Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Wait for You by J. Lynn
Series: Wait for You, #1 (that's going to be awkward with the second book)
Published: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 332

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...

That's right, zero stars! I have never given a book zero stars before, so trust me when I say, STAY AWAY.

I really have to stop doing this. I have this thing where I go looking for a light read. An escape book. And they all piss me off because they're all the same. I mean, what the fuck!? The degenerate morals (please ignore the previous lapse and my hypocritical reasoning), the flat characters, the predictability, the general lack of being able to evoke any emotion, and the crude, crude sexual encounters. I am so over it. I feel like all these books are doing this

And I'm just like lol, nope

Really, I don't need to read about the things these couples are doing, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO. Clarification on that later. But for now. 

So this book is about a girl (Avery) who had a very bad, nasty experience at 14. We don't find out till the end, but it's predictable. There's also a guy (Cam). He's a stud. A hot stud. And he runs into Avery (literally) and BAM insta love! For him at least. Avery spends several months flat out denying the guy, but going out on all these really romantic excursions with him. Because she spent so long denying him, it's okay that when she gives in to him, she becomes a horny, possessed creature.

This girl goes from being someone with no boyfriend experience to someone who constantly yells at cam to "touch [her]." Really. She has a thing for orgasms, whether self-inflicted or with the aid of loving Cam, and I'm just being grossed out in the corner.

Now, it pains me to do this, but only to exhibit the incredibly awkward language, and the overall TMI, I will paste a passage below of something that is supposed to be...arousing?

I jerked as he cupped me fully. “Like this?” “Yes.” His lips pressed down on the center of my throat as his finger slipped inside. “And this?” My eyes closed as my back arched. “Uh-huh.” Cam shifted his hand and his thumb pressed down on the nub of nerves. I gasped as he worked another finger inside me and his body tensed beneath mine. “What about this?” I tipped my hips forward, moaning as my body heated. “Oh, yeah. Definitely that.” “Definitely that,” he murmured, his fingers pumping.

Oh yeah. Nerves. Definitely that. I'll just repeat what you said. I'm sorry, but EWWWWWWW.

Really, I'd rather not! I find this in no way romantic. And that's not to say sex scenes can't be romantic. THEY CAN. But not when told in explicit detail because you either a) imagine yourself vividly experiencing the act, and then feel awkward because that's weird or b) flip the pages because it's nothing you haven't read before. Also, no character development, or plot development  OR ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT except sorts best left unmentioned occurs during these scenes! Go the John Green path of subtlety, trust me, it's better! The readers end up having more faith in the relationship because they see it as an act of love, not lust. This book was all lust. 

Another example of awkward, disgusting language:

I lowered myself down onto his lap, shuddering when I felt his arousal through his jeans, pressing against my heat.

My heat. I'm sorry. That just throws me off for a beat. The way Cam talks throws me off. So many writing nuisances that make me want to gag. 

But, really, what is this all except personal opinion? Actually, this entire blog is a personal opinion, but I'll be damned if I don't support any of my accusations without evidence. So, when I say Avery's got issues...She's got issues. 

I didn't notice it at first. I mena, yeah, she obviously went through something really bad at a young age, and it's sad. But somewhere about 2/3's of the way through, I began to pick up on this 'insecurities.' And I don't mean this in the sense that she has flaws that she's trying to work through. I mean this in the sense that she has messed up beliefs that everyone around her, and she herself, think are normal and natural. Exhibit A.

but I couldn’t keep doing that. We had to take our relationship to the next level. Besides, I was probably the only twenty-year-old virgin on campus and how long would Cam wait for me to be ready? We’d been together for four months and guy time was like dog years so that was like four years.

There are some many things wrong with this. 1) Honey, if you're going to do math, stick with what you know. Dog years means 1 calendar year = 7 human years in age. So 12 months = 7 years. And 4 months = 2.333 years. So, if you're going to put a price on your vagina, it's actually 2 years and roughly 4 months, not 4 years.

Also,

There is nothing about above train of thought that is sound. You don't have to do anything, Avery! Make the boy wait if you're not comfortable, it's okay, I promise. Also, virginity isn't a stigma! Having thorns in you hands - wait, no, that's stigmata, never mind. Killing (yes, I'm back on track), is a stigma. For a very good reason. Virginity is your natural state. You were born a virgin, and it's okay.

But wait, there's more! Because Avery is not secure in her body image, either! Even though she's clearly that girl with the auburn hair that's beautiful, but never uses her beauty or is aware of it. We don't need the number of times Cam yells out in his seduced state to figure that one out. And yet, as she's raging through her closet, she's bemoaning the "ill-fitted shirts." Why is she raging through her closet, one might ask? Because, Cam decided he'd had enough, and wasn't sticking around if Avery wouldn't tell him every secret in her life. I'm not so mad about that because there were several occasions where Avery should have come clean. But still. And how does she feel about this? "I was so pissed— pissed at myself."

Dear lord, we have a Bella Swan on our hands.

Yes, I allow human beings the right of anger directed at themselves. It motivates improvement most of the time. But hating yourself because you're boyfriend left you? Because you have an issue that you're struggling to confront? And it's a BIG ISSUE? Nope, I deny you self-hate. You're not entitled, sorry, move on.

Cam's no walk in the park, either. Overprotective jerk springs to mind. So Avery finally get's the courage to tell him what's happened, and this is how he reacts:

“What else, Avery? Please talk to me, because I’m seconds away from booking a flight to Texas and killing a mother fucker.”

Yes, you doing this is exactly what Avery needs right now, Cam, A+ for your analysis.

And when they finally do the deed, and Avery says, "It had been the act of complete trust in each other." I'm just like, 

In conclusion. Don't ever let me pick up a book for "light reading" ever again. I mean it. I'm strictly sticking to Gaskell, Austen, Martin, Tolkien, and my reliable YA for the rest of my life. I enjoy this GIF more than I enjoy these books. 

 I'll leave this happy picture on your mind before signing off. Head the warning.

UPDATE!

I have had a reaction from someone who read the excerpts I posted in this review, and it's pure gold. The words?

Those excerpts I read are like bad erotic fanfiction

Further support to my claim of badly written and horribly awkward.