Wait For You by J. Lynn (Wait for You #1)
New Adult
April 2, 2013
William Morrow

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I think the key to the start of any good relationship is to remember how the other person likes their coffee.”

 Avery Morgenstern starts her first day of college by literally running into campus hottie and player, Cameron Hamilton. Six feet plus of pure unadulterated smexyness who suddenly becomes Avery’s shadow. He makes her feel like a goddess but Avery has secrets. Secrets that haunt her days, nights, and impede any chance of her having a normal relationship. Avery arrived at college thousands of miles from home to escape a traumatic event and make a fresh start but when she begins receiving hate filled emails and texts, Avery will have to make a difficult choice. Can she come clean with Cam and let him help her heal? Or will she be forced to stay silent and lose the one person who makes her feel whole again?

**Though this is set to release for publication in print in September through William Morrow, I actually read this months ago when it was released by J Lynn herself in ebook format. I have read both releases many times. The book is available digitally**

Wait For You is a well written addictive new adult novel that addresses a serious subject matter with heartfelt emotion, drama, intrigue, romance, and humor. A fluid storyline that ebbs and flows seamlessly as we are submerged into the lives of the protagonists Avery and Cam. I’m a huge fan of the author, J Lynn, also known as Jennifer Armentrout. I adore her mature YA’s and her adult romantic contemporaries and was delighted to see her writing NA.  Fans of her previous works will not be disappointed. A prolific author whose true gift is her appealing voice and her ability to make her characters realistic and three dimensional. Her characters aren’t perfect and while we do see drama and angst, it’s not over flowing or used as merely a plot device. She digs beneath stereotypical behavior and gives us the real story behind it. Witty dialogue, dynamic scenes, and a well plotted swoon worthy romance serve to make this story an unforgettable read.

Avery is a complex heroine. She traveled across country to go to college to try and move beyond her past and make a future for herself. She wants the normal college experience. Told from her POV, we meet a survivor who was never allowed to grieve or properly heal from a traumatic event. She is stuck in a never ending cycle of guilt and disgust. Her past clings to her like a malignant tumor, foreshadowing her actions and emotions. Once we get to know her though, we see the person she is beneath the darkness-fun, snarky, smart, strong, and beautiful. Though her plans do not include a romance…she never encountered someone like Cameron Hamilton.

“People got out of the way for Cam. He was like a hot Moses, parting a sea of drunk college students.”

Cameron (Cam) Hamilton completely makes this story. I have never met a hero who didn’t irritate me in some small fashion but Cam didn’t at all. He’s gorgeous, smart, nice, and funny. J. Lynn certainly found her groove when writing him. Though he is set up to be quite the womanizer, he doesn’t come across as one. Once he sets his sites on Avery, all bets are off. He slowly instigates himself into her life, first becoming a cookie baking, egg making friend, then more as they get to know one another. His lighthearted personality balances perfectly against Avery’s darker nature.  He has some of the best lines and you will be powerless to not fall in love with him yourself.

“I can see that you don’t believe me. Maybe it was the cookie? Well, you refused to taste my cookies last night and honestly, I was going to eat the other cookie, but you looked so tired and sad sitting there, I figured you needed the cookie more than I did.”

Lynn slowly builds the romance between Avery and Cam, infusing the story with intense nail biting sexual tension and emotional scenes that allow for the gradual reveal of the main conflict. She uses their personalities and personal lives to show us that even with their different backgrounds, they are more similar than we first imagined. Though the romance is a heavy aspect of the storyline, Lynn intertwines it with external plot lines, using them to further elevate the romance and guide it along the path to love.

“While the idea of taking you right now, against the wall, is enough to make me lose control, I want you to know that I’m serious. You’re not a hook up. You’re not a friend with benefits. You’re more than that to me.”

I closed my eyes, breathing heavily. “Well, that was…really sort of perfect.”

“I’m really sort of perfect … Everyone else knows that. You’re just a little slow on the uptake.”

 

As Avery begins to open up to Cam, cluing him into her past and varied issues, she realizes that he is even more remarkable than she first thought. He tries so hard for her, even not knowing exactly what is wrong. Avery’s many attempts at pushing Cam away are frustrating at times but Lynn does a fabulous job of allowing Avery to find her own way back. What I really enjoyed was the lack of heavy dramatics or theatrics beyond the normal age appropriate reactions. College romance stories often walk a fine line between normal actions and over the top reactions. Lynn manages to maintain the age dynamics without succumbing to the need for ridiculous and over the top escapades. All misunderstandings are resolved in a receptive manner and communication is always the result. Character development is at a premium as we watch Avery grow and become more comfortable with herself and Cam. She begins to acknowledge her problems and finally accept that what happened to her was NOT her fault and she has every right to her feelings.

 Avery’s and Cam’s friends and family add depth, humor, and a sense of continuation to the story. Brit and Jacob are delightful as they provide strong much need friendships for Avery while giving hilarious commentary on her love life.

“Whoa,” Brit breathed, handing my drink back to me. “That was…”

 

“Really hot,” Jacob finished. “I thought you two were going to rip off each other’s clothes and start making babies right here on the dirty, beer covered floor. Like I was going to have to start charging admission for what was about to go down.”

Ollie, Cam’s roommate, had me giggling with his silly antics and attempts at playing cupid. I hope we get his story soon. Avery’s family will leave you with your jaw on the floor while Cam’s family is a breath of fresh air.

 The ending provides us with a resolution to Avery’s emotional issues though we are left wondering where things stand with certain individuals. J Lynn certainly surpassed my expectations and has written a new adult love story that takes us on a incredible emotional journey filled with love, laughter, growth, and romance. I look forward to reading book two, Be With Me, set to release in February 4, 2014 with HarperCollins.

Rating: A

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