There is so much that I loved about this young adult novel: great writing, thoughtful characters, engaging story.
Two twenty somethings are each striving to live their lives the best they can as they divorce themselves from the pasts that continue to temper their futures. Both Allie and Kaden have developed defense mechanisms for protection from others and keep their secrets safe. Neither is prepared for the force of nature they come to represent to each other and cannot fight.

I was surprised to learn this book is originally a German novel but I had fun reading a translation and unfortunately have to rate it low because the second to last half of the book seemed to be too repetitive for the main characters (who reminded me of characters from a Colleen Hoover novel) and it seemed to be intent on repeating itself for a while. The first half of the book was great and I did enjoy the characters but the dragging of the plot and novel didn’t help.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance in between Kaden and Allie. Although, Kaden comes off as a jerk throughout the book and I almost didn’t want Allie to give him a chance, he does some fantastic groveling towards the end of the book. Both the characters of Kaden and Allie are complicated and have a dark background story that has affected their lives. The author has woven a lovely story of people who come with a lot of baggage but need to find a way to work through their issues if they ever want a chance to be together. I would highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next book from the series to be out.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I didn’t know what to think when I started reading this book. To be honest, I thought that this was going to be a college-themed 10 Things I Hate About You. So when I got into reading Begin Again, I was surprised at how much it wasn’t like that. Actually, I was very surprised at how deep this book got. I would have never gotten that from the blurb. Let’s say that some very heavy subjects were discussed.

The book starts off with Allie searching for apartments after moving to Oregon. She is frustrated when she arrives at the last apartment and is told to leave by Kaden White. He doesn’t want a female roommate. After exploding on him, Kaden relents and offers her the apartment. Only thing, there is a set of rules that Allie must follow or she will be thrown out. Allie is thrilled and agrees. Only thing, she isn’t the only one breaking the rules after a couple of months. Allie is falling for Kaden and falling fast. But Allie has secrets that will threaten her relationship with Kaden if they ever come to light. Only thing, Kaden has secrets that surpass Allie’s and he will do anything to keep them from her. When they come to light, will Allie and Kaden’s relationships survive?

I was kind of annoyed with Allie during the first half of the book. She came across, to me, as this sheltered child who never did anything in her life. I mean, she never had store-bought pizza before and cried over it. It got old fast. The author started dropping hints about her and her relationship with her parents. I thought that she was rebelling against them. When it was revealed that her parents never treated her right, I felt bad for her. I then understood the weird reactions to different situations. I also got why Kaden rubbed her the wrong way. But I was floored when her huge secret was revealed. I am not one to surprise at books and I was very surprised at that. It made me forget my annoyance with her and I started to think of her as a very strong woman. Even more so when she stood her ground with Kaden.

Kaden came across as a huge jerk at the beginning of the book. Who would even think to write those rules? But the more he interacted with Allie, the more I could see that he was starting to like her. Then he was breaking the rules to be with her. But he was always so mysterious and there was talk about his issues with depression/suicide. But when his huge secret was revealed, I was floored. I was not expecting what I read. What I also was not expecting was how cruel Kaden was to Allie after she found out. While it was hard to read, I did think that it was necessary for the storyline.

The sex in Begin Again was pretty hot. Once Kaden and Allie did it, they were like bunnies. They did it everywhere. I did like that the author also implied a lot of sex going on. There were only a few sex scenes with the rest being implied. Made for a great read that was.

I thought that the romance in Begin Again was very well written. The author took two very wounded people and made them fall in love with each other. But she didn’t end the book there. Instead, she had them go through the wringer before ending up together. It was Kaden trying to win Allie back that made the book for me.

The end of the book was definitely an HEA. I cried more than Allie did in the book during the ending. I can’t wait to read book 2 to see who is featured next. I also loved the epilogue. It made my heart happy!!

Begin Again was a wonderful read. It had a great plot with characters that grow on you. This is also a New Adult book. With the subject, language, and sex….I wouldn’t recommend for anyone over the age of 19.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Sex, language, and mild violence. There is also talk about rape, suicide and sexual abuse in the book. I would use discretion if letting anyone under the age of 19 read.

I would like to thank Mona Kasten, be-ebooks and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Begin Again.

All opinions stated in this review of Begin Again are mine.

I received no compensation for this review.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Begin Again is about Allie, a freshman in college, and her surly roommate, Kaden. They form an unlikely friendship despite his rules guiding their living situation. Allie and Kaden both struggle with the past, and help each other confront their issues.

I found the back and forth between Allie and Kaden entertaining and I became very invested in their progression as people. I loved the pacing of the novel, and I found myself wondering why Allie was so determined to stay far away from home. I could not put this down and didn't until I read the entire book.

The Author is German and have chosen too write her story about American college kids and it doesn't feel authentic to me, the story is one big cliche.

Controlling but tattooed (tats makes everything ok) douche bag boy meets lost, emotionally abused gorgeous girl with lots and lots of bagage. There is some of the old "Now I like you now I don't. It's me not you", he gives her many presents, of course one is a pet and punches his best friend in the face in a jealous fit.. obviously now she realize that he is being a douche because he is actually really sensitive and has his own baggage and then they live happily and healed (because all you need is love right?) ever after.

Iv read it and seen it all a hundred times before and that's too bad. because If the author would had taken her story and made it German, set in Germany there might have been something else.

I don't know who I would recommend this too.. The Kardashians maybe?

I also don't know why I'm giving it 2 stars.. Maybe under all the fake American doughnuts and pizzas, girly pyjamas party's and Taylor Swift adoration, there was an actual story that got lost.

3 rules that Allie has to obey if she wants to move in with sexy Kaden...

1. Don't talk about your girl problems.
2. Keep your mouth shut if I bring someone home.
3. We will NEVER hook up.
And they break them all this was a little steamy and I found myself blushes while reading this at work.

Great, fast book that you can devour it in one sitting!!

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was so captivating!!! I had so many emotions running through me while reading it! Some parts had me laughing out loud, others had me feeling angry and some even made me cry. When a book makes various emotions touch base I know that book is a winner! Great characters, I loved every one of them and Kaden & Allie we’re amazing! Their chemistry was off the chain! Great read that I highly suggest!!!

When I picked this up, I didn't know that it was originally published in German, so I was a little skeptical that the translation wouldn't flow. But this turned out to be a good surprise for me!

At the beginning of the story, Allie and Kaden end up living together. There are rules out in place, one of which is that they will never hook up. You can imagine how that went!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were quite likeable, and the plot was paced well. I will certainly keep my eyes out for more by Mona Kasten!

5 STARS!!!

I LOVED THIS SWEET STORY. It's amazing how the author (who has never been to the US) portraited the Oregon mountains; I actually felt like I was there right alongside Allie.

I want Dawn and Spencer's book now!! I'd love to know about Monica and Ethan, how they met and the Sawyer thing.

Begin Again by Mona Kasten

I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and had a lot of ups and downs in it with the characters. To me it just seemed I fished even though the story was great. I’m really hoping that the author will continue to write about All of these characters cause I would definitely love to see more of a dawn and spencer book that kinda keeps us in the loop with Kaden and Allie!

3 Stars!

1.5 Stars

Unfortunately I had a lot of issues with this book. While the premise sounded interesting, the execution was poor. Underdeveloped characters that had too many inconsistencies in their personalities grated on me and the fact that the author has never visited the US shone through. Some of these issues may have been because of an inadequate translation (originally in German), but I feel that even with a better one this book still would have fell flat.

Allie wants to begin again, so she leaves for a college that is thousands of miles away and needs an apartment, fast. But little does she know that the last apartment she's interviewing for is a guy and they're both surprised. Kaden surely wasn't looking for a girl to be a roommate too, because that never ended well the last time. But he reluctantly, lets Allie room with him, but of course not without rules. Pretty soon, with both Allie and Kaden's baggage to hang on to makes the rules he made blur a whole lot.

I really loved how we were able to see the family dynamics of both Allie and Kaden who btw I loved his mother and their relationship so much. But, on the other the way her Allie's parents treated her, especially her mother who accepted hush money after something happened to Allie. I was furious and near fuming when I found why Kaden and his ex had such a heartbreaking ending. Oh, how I wished I could throw Kaden's brother in jail myself.

Now, *clears throat* so can I have a book about Dawn or Spencer, please?

Note: There are trigger warnings for rape and abuse so please caution.

I loved Begin Again. The writing is engaging. The banter is funny. The sexual chemistry is off the charts. Allie Harper was desperate for a place to call home. School was about to start and she was afraid she would be living in her car at the rate she was going. But not even that would scare her into moving back home. Woodshill, Oregon was her new home. Far away from the manipulating ploys of her mother or the nightmares of her recent past. Here she would claim herself. Starting with claiming a room with Kaden White. Kaden was one of the hottest guys in school. He was a slut and he knew it. Girls wanted him and guys wanted to be him. Finding a roommate that would share his ideals was important. That meant he couldn't share it with a girl. Unless they had clear, explicit rules: 1. Don't talk about your girl problems. 2. Keep your mouth shut if I bring someone home. 3. We will NEVER hook up. Turns out, rules are meant to be broken and Kaden is the one that will break each and every one of them... Their relationship starts at odds, it evolves into one of respect and admiration. With time they learn that they are more alike than they think, but it's when love comes in that all bets and rules are off. Begin Again is an amazing read!

What a great book!! It had all the necessary components that make an excellent story: humor, angst, tears, drama, and a great ending.

Allie Harper, moved over 1,000 miles away from home to get away from her judgemental parents. Her mother is more concerned about what her society friends think about her, then her daughter's welfare. So Allie leaves Lincoln, Nebraska and goes to college in Woodshill, Oregon. She wants a fresh start and her freedom.
The only problem is she doesn't have a place to live. So she's looking for a roommate. After looking at several apartments, she gets discouraged. She figures she'll look at one more and if it doesn't work out, she will sleep in her car. She loves the last apartment, only the guy is a jerk, he's the legendary Kaden White, the campus tattooed, hottie. He makes a Allie abide by 3 rules or he will throw her out.

1. Don't talk to him about girl problems
2. Keep your mouth shut if he brings a girl home
3. They will NEVER hook up.

She's fine with those rules, Kaden's arrogant and treats her terribly in front of people. But as he slowly let's his walls down, Allie sees the REAL Kaden and she likes what she sees.

But when their friendship becomes more, things start to go sour.

A must read!!

Kaden is handsome, sexy, and has secrets as well as Allie and really it kept me interested for a while. But by chapter 27 I had enough. Kaden and Allie are no thrown together much and when they are together there's no sexual tension or chemistry. The drunken bar scene was hotter and had more chemistry then the entire book. I could barely finish it. I really felt forced to finish it but I could have walked away without finishing it and I wouldn't recommend it.

Really nice Y/A book. It kept me reading without stopping and I really liked the characters. I am a sucker for this kind of books, so I was a little reluctant when I started it, thinking it would disappoint me. It definitely did not.

* I won this book off of Netgalley for my honest opinion *

I found the main character, Allie, to be a bit over-exasperating. Very over dramatic and damsel in distress. I'm more into the self sufficient independent main characters. Don't get me wrong, there were aspects of her character that I enjoyed. She did have spunk to her character and some sassiness to her character that I enjoyed.

Kaden, I wanted to punch and kiss all at the same time. Pretty much throughout the whole book. He did win me over.

SPOILER BELOW:

I did root for their relationship throughout the book. Kaden is so confusing with his rules and non-rules though. I did enjoy the steamy scenes - the author did a good job on writing those scenes. It made me wish I had the same type of experience in college.

Ally moves to college. And is looking for a place to live as the dorms were already full, and then finds out Kaden has a spare room. Kaden is nasty and rude at first. He doesn’t want to live with a girl but Ally talks him into giving her a chance as a roommate. Kaden has some rules: 1- don’t talk about her girl problems, 2- keep her mouth shut if he brings someone home, 3- they will never hook up. Ally escaped her rich controlling family to go to college and she made sure the college wasn’t close to her family. Ally didn’t take Kaden’s bs though. Kaden was a hot but tortured guy. Who really usually only does one night stands. Ally and kaden both have a troubled past and both have issues. Kaden has tattoos and each one represents a memory from his past. Kaden and Ally become friends and start to become more. Then Kaden’s brother shows up and he threatens to tell Ally about kaden’s past which he is ashamed of.
I had mixed feelings about this book. It had a good plot. I didn’t like Kaden at first he was just rude and mean. I do believe some things got ,lost in translation as this was originally written in german by a German author. I do think the issues portrayed in this book are realistic. This had a pretty good ending. But this was fairly predictable. I liked how Ally didn’t take Kaden’s bs. I loved how there was a build up yo kaden’s and Allys relationship. I thought this book was a little too long and could have been shorter. I didn't like the back and forth had about being together or not. I didn’t really care for kaden’s mood swings. I also didn’t like how Kaden blames everything he does wrong on his bad past. I said I had mixed feeling on this book.

Begin Again by Mona Kasten is a story of growing up and finding one’s place in the world.
Allie Harper packs up all her belongings and moves across the country to Woodshill Oregon. She must get away from her controlling parents and may never go back again. She registers for college and needs an apartment and finds it the most difficult task so far. One last place on her list and she meets bad boy Kaden White who has the room to rent. He is arrogant but she has nowhere else to go so takes the apartment along with Kaden’s rules. “1. Don’t talk about girl problems, 2. Keep your mouth shut it I bring someone home and 3. We will NEVER hook up.” Allie thinks no problem as who would want t spend more time than necessary with him and she thinks she can just stay in her room and ignore him. She quickly finds this is not as easy as it seemed. She and Kaden both learn they have secrets from the past that they must overcome before being free to move forward.
I enjoyed this book but sometimes felt the story moved a bit slowly. It could also be a trigger topic for persons who have suffered from dysfunctional family lives. I found this a minor issue for myself. I give this book 4 of 5 stars as it I well-written and the characters are very developed. I think it would appeal to the young adult audience.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.