Try Me (Extracurricular Activities, Band 2)

Law school rivals

Really liked the couple, and it was a nice read, but a lot weaker than the first volume, which might be due to false expectations on my side. It's a bit ironic because I saw many negative reviews for book 1 because it was mainly smut, but that was actually what I liked about it 😂 It didn't want to be something deep, but still had great character chemistry and was easy to read. I expected the same for book 2, but it had different tropes (rivals to lovers), and therefore, it took them longer to get together, which is fine, just not what I wanted to read when I started it. So I took a break in the middle and now finished it. The later half was way better since they got together, and I loved their dynamic. It was a bit of a Romeo x Romeo situation with their parents (or more like their dads) being in dispute after a falling out when they were younger. They actually were childhood friends. Then, Chets' father goes to jail, and his life falls apart. Mark goes to a different high school, and his dad keeps him away from Chet. They meet again in college, but due to a thing that was already mentioned in book 1, Mark kinda hates Chet, and now they both got an internship at a law firm and need to work together... The beginning was a bit annoying until they cleared that misunderstanding, but the tension was also interesting. I didn't like the law firm setting though. Yes, they were also at campus, but not enough. I wanted to see more of the roommates we already got to know (also, since they will be the next main characters). It is kinda supposed to be a series about frat boys, so I want to see more of that (even though I still don't really get what a fraternity even does xD). As I said, after they get together, I liked it way more. The aspect with the dad was also interesting. I love drama like this, especially when they fight to be together anyway. It might be a cliché, but I like the "true love always wins" thing 🤭 All in all, a good book, but lacking in a few ways. I am excited for the next volume though 😌

Best friends-forced rivals/enemies-estranged- reluctant teammates-lovers Re-read to finish the series. #2

Chets and Marks reconnection on Campus is an explosive one. Best friends since childhood both boys are forced to stay away from each other by their fathers. Competitive by nature and partly nurture both compete against each other in everything - from basketball to academic achievements. Until they stop lying to themselves about the core of their relationship. Most dislike the second book as the flow is sometimes off, the background story is loud (I do hate Mark's dad!!!) - but I prefer the second book because the characters have more depth, more grit, more drama.

I wasn't expecting this to be a five-star-read, but sometimes a story just hits right.

This installment delivered a fantastic Childhood Friends to Haters to Lovers trope, and once again, it was hooooot. I really liked that their sexuality wasn't an issue here. Even though they came from wealthy backgrounds (or at least Chet was wealthy in the beginning), that wasn't the problem. The central conflict was compellingly external. The tension was passed down because one of their fathers had cheated the other. This meant one son had to bear the burden of his parent's guilt and foolish actions, creating a meaningful source of friction. They were clearly the perfect couple who would have gotten together seamlessly if their parents hadn't intervened so foolishly. The relationship arc beautifully captured the inevitable pull between them. They tried to fight the attraction, but it was a quick, losing battle ... I mean they barely resisted at all and gave up very quickly. They tried to dismiss their intense connection as mere physical attraction - but well they were already so deeply in love it was a losing battle from the start ... and they knew all along they couldn't be without each other. The moment they accepted their true feelings, their communication was surprisingly good. They quickly united and fought side-by-side against everyone and I loved how Mark stood up to his father. As for the physical side, the smut was, again, impeccable. Every scene felt new and interesting, providing constant TENSION without ever feeling repetitive. The execution of the smut, the development, and the compelling conflict were all genuinely very well executed.