accept. She epitomises the story of what can come from a lack of privilege by giving herself the opportunity to be something more than the privation she came from, to use her intelligence, focus and passion combined to be the best of herself. She was strong, fierce, human, and while I would have loved to see more vulnerability from her, her characterisation was reasoned sensibly well and aligned with a deeper sense of self-doubt derivative to her upbringing. In every way, Ivy's the smart academic who knows how to enjoy her life and apply herself reliably in all areas...in all but one. Maintaining her sense of control has become a life strategy, not wanting to become the living oversight in her own life and doing her damnedest to transform her pain into progress. So when downtime circles around, It doesn't stop her from living her life the way she's determined to; long weekdays and free and easy weekend delights. Her little side project has a point and a purpose, and very few know the real origins of why she seeks out sexual partners of a certain shade. She's desperate to get back to the day when she can be the twenty-one-year-old student who doesn't have to prep herself with adequate self talk, safety checks and the ease that comes with two consenting people enjoying some nocturnal company. She challenges herself by being quite proactive about her trauma, not wanting it to become height of what she has to offer. What we have with Love You Better is a lovable, delightful and a long-time-coming romance with an intimately sweet friends to lovers appeal. It was only meant to end one way with these two, and their well-suited courtship fans the sexual flame as effortlessly as it complements their friendship. The leading protagonists are as much a part of the other as they a have real, independent purpose in their lives. A fun set of character friendships, preparing for their coming futures, having fun, being social, applying themselves purposefully and being the cheer for their friends' successes. Ivy and Kelley's friendship wasn't always quite so unbreakable however. With a pause in their history where they both fell apart and fell away from each other, Ivy's disappearance after their senior year of high school left Kelley at the biggest loss of his life. And Ivy with a disturbing secret that not even her best friend knows about. Current day and Ivy's the career driven, high-achieving law student who's worked out a nice little system for herself. But all that unbeatable pursuit hides its fair share, and has forged a woman who stores the deepest sense of security in her propensity for certainty. It's pertinent for her to carry herself with a certain collected composure but a slip up in her progress brings back a time that has never stopped its haunting. A compatible friends to lovers romance where a history of secret feelings rekindles. There's a meaningful note that speaks to sexual freedom with Ivy's storyline, one that gauges very relevant, current topics. Both have great, receptive attitudes; Kelley with his take on male attitudes and Ivy with her pro-empowerment sense of female support. I did experience some hiccups and stumble over pacing from time to time but comprehensively, we have a worth-your-time debut and catalogue opener from Brit Benson that rolls and launches the first ball for the Better Love series. Kelley gets his dream girl with Ivy and she gets so much more than her best friend back. A gorgeous role reversal where the leading love interest has always held a candle for his best friend for as long as he could remember, and as long as he heard the name Ivy Rivenbark. Sweet heat, a loving friendship and sexy chemistry that sends you into a better love. Switched on in the way it grounds itself, characterises its cast and navigates its themes. A debut win for the romance genre and an aware, smart, feel good, heartfelt, achingly friends to lovers piece to the romancing game. I gave this book 4 stars - Content Warning: past sexual abuse and nondescript references/memories that allude to the assault. Trauma/assault-related panic attacks and nightmares. Bullying over a learning disability. Past parent death/car accident. PTSD, anxiety. Mentions drink driving. Reference to a past drugging and rape, and describes the impact of said sexual assault. Some violence. __________________________ M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read __________________________ EXTRA THOUGHTS: 1) I can't say I was surprised by the reveal of Ivy's abuser but I did think the author plays to it well. 2) I really appreciated the self awareness in Kelley's reasoning for his *current* (pertinent wording) celibacy. He, of course, still held feelings Ivy but also knew that it wouldn't be the best move to engage in a relationship when it would be unfair to both him and any respective love interest when he didn't feel in the best place to maintain a relationship. How many leading men follow that lead? He's also very aware of his preferences. But as much as I liked Kelley, I did feel as if we could have received MORE from him as a leading protagonist with character. For example, with the reveal of the conclusion, his reaction felt restricted. Preston had been his friend for a long time prior to his college life so I would have liked more commentary on that from Kelley's perspective as opposed to the way the final events quickly come to a close I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK Leave a comment and let's talk about |
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