*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.
Title: Learning Curve
Author: Max Monroe
Genre: Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)
She’s the virginal cheerleader, and he’s the tortured bad
boy. Their worlds are different, but college life at Dickson University brings
them together in a passionate, angsty, fiery collision.
Finn Hayes is what girls my age would call “stupid hot.”
He’s handsome, has brown eyes that remind me of warm chocolate chip cookies,
and a tall, muscular build that makes marble sculptures jealous.
Green flag, right?
Wrong.
He’s also broody, closed off, and so complex that it
feels like I need a decoder to crack him.
He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met and fights like he came
out of the womb swinging, taking down both my ex-boyfriend and an ex-UFC
fighter with ease.
But the underground society at our college known as
Double C has nothing on him in the secrets department, and it’s that mysterious
edge that keeps me coming back for more.
This is more than the story of how Finn and I fell in
love.
This is proof that love has a learning curve. Sometimes
you succeed, and sometimes…it destroys you.
Learning Curve is
the latest book from author Max Monroe and the first instalment of their new
Dickson University series. This is a truly brilliant college romance which is
packed full of emotion, drama, angst and so many twists and turns alongside all
of the steam, swoons and sweet moments you’d expect from a romance story. Scottie
and Finn’s story will capture your whole heart and soul and you truly won’t be
able to put it down.
Our story is told
through a dual POV narrative, sharing the perspectives of both Scottie and
Finn, and this worked so beautifully to tell the story. I truly fell completely
in love with both of them over the course of the story and getting insight into
both of their perspectives really aided that.
Finn was a
brilliant MMC who you will just love if you like a broody male love interest
who will (quite literally) fight for his girl. Did I squeal every time he
referred to Scottie as “my girl”? Yep. Is he a sure candidate for book boyfriend
of the year 2024? Double yep. He was definitely one of the most complex MMCs I’ve
met in a romance book and he was extremely well-written in this way. His back story
was well thought out, as was the impact it would have on his character which
was consistently demonstrated throughout the book, such as how quickly he could
get defensive. One of my favourite things
about Finn though what his character growth over the course of the story to someone
who says “I’m not only worthy of love; I’m capable of giving it”. It was truly
beautiful to read.
Scottie was also
a brilliant FMC who equally goes on such a journey throughout the book. I want
to avoid spoilers in my reviews wherever possible so don’t want to go into too
much depth about Scottie’s character journey but one of the biggest twists of
the story focuses on her character – which, side note, came completely
unexpectedly so props to Max Monroe – and her growth following this was a great
read.
The characters
were all brilliant and their behaviours felt age-appropriate and realistic as college-aged
young adults. As well as two brilliant protagonists, the supporting characters were
all amazing and felt equally as complex and three-dimensional. Whilst still being
mindful of avoiding spoilers, there’s also a lovely found family element to the
story which was a great addition to the book.
Scottie and Finn
had electric chemistry and great banter. I loved how the book navigated the
first time Scottie and Finn had sex, especially with Scottie being a virgin and
Finn being more experienced. The focus on communication and consent was
brilliant to see portrayed in a romance novel, as how respectful Finn was
towards Scottie.
At nearly 500 pages
this is definitely a longer romance read but I loved that this meant that the
book had the page space to carry on after they became a couple. Being a longer
read also allows the book to delve into serious topics you wouldn’t typically
expect to see from a standard romance novel, such as having an alcoholic parent
and domestic abuse.
This book works brilliantly as a standalone book but many of the featured characters are from Max Monroe’s previous books within their Winslow Brothers series and Billionaire Bad Boys series. I hadn’t read either series prior to starting Learning Curve but it has definitely made me keen to read them.
Overall, Learning Curve has been one of my standout reads of 2024 and is one of the books I'll be recommending to anyone who will listen. It was my introduction to the incredible writing duo that is Max Monroe and what an introduction it was, I'm now totally hooked on their books!
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